Despite the First Amendment right to freedom of religion, state Rep. Monty Fritts claims Islam is “incongruent with both our U.S. and Tennessee Constitution”
Credit: Donna Smith/The Oak Ridger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn
NEED TO KNOW
- Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Monty Fritts said he would seek to ban non-Christian religions if elected
- Fritts argued the First Amendment allows states to regulate religions despite its protections for religious freedom
- Tennessee is home to significant populations of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists, according to Pew Research Center
A Tennessee gubernatorial candidate said he would seek to ban Islam, Hinduism and other non-Christian religions from the state if he is elected governor.
State Rep. Monty Fritts, a Republican candidate, made the comments with just four days left in the state’s early primary voting period. Fritts, 62, is running against U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose for the Republican nomination. Incumbent Gov. Bill Lee, also a Republican, is term-limited and not running for reelection.
In an interview published on Tuesday, July 28, Fritts told Memphis news outlet WMC that he would seek to ban mosques, which are houses of worship in Islam, as well as other sites of gathering for several non-Christian religions.
“Islam is a little different story than perhaps other religions are, in that it’s not necessarily a religion, it’s a political movement,” Fritts falsely told WMC. “It’s that movement that if you don’t submit, perhaps are executed. I feel that Islam is incongruent with both our U.S. and Tennessee Constitution.”
Despite Fritts’ campaign promises, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
However, Fritts, whose state House district includes counties in East Tennessee, argued that the First Amendment leaves this decision to local state governments.
Credit: Alan Poizner-The Tennessean via Imagn
“I think that what we miss oftentimes in the First Amendment is the first word: Congress,” Fritts told WMC. “That’s the only one of the Bill of Rights that specifically starts with that word. And it limits that power of Congress.”
The U.S. Judicial System describes the protections offered by the First Amendment differently.
“The First Amendment has two provisions concerning religion: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause,” according to the U.S. Courts website. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from ‘establishing’ a religion. The Free Exercise Clause protects citizens’ right to practice their religion as they please, so long as the practice does not run afoul of a ‘public morals’ or a ‘compelling’ governmental interest.”
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In a May interview with Nashville outlet NewsChannel5, Fritts made similar comments about hoping to ban Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. He also said he wanted to outlaw same-sex marriage, would deny the morning-after pill to rape victims and would criminalize abortion in all cases.
Tennessee, a state that has become known for the cultural significance of Christian megachurches, is also home to a large population of Hindus and Muslims, according to the Religious Landscape Study from Pew Research Center. Thirty-two percent of all American Hindus live in the southern U.S., while 33% of Muslims live in the same region, with 32% of Buddhists in the U.S. calling the region home.
PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for Fritts for comment.
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