A Republican Senate candidate in Texas has ignited controversy after condemning a monumental 90-foot statue of Lord Hanuman, calling it “false” and insisting the United States is a Christian nation. Alexander Duncan, a Texas GOP leader, shared a video of the “Statue of Union” at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land with the message, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation.”
Duncan also quoted from the Bible, citing Exodus 20:3-4: “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind …” He followed that with Romans 1:25, which he used to argue those who worship created things rather than the creator are serving lies.
The Hindu American Foundation has sharply criticised his remarks as “anti-Hindu and inflammatory,” and lodged a complaint with the Republican Party of Texas asking whether Duncan will be disciplined under party rules on discrimination. HAF also argued that his statements violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of one religion over another.
Several observers and social media users have pushed back, reminding Duncan that the US Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and permits worship of any faith so long as it does not breach law. One user, Jordan Crowder, posted that just because someone does not believe in a religion does not make that religion false, adding that Hindu religious texts predate Christianity and have influenced it.
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