Cory Booker Owes the LGBTQ Community an Answer about Sin

By Thomas DeSeno

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Despite Article 6, Clause 3 of the Constitution outlawing religious tests for public office, Democrats have been inquiring about the religious beliefs of government appointees.

This modern Democrat “Star Chamber” has revealed itself in several recent incidents.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., California) told Catholic federal court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, “When you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s a concern…”.

Then came the double teaming of federal Court nominee Brian Buesher by Senators Kamala Harris (D., California) and Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii). They questioned Buesher about various Catholic beliefs, followed by Hirono requesting he quit the Catholic fraternity Knights of Columbus before being sworn; a clear violation of his Constitutional rights. Harris and Hirono were formally rebuked by the entire Senate for this religious inquisition.

That was followed by the recent row over the anti-Semitic statements of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., MN) who is receiving public support from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., Utopia).

Muscling into this spotlight is presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker, (D., NJ). At a recent hearing for federal Court nominee Neomi Rao, Booker asked Rao if she thought homosexual relationships are immoral and “if they are a sin.”

Sin is a purely religious concept. None of our laws are based upon religious “sin” even if some behaviors are similarly proscribed by a religious text. Instead, our laws are a secular social contract. As Rao explained to Booker, sin doesn’t play a part in secular judging, so a person of any religion can be a judge.

As the nation gets to know Cory Booker, they’ll find he heralds his religious beliefs. His religiosity is an oft mentioned bragging point in his political speeches.

Normally that’s an acceptable applause line to be left alone, but since Cory Booker is cross-examining others about their view of sin, he has kicked the door wide open for others to ask him, “What’s your personal view of sin and homosexual sex, Cory?”

Be careful though. To get a good answer from Cory takes a bit of cross-examination expertise. A skilled politician can take advantage of the following dichotomy: One can hold a personal view that homosexuality is sinful, while in the legal realm favor gay marriage.

There is yet another gray area behind which a politician can hide. Many religions find no sin in being gay – the only sin is the sexual act. That might shed some light on why Booker asked Rao if homosexual “relationships” (a nebulous term) are sinful.

Accordingly, don’t point to Cory Booker having presided over gay weddings to answer whether he personally views homosexual behavior as a sin. He might be one who religiously opposes gay relations while secularly supporting it as a civil right.

Cory Booker has previously been asked this question (sort of). In a 2014 article about Booker and God, he was asked to reconcile his public support of gay marriage with his faith. His answer: “God’s truth might also lie in other faiths.”

Hmmm…. “other faiths.” Did he mean faiths other than his? That’s an indication that the “woke” Senator actually finds gay sex to be a sin, despite his harrumphing at Neomi Rao. He needs to be asked more directly.

A look at his church offers clues. Cory grew up in the AME church which has made clear in pronouncements they don’t accept homosexual relationships. We also know Cory admitted that while growing up he hated gays.

We don’t get to pick our churches as children, so as an adult Cory worships at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark, a place he credits with shaping him.

A phone call to that church was telling. Cory Booker’s chosen church does NOT perform same-sex marriages. A reasonable inference is that Cory Booker’s church finds homosexual relationships a sin, exactly the reason he was attempting to pummel Rao.

If Cory Booker believes the LGBTQ community has the right to know if Neomi Rao finds gay relations sinful to decide if she should be a judge, then the LGBTQ community has the right to know if Cory Booker finds gay relations sinful so they can decide if he should be president.

Cory Booker declined repeated requests to be interviewed. The questions he needs to answer are these:

Does your religion or church hold that gay relations (the sexual relations) are a sin?
Do you personally hold that gay relations (the sexual relations) are a sin?
Do you disagree with your Church about whether gay relations (the sexual relations) are a sin?

You brought this up, Senator. Let’s not keep the LGBTQ community waiting for an answer…