Did you know the book of Proverbs was written by a Republican? A biblical scholar at Politico Magazine tried to convince their readers of that conclusion over the weekend when they tweeted out this headline, "Marco Rubio Is Tweeting the Most Republican Part of the Bible."
In the piece, Joel S. Baden, who is an associate professor of the Old Testament at the Yale Divinity School, argues that Republicans love to quote Proverbs because it emphasizes how God rewards hard work.
Some of the statements in Proverbs look strikingly similar to those made by modern-day conservative policymakers. Take, for example, Representative Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who, arguing that poorer people should pay more for health care, recently said, “Those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy.” It’s not quite a direct quote from Proverbs, but it’s not too far from these: “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry” (Proverbs10:3) and “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4). In short: Proverbs is probably the most Republican book of the entire Bible.
Baden accused Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) of using "confirmation bias" to justify his conservative worldview, since he has been tweeting several Proverbs quotes in recent weeks. He would be better served, Baden said, by quoting Ecclesiastes or the New Testament, which does not sound as favorable to the wealthy.
Rubio had an amusing response.
Proverbs is the Republican part of the bible?I don't think Solomon had yet joined the GOP when he wrote the first 29 chapters of Proverbs. https://t.co/2bGhkGwoqH
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 9, 2017
The senator continues to be unfazed by Baden's lecture. On Monday, he tweeted out another Proverbs verse.
Where words are many, sin is not wanting;
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 10, 2017
but those who restrain their lips do well. Proverbs 10:19