Santorum Says Equality ‘Doesn’t Come from Islam’ But From ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’
EmailBOILING SPRINGS, SC—At his last town hall before South Carolinians vote, Rick Santorum was discussing the concepts of freedom and equality that the nation was founded on and said the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” or “Eastern religions.” Instead “it comes from “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
“I get a kick out of folks who call for equality now, the people on the left, ‘Well, equality, we want equality.’ Where do you think this concept of equality comes from?” Santorum asked the enthusiastic crowd packed into a restaurant here. “It doesn’t come from Islam. It doesn’t come from the East and Eastern religions, where does it come from? It comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that’s where it comes from.”
Santorum then said that since equality comes from God, people should live “responsibly in conforming with God’s laws.”
“So don’t claim his rights, don’t claim equality as that gift from God and then go around and say, ‘Well, we don’t have to pay attention to what God wants us to do. We don’t have to pay attention to God’s moral laws.’ If your rights come from God, then you have an obligation to live responsibly in conforming with God’s laws, and our founders said so, right?” Santorum asked.
The crowd of over 200 packed into the Clock Restaurant started clapping, cheering and shouting; one little girl was jumping on her chair in the back of the restaurant to show her support. The enthusiasm turned rowdy when Santorum mentioned President Obama on two occasions and one man yelled, “He wasn’t born here” and another, “He hates America.” Santorum did not respond, and it wasn’t clear if he heard the comments or not.
Friday evening Santorum gave his final pitch to the crowd, asking them, “What message are you going to send to the country as to who the conservative standard bearer will be out of South Carolina?”
“It’s decision time in South Carolina, it’s a decision as to what South Carolina is going to communicate to the rest of this country, what the upstate in particular, this is the conservative heartland as I mentioned before, what is the upstate going to say? Who are they going to stand behind?” Santorum said to cheers of “We pick Rick!” (“Upstate” refers to the northern part of South Carolina, which is the state’s most conservative area, where Santorum needs to do well in Saturday.)
Since Ronald Reagan won the state in 1980, the winner of the South Carolina primary has gone on to become the GOP nominee.
“This is a wide-open race, the inevitability card that was being played by the media of the moderate candidate in this race is now gone since somebody else won Iowa yesterday,” Santorum said to cheers. “Someone who actually believes what they say, someone who actually when they are accused of being a conservative on an issue and being an extremist says, You’re darn right, I’m a conservative and you are the extremist, not me.”
An overflow crowd waited out in the cold rain for an opportunity to listen to and meet the former Pennsylvania senator. He has even scheduled a stop at a polling place in Greenville tomorrow, a last-minute effort to convince voters he’s the man to vote for, not Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich, who are currently polling higher than he is.
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Is this an offhanded way to imply democrats are into Islam? This guy is something else. And speaking of equality, he wouldn’t know what that was. Sign, a female.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | January 20, 2012, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
I don’t know who is more delusional and ignorant, Ricky or his audience! Really, shouting out, “He wasn’t born here,” and “He hates America”.!! Nothing like the far-right wacko fringe cheering a far-right extremist candidate. Santorum and his ilk have no place in a country as diverse and great as this one.
Posted by: Dr. Bubba | January 20, 2012, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
Ummm..Didn’t Isaac have a half-brother named Ishmael? And isn’t Islam an Abrahamic religion as well? Guess SOMEONE didn’t read their Old Testament as much as they should have. Rick, stop trying to create ways to divide our country.
Posted by: DWolf | January 21, 2012, 12:53 am 12:53 am
Isn’t Christianity an eastern religion? Maybe Santorum can correct me, but I believe Jesus was born in the Middle East, just like Abraham, Muhammad. Mormanism, on the other hand, is western religion. Maybe Mitt can run with that fact, I’m sure it’ll impress the electorate in south Carolina.
Posted by: Tmood | January 21, 2012, 1:43 am 1:43 am
As an aside I would like to add that actually Islam Christianity and Judeaism are all considered in theology to be ‘children of the book’. Basically all of them have evolved from the same root scriptures and scrolls. I do wish people would be intellegent enough to see what unites us as a species rather than fighting over rubbish. As always it is a sad little argument of how some documents thousands of years old should be interpreted. The history of religion in a nutshell if you ask me. Worship who you want and provide a living example of the benefits of your beliefs. But it should be kept out of politics.
Posted by: tabithatwitchetty | January 21, 2012, 9:39 am 9:39 am
Barring the FACT that we have Separation of Church and State, the more I hear the filth that spews out of these Evangelical “Christian” candidates, the more I am convinced that these deceptive false prophets serve a very different lord and master than Jesus.
Posted by: O'Brian | January 21, 2012, 9:58 am 9:58 am
It always blows their minds when I tell people that Christianity actually is an “eastern” religion.
Posted by: anon | January 21, 2012, 10:27 am 10:27 am
Is he even speaking words? At first he was ridiculously entertaining with the fanatical gibberish, but now he’s all frantic and senseless–and seriously past his expiration date. Time to get back in the clown car, Frothy.
Posted by: Elise | January 21, 2012, 10:33 am 10:33 am
Dear Rick Santorum — NEWS FLASH – Islam is an Abrahamic religion. How can the leader of the United States of America not know that?
Posted by: Shamim Boyce | January 21, 2012, 10:43 am 10:43 am
He is one of the silliest person in the world that does not even know Judaism, Christianity are both Eastern Religion. Secondly, Islam is an Abrahamic Religion, Ismail is from Abraham descendent. Muslim believe in Both Moses and Jesus.
Posted by: mrright | January 21, 2012, 10:50 am 10:50 am
The ignorance is astounding…. Someone needs to give this man a book called the Bible so he can get his facts straight….
Posted by: Jennifer | January 21, 2012, 11:16 am 11:16 am
We do not want a theocracy here. We see how that works elsewhere in the world. This country was founded on the principle of religious tolerance. It is because of people like Santorum that there is so much hate and divisiveness!I don’t care what who your personal savior is or is not. I care that you have food, housing, work, transportation, quality of life and the freedom to practice you personal beliefs without hurting others.
Posted by: tj | January 21, 2012, 11:19 am 11:19 am
As far as equality goes, which nobody is really addressing, religious teachings that encourage equality almost completely equal between the original teachings of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. That is to say, all Abrahamic religions are from patriarchal cultures, and it’s ridiculous to claim Christianity and Judaism promote gender equality.
The difference with Islam is that from its founding, it gave women more equality than Christianity and Judaism would for another 1000 years. It also establishes racial equality, which Judaism’s tribal origins don’t jive with.
Posted by: Jason | January 21, 2012, 11:25 am 11:25 am
“Equality” as we know it today is a product of enlightenment thinking and an aggressive legal and media effort that has nothing to do with Christianity or Judaism. The West is living in a post-religious, stoicist/hedonist age, where everyone is just trying to enjoy life. The fact that they claim a religion has nothing to do with how they’ve ordered their society. Christianity and Judaism in the mid-east is exactly the same as Islam as far as equality is concerned, except without the racial equality or ability to get divorced.
Posted by: Jason | January 21, 2012, 11:29 am 11:29 am
The ignorant leading the more ignorant… Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all EASTERN RELIGIONS Mr. ignorant. Jesus came from the Middle East, and yes he used to ride camels and donkeys… I think we are at the lowest point of our political spectrum when the republican conservative evangelical candidate doesn’t know anything about his religion. You’re no different than any of the other ediots out there; hateful, cheap, ignorant, and on top of that not embarrased to display your poor qualities.
Posted by: Haz | January 21, 2012, 11:31 am 11:31 am
You mean the kind of “equality” that states that one race of people are “chosen” by God over others? Yeah, that’s a real groundbreaker in civil rights for all.
Posted by: Saint Subversive | January 21, 2012, 11:38 am 11:38 am
Where in the US constitution does is say “Each man is created a bigoted Christian and must accept all the preachings and beliefs of Rick Santorum?!” I don’t believe that equality came from God or any other biblical figures, and I am not required by law to believe any thing remotely close to that, so it’s a completely invalid argument to say “Equality came from God, so do everything else God says.” Who decides what “God says.” Everyone in America has different beliefs on what God says and whether or not he even exists. If elected, this idiot will attempt to turn America into a Christian country. Religious freedom, which many of the first people to immigrate to America came here for, will cease to exist in this country.
Posted by: Zoe | January 21, 2012, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Yeah, the Judeo-Christians have done a real bang up job, haven’t they.
These days they would just light up Christ with a killer stealth drone missile and we’d all be none the wiser.
But I repeat myself..
Posted by: hp | January 21, 2012, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
Gotta disagree with this.
Islam – Read the prophet’s last sermon. He talks about equality and that race shouldn’t matter. Now take a look at what was happening in the United States approximately 200 years ago. Weren’t those bible belt Christians promoting slavery? Hmm
Posted by: Dev | January 21, 2012, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Why does Rick sanatorum take every opportunity to attack Islam even when it’s not even remotely relevant.
Posted by: Rick | January 22, 2012, 11:52 pm 11:52 pm
I was fired up to comment on this statement of Santorum’s to defend my religion (Islam), but I see you’ve all handled that for me. I wish these candidates would tell us some detailed, visionary plans of theirs to tackle our nation’s problems instead of taking pot-shots at some of us to earn points with others.
Posted by: Renewed Faith in USA | January 24, 2012, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
Never fear, Renewed Faith. They are definitely NOT earning points with “others”. Most of us have the education and the common sense to see what this is and we abhor it.
The only people cheering are those who already believed the garbage being spouted and are thrilled to hear someone support their ridiculous and obscene prejudices and profound ignorance.
Posted by: Joyce | January 25, 2012, 9:59 pm 9:59 pm
Islam as well as Judaism and Christianity is an Abrahamic religion, and therefore from Abraham Isaac and Jacob.. What say ye now?
Posted by: Guy | January 26, 2012, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Well, the guy yelling “he wasn’t born here” is correct. It is a fact that Barrack Obama was not born in the Clock Restaurant in Boiling Springs, South Carolina.
Posted by: Benjamin Clark | January 28, 2012, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
The Bible even has something to say about Rick Santorum:
“‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
They are fat, they are sleek,
They also excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor. ”
- Jeremiah 5:26-28
Posted by: Disgusted | February 8, 2012, 3:03 am 3:03 am
Santorum is clearly expressing his ignorance. The god of Islam is the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It’s exactly the same god as that of the Jews and the Christians. As for democracy stemming from that particular god, that seems to be a pretty long stretch.
Posted by: Frans Bouman | February 9, 2012, 8:16 pm 8:16 pm
Ricky does not understand that equality in this evil world is not to be found, according to scripture. He needs to stop talking foolishly and only speak on the small amount of subject material that he is perceived to know about.
Posted by: Henry | February 10, 2012, 7:25 am 7:25 am