37-year-old South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg made waves when he quoted Proverbs 14:31 during the second round of the Democratic presidential debates in Detroit. The presidential hopeful leveraged his own faith to blast Republicans who oppose minimum wage hikes.
Said Candidate Buttigieg: "The minimum wage is just too low. And so-called conservative Christian senators right now in the Senate are blocking a bill to raise the minimum wage when scripture says that, 'Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their maker.'"
Buttigieg is a practicing Episcopalian and regularly prays and shares his faith on the campaign trail. Of any current Democratic presidential candidate, he is the most outwardly religious and the one who most frequently talks about faith issues.
Conservative Comebacks
Many conservative Christians did not take kindly to the shaming. "I wouldn't say to anyone you are a 'so-called Christian,' right?" declared former Catholic priest and Fox News contributor Jonathan Morris. "Unless they say I don't believe in the divinity of Jesus or something, OK. Don't take any single scripture passage and say 'You're either with God or you're not with God if you vote for my plan.'"
Fox News Contributor Erick Erickson went as far as to favorably compare President Trump's religious bonafides to Mayor Buttigieg:
Erickson expanded on his position in a post on The Resurgent. " Pete Buttigieg is a practicing homosexual who willfully refuses to recognize Holy Scripture identifies that as a sin. He will not repent either. Not only that, but Buttigieg is also okay twisting scripture to justify abortion. "
WWJVF: Who Would Jesus Vote For?
In this era of spiritual partisanship, the Democratic Party has made no secret of its hopes to win over more faith-based voters in 2020. Even though evangelicals overwhelmingly supported Trump in the last election, Dems are optimistic. Keen to capitalize on this, Buttigieg has attacked the faith and character of both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. The strategy appears to be paying off- Buttigieg hauled in more campaign cash than any other Democratic contender between April and June.
When asked about uniting Christians in America, Buttigieg responded that "God doesn't have a political party." But he did take some shots at the President's personality and seemed to question the President's religious convictions: "frankly, it couldn't be more radically different than what I see certainly in this White House, where there is a lot of chest-thumping and self-aggrandizing, not to mention abusive behavior." He continued, saying President Trump's behavior and policies are "just so different than what I get when I read scripture."
Beam, Meet Eye
Both Republicans and Democrats alike seem to be questioning the faith of the other side. And still, both sides manage to tie their fingerpointing into their cause du jour. Republicans say a Democrat cannot be a proper Christian because he is gay and supports abortion, and Democrats say Republican lawmakers are not Christian because they don't support a $15 per hour minimum wage.
What do you think? Does one side have a point here? Does God really have a political party?
Or is it unfair to attack the religious convictions of someone if they aren't living up to your perception of biblical values? As the Bible says, if you point out the mote in your opponent's eye shouldn't you take the beam out of your own first?
28 comments
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Reed A Mathis
Buttjerk is not a Christian, so how does he know what a called or so-called Christian is?
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Lionheart
If a god really existed I doubt it would subscribe to any particular party. In fact, would a party be needed?
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Carl Elfstrom
I bet God parties hardy with members of all parties in Heaven. And I've heard marijuana is legal there too. I bet God really tokes it up, with the souls of all kinds of people, except for those who misinterpreted him during their lives. He let's those fools punish themselves more by wearing white and listening to angels playing harps, while they deny themselves more.
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Kirk
Jesus wants folks to help the poor of their own accord and means. Forcing everyone to give just money, isn’t what Jesus wanted.
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Carl Elfstrom
....and still another interpretation of scripture, and the words of Jesus, by someone who Jesus talks to, when he's off his meds.
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kimberly
It is ironic that this man who has a surname reminiscent of a male posterior and who is from "bend south" was the only one to quote from the Bible.
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The Doctor
I dont think you understand the meaning of Irony if you apply it to what amounts to a childish attempt at an insult based on a name. Then again you do that to others here all the time proving yourself nothing but a petty troll so I doubt anyone is surprised by your pathetic and pitiful idea of humor.
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Carrie
Calling someone names doesn't lessen the point they are making, it only make the person calling names look stupid. What would Jesus do? I don't know, I don't care...you "Christians" figure it out. As far as I know, he would spit, scratch his pit and take another pull on his jug. Quoting from a work of fiction means nothing. For me, the best part of the "Good Book" is when Frodo loses the ring in the volcano.
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Lori
The bible is so vague anyone can bend its words to suit whatever the whim. One side says the bible says this...the other side the bible says that. They should just leave the bible home and it would make things so much more comprehensible. It accomplishes nothing.
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Carl Elfstrom
I'd rather not vote for anyone who claims to be a christian at all, but I always vote in national elections anyway. The last time I worked on a paying job minimum wage was less than five dollars an hour. That was in 1992. Doesn't the cost of living double every thirty years? If mini.um wage goes up to $15.00 an hour that soon don't be surprised if y'all see me flipping burgers, or even pushing a broom.
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James
Exactly... its called Phaneron or Apophenia (Pareidolia). PPL's egos will see / spin as they see fit to justify their twisted views.
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kimberly
Actually, the bible is quite specifically detailed. The problem is that so-called religionists take the specificity of certain passages and apply them generically for their own agenda. The book was never intended to be read in such a haphazard manner yet that is the most common use of it.
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Lori
Why not.......
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George
God told me he disliked Butplug because he murdered children. Butplug told me I was a racist because I didn't want to pay $15 an hour. God said he'd rather be a racist then Butplug Democrat.
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Lori
There are mindless comments made that actually turn people away from specific religions/God.
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kimberly
Yes........Somebody that claims God talks to them is laughable and disturbing.
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James
GOD = LOVE. How can "LOVE" have a political side?
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Lionheart
How does God = Love?
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kimberly
The biblical phrase "God is love" doesn't mean the character of God. It means that love originates from God. Just as the phrase "God is a consuming fire" means a consuming fire shall come from God. It has nothing to do with "who" God is.
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Lionheart
So if love originates from God, how does his approval of stoning people to death, and his infanticide emanate out of his love for people?
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Dee
God is not approving stoning, man started that and God enforces it. Just like Jesus said, when they ask him about taxes. He told them to give to Ceasar what is his and to God what is His.
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Lionheart
Why would a loving God enforce stoning people to death. Shouldn’t he have mandated the opposite, just like he did telling people not to eat shellfish?
Which is more important to him, shellfish, or people?
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Secretary3rd
A lot of people are not worth $60,000 a year. That is what a business will be paying. That person salary. Health insurance not included. Then all those government taxes. One reason that churches have a slush fund where money is paid out in cash for work being done. People are paid in cash plus a great dinner. Labor is for free. If you have a church building, it cost money. Every time your doors are open you pay insurance on those who enter. You have heat, air condition, water and waste removal. Dozens of little things that must be paid for. If you do not take in enough money by the end of the week, month or year your building is sold. A regular business will have all of that plus it paiys property taxes. God does not pay taxes. Jesus is long dead. All that crap about poor people who can not afford working at a low paying job, maybe they should start their own business or run for office where people will give you money.
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The Doctor
First of all everyone is worth a fair wage that actually covers the cost of living. Wages have not kept up with that costs for many years now. If it had min wage would be closer to 60$ an hour now based on the estimates of the top minds in the field of economics. One should also keep in mind how backwards the way we pay wages is. Hard physical labor with a high risk of injury should be the highest paid jobs. Risk vs reward and all that. jobs that are basically free of risk to ones body should be on the lowest end of the pay scale, for example politicians who if doing their job right have no need to worry over assassination by other then the truly delusional.
I am pretty sure most cops who as many know from my previous posts I am not much of a proponent of would agree that with the high risk they face on the job, the salary is no where near enough. Hence what leads to corruption, bribes, and civil property stolen under the guise of evidence.
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The problem with raising the minimum wage is that it increases unemployment. Mom and pop businesses can not afford 15 per hour to the guys that wash dishes or flip the burgers and fries on the hot plate. Those are good necessary jobs for job starters, but not worth 15 per hour. Actually Bernie Sanders acts like he wants that rate, but won't pay his staff that much. Bernie is not a 'so-called Christian," so I guess he does not care.
Statistical fact : Raising the minimum wage does not increase unemployment. That is just a Republican and Libertarian propaganda talking point.
wrong...…….take a look at California homelessness with respect to wages and housing...…...The statewide minimum wage in California gradually rose from $6.75 in 2006 to $10.50 in 2017, and it is slated to hit $15 in 2022. What it does is eliminate middle American wages.
This was a common refrain before Ontario's minimum wage jumped from $11 to $14, that it would increase unemployment. It didn't, until Trump-lite took power and started laying off government workers. It actually BOOSTS the economy, by allowing the working poor to have a bit more pocket money free, which allows them to spend more (even though prices will go up slightly, so that businesses can recoup the loss to their profits). When the poor have more money, they buy more, which creates more demand, causing more things to be manufactured, in a kind of trickle-up effect. We've seen that Reagan's trickle down doesn't work. The ONLY way it increases unemployment is when businesses take their business overseas, but that's the fault of the business not wanting to spend the money to stay where they are selling. As an example, look at what happened to Heinz Canada's stock prices when it was announced that they were closing a plant in Southern Ontario. Their stocks took a beating, and then sales plummeted, as Canucks changed to the company that bought the plant and reopened it, hiring back all the workers who had just lost their jobs. The price for Heinz has now been cut in half, in order to try and regain the lost sales (still suffering).