In a recent interview with David Brody of CBN, Republican National Convention Chairman Reince Priebus sought to quell concerns that the Republican Party might be shifting away from its core principles regarding life and marriage.
During the interview, Brody asked Priebus what he would tell people who are concerned that the party might be becoming more tolerant of socially acceptable behaviors.
“Evangelicals grab the Excedrin bottles when they hear [the word] ‘tolerance’ because they think, ‘Oh no, the GOP’s changing [and] the whole gay marriage situation,'” Brody said. “Can you address this and put evangelicals at ease a little bit, or can you put them at ease at all?”
“I do believe–I still will tell you–that our party believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. Our party believes that life begins at conception,” Priebus replied. “I think those are foundational issues that aren’t going anywhere, but what I have said, which I don’t think should be controversy at all and I would think that Christians and pastors and everyone in between should agree that our principles have to be draped in the concepts of grace, love and respect, and that’s not code language — that’s the New Testament.”
The chairman said that evangelicals have nothing to worry about, and explained that he does not particularly like to use the word “tolerance” because it has taken on a distorted meaning in today’s day and age.
“If you’re looking at the evidence, what you will see is a party that embraces life, a party that embraces marriage and a chairman that understands that there’s only one sovereign God and that we ultimately aren’t dependent on what happens in politics,” he stated. “What ultimately matters in our lives is that we’re salt and light in the world and that we are honoring God in the things that we do every day.”
“I get that; I think our party gets that, and there’s never been a movement away from that,” Preibus added.
The chairman is stated to be Greek Orthodox in religion.
While Preibus asserted that the Republican Party still stands for Biblical marriage, reports have also been circulating over the past year about various state and federal legislators that have chosen a contrary stance. Currently, there are four Republican U.S. Congressmen who have come out in support of homosexual “marriage:” Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida and Representative Richard Hanna of New York.
“When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others. Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage,” Kirk announced in April of this year. “Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back — government has no place in the middle.”
However, as previously reported, other Republican legislators are working to ensure that the party does not turn away from God. This past weekend, Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky spoke at the Iowa Renewal Project, which attracted approximately 600 pastors.
“Isaiah tells us: ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge,’” Cruz declared at the event. “Edmund Burke put the points a little differently when he said, ‘The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.’ And the prophet Ezekiel charged us, ‘Son of man, you are a watchman for the house of Israel.’”
Photo: Gage Skidmore
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