美国国家公共电台 NPR 'On Fire For God's Work': How Scott Pruitt's Faith Drives His Politics

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

We're going to hear now about the background of a controversial member of the Trump¹ administration, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. He's facing at least 10 federal investigations² into alleged³ ethics⁴ violations⁵. Just today the EPA confirmed that two of his top aides have left the agency. Despite all the scrutiny⁶, Pruitt is still in the job himself.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Yeah. Conservatives strongly support his work at the EPA. He's widely reported to have ambitions beyond the EPA - senator, governor of Oklahoma, maybe even U.S. attorney general. One thing that has defined Pruitt's political career is his religious faith.

CORNISH: Pruitt is a Southern Baptist, and for years, his focus was on faith-based issues. Tom Dreisbach from the NPR podcast Embedded⁷ has the story.

TOM DREISBACH, BYLINE⁸: Before Scott Pruitt ran the EPA, before he got involved in politics at all, he was a young lawyer in Tulsa, Okla. And back in 1993, his first client was a woman named Judith Lyn Whittington.

JUDITH LYN WHITTINGTON: Some people call me Judy. Some people call me Lyn.

DREISBACH: What do you prefer?

WHITTINGTON: Either one. I don't care (laughter).

DREISBACH: Let's just go with Lyn 'cause that's how she introduced herself to me. And when Lyn was in her 30s, she had just gotten divorced, and a Baptist pastor⁹ in her town kept bugging¹⁰ her about going to church. So one Saturday night, she's out dancing with a friend. She didn't drink, but her friend did. Lyn was a smoker¹¹. Anyway, the next morning, Lyn convinces her friend. Why not? Let's go try out this church.

WHITTINGTON: And, you know - and everybody of course giving you the look, you know? And I don't blame them 'cause we probably smelled like a beer (laughter) and cigarettes, you know?

DREISBACH: Lyn liked the church, and she became a Baptist. And like a lot of people who convert, she really threw herself into it.

WHITTINGTON: So I was a fairly new Christian¹². It was very important to me to be able to do the things that I felt like God was leading me to do.

DREISBACH: So she starts a Bible study in her house. She also starts volunteering with a crisis pregnancy¹³ center. These are groups that oppose abortion¹⁴ and who counsel women basically not to get an abortion. In general, these organizations can be controversial, especially with abortion rights activists¹⁵. Anyway, at the time, Lyn was also a social worker with the state of Oklahoma, the Department of Human Services. And one day there's a problem with her bosses.

Lyn had become friends with a woman through this crisis pregnancy center, and she helped this friend move. Thing is, that woman was also a client at the Department of Human Services. So Lyn's supervisors¹⁷ at this agency, DHS, get upset. Her bosses thought Lyn was blurring¹⁸ the lines between her religious mission and the state agency's mission. So her boss calls her and says this.

WHITTINGTON: She said, you're not allowed to have any contact after hours with DHS clients or potential clients. And I thought, what? And I told her - I said, would you repeat that (laughter)?

DREISBACH: Her supervisor¹⁶ says she has to stop working at the crisis pregnancy center, that she's supposed to deliver this disclaimer at the beginning of all of her Bible studies stating that she's there just as a private citizen and that it has nothing to do with her work for the state. Lyn starts worrying that if she says or does the wrong thing, she could lose her job. She's so scared she just ends the Bible study. And eventually, Lyn Whittington calls up this organization called the Rutherford Institute, which is basically a conservative version of the ACLU.

WHITTINGTON: I called, and they scheduled me an appointment with Scott Pruitt - went in, talked with him. He was a young lawyer. But he was a go-getter. I mean, he started working on it that day. He was excited about it.

DREISBACH: Scott Pruitt and the EPA did not respond to several requests for comment for this story, but it's not hard to see why Pruitt might be excited about this case. On the one hand, it's the kind of case you might study in a constitutional law class. And then on the other hand, Scott Pruitt, like Lyn Whittington, is a Southern Baptist.

WHITTINGTON: He saw it as this is what she truly believes, and she has the right to do it.

DREISBACH: It was about the religious beliefs. It wasn't about getting money...

WHITTINGTON: No.

DREISBACH: ...In damages.

WHITTINGTON: No. He wasn't into that.

DREISBACH: Here's how the case ended. During this time, the Clinton administration happened to sign a religious freedom law, and in response, Oklahoma changed its employee handbook. After that, the state decided¹⁹ to just settle with Lyn. She was able to start up her Bible study again and go to work for the crisis pregnancy center. And for that, Lyn thanks Scott Pruitt.

WHITTINGTON: He was there, a young attorney, when I need an attorney so badly.

DREISBACH: And this story has also stuck with Pruitt. He even featured it in a political ad several years ago.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

SCOTT PRUITT: And I stood beside her. And we fought for her religious liberty at that time to say that the state agency could not keep her from having a bible study in her home.

DREISBACH: And there's a reason Scott Pruitt decided to feature Lyn Whittington's story in this ad. Religious freedom and faith-based issues have been central to his politics. A few years after that case, when Pruitt was in his late 20s, he decided to run for the state Senate.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Will there be further debate?

DREISBACH: In 1998, he gets elected.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Senator Pruitt, you are recognized for debate.

PRUITT: Thank you, Mr. President.

DREISBACH: One of the first things he does is pass a religious freedom act. He works on legislation to restrict abortion rights and what's known as an informed consent law. Those laws mandate²⁰ what doctors have to tell patients before getting an abortion.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRUITT: Because they need to know that there's a link with breast cancer. They need to know that there's a risk with infertility²¹. They need to know that there are emotional risks attendant with abortion procedures.

DREISBACH: Leading medical groups and experts say all of those claims, by the way, are wrong or very misleading. According to documents NPR obtained, Pruitt was also on the board of a crisis pregnancy center in Tulsa. And most years he was in the state Senate, he introduced some sort of abortion restriction²² bill. He said his ultimate goal was this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRUITT: I'm voting to say that an unborn child from the moment of conception should be considered a legal person under the 14th Amendment²³.

DREISBACH: That move would effectively criminalize abortion. Pruitt also supported a bill called the Teacher Protection Act. And as part of that bill, textbooks would be required to include a disclaimer that evolution is just a theory.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRUITT: And there aren't sufficient scientific facts to establish the theory of evolution.

DREISBACH: Pruitt also worked on tax cut legislation and changes to the worker's comp system. But religion was a major focus of his politics. Around this time in 2005, he also went on a Tulsa radio station, KFAQ, for a series of interviews on the Constitution.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: And to the republic...

DREISBACH: And it always starts the same way.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: One nation under God, indivisible...

DREISBACH: On that show, Pruitt argued that Christianity was under attack in America.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRUITT: The objective I believe that we see in America today is to create a religious sterility²⁴. It is to eradicate²⁵ vestiges²⁶ of religion in the public square - period.

DREISBACH: And Scott Pruitt said he's fighting back.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

PRUITT: I'm Scott Pruitt.

DREISBACH: So in 2010, Pruitt ran for Oklahoma attorney general.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

PRUITT: I authored and passed the religious freedom act. And I'm the only candidate in this race with a record of defending our constitutional liberties in court.

DREISBACH: Pruitt did not mention energy or the environment in those ads. But he later became known for his lawsuits²⁷ against the Obama administration, including 14 against the EPA alone. Those lawsuits gave Pruitt a national platform, and that attention helped him get the job as EPA administrator²⁸. In that job, Pruitt says his faith still guides him. Pruitt recently told the Christian Broadcasting Network that he believes God blessed people with natural resources like coal and oil so that we can use them.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRUITT: The biblical worldview with respect to these issues is that we have a responsibility to manage and cultivate, harvest the natural resources that we've been blessed with to truly bless our fellow mankind.

DREISBACH: And the Sunday before Pruitt left Oklahoma for Washington, he gathered with the people who have been behind him throughout his political career - the congregants at his Baptist church who prayed for his confirmation²⁹. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

KELLY: On tomorrow's program, we'll hear from the Embedded team about Scott Pruitt's record on the environment when he was the attorney general of Oklahoma.

(SOUNDBITE OF JOHN FAHEY'S "IN CHRIST THERE IS NO EAST OR WEST")

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

7 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

8 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 bugging   

[法] 窃听

参考例句：

• Okay, then let's get the show on the road and I'll stop bugging you. 好，那么让我们开始动起来，我将不再惹你生气。 来自辞典例句
• Go fly a kite and stop bugging me. 走开，别烦我。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

11 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

12 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

13 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

14 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

15 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

17 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

18 blurring   

n.模糊，斑点甚多，（图像的）混乱v.（使）变模糊( blur的现在分词 )；（使）难以区分

参考例句：

• Retinal hemorrhage, and blurring of the optic dise cause visual disturbances. 视网膜出血及神经盘模糊等可导致视力障碍。 来自辞典例句
• In other ways the Bible limited Puritan writing, blurring and deadening the pages. 另一方面，圣经又限制了清教时期的作品，使它们显得晦涩沉闷。 来自辞典例句

19 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

20 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

21 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

22 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

23 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

24 sterility   

n.不生育，不结果，贫瘠，消毒，无菌

参考例句：

• A major barrier to interspecific hybridization is sterility in the F1 progeny.种间杂交的主要障碍是F1代的不育性。
• Sterility is some permanent factor preventing procreation.不育是阻碍生殖的一种永久性因素。

25 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

26 vestiges   

残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不

参考例句：

• the last vestiges of the old colonial regime 旧殖民制度最后的残余
• These upright stones are the vestiges of some ancient religion. 这些竖立的石头是某种古代宗教的遗迹。

27 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

28 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

29 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。