Pete, Pence, & the Presidency

Jesus came to die and to live again so that we, by identifying with His death and resurrection, we might be raised to new life and experience His power to put to death the deeds of our sinful flesh.  Romans 8 says:
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Jesus came to save sinners and to empower us to triumph over sin.  In an age where we find people who identify by their sin and attempt to justify it by placing a "God-stamp" on it, we recognize that we are no longer identified by our sin, but by His resurrection power.  When we sin, we have a powerful ally to bring us forgiveness and to give us the tools through which we can resist temptation and crucify the desires that are not pleasing to God.

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We are called to live the crucified life, recognizing that Jesus gave His life, not to justify our sins or
rationalize our behavior, but to honor Him with the choices we make and the character we demonstrate. In Galatians 5, we can read:
24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The 2020 Presidential campaign is beginning to ramp up, no doubt, as half the Democratic Party seems to be running.  But, an odd development is that the 2024 campaign seems to be getting started, as well.  The latest Democratic "Flavor of the Week" candidate, South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has received some traction as a gay man who uses religious rhetoric against someone who is known for his personal faith, likely 2024 candidate Vice-President Mike Pence.  Yes, "Mayor Pete," as he is called, has taken the VP to task for supporting Mr. Trump's "porn star presidency," but his sharpest arrows have certainly been toward Pence.

The problem for Pete is that Mike Pence has taken the high road and acted in a civil manner - and he's told the truth.  Now, Buttigieg, who has tried to establish himself as some sort of moral authority even as he engages in behavior that is certainly contrary to Scripture, such as being "married" to another man and supporting abortion, has said this, according to a CBN.com story:

“I wish the Mike Pence’s of the world would understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me,” Buttigieg, who is openly gay and married, declared Sunday. “Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

Buttigieg also referred to Pence when insisting that his gay marriage brought him “closer to God.”

I think the errant theology is clear there, but Pence took a clever and personal approach, not engaging him on sexuality, but on integrity. The article says that, "the Vice President told CNBC that Buttigieg 'knows better' than to say 'things that are critical of my Christian faith and about me personally.'"  But, the Vice-President wasn't finished...CBN goes on:

“He knows me,” Pence added, “but I get it. You know, it’s look, again, 19 people running for president on that side in a party that’s sliding off to the left. And they’re all competing with one another for how much more liberal they are.”

Pence, who has been a staunch believer in traditional marriage for his entire political career, noted that this “doesn’t mean that we’re we’re critical of anyone else who has a different point of view..”

Oh, and Mike Pence used to be governor of Indiana, so he, as he says, "worked very closely with Mayor Pete;” also, they “had a great working relationship.”

And, as Faithwire reports, Karen Pence, who has been criticized for teaching at a Christian school that upholds Biblical beliefs, including on the topic of marriage, took a respectful tone:

During an interview with Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade, Karen Pence said people “shouldn’t be attacked” over their religious beliefs.

“I think, in our country, we need to understand you shouldn’t be attacked for what your religious beliefs are and I think kids need to learn that, at a young age, that this is OK, what faith people have,” she said. “We don’t attack them for their faith.” 

But you can, I believe, examine his policies.  Author and media host Michael Brown states in a piece at LifeSiteNews.com:

Buttigieg says that one of his favorite verses in the Bible is where Jesus says, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these ... you did for me" (see Matt. 25:31–46). Yet Buttigieg claims that when it comes to abortion, "Jesus never mentioned the issue."

So, for Buttigieg, whose platform is thoroughly to the left, innocent, helpless babies in the womb are not included in the "least of these," yet illegal immigrants are.

In fact, not only is he "openly pro-choice," but when it comes to late-term abortion, he will make no official comment, saying only this: "when a woman is in that situation ... extremely difficult, painful, often medically serious situations where life or health of the mother is at stake, involvement of a male government official like me is not helpful."

So much for caring for "the least of these."

So much to process here..a few related thoughts:

First, a word about Mike Pence's reaction to criticism; he has chosen to take the high road, not responding in kind to unfair criticism or publicly denigrating another person's faith.  Humans will commonly respond in anger to personal attacks, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can demonstrate character that is respectful and that honors Christ.

With respect to matters of policy, we can be challenged to get to know the candidates and examine the Scripturality of the issues.  The Bible affirms life and traditional marriage of one man and one woman.  Will a candidate uphold these cornerstone principles and defend them?

What about the so-called Green New Deal?  It seems that has become a legislative initiative that Mayor Pete and most of the other Democratic candidates have lined up behind in some form or the other.  Does giving out "free money" regardless of work square with Scripture?  How far does an intrusive government enforcing socialistic principles fall outside the boundaries of 1st Peter 3, which charges government with maintaining order and punishing evil?  Do candidates who aspire to the Presidency or other offices believe rights come from God or from government?  There is a discussion of the source of rights currently on the Faith Radio website and app, with constitutional attorney Jenna Ellis.

We can also be inspired to make sure that our Christianity is defined by the Scriptures, not by what might sound good to the culture at large.  And, as Everett Piper, the President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Times, "You don’t get to make up your own Christianity. You also don’t get to make up your own Jesus, and in case you missed it, He is explicitly clear on His definition of marriage: 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.'"

Piper asks the question of the Presidential hopeful...

..."has it ever occurred to you, that the “Mike Pences of the world” don’t have a problem with “who you are,” but rather we just disagree with what you do? We believe human identity is much more than the sum total of someone’s sexual inclinations. In fact, the “creator” whom you so boldly reference makes this pretty clear.

There is no place in His entire biblical narrative where He defines us by our desires. All of us, however, are known by our choices.

During this Holy Week, may we defined by our desire to follow Christ and reflect on the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  In an age where the banner of Christianity seems to cover some unbiblical ideas and those become the central focus on one's theology, it seems, we can return to the simple truth that we need a Savior, and Jesus died for us.