Thursday, we witnessed again an arrogant Leftist lawmaker demonstrate his disregard for constitutional principles—specifically for the First Amendment’s religious protections and the prohibition of a religious test for holding office.
In the U.S. Senate inquisition confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee and current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) both interrogated and lectured Director Pompeo on sexual ethics.
Here is the astonishing exchange:
Booker: I do want to give you a chance to speak on your comments about gay and lesbians. You said in a speech that morning in America that endorses perversion and calls it an alternative lifestyle.” Those are your words. Is being gay a perversion?
Pompeo: Senator, when I was a politician, I had a very clear view on whether it was appropriate for two same-sex persons to marry. I stand by that.
Booker: So, you do not believe that it’s appropriate for two gay people to marry?
Pompeo: Senator, I continue to hold that view.
Booker: So, people in the State Department… that are married, under your leadership, you do not believe that that should be allowed.
Pompeo: We have married gay couples at the CIA. You should know that I treated them with the exact same set of rights…
Booker [interrupting Pompeo]: Do you believe gay sex is a perversion? Yes or no.
Pompeo: Senator, if I can…
Booker [interrupting again]: Yes or no. Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion, ‘cuz it’s what you said…? Yes or no? Do you believe gay sex is a perversion?
Pompeo: Sir, my respect for every individual regardless of sexual orientation is the same.
Booker: I will conclude by saying, Sir, that you’re going to be Secretary of State of the United States at a time when we have an increase in hate speech and hate actions…. You’re going to be representing this country and their values abroad in nations where gay individuals are under untold persecution, untold violence. Your views do matter. You’re going to be dealing with Muslim states and on Muslim issues. And I do not necessarily concur that you are put foring [sic] the values of our nation when you believe there are people in our country that are perverse….
If you can stomach it, you can watch the inquisition:
It would have served Booker well to watch the speech from which the quote about homosexuality came. The words were not Pompeo’s. They were Pastor Joe Wright’s words and well worth repeating.
Booker did what Leftists everywhere do when discussing conservative views on homosexuality, which is lie by changing someone’s moral claim about volitional behavior to an indictment of people. So, while Pompeo believes that homosexual acts are immoral (i.e., perverse), Booker reframes Pompeo’s claim, saying that Booker thinks people are perverse.
Then Booker suggests the ludicrous notion that the values of America include believing that homoerotic activity is not perverse. How did he arrive at that bizarre belief? From reading the Declaration of Independence? The U.S. Constitution? The Federalist Papers?
Presumably, Booker worships at the altar of diversity—or at least pretends to worship at the altar of diversity. If that’s the case, surely he knows that theologically orthodox Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims believe volitional homoerotic activity is perverse. And surely he knows it’s possible for people of faith to love and respect those who believe differently and act in accordance with their beliefs. Respecting persons does not require affirming all their beliefs, feelings, and actions.
As a professed respecter of “the values of our nation,” does Booker think he should be condemning the theological beliefs of many people of faith?
And what does Booker think about the untold persecution and violence that theologically orthodox Christians experience abroad? Is Booker concerned about how his very public condemnation of theologically orthodox views of sexuality and marriage may affect Christians here and abroad? The Center for the Study of Global Christianity “estimates that between the years 2005-2015, 900,000 Christians were martyred—an average of 90,000 Christians each year.”
Since all theologically orthodox Christians–both Catholic and Protestant–believe that homosexual activity is perverse and that marriage has a nature central to which is sexual differentiation, is Booker suggesting that no theologically orthodox Christians are fit to serve in the Cabinet? What about holding office?
Booker also criticized Pompeo for not challenging Frank Gaffney’s and Brigitte Gabriel’s statements on Islam. Apparently, candidates for high offices now have a moral obligation to not only hold Booker’s views on everything from what constitutes a false religion to sexual ethics but must also criticize anyone who doesn’t hold those views. I wonder if Booker has criticized every person with whom he has spent time for views with which he disagrees.
Ironically, in this self-righteous criticism of Pompeo for not challenging Gaffney and Gabrielle—and presumably every other human with whom Pompeo has come in contact—Booker said this:
Well, I believe that special obligation that you talk about for Americans to condemn things that are attacking our Constitution, our ideals, would obligate you in your own definition to speak out.
Pompeo tried to defend himself against the implied accusation that he hasn’t sufficiently confronted the expression of offensive ideas:
Senator, if I might, I have called out. We had a terrible fellow in Kansas named Fred Phelps [Booker tried to cut Pompeo off], and I called him out.
Booker interrupted him again saying, “Sir, I have a minute left.” It became obvious that all the condescending Booker really wanted to do was scold Pompeo.
Booker said one right thing in his interrogation: Views do matter.
#nooneexpectstheBookerInquisition
Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email to U.S. Senator’s Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to urge them to confirm Mike Pomeo’s nomination. Ask them not to ignore the fact that U.S. Constitution specifically forbids religious tests for office.
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