January 15th, 2008
It’s unclear whether Southern Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee actually agrees with the strict Christian Reconstructionist views of many of his associates (there’s a lot of end-times theological differences that Baptists usually don’t go for), but there’s more evidence that his C.R. friends are at least influencing his political thoughts. Take this, for example, from a speech in Michigan yesterday:
“I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution,” Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. “But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that’s what we need to do — to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.”
That strange quote even raised some eyebrows at Christianity Today:
A provocative statement, certainly. But what does “amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards” mean? Does it mean that the Constitution does not measure up to God’s standards? Is the Constitution anti-God? Would the addition of a human life amendment and a federal marriage amendment would make it measure up to God’s standards? And is Huckabee suggesting that those who oppose these amendments, say, because of their views on federalism, are trying “to change God’s standards”?
I can see how support for a human life amendment and a federal marriage amendment can win votes among some politically conservative evangelicals. But honestly, I’m thinking that this quote probably cost Huckabee more evangelical votes than it won him.
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Tony Iovino
January 15th, 2008
True Republicans Barry Goldwater and Teddy Roosevelt warned us about injecting religion into American politics. After the decimation of our party by W and Lott and Delay and the rest of the Southern Republicans, if Huckabee is the nominee I fear they’ll be no more GOP north of the Mason-Dixon. The last Republican in NY, please shut out the lights.
Timothy Kincaid
January 15th, 2008
This is a step up from his Family Research Council Value Voters Summit comments:
Clearly he isn’t interested in stopping at abortion or gay marriage. He thinks that the government need not “accomodate sexual irresponsibility” or “risky behavior”. I think that in addition to Roe v. Wade, he would insist that any of his appointments oppose Lawrence v. Texas as well.
Emproph
January 15th, 2008
How long ’til we get blamed for the backlash?
Shane
January 15th, 2008
What real chance does Huckabee have at winning the Republican nomination? I don’t understand why more Republicans aren’t speaking up against this type of religious encroachment into government. Are they really so greedy for votes that they’ll sacrafice everyone’s freedoms? Surely this type of rhetoric is alarming to some of them as it is to me.
Ken R
January 15th, 2008
I heard this earlier today and I thought maybe I misheard a reporter on MSNBC when he was talking to Chris Matthews. So I did hear correctly.
This is truly scary when you think that someone that wants to run the country wishes to change the constitution to bring it up to God’s standards. But since Christians all cannot agree on theology and interpretation of Scripture what real chance does Huckabee have in raising God’s true standards?
In Isaiah 55 v. 8-9 specifically states that God’s ways are not our ways and our thoughts are not his thoughts. But if you really look at what is being said by Huckabee it his standards as well as those that agree with him that must be upheld and if it takes amending the Constitution to do it so be it. They in fact want their standards upheld and be law of the land.
Timothy, yes, it would go beyond gay marriage and abortion. I believe if they did reinstate anti-sodomy laws it could in fact encompass, any type of gay venue. No gay bars, gay shops, gay magazines, to the point where there is nothing left of gay anything. But it wouldn’t stop there. They would go after anything “they” found offensive.
Ben in oakland
January 15th, 2008
I always tell people its not really aobut gay rights. It’s about striaght rights as well.
Suricou Raven
January 16th, 2008
The ammendments required to reach ‘God’s Standard’ as seen by huckabee would be… just throwing some suggestions of what it would take..
1. Homosexual activity is forbidden.
2. Christianity to be declared official religion. Followers of any other religion or of none may not be US citizens.
3. Freedom of speech explicitly not to include speech that is offensive, sexual in nature, anti-christian or heretical.
4. To destroy an embryo or fetus or to take actions leading to the destruction of an embryo or fetus is equivilent to murder, and punishable by death. This includes embryos which have no chance of surviving to term, or when pregnency will result in the death of the mother.
5. Sexual relations outside of a recognised marriage are now prohibited.
6. The distribution, posession or use of contraception is prohibited, as these materials have no legitimate purpose.
Jason D
January 16th, 2008
wouldn’t we also have to :
offer our daughters to angry mobs of rapists
send women off into the wilderness during their “monthly visitor”
destroy pretty much every cartoon character and piece of art (graven images)
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