On his radio program yesterday, the AFA 's Bryan Fischer weighed in on Gov. Mitch Daniels call for a "truce" in the culture war by quoting this passage from George Washington:
Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.
Fischer then used that quote to call groups like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU both "unpatriotic" and "un-American":
Now what I want you to observe is that Washington had no hesitation in questioning the patriotism of anyone who would undermine either the indispensable support of religion or the indispensable support of morality for the simple reason, that he said in his words, you cannot experience "political prosperity" without them both.
And that's why I do question the patriotism of groups like Planned Parenthood - they are subverting morality. That's why I question the patriotism of groups like the ACLU, who are subverting the pillar of religion.
They are not patriots, ladies and gentlemen. They are unpatriotic and they are un-American ... Don't listen to me; that's according to George Washington.
