Changing Faith

For John, BLUF:  Multiculturalism has some limits.

I admit it is fun to poke fun at Former Vice President Al Gore.  He is such a bundle of contradictions.  And, I find it ridiculous that he would separate from his wife, Tipper.  It is part of what can only be described as erratic behavior.

As we know, Vice President Gore recently sold his TV Station, Current, to al Jazerra, for $500 million, of which he pocketed a nine figure payout.  (Where is a tax hike for the rich when you need one?)  That isn't the interesting part.  The interesting part is that one of al Jazerra's top shows, "Shariah and Life" featured Sunni Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi saying "Islam’s mandated death-penalty for apostasy has kept Islam alive since the 1400s"

If they had gotten rid of the apostasy punishment Islam wouldn’t exist today.

I am not sure I believe that, but it does seem to be in conflict with our more easy-going laws.  Yes, some of my Baptist friends think I am going to Hell for being a Roman Catholic, but we haven't engaged in hunting down Catholics for Centuries, and almost 200 years ago we began letting them hold office here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

So, is such a view of the punishment for apostasy compatible with our laws here in the United States?  Would it be possible to carve out a Shariah/Apostasy exception to US Law?  The flip side of the question is if we believe in the universality of the Declaration of Independence—

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Or does this assertion just apply to certain classes of human beings?

Regards  —  Cliff