ANALYSIS/OPINION:

If Democrats are Alice, and the rabbit hole represents a descent into Wonderland-like lunacy, then those on the left have certainly been picking up speed in their fall to the bottom for some time now.

Watch out, Mr. Hatter. There’s competition for that there madness.

Out of the mouths of Democrats: There are the giveaways — the free college, free health care, free prescription medicines, free money for minorities.

There are the Russia collusion impeachment charges, Russia conspiracy impeachment charges, Russia obstruction of justice impeachment charges, Russia conflicts of impeachment charges — all of which died under investigation.

There are the antifa types taking to streets to beat up MAGA hat wearers; the Democratic leaders standing quietly by and watching their little resistance movement minions take to the streets; the socialists of the party openly calling for socialism in America; the climate change clangers and gun confiscation zealots marching, marching, marching ever toward more destruction of American freedoms.

Quite a tea party, wouldn’t you say?

But Beto — but Beto O’Rourke, the guy who gazes at the looking glass and gets a reflection of Robert Francis looking back — has truly outdone them all.

O’Rourke, on national TV, just said, in essence, the Bible’s got to go, God’s Word is meaningless and churches need to toe the LGBTQ line and quit all that stuff and nonsense about preaching sin.

Quite a mouthful. Here are the pertinent interview portions.

“Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but it should not be used to discriminate,” CNN host Don Lemon said, before teeing up this question to O’Rourke: “Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities — should they lose their tax exempt status is they oppose same-sex marriage?”

And O’Rourke goes — yep.

“Yes,” he said.

Yes, he said, then added: “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every one of us. And so as president … we are going to stop those who are infringing upon human rights.”

His argument rests on the idea that LGBTQs are born that way and should therefore be afforded the same political protections as, say, minorities with no control over their skin colors. But on LGBTQ issues, and on homosexuality in particular, the Bible teaches otherwise. The Bible teaches choice. So, too, by the way, do other religions’ sacred texts.

O’Rourke’s predicating his view on a falsity. And rather than adjusting his view, he’s trying to adjust the views of the truth-tellers. Or else.

Just as egregiously, he’s tossing a whole constitutional construct of this country out the window.

In America, the right to worship freely is God-given. The right to worship freely is First Amendment-guaranteed. The right to worship freely is a core principle of the country’s founding.

It’s in essence why we’re here.

O’Rourke’s not-so-veiled threat to the churches reveals either his ignorance of that history, or his utter scorn of that history — neither of which make him a good presidential candidate.

There’s actually a case that could be made for churches to lose their Internal Revenue Service tax exemptions based on the fact that too much concern for government dollars can lead to a watering of The Word, and a soft secularizing of the church. But O’Rourke doesn’t make that argument.

His is more of a figurative gun pointed at the churches and an accompanying demand to “step away from the Bible.”

That’s not just un-American.

It’s practically blasphemous.

It’s O’Rourke setting himself higher than the teachings of God.

And if this is where Democrats are taking the party, it’s like the Wonderland portrayed by author Lewis Carroll — the scenarios are just growing curiouser and curiouser.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter, @ckchumley.

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