Rep. Pence Hits Obama on Appointment of Gay Activist Who Attacked Pope

Matt Lewis | April 09, 2009 11:34 AM

http://newsbusters.org/static/2007/06/2007-06-29MikePence.jpg

Saying President Obama's appointment had made a "mockery out of the religious beliefs of countless Americans,"Congressman Mike Pence -- Chairman of the House Republican Conference -- today criticized President

Obama's appointment of Harry Knox.

Knox has been appointed to the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

As a gay rights activist, Knox is a divisive figure who has been described by critics as a "radical homosexual" -- and as a "strong man of faith," by an online magazine for gay Christians.

Pence noted that this appointment contributes to the sort of "divisive politics the American people have rejected and the President promised to abandon."

Pence went on to add that,

Appointing a man who has publicly attacked the Pope and other religious leaders for their support of traditional marriage is deeply offensive to millions of Americans and the faith-based community he is appointed to serve. I call on the President to withdraw this appointment and select a person who can serve the faith-based community with the respect and dignity it deserves."

Pence is not alone in finding Knox's criticism of the Pope to be disqualifying. According to one blog,

Knox has demonstrated his qualifications for the job by denouncing the Pope and many Catholic bishops as "discredited leaders" because they have chosen to favor scripture over the homosexual social engineering agenda. He called the Knights of Columbus "foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression" for supporting California's Proposition 8, which bans the blasphemous travesty of homosexual "marriage." He also accused the Pope of lying for recommending abstinence over condoms in stopping the spread of AIDS and of "doing a great deal more harm than good."

It should be noted that Pence's strongly-worded statement does not mention Knox's homosexual activism.

This, of course, is not the first time an Obama appointee has faced scrutiny. Obama's HHS Secretary nominee Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is also facing confirmation scrutiny regarding her failure to pay taxes, as well as her relationship with partial-birth abortionist George Tiller.

Clearly, Knox's background of attacking the Pope and criticizing those who seek to defend traditional marriage is an interesting resume-builder for someone seeking to become part of America's Faith Based advisory council.

Interestingly, many conservatives are now questioning the wisdom of President Bush's creation of a Department of Faith Based Initiatives (in fairness, there were many conservatives who were skeptical of it at the time...)