GOP darling Marco Rubio has changed his mind on the whole how-old-is-the-earth debate. Or has he?
RUBIO: There is no scientific debate on the age of the earth. I mean, it’s established pretty definitively, it’s at least 4.5 billion years old. I was referring to a theological debate, which is a pretty health debate. And the theological debate is … how do you reconcile with what science has definitively established with what you may think your faith teaches. Now for me, actually, when it comes to the age of the earth, there is no conflict. I believe that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And I think that scientific advances have given us insight into when he did it and how he did it, but I still believe God did it…. I just think in America we should have the freedom to teach our children whatever it is we believe. And that means teaching them science, they have to know the science, but also parents have the right to teach them the theology and to reconcile the two things.
But I thought he wasn't a scientist, man.
There's just enough vagueness contained in Rubio's about-face on the age of the earth to entertain the idea that he still believes in creationism and that the earth is 6,000 years old, leaving himself room for plausible deniability.
Creationism aside, Rubio may have stepped in another pile of dung today when he declared that homosexuality is a sin.
ALLEN: Is homosexuality a sin?
RUBIO: Well, I can tell you what faith teaches and faith teaches that it is. And that’s what the Bible teaches and that’s what faith teaches. But it also teaches that there area bunch of other sins that are no less. For example, it teaches that lying is a sin. It teaches that disrespecting your parents is a sin. It teaches that stealing is a sin. It teaches that coveting your neighbor and what your neighbor has is a sin. So there isn’t a person in this room that isn’t guilty of sin. So, I don’t go around pointing fingers in that regard. I’m responsible for my salvation and I’m responsible for my family’s, and for inculcating in my family what our faith teaches, and they’ll become adults and decide how they want to apply that in life. As a policy maker, I could just tell you that I’m informed by my faith. And my faith informs me in who I am as a person — but not as a way to pass judgment on people.
If your faith informs you as a lawmaker, that means you will either support or oppose legislation based on your faith. And if your faith says homosexuality is a sin, then you will oppose legislation that provides equal rights and opportunity to members of the LGBT community. That necessarily means you will be passing judgment on them.
Rubio is not as slick as he thinks he is, and all of this will be used against him without regard for his fickle tip-toeing.
(via ThinkProgress)