Is this article right? "Joe Biden Called Conservative Christians 'the Dregs of Society,' Would Eviscerate Religious Freedom"

[mercyalways]

Here is the article: Joe Biden Threatens Religious Freedom, Traditional Values – PJ Media

The article talks about a Biden staffer who insisted that anyone holding the traditional belief of Christians, Jews, and Muslims should be disqualified from public office.

Even more alarming, the article quotes Biden himself, in 2018, calling traditional religious believers who oppose LGBT activism as “the dregs of society.”

If this is true, how can any Catholic vote for Biden?

 

[FiveLinden]

The article talks about a Biden staffer who insisted that anyone holding the traditional belief of Christians, Jews, and Muslims should be disqualified from public office

Would you please point me to the part of the article that says this? All I can see is an expressed preference for certain views to be held by members of the Supreme Court.

 

[pnewton]

It has all the earmarks of yellow journalism, so I would not put any stock in it. Some articles are so clearly loaded that they can be dismissed as mud-slinging campaigning.

 

[White_Tree]

No, it is not true.

They are taking a quote out of context from a speech he made at the 2018 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner.

This is a video of the speech:

And here is a transcript of the relevant portion, which starts around 19:44:

As you know, when I was Vice President, I spent a lot of time traveling around the world, and I would speak out about this issue in these countries. And I would be told in some of the countries it’s cultural. Well, let me tell you something. Those who try to excuse this kind of discrimination in the name of culture, I say prejudice is prejudice and inhumanity is inhumanity. It is a crime. And using religion or culture as a license to discriminate, demonizing the community, individuals, to score political points, is no more justifiable around the world than it is here at home, and our policies should reflect that.

Despite losing in the courts, and in the court of public opinion, these forces of intolerance remain determined to undermine and roll back the progress you all have made. This time, they, not you, have an ally in the White House. This time, they have an ally. They are a small percentage of the American people, virulent people, some of them the dregs of society, and instead of using the full might of the executive branch to secure justice, dignity, safety for all, the president uses the White House as a literal bully pulpit, callously exerting his power over those who have little or none.

So he was saying that some people who use religion or culture as an excuse to demonize other people are the dregs of society.

If this is true, how can any Catholic vote for Biden?

Jesus ate with sinners, and showed compassion and forgiveness even to those who were nailing him to the cross. I think saying religion should not be used as a justification for hate or prejudice is perfectly all right from a Christian perspective.

 

[Nepperhan]

Did it sound as if it were true? Mistrust memes.

 

[WA_Catholic]

That isn’t what he was alluding to. He was saying if you think homosexual “marriage” is not equivalent to actual marriage then you are dreg on society. Biden thinks any Catholic that believes the teachings of the Church is a dreg on society. So if you want to be persecuted and demonized for your religious beliefs, vote Biden.

 

[mercyalways]

That isn’t what he was alluding to. He was saying if you think homosexual “marriage” is not equivalent to actual marriage then you are dreg on society.

Yes, I think you are right. Also, Biden himself officiated at the marriage of a gay couple.

 

[mercyalways]

Jesus ate with sinners, and showed compassion and forgiveness even to those who were nailing him to the cross. I think saying religion should not be used as a justification for hate or prejudice is perfectly all right from a Christian perspective.

Jesus ate with sinners…and kept telling them to repent. Please recall that the concept of hell barely existed in ancient Judaism; it was Jesus Christ himself who talked about hell as a consequence for sin, and he did so over and over and over again.

I would beg to differ with you that it is “hate or prejudice” to repeat what the Catholic church calls sin, although perhaps I am misinterpreting your remark. Perhaps you can clarify?

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

I would beg to differ with you that it is “hate or prejudice” to repeat what the Catholic church calls sin, although perhaps I am misinterpreting your remark.

There are some Christians that do have hate or prejudice and he’s likely talking about those people.

 

[WA_Catholic]

Biden thinks anyone who disagrees with the left on social issues as hateful.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

He thinks anyone who disagrees with the left on social issues as hateful.

I’m talking about WhiteTree, I don’t know Bidens intentions.

 

[Annie]

Biden thinks any Catholic that believes the teachings of the Church is a dreg on society.

[Biden] these forces of intolerance … are a small percentage of the American people, virulent people, some of them the dregs of society,

So he is saying that people who are against, say, young men who think they are women being allowed on women’s teams, are 1) a small percentage of the US population, 2) virulent, and 3) some of them are the dregs of society

It’s the same tactic Hillary Clinton used. Associate a certain view with horrible people, so that people who hold that view but do not consider themselves horrible, or who do not want to be viewed as horrible, will disassociate themselves from that view.

Divide and conquer, that’s the Democrat way.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

While I don’t believe JB is any friend to Christianity, I’d like more than the testimony of an “unnnamed staffer”.

 

[mercyalways]

While I don’t believe JB is any friend to Christianity, I’d like more than the testimony of an “unnnamed staffer”.

Hi, if you are referring to the staffer in the article, she is named. It’s Nikitha Rai who is deputy data director for Pennsylvania at Biden’s campaign.

 

[pnewton]

Biden thinks anyone who disagrees with the left on social issues as hateful.

Have you read his mind, or has he said this? I remind you that God alone is judge.

He was saying if you think homosexual “marriage” is not equivalent to actual marriage then you are dreg on society.

No, he did not. This is a lie. In the context of that statement homosexual marriage is not mentioned with dregs.

Yes, I think you are right.

Was your initial post sincere? The entire context of the quote is given. It clearly does not mention homosexuality, yet you accepted the lie that it did, even with the text in front of you. Was this just a political campaign trick?

 

[Annie]

I think saying religion should not be used as a justification for hate or prejudice is perfectly all right from a Christian perspective.

What the CCC says we should avoid is unjust discrimination. Saying 2 members of the same sex cannot marry is not unjust.

 

[pnewton]

Yet they are not demons, nor does this mean discrimination cannot happen that is unjust. There are some that unjustly discriminator, and even physically assault people based on sexual orientation. They are few, and extreme, just as Biden said.

“They are a small percentage of the American people,”

 

[White_Tree]

That isn’t what he was alluding to. He was saying if you think homosexual “marriage” is not equivalent to actual marriage then you are dreg on society. Biden thinks any Catholic that believes the teachings of the Church is a dreg on society.

I posted the full quote, along with its surrounding context.

I did not see anything in that quote to suggest what you seem to be extrapolating. Perhaps there is another place where he condemns Catholics in the way you are suggesting? Can you provide a source?

I would beg to differ with you that it is “hate or prejudice” to repeat what the Catholic church calls sin, although perhaps I am misinterpreting your remark. Perhaps you can clarify?

There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that certain behavior is sinful or disordered. However, there are some people who, upon seeing sin in others, allow hate or condemnation to fill their hearts. The violence suffered by those in the homosexual community is sufficient evidence that such people, with a warped sense of justice, exist in our world. This type of behavior not Christian. As Jesus said,

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. – Matthew 7:1-2

 

[WA_Catholic]

You are right I am not judge, and I do not know what is in Joe Biden’s heart. I can only go off the information that is given. And from what is given it seems very clear that if you disagree with the left on social issues then you are considered in his view, a dreg on society. I would love for him to clarify otherwise but he simply has not done so and I can only go off his past actions.

 

[Polak]

So he was saying that some people who use religion or culture as an excuse to demonize other people are the dregs of society.

He said some people of the LGBT community receive discrimination in the name of culture/religion. It depends on what he believes the discrimination to be. I haven’t viewed the whole video, but if he means not giving a person a job just because they are gay, I agree that is discrimination and that is unacceptable. If he however is suggesting that being against gay marriage is discrimination and that people who think this way are ‘the dregs of society’ then that’s another story.