Sunday, February 19, 2012

That is (unfortunately) what I am talkin' 'bout

Rick Santorum, ostensibly the candidate who embodies "Christian values" is pondering the Christian credentials of the man he hopes to face in November...

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum challenged President Barack Obama's Christian beliefs on Saturday, saying White House policies were motivated by a "different theology."

A devout Roman Catholic who has risen to the top of Republican polls in recent days, Santorum said the Obama administration had failed to prevent gas prices rising and was using "political science" in the debate about climate change.

Obama's agenda is "not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your jobs. It's about some phony ideal. Some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology," Santorum told supporters of the conservative Tea Party movement at a Columbus hotel.

When asked about the statement at a news conference later, Santorum said, "If the president says he's a Christian, he's a Christian."

But Santorum did not back down from the assertion that Obama's values run against those of Christianity.

"He is imposing his values on the Christian church. He can categorize those values anyway he wants. I'm not going to," Santorum told reporters.
A theology not based on the Bible? I assume Rick is aware that Roman Catholic theology is largely based on "sacred tradition" rather than Scripture so he is not exactly in a position to throw that charge out there. A theology not based on the Bible? You mean like chomping at the bit to pre-emptively attack a sovereign nation that has not attacked or threatened America? While I support the vast majority of the GOP platform, I don't think that it is more "Bible based" than the Democrats and very little that Rick Santorum stands for has any basis in the Bible. Neither does much of anything Barack Obama, or really any other politician, stands for.

This has less to do with politics proper and more to do with the way that politicians of all stripes pander to Christians or at least to religious church-goers. Were I to write an open letter to Rick Santorum, I would be sure to remind him that Christian values are not restricted to defending "traditional marriage" and opposing abortion. There certainly are plenty of political positions to oppose President Obama on without turning to the "I'm the Christian candidate" malarkey. I have watched the comments from Santorum multiple times on TV this morning and they are more embarrassing each time I watch them.

Frankly these comments by Rick Santorum are despicable and ugly. They make him look foolish and they are shameful for someone who claims to follow Christ. It takes a lot for me to be sympathetic toward Barack Obama, congrats Rick you have accomplished the nearly impossible.

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