Buttigieg blasts 'hypocrisy' of evangelicals for supporting Trump

[left-of-center2012]

Pete Buttigieg, who is Christian, said during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Trump "acts in a way" that is inconsistent with what he hears in church.

"It’s something that really frustrates me because the hypocrisy is unbelievable," he said of evangelical support for Trump. "Here you have somebody who acts in a way that is not only not consistent with anything that I hear in scripture or in church, where it’s about lifting up the least among us and taking care of strangers, which is another word for immigrants, and making sure that you’re focusing your effort on the poor."

"But also personally how you’re supposed to conduct yourself," he added, saying that Trump is at odds with a religion that calls for "humbling yourself before others." Buttigieg added that he's surprised conservative Christians support Trump despite him having been "caught writing hush-money checks to adult-film actresses," a reference to payments Trump's attorney made during the 2016 campaign to quiet allegations by Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that they had affairs with Trump.

“Even on the version of Christianity that you hear from the religious right, which is about sexual ethics, I can’t believe that somebody who is caught writing hush-money checks to adult-film actresses is somebody they should be lifting up as the kind of person you want to be leading this nation," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg's remarks come after he said last week that it's hard for him to believe that Trump believes in God. “I'm reluctant to comment on another person's faith," Buttigieg told USA Today. "But I would say it is hard to look at this president's actions and believe that they're the actions of somebody who believes in God."

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/437737-buttigieg-blasts-hypocrisy-of-evangelicals-for-supporting-trump

[LonePirate]

1. Oh Pete! How innocent of you to think evangelicals would prefer anything but power, greed & racism.

For them, the words of Jesus are a how to of things NOT to say and do. For them, the real heroes in the Bible are the Romans.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread left of center.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Totally agree with his point in that these people (evan. Christians) are one of the most blatant...

hypocrites around, who support rump and then in turn, go teach and/or preach against the very crimes that rump is accused of (porn star, while married, married multiple times, cheated multiple times, stole, lies by the thousands, etc.).

[greymattermom]

51. It's because their religion has a get out of sin free card.

Just say you repent and no punishment is required.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Mayor Pete says it like it is.....

Last edited Sun Apr 7, 2019, 12:47 PM - Edit history (1)

As to how Evangelicals overlook character flaws that are so obvious in Trump.

Liar, cheat, abuser(words and deeds), hypocrite, etc...are character traits they admire in Trump. That he being a sinner makes him one of them? Hardly.

If anyone who knows Trump, it is God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Our salvation and place in Heaven is NOT guaranteed. What we do on this Earth determines our afterlife. What, how, why, and where regarding Trump over his entire life will be crucial if his immortal soul suffers in Hell. THEY know all that he has done and likely will have to suffer for it.

Saying you believe in God and Jesus and not acting like it in your life, says LOADS about one's character. Trump would not know character if it came out and bit him on his orange wrinkly ass.

[Karadeniz]

15. Everyone needs to loudly and publicly denounce Christian hypocrites!

Proclaiming the faith, according to Jesus, wasn't enough. You had to follow his teachings: love everyone, give the shirt off your back, turn the other cheek, and disavow a life pursuing materialism. Showing up at church and being pro life (when it really doesn't affect your life at all!) Doesn't qualify.

[keithbvadu2]

5. What other proud adulterer who ridicules Holy Communion but Trump would republicans/Christians want

What other proud adulterer who ridicules Holy Communion but Trump would republicans/Christians want to sign their Bible?

[California_Republic]

6. Just what we need!

[UniteFightBack]

7. Thank Goodness someone is saying it !!! Keep on Pete. This is what we need regardless, Dem's in

the news...ON BLAST.

[crazytown]

9. He's fearless

[MBS]

8. That was a really good interview.

Worth watching in full (there should be a video available eventually for folks who miss the broadcast version).
Chuck Todd actually asked probing and substantive questions, and Buttigieg responded in kind.
Recommended!

[marlakay]

16. I noticed after Pete talked about hypocrisy

Chuck went after him heavy on Abortion. He had to answer some tough questions and I think he did well.

[True Blue American]

30. There should be a rerun of MTP

At 2PM. They have also been showing it on Sunday evening.

I was in Church listening to the Prodigal Son. They may be confusing Trump with the Prodigal Son but I could never see Trump apologizing. He would be the one complaining.

[SidDithers]

10. Evangelical Christianity is no less representative of Christianity...

than any other group of Christians.

You're all working from your own subjective interpretations of the same 2000 year old story book.

As far as I'm concerned, no one sect is any more genuine than another.

What I get tired of is the pious declaring that someone 'surely can't be Christian' or 'surely can't believe in God' because of their actions. There's examples galore of religious groups or individuals engaging in the worst actions imaginable. The "By their deeds you shall know them" is bullshit.

As Physicist Steven Weinberg has so famously said:

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

Sid

[crazytown]

11. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy

The religious right have outdone themselves in that regard.

“But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion” is bullshit. The ends justifies the means isn’t restricted to the religious. The Bolsheviks kinda liked it. Another description would be politics.

[SidDithers]

14. Hypocrisy is Buttigieg saying:

"But I would say it is hard to look at this president's actions and believe that they're the actions of somebody who believes in God."

because there are myriad examples of people who believe in God committing exactly the same actions he's describing, and much worse.

There is no objective set of actions that disqualifies someone from being a Christian, because Christians throughout history have engaged in every action imaginable. Modern day Christians simply pick and choose which history of their religion suits them best.

And because there no objective standard - because every interpretation of Christianity is completely subjective - then there's no right or wrong way to be a Christian. Some Christians may point at Evangelicals, as Buttigieg is doing, and say that they're not doing it right. Evangelicals will point back and say that Christians like Buttigieg arent doing it right. But both views can be equally justified.

From the outside looking in, Jerry Falwell or Donald Trump is just as representative of Christianity as MLK Jr. or Jimmy Carter is. They're all part of the same group, though at different ends of a continuum.

Sid

[crazytown]

18. Some Judeo-Christian ethics are not controversial

and are equally embraced by secularists. The golden rule for example. Trump’s cruelty should be offensive to everyone. To call out the Evangelical Right seems readable enough to me. He is an unethical man and they don’t care.

[marylandblue]

56. There is also no objective morality.

It's a shared social judgement, and we call people out of sync with that shared judgement "criminals" or "crazy." But what makes society right and them wrong?

[marylandblue]

54. Weinberg is wrong.

Good people have done bad things in the name of Science. We've sterilized thousands because of eugenics and justified colonialism because of scientific racism and Social Darwinism.

You may counter that those things aren't science, but the point is that many people, including scientists, thought they were. No God required.

[USALiberal]

57. I think even you realize some are worse than others. Nt

[andym]

12. It's simple: evangelicals have prioritized abortion as their key issue

Trump is on their side given his court appointments, and they can point to sinful Old Testament figures like King David (adulterer and murderer) to show that their God is OK with bad behavior.

[marlakay]

17. Trump gave them two Supreme Court justices

And with that they are hoping it will be outlawed soon and so many think he is practically a god for doing that and refuse to look beyond.

[True Blue American]

33. Funny thing there

Roberts and Kavenaugh have not come down on the right. of 27 decidsions they have only decided on the right twice.

Mitch may find the same with his right wing Judges.

[marlakay]

45. I hope it stays that way

Maybe they played farther right to get chosen who knows.

[pdsimdars]

13. He calls them out like no one else on the left does. What are the others afraid of?

[marlakay]

19. When it comes to religion people

Don’t want to look judgmental but with Trump it is so obvious he is using them but they don’t care getting what they want with abortion.

[progressoid]

20. Ugh Pete, don't go there.

You aren't going to convince those evangelicals. They are a lost cause.

More importantly, I don't care what you hear in your church. I don't want my leaders to be guided by the sermons they heard in their church.

Let's stick to public policy and not religious doctrine please!

[DownriverDem]

23. and those repub evangelicals

hate folks like Pete. I agree that I don't want our candidate to be openly talking about being guided by religion. We need a candidate that appeals to enough votes to win the electoral college. We need to win.

[dalton99a]

27. +1. Leave religion out of it.

Much has been written about the hypocrisy and complicity of white evangelicals. They are not worth talking to.

[thesquanderer]

32. Evangelicals aren't likely to prefer a gay man, either.

So I don't think his discussion here is an attempt to court the evangelical vote.

[dsc]

40. I bet alot of Black folks are glad people like you didn't rule the roost in MLK's day

or for that matter Lincoln's.

[progressoid]

53. It's 2019.

It's about time we stopped referencing religious texts that date back to the bronze age from our political discourse.


Lincoln? Yeah, he had something to say about this subject.

Both (North and South) read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.

Is this where we want to go? The left and the right claiming religious authority?
Both (the Left and the Right) read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.

[marylandblue]

58. He happily took the votes of religious abolitionists.

And you should happily take the votes of allies on the religious left. In fact, we already do, but only they are black.

Now that there is a growing backlash in white Christianity against the religious right, some people are getting a little uncomfortable.

[progressoid]

60. Again, it's 2019.

Not 1860.

And we can get the votes of allies on the religious left without bible lessons from candidates.

[marylandblue]

61. In 2019, the religious left may be an untapped constituency.

If you are not on the religious left, don't listen to the bible lessons. I don't see anything wrong with a candidate giving them a nod or using it as an organizing tool. Like I said, we are doing it now, but only in black communities. Maybe that lets us pretend we aren't do it at all.

[True Blue American]

47. That is one thing I Agree

On! 100%. We have enough problems with Evangelicals backing a prostitute, immoral lying bag now without Democrats jumping into Religion..

Your opinion of Religion may ne different than mine. I do not want to hear it. I want to know what you plan on doing to clean up the mess Trump and Republicans have made.

Talking about your Religion will turn me away quicker than anything.

[left-of-center2012]

21. this ...

[trickyguy]

22. Don't need any more of "religion" than the Golden Rule which is in all "religions".

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is all I need to
live a decent life. I'll bet rTump couldn't say this without looking it up.

Does he ever attend services unless it's a Memorial for some political figure?
Guess his golf game at Mar is more important.
Glad to hear Pete addressing the faith issue which rTump has none of.

[True Blue American]

34. :)

[EarnestPutz]

39. I'd like to hear more about "two Corinthians" from the Donald....

....if this were to become a campaign issue. Pete talks about his faith a little bit and Trump can't help but respond. Badly. And shows everyone (again) what a hypocrite he is. Come on Donny, quote some scripture for us.

[bluescribbler]

24. I like Mayor Pete

Don't know yet which Democrat I will support, but I do like this guy.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

25. Yeah, they don't give a shit whether you see them as hypocrites or not. If Trump pisses you off,

then they're going to vote for Trump, the end.

[Jake Stern]

41. So True

Can't count the number of times I've heard "I don't care what he's done as long as he keeps pissing off libtards" from RW family and acquaintances.

[BigOleDummy]

26. I like this guy

More and more. A tremendous talent and a ferocious intellect. Articulate and likable. To be completely honest I like him much more than Beto and I like Beto too. This guy bears watching for sure.

[zentrum]

28. I'm starting to like

Last edited Mon Apr 8, 2019, 10:09 AM - Edit history (1)

...Pete more and more, the more I hear him.

Just not sure the country as a whole is ready to accept a gay married candidate. And we gotta win.

Marriage equality itself was a huge battle. Even Hillary herself opposed it at first and "had to evolve".

It would be so fantastic to get beyond all this. But this is the country that produced a tRump.

So not sure if we can throw the die. Damn!

[Sucha NastyWoman]

37. Yes, but it's also the country that actually elected Obama

And preferred Hillary over Trump.

I too wish we could have a nominee that was sure to beat Trump, but we thought we had that last time.

I like Pete a lot, about equal with Beto now. I think his IQ is probably off the charts. But this country prizes a lot of other qualities more than it does intelligence. In fact many don't trust intelligence at all.

[marylandblue]

59. It's true we don't prize intelligence, but Pete's intelligence goes down smooth.

He doesn't condescend to his audience or go over their heads. He's got a rare communication ability, and that makes all the difference.

[zentrum]

64. Yes, he's great.

Would love him to be the next President.

I just worry---we've got to win.

The stakes are much higher than in '08 when we elected Obama.

[marylandblue]

65. I take a very long view of history, it's both a warning and a comfort.

A warning because other people were in challenging times and the good side did not always win. A comfort because even in dark times, people made it through somehow.

We are not immune from the forces of history. I believe we are at the confluence of two opposing patterns in American history. The last time these two patterns met at an election was 1860. In 1859, they did not know what was about to happen, and neither do we.

[Jake Stern]

42. Many pundits also said the US was still a long way from electing a black president

as late as 2008.

See how that turned out.

[Martin Eden]

29. Mike Pence's TOWERING HYPOCRISY

This reminds me of a column by Steve Chapman.

Excerpts of Pence's speech in 2010, intended as criticism of President Obama:

The presidency's "powers are vast and consequential, its requirements — from the outset and by definition — impossible for mortals to fulfill without humility and insistent attention to its purposes as set forth in the Constitution of the United States," declared Pence, his gaze steely and his jaw firmly set. Of power, he said, "Those who are entrusted with it must educate themselves in self-restraint."

"A true statesman lives in what Churchill called a continuous 'stress of soul,'" Pence informed his audience. "And that's why you must always be wary of a president who seems to float upon his own greatness."

Pence told a story to illustrate the humanity and humility of Calvin Coolidge. "A sensibility like this — and not power — is the source of presidential dignity, and it must be restored," he said. "It depends entirely upon character, self-discipline and an understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie not only the republic but life itself."

"It communicates that the president feels the gravity of his office and is willing to sacrifice himself, that his eye is not upon his own prospects but upon the storm of history, through which it is his responsibility to navigate with the specific powers accorded to him and the limitations placed upon them not merely by man but by God."

[True Blue American]

48. Surely

Pence does not think Trump is capable of rising above!

[Martin Eden]

63. Pence thinks he can rise above ...

... by sucking excrement from the orange anus and declaring how good it is.

[bonniebgood]

31. Evilgelicons. Wow.

[liberalmuse]

35. More Christians need to speak out about Trump.

But in my experience, too many Christians think he's right up there with Jesus Christ. It says a lot about them and what they worship, and it isn't benevolent.

[GETPLANING]

36. Evangelicals are a political, not religious, group

They, like so many conservative groups, talk one talk but walk the opposite walk.

[Cosmocat]

62. YYYEEEPPP

at this point very much so.

[LovingA2andMI]

38. Pete is Right on Point!!!

And this is an underlying issue with the Democratic Party as well. Follow us for a minute.

The Civil Rights movement of the 1960's was based out of Faith. Specifically, that individuals should be treated equally regardless of the Color of their Skin. Due to the Civil Rights Movements, many Faith based African-Americans started moving towards the Democratic Party. This has lasted in some form or fashion, for the last 60 years.

However, a rip is occurring and many either are not seeing it, do not care as they believe Faith-based African-Americans have nowhere else to go, or generally are dismissive of the Block after the election of former President Barack Obama. This is what former President Obama was ALSO SAYING in his recent speech but many dismissed his words.

In the 1970's the first compromise occurred in the African-American Faith based community who voted primary with Democrats to Heroin, Marijuana and PCP that was entering those communities harming the way of life. Equally, ado the African-American Faith Community generally have been Anti-Abortion, another compromise was made in the late 70's and 80's to sidestep this important issue in other to expand contraception to reduce the high number of teenage out of wedlock pregnancies as Republicans were cutting programs of need (Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicare).

Then, in the mid-1980's and 1990's - Faith based African-Americans worked with then President (starting in 1992) Bill Clinton on tougher Drug Conviction laws to reduce Cocaine and Crack epidemic causing violence in some urban based African-American communities across the U.S.

Moving the the 2000's some (about 7-9%) of Faith based African-Americans voted for George W. Bush as he stated the "No Child Left Behind" act would "fix" stained schooling in Urbanized Communities across the U.S. (which it did not) however, that means 91-93% of African-Americans voted with the Democratic Nominee despite this real concern against George W. Bush.

Jumping to the 2010's there is another issues that is being WIDELY dismissed from those on the left - Faith based African-Americans thoughts about Marijuana and in particular, equity in ownership vs dispensaries which are largely centered in urbanized communities without any tangible benefits of the "profitability" in Marijuana in those communities. If this issue is not addressed head on over being ignored this will cost Democrats in the 2020 elections as memories of the Crack/Cocaine epidemic are still raw.

[bernie59]

43. I think he needs to tread lightly

Criticize Trump with vigor, but when talking about Trump voters, the "honey vs vinegar" principle still applies. Let Trump voters figure it out on their own.

[MadDAsHell]

44. Abortion will continue to be THE issue that earns ReTHUGlican votes.

There's a massive segment of our voting population, including tens of millions of women, who will ignore every negative characteristic about a candidate if that candidate pledges to be anti-choice.

That works both ways too. A woman's right to choose is important enough that many of us will do the same for Democratic candidates who are pro-choice.

It is THE issue, even when it doesn't typically play a prominent public role in debates. There are tens of millions of votes we pretty much have to write off, unfortunately.

[Beartracks]

46. It's denial. Republicans believe the truth is just "fake news" against their golden boy. n/t

[Celerity]

55. welcome to DU

Buttigieg does talk about empathy and re-framing a pluralistic, tolerant, open, form of religion that is about humility, aiding the downtrodden, and service, but he also rightly calls out hate, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and sexism in the hypocritical members of the evangelical right.

great video

Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg "The Breakfast Club" Interview: The Black Agenda, Openly Gay