The Republicans in Congress have begun to embrace Twitter with great enthusiasm. Recently, we have seen Peter Roskam and John Boehner bragging to anyone who would listen about how the GOP had a far greater representation on Twitter than the Luddite Democrats. Roskam, in particular, has been gleefully tweeting about his tireless efforts to help the nation’s bankers and brokers cope with these trying economic times. I like following the GOP on Twitter. Helps me keep abreast of their latest mischief and talking points.

Representative John Shimkus of Illinois’ 19 District and, seemingly primarily an agent of the nation’s coal companies, is one of the more interesting of the GOP tweeters. He starts each day by tweeting a bible verse carefully selected to edify his followers or to chastise Democratic infidels.

I found today’s selection a little disturbing:

Psalm 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that do good

Now, I don’t doubt Representative Shimkus’ expertise in the realm of corruption. And I have no complaint about his expression of his religious beliefs in the course of his duties as a Congressman. And I don’t have a problem with Christians in government – in fact I am enthusiastically backing a committed Evangelical candidate, Ben Lowe, to replace Representative Peter Roskam in the 6th District. I do have a problem with the sort of Christians who use their “faith” to justify all manner of intolerance, to trample the religious freedoms of others, to justify unjustifiable social and economic structures, and to absolve themselves of any responsibility to make better the lives of their fellow human beings who are suffering because of that structural injustice.

I think that Representative Shimkus’s selection of scripture today, if not deliberately provocative and triumphalistic, certainly demonstrates an insensitivity to the fact that we live in a pluralistic society under a Constitution that guarantees freedom of religion (or freedom from religion) to everyone, non-believers included.

I believe that Representative Shimkus owes his district an apology and that he should be more careful about his selections in the future. The non-believers in Representative Shimkus’ district are entitled to representation too.

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