Florida Rep. says church-state separation is 'a lie'.

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) has unleashed an attention-grabbing attack on the First Amendment.

In August, Harris told the Florida Baptist Witness that the "separation of church and state is a lie we have been told." She added, "If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin. They can legislate sin. They can say that abortion is all right. They can vote to sustain gay marriage."

Harris added that "God is the one who chooses our rulers."

"And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women and if people aren't involved in helping godly men in getting elected, then we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our Founding Fathers intended and that certainly isn't what God intended."

Harris' comments garnered nationwide attention and considerable criticism.

The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty blasted Harris for her take on religion and government.

"In calling church-state separation a lie, Harris disregards history," said J. Brent Walker, the BJC's executive director, in an Aug. 29 statement. "In bemoaning our nation of secular laws, she misrepresents the nature of our government. In saying that non-Christians will only 'legislate sin,' she sets up her own religious test for office and maligns a whole class of public servants."