If you thought the controversy surrounding NBC’s editing of the Pledge of Allegiance was over, think again.

While the network officially apologized for cutting out the words “under God” from a recitation it aired during the U.S. Open, a new debate is raging. Earlier this month, in a radio interview, Missouri congressman and GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin said the following:

Well, I think NBC has a long record of being very liberal and at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God. And so they’ve had a long history of not being at all favorable toward many of things that have been such a blessing to our country.These powerful works have liberals enraged.

Liberals have since demanded an apology, with ThinkProgress (TP) publishing its own rebuttal to the politician’s statements. According to TP, Akin does not plan on backtracking on his statements:

Akin’s communications director, Steve Taylor, told the [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] that Akin was commenting on a difference between the two ideas: while conservatives believe rights come from God, liberals think they come from the government. Taylor said Akin was not referring to any individual’s beliefs, only the “defining principles of two political ideologies.”

TP quotes a number of religious leaders who have come forward to rebuke Akin’s comments. Among them is Vicky Trippe, a voting rights activist. Trippe takes particular issue with the notion that leftists do not embrace faith, saying, “It’s because of my faith in God that I’m a Liberal Democrat.”