Valarie Hodges

Louisiana state Rep. Valarie Hodges had no idea that a new law allowing public funds to be used by religious schools included religious schools that were not Christian. Hodges, who assumed office in January of this year, thought that “religious” meant “Christian.” It was quite a surprise for her to discover that Islam is also a religion.

The Livingston Parish News reported on the response from the stunned Hodges once she learned that allowing vouchers for religious schools also included Muslim schools.

“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” the District 64 Representative said Monday.

“I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school,” Hodges said.

“Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion,” Hodges told the News. “We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.”

Hodges is simply ignorant of early American history and the law. When a law uses the word “religion,” that means all religions. It does not take much commonsense and comprehension to figure that out. In addition, while Christianity was the religion of most of the Founding Fathers, many were deists. Hodges would probably be surprised to learn that as well.

The Founders never mentioned Christianity in the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation or Constitution. They sought to create a society open to diverse opinions both in religious and political terms. Clearly, this is not the society that Hodges envisions for Louisiana. Too bad that she had to get elected to learn what the Constitution is about.