Do you have self-doubt about running for office? You shouldn’t. Because far too often, the people with the least self-doubt are the very people who have no business in public office.
Take Corey Seulean, for example.
He’s a pastor at Hopewell Baptist Church in Longmont and a graduate of the ultra-conservative Hyles–Anderson College in Indiana. He’s also running for a seat in the Colorado State House, in District 63, where the Republican currently in the seat is retiring.
That combination means that any opponent ought to take a close look at his past statements since it’s virtually guaranteed that he’s said some horrible stuff. Thankfully, that research wasn’t even necessary since one of his former church members is already speaking out. In a now-deleted Facebook post announcing his campaign launch, a woman registered her shock in the comments:
Mr. I am going to tell the women of my congregation how to dress? Please pick a better candidate.
Prompted for more details, she added:
We attended his church at one point. He would get in front of the congregation and basically tell us women should not wear pants. We should wear skirts or ‘modest culottes’. Not sure that is the best candidate to be putting forward.
In case you’re interested — and I know you are — “modest culottes” can be found here.
When reporter Madeleine Schmidt of the Colorado Times Recorder asked the campaign if the allegation was true, the response was a mix of “Yes” and “Why is this a problem for anyone?”
Benjamin Seulean [Corey’s son] told the Colorado Times Recorder that while the church doesn’t enforce a dress code, Pastor Seulean has made it known that he believes that the Bible says it’s immodest for women to wear pants.
“Corey has preached from the Bible what he believes, his interpretation and what the Bible says about a woman dressing modestly, and he believes that in today’s day and age, pants on a woman sometimes can show a woman’s body immodestly,” said Seulean. “That’s why he’s taught it’s proper, he believes, for a woman to wear a dress or modest culottes. He might not have used that exact terminology, but he believes yes, a woman should dress modestly, and part of that goes into women not wearing pants.”
“His wife Pam, I can tell you, does not own a pair of pants,” he added. “She only wears dresses and skirts and sometimes, on occasion, culottes.”
Imagine working for a campaign and thinking you nailed an interview with a response like that…
When Schmidt asked the campaign which Bible verses supported his biblical dress code, they sent along a verse from 1 Timothy… which is the same book that includes the line that says women must be silent.
This guy is a Democrat’s dream. Seulean writes his own attack ads!
Last night, he responded to the Colorado Times Recorder article with an official statement reiterating his no-pants-for-women agenda. Once again, he argued that he didn’t force women to abide by his dress code. He just strongly encouraged it.
… This piece implied that as a pastor, Corey Seulean allegedly tells the women of his congregation how they are to dress. This claim is indeed in-factual with no real evidence to support it. Seulean does indeed believe that it is appropriate for men and women alike to dress in modest apparel; however, he has never told anyone how they are to personally dress. He believes the Bible gives every person liberty of how to live their lives accordingly and that includes how one chooses to dress. That being said, Corey Seulean IS NOT seeking election to the Colorado House of Representatives to implement a mandatory dress standard for the State of Colorado. Seulean’s personal stance on what is modest apparel will have no impact on his work as a State Representative… A personal stance of proper daily attire for any person has not, and will not, be made a campaign issue by Corey or anyone from his campaign. During the 25 years of his career as a pastor, Seulean has never enforced a dress standard in relation to those attending his church.
Bull. Shit.
When someone’s private life involves pointing to the Bible to argue what women should or should not wear, you can damn well be certain that his policies in elected office aren’t going to be based on reason or evidence, either.
Is this guy going to institute a Mike Pence Rule when it comes to working with women? Not that he gets a personal staff as a state legislator, but would he prohibit pants on women who work for him?
He’s anti-abortion, so we already know he has a deep desire to control what’s inside women’s pants. Now we’re learning he can’t handle what’s on the outside, either.
If he ends up winning the GOP primary, though, local reporters or the Democrat running against him should just start looking through his old sermons. No doubt there’s more gold just waiting to be discovered.
By the way, the last time Colorado had an ultra-conservative pastor in the State House, it was right-wing extremist Gordon Klingenschmitt. While in office, he responded to the horrific story of a pregnant woman who was attacked and had her fetus literally cut out of her body by saying it was God’s way of punishing us for allowing legalized abortion.
So Colorado, if you’re looking for a Christian clone of that guy, you have your candidate.
(Screenshot via YouTube)
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