While speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference on Friday, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson told the audience that his decision to enter politics was based on "knowing who has all the power" and guidance from God which "is where real courage comes from." While he maintained that he is is "not a politician" and hopes "to God to never become one," he did point out that leftists often denigrate him for his affiliation with the Republican party and also compared the fight to end abortion to abolitionists fighting to end slavery.
"In our society, for some people on the other side, the only thing worse than Satan is a black conservative," Sec. Carson said with a chuckle.
"Blacks are supposed to think a certain way," he continued. "If you do not think that way, you are an Uncle Tom. To me, know what that sounds like? Racism."
"I knew I would be attacked. I will go from being a hero to the goat," he said of his decision to enter the 2016 presidential primary race.
"I knew I would take a big cut in income. All of these things would happen," he explained. "I started thinking, what if all the other people who preceded me helped make this into a great country had taken that attitude. Where we would be? Some of us does have to go out there and we have to just ask God, what would you have me do and for the wisdom to do it. Do not worry about the consequences. God will take care of the consequences."
The Housing and Urban Development Secretary then explained his own journey from being pro-choice to pro-life.
"What we have is a country where we do not guarantee people anything. We advocate for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people," he said. "When we have strayed from those things, that is when we have gotten in trouble."
"What do wise people do? They learn from their mistakes," he said of American history. "There are a lot of things we can learn from."
"One of the things I learned from it -- people who were slave owners thought that they owned the slaves. It was their property. They could do anything they wanted to them -- beat them, rape them or their children. It was okay because they belonged to them." he said. "But, there were others who said, 'That is abominable. There is no way I can participate in that.' Then there were those, the abolitionists, who said, 'Not only can I not participate in it, but I also have to stand up for those who are being killed being enslaved.' Okay...I used be pro-choice. I said, 'I do not believe in abortion but we are not going to stop anybody else doing what they wanted to.' Where we would be if the abolitionist felt that way? Those lives of the slaves were important. The lives of our little babies are important," he said to applause.
"The Faith and Freedom Coalition 'Road to Majority' conference is the premier national event for people of faith and conservative activists," according to the group's website.