Buttigieg to Pence: If you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is with my creator

[applegrove]

Buttigieg to Pence: If you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is with my creator

MAUREEN GROPPE | USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/04/07/pete-buttigieg-god-being-gay-and-mike-pence/3330897002/

"SNIP.....


“That’s the thing that I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand,” Buttigieg said of the vice president, who has opposed same-sex marriage. “That if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

It’s unusual for Democratic presidential candidates to talk about faith as often as Buttigieg does. It’s groundbreaking that he uses his marriage to another man to illustrate his personal relationship with God.

Buttigieg gets easy applause lines at Democratic-friendly audiences, as he did Sunday, for criticizing Pence when he talks about being gay. (His first mention of Pence on Sunday, when Buttigieg described coming out while Pence was serving as Indiana’s governor, generated boos and hisses.)

Buttigieg has also drawn headlines by questioning how President Donald Trump’s professed belief in God squares with his behavior – and by challenging the support Trump receives from many evangelical Christians.


.....SNIP"

[Celerity]

2. those RW burning-with-hate christo-fascists blather on about their twisted form of religion 24-7

for decades. They use it as a brutal ramrod of division, hate, and fear-mongering. About time someone punches back and at least attempts to re-frame the debate into the language of humility, service, inclusiveness and helping the weak and downtrodden.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Absolutely right, my dear Celerity!

I'm sure they're all enraged at his remarks, while they still know (if they have ANY self-awareness at all) that he is absolutely correct.

[Celerity]

5. I think it is a fruitful path for Pete to take to try and clawback many of the Obama to Trump voters

in not just the Midwest, but the entire country. I do not mean the hardcore MAGAts, the Fux News-imbibed dupes, the true haters and racists/sexists, but just your run of the mill mainstream christians (or any other religion or lack thereof) who for whatever reason (and Pete speaks to those reasons as well) simply felt the need to pull the level for what they thought was a change from the general course of things at a multiplicity of levels.

I am talking about the very type of people that some on the board think only certain potential straight white male candidates can somehow win back. I refuse to buy into that line of thinking. None of our wonderful candidates have a monopoly on vote re-claiming, and I most definitely don't think these primaries are a fait accompli by a long shot.

thanks for the kind words btw, Peggy!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. I agree with you, and You're Welcome!

[marylandblue]

21. +1000 It can also help him gain support among African American voters

Many are religious and may not be inclined to vote for a gay man. But if he speaks the religious language they hear in church, they may come around.

[applegrove]

4. +100

[cilla4progress]

6. Right effin'

on!

And I think Pete has the ears of the young uns, who see thru the BS!!

[efhmc]

19. Powerful and pointed description.

[Power 2 the People]

8. This was amazing.

So simple and so true.

[LongtimeAZDem]

9. His repeated religious pronouncements dampen any enthusiasm from me

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. But almost 75% of the US population identifies as some sort of Christian,

and by no means all of them are fundamentalist wackos. The important thing is that they appreciate or relate to his comments, not that you do. Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic, btw. I like him too.

[applegrove]

11. Some people have the gene to be religious. When they walk the walk it

is something to behold. Others not so much. And when they are good eggs i'm always impressed. Let's all be better people. I don't think that is a bad message to the religious at this juncture. Remember that in the 1800s Christian religion went through a phase where it was all about love. That led to all sorts of changes in social services and the women's movement in the decades later. I don't think it would be bad to go for a re-tuning in that regard. I don't happen to be religious but I can get on board with that. Don't you think Christians should be talked to if a candidate is authentic and has feelings and thoughts on his beliefs, and thoughts on the beliefs and actions of others?

[marylandblue]

20. Perhaps you too have bought canard that religion must be right wing?

There is a long tradition of progressive religion in the US going back to early 19th Century. This tradition was eclipsed in the 1970s in white churches by the religious right, which used wedge issues like abortion and race to identify "real" Christianity with right wing politics. It really took off with Reagan's election.


The religious left lived on in black churches. The religious left has made a comeback in white churches since 2016 because of revulsion against Trump and also through calls like Pete's to what used to be called the Social Gospel, where progressivism is the default position, and actually stood against dehumanizing secular movements like Social Darwinism.

If you really want to take back this country and recapture the spirit of the original progressives, you should be happy to see the Social Gospel return, even if the language is more religious than what we are used to.

[oasis]

12. Good on Buttigieg.

[snort]

13. I feel he would be a damn good VP choice.

[efhmc]

14. I really like his challeging the fake Christians.

[customerserviceguy]

15. Not that I want

to deny Pete the top spot on the ticket, but a Buttigieg-Pence debate would be priceless!

[progressoid]

16. Ha! It would be fun to watch!

Pence would probably get out a Clorox wipe to clean the gay germs off after he shakes Pete's hand!

[customerserviceguy]

17. Naw

He'll just wear a space suit! Buzz Lightweight of the Space Force!

[SKKY]

18. Good Lord. I almost want to see Mayor Pete as the VP candidate just so I can watch...

...him eviscerate Pence in a debate.