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Words and controversy for Senate Republicans

The Rocky

Published February 25, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.
Updated February 25, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.

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Two Senate Republicans are under fire for their comments about sexuality during debates on two separate bills.

Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, on Wednesday voted againt Senate Bill 179, which requires pregnant women to undergo HIV testing to ensure steps can be taken to reduce transferring the disease to the baby if the mother is infected.

What Schultheis said during the debate:

"This stems from sexual promiscuity for the most part and I just can't go there. We do things continually to remove the consequences of poor behavior, unacceptable behavior, quite frankly.

"Sexual promiscuity we know causes a lot of problems in our state, one of which obviously is the contraction of HIV."

What he said afterward:

"What I'm hoping is that yes, that person may have AIDS, have it seriously as a baby and when they grow up, but the mother will begin to feel guilt as a result of that.

"The family will see the negative consequences of that promiscuity and it may make a number of people over the coming years begin to realize that there are negative consequences and maybe they should adjust their behavior.

"We can't keep people from being raped. We can't keep people from shooting each other. We can't keep people from jumping off bridges. There are a lot of things we can't do that have negative consequences in our society. People drink and drive and they crash and kill people. Poor behavior has its consequences."

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, on Monday opposed Senate Bill 88, which extends health care benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian state employees.

What he said during the debate:

"Leviticus 18:22 says, 'You shall not lie with a man as one lies with a female. It is an abomination.' Leviticus 20:13 says, 'If there is a man who lies with a male as though to lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act, and they shall surely be put to death. ... '

"We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK, and that is wrong. That is an abomination, according to scripture.

"And I'm not saying that this is the only sin that's out there. Obviously we have sin, we have murder, we have all sorts of sin. We have adultery ... and we would never think to make murder legal."

What he said Wednesday:

"I don't mean to be hateful. I don't think I'm hateful. People have accused me of that. I'm just voicing my opinions on what I believe and trying to speak what I think is the truth.

"Our First Amendment allows freedom of speech and I should be allowed to say what I want on any issue.

"I wasn't probably eloquent enough in saying that all people sin and there are many different sins and they are all the same in the eyes of God. But to make laws to make sins legal is where I think it crosses the line and we shouldn't go there. That's the destruction of our society, in my opinion."

Comments

  • February 25, 2009

    8:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Spooge writes:

    Are all Republican politicians right wing extremists ? They seem to want to destroy our way of individuality and freedom. You are alienating so many people from your party by your hateful comments, demonizing our family members and friends ,by promoting intolerance towards their loves and lives. Some of us heterosexuals are going to speak up when you spew your untruths about a targeted group of AMERICAN citizens. We stand united in rallying with our gay citizens to fight for justice and the truth revealed in what you have called " The Culture War ".