Posted on 09/13/2025 8:16:15 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has doubled down on his criticism of the idea that people's rights come from God and not the government, as his recent remarks during a U.S. Senate hearing have drawn backlash from religious and political leaders.
Kaine, a Catholic who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016, wrote an op-ed for Fox News published on Tuesday, responding to another Fox News op-ed written by Bishop Robert Barron of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester two days earlier.
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, Kaine characterized the idea that rights come from God as "extremely troubling." The senator insisted that such an idea is "what the Iranian government believes," calling it a "theocratic regime that bases its rule on Sharia law and targets Sunnis, Baha'is, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities" because "they believe that they understand what natural rights are from their Creator."
Barron wrote that Kaine's remarks are what's "truly troubling" and urged readers to "resist this dangerous rhetoric" and celebrate "inalienable rights."
"And it's a fruit, I would argue, of the increasing marginalization and privatization of, if not outright hostility toward, organized religion, which is the bedrock of our democracy," the bishop asserted.
Barron also posted a video on social media a few days earlier, calling Kaine's comments "dangerous to our democracy."
In response to Barron's op-ed, Kaine called the bishop's views "deeply disturbing." The senator expressed agreement with the notion of the Founding Fathers that "all people are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." At the same time, he detailed how his experience working alongside Catholic missionaries in the military dictatorship of Honduras taught him that "rights are essentially meaningless unless they are protected by law."
Kaine listed the rights to vote, trial by jury, freedom of the press, bear arms, due process, assembly, and not to be subject to cruel and unusual punishments as examples of rights explicitly protected in the U.S. Constitution that are not mentioned in "the Bible or other sacred texts." He cited the legality of slavery until the passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as an example of how a natural right to freedom was not protected in the U.S. until slavery became illegal.
"Unless protected by law, everyday people cannot rest secure that their critical rights will be protected. Claiming that all rights come from the Creator and not from laws or government leaves the door wide open for dictators to ignore the law and simply proclaim that they are doing God's will," he wrote.
"That has happened throughout history and it's happening today in many parts of the world. It's one reason why America cast off the British monarchy 250 years ago — we don't accept a 'divine right of kings' to set, change or destroy the rules."
Kaine said Barron "should thank God that his rights, and the rights of all Americans, are protected by law."
"Bishop Barron should thank God that his rights, and the rights of all Americans, are protected by law," Kaine wrote. "When it comes to the important business of ensuring legal rights, we should all heed the wisdom often attributed to St. Augustine: 'Pray as though everything depends upon God. Work as though everything depends upon you.'"
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing featured one witness, Riley Barnes, who shared his agreement with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's belief that "all men are created equal because our rights come from God, our Creator; not from our laws, not from our governments."
Barnes identified his belief as consistent with the proclamation laid out in the Declaration of Independence, stating that men are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." He also did not dispute the importance of equality under the law, maintaining that "these rights that are inherent in human dignity predate the law."
Drop kick him through the goal posts of wokeness.
Tim Kaine is batcrap crazy. We need to reopen the loony bins for freakazoids like him.
he’s such a Marxist idiot
Inalienable rights?
Maybe he hasn’t read his historical documents.
There a reason 2 of the last 3 VP picks for Dems are closet queens?
He can double down till the cows come home. He is still wrong.
Did people create government, or did government create people?
Whichever of them created the other is where the other’s rights came from.
Hillary and Kamala were only comfortable with their VP candidate if he was gay.
Molon labe, you brainless window licker!
Impeachment insurance.
This douchebag should be considered an enemy of the state!
Song refrain:
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Repeating that anti-God trash should sink him with clear thinking and moral voters-——sorry if that’s a minority.
I heard today “Three times as many Democrats are atheists as Republicans are.”
This bozoid almost became Vice President.
“Kaine, a Catholic who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016 ...”
There is NOTHING “Catholic” about that bung hole.
You would think a lay Catholic, a politician no less (in a party whose platform violates church doctrine on abortion), would pause and reconsider lecturing a bishop of his church on God. Good luck with that.
“...brainless window licker...”
You have nailed it.....
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
This guy is an idiot. Yes the government we have “protects” those rights through laws. Better stated would be that our government can not (well, is not supposed to), make laws that infringe on those rights. That is why the Founders put the Bill of Rights in place. Just to confirm and spell out what they meant in the Constitution.
As it was obvious to them what our God given rights are, but just to make clear to idiots like this guy what they are.
Like other Dems and young people, Kaine has confidence without competence.
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