Text 11125, 76 rader
Skriven 2009-05-04 22:13:21 av Ross Sauer (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: More "Joe the Plumber"
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Another gift from the GOP that just keeps giving...

(Joe The Plumber to a Christian magazine)

Why does conservatism appeal to you as a Christian?

Conservatism is about the basic rights of individuals. God created us.
As far as the government goes, the Founding Fathers based the
Constitution off of Christian values. It goes hand-in-hand. As far as
the Republican Party? I felt connected to it because individual freedom
should not be legislated by the federal government.


In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and
Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?

At a state level, it's up to them. I don't want it to be a federal
thing. I personally still think it's wrong. People don't understand the
dictionary--it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not
like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something
like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to
do--what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to
love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had
some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where
I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my
children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do
their thing.


Does the Republican Party reach out to evangelicals enough?

No. None of them stand up for anything. They use God as a punch line.
They use God to invoke sympathy or invoke righteousness, but they don't
stay the course. That's why I think that all needs to be taken out of
the federal level and give it back to the states. We've lost our
American history. Every state has "In God we trust" or "With God's help"
in their constitution. God is recognized as, if you will, America's
religion.


Who do you see as the emerging leaders for the Republican Party?

There isn't one. You got the RNC talking about repackaging principles
and values to make them hip and cool to the younger generation. You
can't repackage them. They are what they are. You can't make what they
are.

I like Sarah Palin a lot, actually. I just don't know if that's where
God's leading her. I just know the Republican Party's done its best to
blackball her. I don't know what her agenda is. If she ran, would I vote
for her? Absolutely. John McCain was the lesser of two evils.



Who do you see as the emerging Christian leaders?

James Dobson. I love Dobson. I love John Eldridge's Wild at Heart. The
last book I read was The Five Love Languages [by Gary Chapman].



Some people have criticized the Republican Party as being the party of
the rich. How can they change their image?

I don't know if they can change their image. I really don't. But, you
also have to take into consideration that the Democrats say they are for
people in poverty. They're not. They take advantage of all the tax
breaks that the IRS has put in place for them. Tax lobbying is a
billion-dollar industry up in Washington. Get rid of the tax code we
have. Implement a fair tax--make it a level playing ground. People in
poverty keep them in power--that's what people have to understand.

http://tinyurl.com/d6yjmz

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