Pence also cited his Christianity during attempts to derail LGBTQ rights throughout his time in Congress. In 2006, he described being gay as a choice, dismissing the pro-LGBTQ decisions of "activist courts" and purporting that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is "God's idea." "Several millennia ago the words were written that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh," he said, referencing Genesis (Old Testament/altered version of what the Hebrews wrote/altered version of what the Sumerians wrote) and Mark (while leaving out the context that Jesus was answering a question specifically about divorce between a man and woman). "It was not our idea; it was God's idea."
Pence made it a habit of citing faith, or "religious freedom", while opposing LGBTQ rights legislation. In addition to endorsing gay-conversion therapy and besmirching the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as "social experimentation," he railed and voted against LGBTQ workplace nondiscrimination polices, saying it "wages war on freedom and religion in the workplace."
He was similarly forward about foreign policy: "My support for Israel stems largely from my personal faith," he said in 2002. "In the Bible, God promises Abraham, 'Those who bless you I will bless, and those who curse you I will curse.'"
Pence's religious sensibilities continued through in his agenda. In addition to backing a number of conservative laws in the state, Indiana's Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) bill thrust Pence and his understanding of religion and politics into the spotlight. Backers of the bill openly admitted it was designed to allow religious businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people, but defended it as necessary to "religious liberty". That makes them not only wrong, but dangerous.
Also, the whole playing-the-victim thing needs to stop. From objecting to gay marriage to trying to wedge creationism in schools, the religious right exists as a movement for the purpose of stripping away true religious freedom and establishing their religious beliefs as a force in law, politics and culture. So why then are we hearing all these people who live their lives attacking religious freedom complaining all the time that "religious freedom" is under attack? Why does every religious-right publication and event echo the claim that Christians are somehow being stripped of the very right to religious freedom the right has worked tirelessly to take from everyone else? The simple answer is, they're lying. Claiming the mantle of victimhood is politically advantageous that religious-right leaders are going to do it, no matter how untrue it is, because, to be blunt, they're not held back by any moral interest in honesty, despite their professing of their faith. Getting Grandma to think she's going to lose her church is a great way to get her to sign her Social Security check over to your organization.
The longer answer is that the religious right has concocted a new strategy by redefining "religious freedom" to mean the opposite. They hope that by using the term "religious freedom" when they mean "giving the Christian right power to impose their faith on others," they can eventually drain the phrase of all meaning and, after fighting secularism, make it easier for the religious right to strip away individual protections. In other words, they hope by saying it enough, the public and the courts will believe it.
In summation, the USA was never intended to be Christian nation. Ever. The founders knew better. Also, the same people pushing the lie that we are a Christian nation, are at the same time playing the victim to manipulate and exploit their followers to try and force it to be a Christian nation. That makes them liars, fake Christians, and a dangerous threat to the United States.
(Article changed on Mar 12, 2021 at 8:37 AM EST)
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