House Judiciary Committee Questioning

Tennessee Democrat Congressman Insulted Christian Evangelicals and Christian Universities During his House Judiciary Committee Questioning on Wednesday of Former Justice Department Official who was a former Regent University Graduate and He Exposed Religious Intolerance of the Left.
Congressman Steve Cohen -- a Democrat from the conservative state of Tennessee, during a House of Representatives Judiciary Committee hearing in which former Justice Department official and former Regent University Law School graduate Monica Goodling was interrogated -- insulted Christian evangelicals and questioned the credibility of Christian universities in America. The following is a sampling of the interrogation of Monica Goodling by Congressman Cohen.

REP. COHEN: The mission of the law school you attended, Regent, is to bring bear -- "is to bring to bear upon legal education and the legal profession the will of Almighty God, our Creator." What is "the will of Almighty God, our Creator" on the legal profession?

MS. GOODLING: I'm not sure that I could define that question for you.

REP. COHEN: Are there a lot of -- an inordinate number of people from Regent University Law School that were hired by the Department of Justice while you were there?

MS. GOODLING: I think we have a lot more people from Harvard and Yale.

REP. COHEN: Well, that's refreshing...."

As a result of this religious intolerance during Wednesday's congressional hearing, a number of outraged Republican Congressmen during their questioning of witness Monica Goodling, reminded their left-wing colleagues of the Christian roots of the founding of America and its early colleges and universities. Congressman Cohen was reminded that Harvard University was founded by a young minister, the Reverend John Harvard. For example, Texas Republican Congressman (and former judge) Louie Gohmert said:
"... And I would also point out, when we bring up God and Christianity and question somebody's belief for attending a religious college, that Harvard itself -- if we want to refer to them -- Psalm 8 is on Emerson Hall that houses the Philosophy Department.
Representative GOHMERT: What is man that thou art mindful of him? -- talking to God, from Psalm 8.

The Latin phrase meant truth for Christ and the church, and that was the official motto of Harvard in 1692.

And the rules and precepts of Harvard in 1646 said, Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main end of his studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ at the bottom as the only foundation. It is part of the foundation...."

Congressman Mike Pence, Republican from Indiana and former Chairman of the House of Representatives Republican Study Committee, also reminded Congressman Cohen in his questioning of Monica Goodling about the outstanding graduates who have graduated from Regent University: "... I was looking a little bit at your biography. I was piqued by a story on April the 8th in, I think, The Boston Globe that reflected on the harsh spotlight that had been drawn on the administration's tendency -- I'm quoting now -- to hire individuals from, quote, "conservative schools with sometimes marginal reputations," close- quote. You're a graduate, I think, cum laude from -- is it Regent University School of Law and Government, Virginia Beach, Virginia?
MS. GOODLING: I have a master's in public policy and a law degree from Regent, yes.

REP. PENCE: And is it also -- and you don't need to answer this. I think you may know that the attorney general of the state of Virginia is also a graduate of Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Congressman Randy Forbes, Republican from Virginia, represents a congressional district near Regent University said this during his questionning of Monica Goodling: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Goodling, many of us feared this day would come, but we did not realize it would arrive so soon, when the fact that someone was a Christian would be the subject of a line of questioning as to how someone performed their job at the Department of Justice or any other agency in the United States government.

It's not a good day, nor a good sign of things to come, and I just hope those individuals watching this across the country realize the sea change that's taken place.

In addition, since my district is contiguous to Regent University, I'd like to point out that not only is the attorney general of Virginia a graduate of Regent University, but this year, Regent University students won the American Bar Association's Negotiation Competition February 11, not only beating out 220 teams, but also beating the former winner, Harvard University.

And the American Bar Association, not exactly a bastion ofconservatism, has chosen Regent University to compete internationally in their competition.And that Regent has won the ABA's National Appellate Advocacy Competition 11 out of the last 14 years, including placing first for the best brief...."

Finally, Representative Steve King, Republican from Iowa said: "...So Harvard was founded to supplement the ministry itself. And then when I looked back on the founding documents of Yale and I find that they wanted to -- they did establish Yale in 1701 as a result of a conservative reaction by congregationalist leaders worried of what they identified as the increasing departure of Harvard College from its Calvinistic heritage.
(LAUGHTER)
Rep. KING: So then I look at Regent University, which Mr. Forbes has so well laid out their credentials and also your credentials simultaneously -- whether it was advertent or inadvertent.
And here I read, 'Our students, faculty and administrators share a calling founded on biblical principles to make a significant difference in our communities, our cities, our nations and the world.'

So I would submit that Regent is a successor to Yale, which is a successor to Harvard, in being founded upon religious principles. And this nation was founded upon religious principles, as was our Constitution.

So I think it is a laudable thing, not a derogatory thing. And we will on this side of the aisle stand up for all of our principles, our constitutional principles and our Christian principles whenever they are challenged or whenever we have the opportunity without them being challenged...."

GOD BLESS AMERICA!