{"id":239,"date":"2015-05-07T12:43:37","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T17:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/hedgerow\/?p=239"},"modified":"2020-01-05T11:03:27","modified_gmt":"2020-01-05T16:03:27","slug":"dogs-fleas-and-jeb-bushs-evolution-on-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/hedgerow\/2015\/05\/dogs-fleas-and-jeb-bushs-evolution-on-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Dogs, Fleas, and Jeb Bush\u2019s Evolution on Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

God is back in the news with marriage and religious freedom debates and the 2016 presidential election underway.<\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal first reported in January of a key adviser\u2019s recommendation that Jeb Bush, a possible 2016 Republican presidential nominee, discuss his faith to better identify with white, born-again Christians. The demographic represents the majority of 2012 GOP primary voters (56 percent in Iowa, 64 percent in South Carolina) and would respond well to \u201cfaith talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accordingly, Mr. Bush has been mentioning his faith when courting voters. I asked Iowan and South Carolinian pastors to weigh in on the issue of marriage and Mr. Bush.<\/p>\n

Mr. Bush\u2019s position on marriage has evolved over the last 20 years. In 1995 he converted to his wife\u2019s Roman Catholic faith and maintains\u00a0his decisions\u00a0have been influenced by his \u201cdeeply held beliefs [which were] informed by my faith.\u201d In 1994 Mr. Bush argued LGBT protections were \u201ctantamount to elevating sodomy\u201d; one year later, that gay rights and feminism were \u201cmodern victim movements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Bush publicly supported the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) but has also argued that states should decide marriage. However, before the 2004 presidential election, his sister-in-law, former first lady Laura Bush, and his own staffers supported gay marriage<\/a> and abortion. Ken Mehlman, for example, former President George W. Bush\u2019s 2004 campaign manager and former Republican National Committee chairman, \u201ccame out\u201d in 2010 as one of the first openly gay influential GOP operatives. The same year marriage amendments were on state ballots, which Mr. Mehlman actively opposed.<\/p>\n

Later, in 2009, Mr. Bush asserted, \u201cAs a public leader, one\u2019s faith should guide you,\u201d while his and his extended family\u2019s staff lobbied for same-sex marriage. His Right to Rise PAC\u2019s senior adviser, Tim Miller (a prominent gay Republican and presidential campaign operative for Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman Jr. and John McCain) was relentlessly and aggressively campaigning for same-sex marriage. Likewise, David Kochel argued the GOP \u201cshould be a more modern party, we need to be a more inclusive party.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the unelected and gay California Judge, Vaughn Walker, overturned Proposition 8 and the votes of 7 million Californians,\u00a0Mr. Miller said, \u201cI like all kinds of activist judges. Fat kinds, skinny kinds, red kinds, blue kinds. The people are too stupid to govern themselves. This is very cognitively consonant for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether or not Mr. Miller\u2019s comment was a joke is irrelevant. He actively advocated for an unelected judge to overrule the will of the people.<\/p>\n

With such friends, family and colleagues, is it any wonder that by 2013 Jeb Bush was expressing support for same-sex marriage? Emails<\/a> and public comments\u00a0reported on by the Miami Herald reveal more about his advocacy to respect \u201ccivil unions & same-sex lifetime commitments,\u201d asserting the importance of \u201crespect[ing] the rule of law<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pastors I spoke with clarified their concerns.<\/p>\n

Des Moines pastor Michael Demastus recalled his conversation with a Bush staffer who asked if he would meet \u201cfor a sit down.\u201d Mr. Demastus said, \u201cI am very concerned about Bush\u2019s positions on issues that are most important to me, [life, marriage and religious liberty].\u201d When he referenced Mr. Bush\u2019s openly gay advisers he was told he \u201cshould keep in mind that staffing people in positions does not mean that they set policy.\u201d Mr. Demastus responded, \u201cpersonnel is policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

One Charleston pastor told me, \u201cbad company corrupts good morals,\u201d citing 1 Cor.\u00a015:33. Explaining that close advisers definitely impact leaders\u2019 decisions, he added government policies \u201care not written morally neutral they are inherently shaped by presuppositions and convictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several pastors pointed to Proverbs\u00a013:20, which advises, a person who \u201cwalks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.\u201d Similarly, an old English proverb quips, \u201cHe that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crescent State pastor Brad Atkins added, \u201cthe Bible is clear that \u2018as a man thinks in his heart so he is.'\u201d He reasoned those closest to a candidate have the most influence: \u201cCandidates may feel that they are expressing their own opinion, but over time they will find themselves drifting in the direction of those with whom they openly seek counsel and with those who offer indirect counsel behind closed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the crux of the matter, Mr. Atkins and others expressed is that \u201ca Christian holding to the Bible being the word of God would not be able to support same-sex marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Columbia, South Carolina, pastor Mike Gonzalez puts it more bluntly: \u201cNo genuine Christian can support same-sex marriage. Why can I say this?\u201d Mr. Gonzalez asks and answers. \u201cBecause it is in direct opposition to the word of God (God Himself: Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:9-10; Rev.22:15). Jesus made it clear that \u2018he who is not for me is against me\u2019 (Matt.\u00a012:30). The same-sex\/homosexual position is antichrist (Matt. 19:4-6).\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Gonzalez added, \u201cJeb Bush wanted a guy like Miller on his team because it gives the appearance of a big umbrella GOP candidate \u2026 But I would go as far as to say that personnel will eventually cause the rise or fall of a candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Latin and Greek translations of Proverbs\u00a013:20\u00a0identify the pastors\u2019 greatest concern. The consequences of one\u2019s value judgments are worse than \u201charm\u201d or fleas. The Latin implies a person\u2019s identity is transformed: \u201cTell me your companions, and I will tell you what you are\u201d (Talis quis esse putatur qualis ei est sodalitas).<\/p>\n

Losing one\u2019s identity in the Greek means one \u201cshall be broken,\u201d or morally ruined (\u03a3\u03bf\u03c6\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 \u03c7\u03c1\u1f74 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c6\u1f79\u03bd \u03c4\u03b9 \u03bc\u03b1\u03bd\u03b8\u1f71\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd).<\/p>\n

Some Iowan and South Carolinian pastors expressed openness to meeting Mr. Bush, as an expression of \u201cloving our neighbor as ourselves,\u201d but also to clarify that his advocacy for \u201csameness in gender distorts image-bearing our creator.\u201d Some pastors said they \u201cwere too busy;\u201d others mentioned they already support another candidate.<\/p>\n

Jeb Bush has bigger problems than connecting with white born-again voters. His very identity \u2014 who he actually is \u2014 is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

God is back in the news with marriage and religious freedom debates and the 2016 presidential election underway. The Wall Street Journal first reported in January of a key adviser\u2019s recommendation that Jeb Bush, a possible 2016 Republican presidential nominee, discuss his faith to better identify with white, born-again Christians. The demographic represents the majority […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1910,"featured_media":3255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[972,970,969],"tags":[139,374,233,444,236,595,259,450,186,2358,92],"class_list":["post-239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christianity","category-politics","category-sexuality","tag-bible","tag-born-again","tag-gay-marriage","tag-jeb-bush","tag-marriage","tag-proposition-8","tag-proverbs","tag-public-policy","tag-same-sex-marriage","tag-tim-miller","tag-voters"],"yoast_head":"\nDogs, Fleas, and Jeb Bush\u2019s Evolution on Marriage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"God is back in the news with marriage and religious freedom debates and the 2016 presidential election underway. 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