Pastor pops Pawlenty on God
Grant Stevensen, a Pastor at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in St. Paul, criticized Gov. Pawlenty today for cutting funding for health insurance for the poor while campaiging across the country saying "God is in Charge."
Stevensen was one of several members of the faith community who held a news conference today urging the Minnesota House to override Pawlenty's veto of a bill that extends General Assistance Medical Care for 16 months. The House just started debating the issue.
Before the House action, Stevensen ripped Pawlenty for invoking God during stump speeches yet cutting health insurance for the poor:
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"I'm concerned that because they are feeling pressure from a governor who has a speech to write that he wants to run around the country and give as he's elected president. I'm not so sure he cares so much anymore about Minnesota and the people that are here.
I have a personal request of the governor. Governor please, stop talking to us about God. the governor is going around saying 'God is in control.' We elected you. We elected you to be making decisions for this state that will help everyone in this state. Things that will lift up the poorest in this state. Don't pass this on to God. That's no God we've ever heard of.
And please stop lecturing us about god. It's offensive. The only God we're aware of is the one who says 'If you want to follow me, you'll look our for the widows, and the orphans, for the fatherless, for the poorest in the land.' Please stop talking to us about God. It's offensive. We can't take it."
Stevenson is referring to a portion of Pawlenty's stump speech that says God is in charge. Here's Pawlenty talking to GOP activisits in Las Vegas on Saturday night:
"One of the first principles that we should turn to always and remembers is that God is in charge. God is in charge. A lot of people hear me say that and say 'Pawlenty, don't bring that up, that's outdated, that's politcally incorrect or they'll put some other label on it. Hogwash. This is in the very founding perspective in our country. The Declaration of Independence says this "We are endowed by our creator by certain unalienable rights."
Discuss...