5 Surprising Facts About Marco Rubio's Faith

[John81]

5 Surprising Facts About Marco Rubio's Faith

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who launched his presidential campaign Monday (April 13), often talks about faith and wrote about his religious convictions in his 2012 book, An American Son: A Memoir.

Here are five faith facts about this Catholic son of Cuban immigrants who has also found comfort in Mormonism and a Southern Baptist church:

1. He was once a serious, young Mormon.

Rubio's parents baptized him Catholic and he is now a practicing Catholic, but when he was 8, his family moved from South Florida to Las Vegas, where his mother attributed the wholesomeness of the neighborhood to the influence of the Mormon church. Young Rubio was baptized again, this time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He spent three years as a Mormon, upheld its teachings more enthusiastically than his parents, and chided his father for working as a bartender, a no-no for Mormons who abstain from alcohol.

2. He frequents a Southern Baptist megachurch.

Rubio and his wife Jeanette often visit Miami's Christ Fellowship, a Southern Baptist congregation the couple appreciates for its strong preaching and children's programs. Rubio has donated at least $50,000 to the church, which he attended almost exclusively from 2000 to 2004. But he now finds his religious home in Catholic churches in Washington, D.C., and Florida. In his memoir, Rubio writes that he will go with his family to Christ Fellowship on Saturday nights, and Mass on Sundays at St. Louis Catholic Church. His children have received first Holy Communion.

3. He punted on the creationism question, then sided with science.

In 2012, when asked by GQ magazine, "How old do you think the earth is?" Rubio dodged. "I'm not a scientist, man," he said. "I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all." After much criticism, Rubio said that he knows the earth is 4.5 billion years old and that the fact is consistent with his belief that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

4. He draws the ire of atheists.

Rubio talks about faith in a way that has many atheists convinced he considers them less American than their religious neighbors. "We're bound together by common values," he said, introducing presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the 2012 Republican National Convention.  And "faith in our Creator is the most important American value of all." At the time, pundit Andrew Sullivan, a Catholic, blogged: "Rubio just ruled atheists out of being Americans."

5. He craves Holy Communion.

Rubio wrote that Christ Fellowship deepened his relationship with Jesus, but that he missed Roman Catholicism. "I craved, literally, the Most Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion, the sacramental point of contact between the Catholic and the liturgy of heaven," he wrote. "I wondered why there couldn't be a church that offered both a powerful, contemporary gospel message and the actual body and blood of Jesus." Starting in late 2004, he began to delve deeper into his Roman Catholic roots, reading the whole catechism, and concluding that "every sacrament, every symbol and tradition of the Catholic faith is intended to convey, above everything else, the revelation that God yearns, too, for a relationship with you."

© Religion News Service 2015. All rights reserved. 

http://www.charismanews.com/politics/49171-5-surprising-facts-about-marco-rubio-s-faith

[ThePilgrim]

Not surprising at all John.  Here is who his friends are.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-warms-to-marco-rubio-as-young-senator-cultivates-relationship/2015/03/13/21a769b8-c98d-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html

[John81]

Not surprising at all John.  Here is who his friends are.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-warms-to-marco-rubio-as-young-senator-cultivates-relationship/2015/03/13/21a769b8-c98d-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html

​There was some talk of this on the news. They discussed how Rubio has called Jeb Bush his mentor, and his close relations with Romney. Both Bush and Romney are on the liberal side of the GOP so what does that tell us about Rubio?

It was also brought up that in similar fashion Rand Paul had upset many of his supporters by giving his support and endorsement to Romney in the last presidential election. While some called this a show of support for the GOP, as well as an effort to build support for himself among the GOP, others called it a betrayal of what he claimed to stand for.

One thing I found interesting in a discussion I saw on Fox News yesterday was how they blasted Hillary Clinton's announcement to run for president because there was no substance provided, no stands on political issues. Then they spoke of Rubio and the other announced and potential GOP candidates and all they could talk about was how some had a good sense of humor, could speak well without a prompter, was likable, and other such things, but not one mention of any of the GOP candidates positions on policies either foreign or domestic!

Can these people not see they are doing the same things they blast the Left and MSNBC for doing?

[HappyChristian]

Rubio also cried with joy at the "symbolism" when BO won in 2008. And he was part of the Gang of 8 pushing for amnesty. 

I do not trust him. I'm leaning towards the thought a friend of mine had: that he is in the race to pull hispanic votes from Cruz.

 

[John81]

Rubio also cried with joy at the "symbolism" when BO won in 2008. And he was part of the Gang of 8 pushing for amnesty. 

I do not trust him. I'm leaning towards the thought a friend of mine had: that he is in the race to pull hispanic votes from Cruz.

 

​That was another point which was brought up. The Fox News folks were discussing Rubio changing his position on illegal immigration and if or how he might be able to overcome that issue.

Another matter I've heard several times today is the idea Rubio isn't actually running for president, but for VP. This has caused some to speculate on which other candidates running might accept Rubio as their VP.

One thought is that rather than hurting Jeb Bush, Rubio running will actually help Bush if Rubio drops out of the race, gives his support to Bush and Bush selects him as his running mate (if Bush wins the nomination).

A lot of intrigue already and this election cycle has just begun and there are still many possible others to enter the race!

[ThePilgrim]

The Bilderbergers will meet sometime this year so if you happen to know any of the members personally you might ask them after the meeting who they have chosen. 

[1Timothy115]

"Gov. Scott Walker refuses to take down religious tweet"

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded Walker remove posts from his official Facebook and Twitter feeds that read, “Philippians 4:13.”

 

[John81]

"Gov. Scott Walker refuses to take down religious tweet"

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded Walker remove posts from his official Facebook and Twitter feeds that read, “Philippians 4:13.”

 

​Rather hypocritical how these supposed freedom loving people are always DEMANDING their own way, which means taking away the freedoms of others?

[1Timothy115]

"Gov. Scott Walker refuses to take down religious tweet"

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded Walker remove posts from his official Facebook and Twitter feeds that read, “Philippians 4:13.”

 

​

​Rather hypocritical how these supposed freedom loving people are always DEMANDING their own way, which means taking away the freedoms of others?

​Even more amazing that a politician would refuse to take down a quote with Christ in it.

[John81]

​

​Even more amazing that a politician would refuse to take down a quote with Christ in it.

​Unfortunate that such is indeed an amazing thing rather than normal. It seems these days when such things occur the person who put forth the Word either withdraws it quickly or goes into explanation mode which usually twists and waters the Word away. It's good to see that not everyone cowers and folds like that.