Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts) Thu Jul 25, 2013, 01:56 PM Jul 2013

GOP Chair Reince Priebus: "There's only one sovereign God"

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/danielschultz/7208/gop_chair_reince_priebus___there_s_only_one_sovereign_god_/

July 24, 2013 6:11pm
Post by DANIEL SCHULTZ
Daniel Schultz, a.k.a. pastordan, is a minister in the United Church of Christ. He serves a small and very patient church in rural Wisconsin. He is the author of Changing the Script: An Authentically Faithful and Authentically Progressive Political Theology for the 21st Century, forthcoming from Ig Press.

There's been a lot of talk about Republican efforts to repair their image after Mitt Romney's defeat last year. A lot of talk. We've been told that the GOP is eager to reach out to blacks, Hispanics, gays and lesbians—and told just as often how those efforts have failed, miserably.

The basic problem faced by Republican leaders is that their base isn't actually on very good terms with the kinds of voters the party needs to remain competitive in the coming decades. Their answer to this dilemma so far has been to make a lot of noise about welcoming diversity within the party while giving a wink and a nod to their established constituencies. It's not a very good strategy, but they really don't have many options. (See: Comprehensive Immigration Reform, U.S. House of Representatives.)

And that's why the head of the Republican party, Reince Priebus, felt the need to give an interview to David Brody on Monday. Brody, who works for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, wanted to know about a USA Today piece titled GOP chairman urges tolerance for views on gay marriage. Priebus was eager to let Brody know it wasn't like it sounded:

"I don't know if I've used the word 'tolerance,'" Reince Priebus told David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network Monday. "I don't really care for that word myself. I don't have a problem with it, I just think it has another meaning politically that can go the other direction."

Brody pushed for reassurance that the GOP wasn't going to give up on its social platform, and got this in response:

"Our principles are sound," he says. "I do believe and I still will tell you that our party believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. Our party believes that life begins at conception. I think those are foundational issues.

longship

(40,416 posts)

1. Don't you just love how Republicans can't help themselves when speaking to the choir?

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Thu Jul 25, 2013, 02:21 PM

Jul 2013

Everything they say in public is meaningless. One has to listen to what they say to each other to get the true bird's eye lowdown. That's when their theocratic agenda shows its ugly face.

It seems, however, that they cannot help themselves. I think it is because that this is what they truly believe. They want the USA to be a Christian nation and even say so. I don't buy the explanation that this is pandering for a second.

We ignore this at our peril. I am happy that somebody has the guts to speak out. All the better if it's clergy who is speaking out.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

4. I think it's a combination of what they truly believe and the knowledge that

Reply to longship (Reply #1)

Thu Jul 25, 2013, 02:53 PM

Jul 2013

there is still a large voting bloc that supports that position.

But I think there is going to be a major schism in the republican party over this issue.

I hope that Priebus is a casualty in this schism.

Then again, if he wins this fight, it might be better for us in the short run.