Huckabee Addresses Anti-Catholicism and Abortion
January 6, 2008
Presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee, recently gave an exclusive interview to Catholic Online where he was asked to address several issues important to Catholic voters.
Following this interview with Mike Huckabee there was an intimation of anti-Catholicism by several pundits and commentators.
Here are some details from a second interview with Mike Huckabee addressing some concerns of Catholic Online readers.
However, shortly after its publication, you spoke at a Church in Texas, on a Sunday morning. Of course, there is nothing unusual about that.
What caught the attention of many of our readers and viewers was a concern that the Pastor of the Church has written some material that insults the Catholic Church and has been labeled by some as anti-Catholic.
Our readers understand that you, like all of the candidates, are running for the Presidency. In other words, we know that you seek to govern the whole Nation and, of course, you must reach out to all Americans.
However, there has, unfortunately, been a history of anti-Catholicism in this Nation that we all love.
Your campaign quickly noted the presence of Catholics in many of the top positions of your campaign staff. However, the issue and the concern raised by your visit, has not gone away.
Would you comment upon your visit and on your views concerning Catholics in America?
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: “I am invited to speak at thousands of diverse venues each year. My willingness to address a group says nothing about whether or not I agree with every tenet, policy or belief espoused by a group.
To be honest, I have never thought about having “a view” about Catholics in America.
Rather, I have enjoyed strong, personal relationships with many Catholics over the years and I would hate to think about my life without those relationships having been there.
For more than a decade, I marched side-by-side with Catholic Bishops in Arkansas’ annual March for Life.
Throughout my years as Lieutenant Governor and Governor, I enjoyed a very close relationship with leaders and members of the Catholic Church in Arkansas.
My pro-life record is largely the result of this close working relationship.
My relationships with Catholics predated my entry into politics. When I was pastoring a Baptist church in Texarkana, I had the opportunity to work closely with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word at the St. Michael Hospital near my church. I was always welcomed warmly by the sisters when I visited the sick.
As a pastor, I held joint services with my neighboring Catholic congregation, was invited to speak in Catholic churches for special services, and had regular breakfast meetings with the Bishop of the Arkansas Diocese, Bishop Peter Sartain, now in Illinois.
Those early years of ministry showed me the value of working with caring people whether or not every one of our religious tenets line up exactly.
In short, if I held any animosity toward Catholics, I don’t think Justice Scalia would have ever taken me up on my invitations to go duck hunting.
As I mentioned before, many of my top-level staff and closest advisors are Catholic, including my national campaign manager, national campaign director, my policy advisor and my campaign’s chief operating officer
Having read this follow-on interview, as an evangelical Christian, I have some concerns regarding Mike Huckabee’s faithfullness to biblical Christianity.
- Huckabee says he has never had a ‘view’ on Catholics in America. This is a shocking statement to me. As a former Baptist minister, Huckabee sure should have had a ‘view’ on Catholics in America and around the world. Did Huckabee some how forget about the Reformation and what it was all about. If the Reformers where correct in their views, and I think they where, the Catholic Church is nothing short of apostasy. This should be no small matter for a Baptist minister. I guess it was for Huckabee.
- Huckabee held joint services with neighboring Catholic congregations and spoke at Catholic churches. Sounds very ecumenical to me. I don’t see a Baptist pastor, holding to a biblical standard, being yoked together with an apostate church.
- Huckabee does say his willingness to address a group does not mean he agrees with everything the group believes. I am sure Huckabee does not agree with everything that a group may believe, however, it does seem he considers Catholicism as truly Christian.
This kind of talk from Huckabee makes me wonder what he is willing to do to become President. As true Christians, we should never compromise our stand on the Gospel. In my view, Huckabee may not see it, but I think he has compromised the Gospel.
To be sure, the President has to uphold freedom of religion. However, if he claims to be a Christian, he must not compromise the truth of the Gospel in upholding the freedom of others to practice their religion.
To conclude this post I would like to commend Huckabee for his position on ’social issues’ such as abortion, marriage, family, etc.
Posted in Catholicism, Mike Huckabee, Vote 2008
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January 7th, 2008 at 1:21 am
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January 7th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Huh!
Shane, I have enjoyed your blog posts in the past, but you are really starting to leave me scratching my head. I appreciate you posting the catholic online interview because I have not seen it yet. I was an admirer and supporter of Gov. Huckabee before I read that piece and it definitely hasn’t done anything to sway my opinion. I view Huckabee as an honorable and committed Christian man, and perhaps more importantly (given that he is seeking my vote as President and not Pastor); I view him as a competent and innovative governmental leader.
You keep throwing around this goofy little fundamentalist phrase “compromising the gospel”, which is not found in the bible. Which part of that interview changed your opinion of Huckabee so much, from gleeful support to believing that he has now apparently “compromised the gospel”?
Was it the marching to stop babies from being murdered, praying with and for sick people, helping the Little Sisters feed the poor, or was it the fact that he was shooting at the defenseless ducks?
January 7th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Mike Huckabee: “As a pastor, I held joint services with my neighboring Catholic congregation,…”
As a former Roman Catholic and now SBC pastor myself I can tell you that the above is a violation of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, and as Dr. John MacArthur has rightly stated the Roman Catholic Church is a front for the kingdom of Satan.
See: WHAT HAS CHANGED REGARDING ROMAN CATHOLICISM?
THE HOLY AND CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
January 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Pastor Silva,
As a thinking Christian that reads and follows scripture, I find your “alleged violation” of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18″ completely out of context and ridiculous. I also believe it is ridiculous to use the bible to make judgmental and cowardly attacks upon a brave and honorable man that is trying to serve his fellow citizens, with snide comments inferring that he is not a “True Christian”. There is but one judge of us all, and only one mediator between God and man.
As an example of how a real man stands up to defend and integrate his religion with the world of politics, I would submit a citizen of England in 1905. A country in which for the majority of the last 300 years it has been illegal to be an English citizen and a Roman Catholic loyal to the Pope. Laws previously existed against Catholics in Britain that would make the civil rights leaders opposing Jim Crow laws in the southern US blush.
It was a marginal Parliament seat and the opposing party adopted the unsophisticated slogan “Don’t vote for a Frenchman and a Catholic”. Hilaire Belloc ignored the repeated advice of his constituency campaigners in the 1905/6 election campaign and took the religion issue head on at a packed public meeting.
“Gentlemen, I am a Catholic,” he told them, taking his rosary out of his pocket. “As far as possible, I go to Mass every day. This is a rosary: as far as possible, I kneel down and tell these beads every day. If you reject me on account of my religion, I shall thank God that he has spared me the indignity of being your representative.”
There was stunned silence for a few moments, then thunderous applause. He took the seat by 852 votes.
January 7th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Brett,
Consider for a moment that, rather than Catholics, Mr. Huckabee was responding to some who thought he was anti-Hindu.
Remembering Huckabee is a former SBC minister and professing evangelical Christian, how would this statement sound?
The simple question is this, in the context of the above statement, would you consider 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 applicable? I don’t think there is much question that this biblical reference would be very appropriate.
January 7th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Brett:
You said: “As a thinking Christian that reads and follows scripture, I find your ‘alleged violation’ of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 completely out of context and ridiculous. I also believe it is ridiculous to use the bible to make judgmental and cowardly attacks upon a brave and honorable man that is trying to serve his fellow citizens, with snide comments inferring that he is not a ‘True Christian’.”
Well of course, you are entitled to your opinion. However, when it comes to being a “thinking” person I’m afraid you’d better brush up on your logic skills. The Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian Church, it is apostate i.e. a front for the Kingdom of Satan.
As such 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 IS the context in question, and if you’re a Christian I suggest you’d best reconsider what you feel is “ridiculous” concerning a pastor who yokes his congregation in religious fellowship with a false religion.
And as far as “judgmental and cowardly attacks upon a brave and honorable man that is trying to serve his fellow citizens, with snide comments inferring that he is not a ‘True Christian’”, the only thing I attacked was the Roman Catholic Church. I said nothing at all about Huckabee personally; I simply critiqued his foolish practice as a pastor. Who inferred he is not a true Christian? Certainly not me because I know that Christians can do a lot of stupid things.
And finally you said: “There is but one judge of us all, and only one mediator between God and man.” Right; Christ Jesus, and He said: “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment” (John 7:24). And that right judgment is to follow what He said in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 –
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“ I will dwell in them, And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore, “ Come out from among them, And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”
January 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Brett,
With regards to your first comment on this post.
You say:
I was a supporter as well but I am now reconsidering my support. I think my post makes it clear that my concern is with Mike Huckabee’s apparent acceptance of the Catholic Church as Christian. It is no secret to you or any other regular visitor of my blog that I consider the Roman Catholic Church in a state of apostatsy.
You suggest that my use of the phrase “compromising the gospel”, is goofy and fundamentalist in nature. I think you know exactly what I mean when I use the phrase “compromising the gospel” and there is nothing goofy or fundamentalist about it. I am simply making the point that any SBC minister (present or past), including Mr. Huckabee, who accepts the Roman Catholic Church as Christian is “compromising the gospel”.
There are several biblical (not fundamentalist) references to “turning to a different gospel” or “a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you”. Galatians 1:6-9 is one such reference. This is a false gospel or a compromised gospel. So, if you really don’t understand this phrase, I think you are in the minority and I hope I have made it more clear to you.
Finally, you ask:
Its a serious stretch on your part to suggest that my concern is not clear. As I have already stated, my opinion is beginning to change based on Huckabee’s open acceptance of the Roman Catholic Church as Christian. I was in support of Huckabee in no small part because of what I understood to be his faithful support of evangelical Christian beliefs. In my view, acceptance of the Roman Catholic Church as Christian is not consistent with biblical Christianity.
Lest you or someone else call me bigoted or anti-Catholic, let me say I am neither. I am only interested in biblical truth, contending for the faith (Jude 3).
Honestly, if I did not have a real concern that the Roman Catholic Church was in serious biblical error, I would not bother with such post.
January 8th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Shane,
If Gov. Huckabee made it clear that he was an anti-Hindu he would lose my support and my vote, but I would stop short of judging his immortal soul because that would be up to a much higher power than me. Hindus (which are admittedly not Christians, and can only loosely be labeled a religion) are human beings that were created by God in the image and likeness of God. It is my scriptural belief that all human life is sacred, and that Hindus should be treated with the same dignity as you and I, and even the all knowing Pastor Silva. It is also my scriptural belief that God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth, and that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
Admittedly holding “joint services” with Hindus would seem a bit strange for a Christian pastor, but would not be inherently sinful as long as he was not speaking or endorsing any type of doctrinal error (a joint service to collect food for the hungry might be plausible). If a Christian pastor was invited to speak at a Hindu temple would that not be an ideal place to preach the gospel to unbelievers, or would you prefer him to only preach to “True Christians”?
Gov. Huckabee had regular breakfast meetings with Hindus in Arkansas. My bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ was not picky about the people that he sat down to share a meal with (some were even foreigners and sinners). I don’t know what theology you guys follow that says it’s wrong to eat with Hindus, but I follow the model of Christ. Do you realize that if you apply (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) to this situation, that you are eliminating the Lord Jesus Christ from being a “True Christian”?
I can’t give you chapter and verse at the moment but something about “how we treat the least of these” comes to mind.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
that darn huckabee. Now he is quoting a catholic (chesterton) in his victory speech.
Warriors fight, not because they hate those in front of them, but because they love those who are behind them. -chesterton