On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, demonized Vice President Mike Pence, saying he is not an “honorable man,” because of his Christian position on homosexual activity.
Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski asked Warren, “Is Mike Pence an honorable man?”
Warren curtly responded, “No.”
When asked to expound on this, the 2020 candidate said, “Anyone who engages in the kind of homophobia and attacks on people who are different from himself is not an honorable person. That’s not what honorable people do.”
Warren was likely referring to Pence’s traditional beliefs on sexual morality as an evangelical Christian. In January, Pence’s wife returned to teaching at a Christian school, causing an uproar because the school opposes LGBT pride and refuses to admit openly homosexual or transgender students or teachers.
The traditional biblical stance on sexuality — that human beings are made male and female and that marriage is between one man and one woman for life and that sexual activity should be reserved for marriage — has been demonized as “anti-LGBT” and “homophobic” in many circles.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) even lists mainstream conservative and Christian groups as “hate groups” due to this stance. In one case, the SPLC cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church in justifying listing a Catholic nonprofit on the list of “hate groups” that includes the Ku Klux Klan. If the SPLC were to be consistent, it would list the Catholic Church as a “hate group.”
While Pence shot back against the attacks on his wife, a New York Times reporter asked for input in an effort to “Expose Christian Schools.”
Last month, former Vice President Joe Biden called Pence “a decent guy,” and received immediate backlash. He later withdrew the mild compliment.
These incidents suggest that the Left will not only not tolerate compromise or dissent, but it won’t allow Democratic leaders to refer to their Republican opponents with basic civility. If you can’t even call Mike Pence an “honorable man” or a “decent guy,” how can you work with him to help all Americans?
More importantly, the beliefs that Warren and the SPLC are demonizing are held by millions of Americans and billions across the world. Rather than refusing to work with any “homophobes,” perhaps the SPLC and 2020 Democrats should seek to understand why people disagree with them and engage in dialogue.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
