Q & A: Marco Rubio on His Faith of Many Colors
I have to ask about your possible vice presidential nomination.
I'm not going to discuss the vice presidential nomination process. I know Mitt Romney is right now going through a process with the people he's considering, and I am in no way going to comment on that, because it wouldn't be fair to them.
Some have cited irregularities in your record as reasons you might not be asked to be vice president. What would you say to those who claim you have made financial slip-ups?
I'm not above criticism. I'm sure people will find fault with what I've done or failed to do. I would be the first to recognize that I'm not perfect. Sometimes these things are exaggerated. There are things I wish I had done differently because of perceptions. Most of these issues have been talked about extensively during my campaign in Florida. I confronted those issues and answered questions repeatedly, and I'd be more than happy to answer them again if people want to ask them specifically. Ultimately, I've lived a life with real mistakes and real successes. I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish thanks to the opportunities this country has given me and the sacrifices my parents made.
In preparation for the 2012 election, how should Christians engage in the public sphere?
Well, there's the spiritual activism, which saints are called to and which is separate from the political realm. If you're living out your faith, it influences every aspect of your life. It teaches us to glorify God in everything we do. In everything we do in our lives, we're called to bring glory to God, primarily by the way we live our lives and the things we do so people will look to us and say, "That's what it means to be a Christian; that's what it means to be ambassadors of Christ." If our faith influences every aspect of our lives, then if we decide to become politically active, it should influence that as well.
You distinguished spiritual activism from political activism. Do you see political activism as a ministry?
You can if that's what you're called to, for example, with how we treat the less fortunate. I believe in a safety net, not as a way of life, but as a way to help those who cannot help themselves. But I also believe the number one economic system that's ever been created that allows people to rise above the circumstances of their birth and accomplish things beyond what they were born into is the American free enterprise system. My faith influences me in believing that. I don't think everyone's called to political engagement. No matter what we're called to do, we are called to glorify God in what we do. For those of us who have been called to political action, we're called by our faith to glorify God in the way we carry ourselves in these roles.
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Welby Warner
It was a little surrising that Mr. Rubio was not asked to clarify what he meant by his assertion that "the president has presided over such failed economic policies, he is deliberately looking to have a debate about anything other than the economy". He should have been asked to name a specific failed economic policy over which the president has presided. This statement is part of the political propaganda being put out in the media without factual support and it would have been interesting to know if Mr. Rubio even understood what economic policies are. As far as the second part of that statement, one can only conclude that it is meant for those who have not been following the political conversation taking place over the past years. If you were to make a search of the economic news, it would be difficult to excape the conclusion that the statement is highly inaccurate. If we were to look at the economic picture in Europe today, we should be glad for a strong central government.
Welby Warner
The second "begging the question" question is the one linking contraception to the Obama administration as "hostile to religious freedom". The contraception question has nothing to do with the religious freedom of individuals to practice their faith as they see fit. It has to do with the desire of some religious organizations to discriminate against their employees and not provide benefits or choices that normal employees are entitled to. It is bizarre how the requirement that religious organizations treat their employees similarly to other organizations and allow them to exercise their free choice is being mislabelled as an assault on religious freedom. I always thought that evangelicals had outstanding training in analytical thinking but I am saddened to see how propaganda is spread so easily. On the issue of same sex marriage, one has said, if you don't believe in it, don't do it. Similarly contraception, if you don't believe in it, don't practice it.
Welby Warner
The interview gives us an opportunity to see how Senator Rubio answers some questions in a very straightforward manner, and avoid direct answers when he chooses. However, there are three questions that are disappointing in the way they appear to be begging the question, or suggesting assumptions that are not in keeping with specific facts of the case. The question about Obama defending same-sex marriage seems to suggest that the president supports that lifestyle. He is not married to one of his sex, and he has already said that he believes in the traditional family. The issue has to do with what the secular law should prohibit rather than the moral stance taken personally by the president. To take an analogy, many evangelicals support the NRA even though guns are used for committing many of the crimes in the world today, but to them there is no conflict with their faith. They may not believe in murder, but they promote the unrestricted selling of murder weapons.