Graham challenger blames divorces on wives who love children too much

One of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) primary challengers once argued that most divorces are caused by women who love their children more than their husbands, even when the husbands have cheated on their wives.

{mosads}Christian Pastor Det Bowers declared in a sermon delivered at the Christ Church of the Carolinas that it’s an “abominable idolatry,” or an “unlawful worship,” for wives to love their children more than their husbands.

In a recording of the sermon, obtained by Politico, Bowers says in the “vast preponderance” of broken marriages, the wife “ran [the husband] off” by paying more attention to their children than their husbands.

“And yet, I find that in about 95 percent of broken marriages, though the husband’s the one who ran out on his wife, the wife loves her children more than she does her husband,” Bowers says. “That is an abominable idolatry.”

He continues: “Do you hear me ladies? It is an abominable idolatry to love your children more than you love your husband, and it will ruin your marriage. And yet you blame it on him because he ran off with some other woman! He did run off with some other woman, and you packed his bags. All of his emotional bags, you packed for him. Is that true in every case? No, but it’s true in the vast preponderance of them.”

The candidate served as a pastor at the church from August 2000 until May 2012; it’s unclear when he gave the sermon in question.

Bowers is one of half a dozen candidates challenging Graham in the primary. Conservatives hope to keep the senator under 50 percent and force him to a runoff, but after months of jockeying, no clear conservative alternative has emerged.

Some activists, including conservative commentator Erick Erickson, see Bowers as the answer. He raised $417,000 since jumping in the race in February and has $384,000 cash on hand heading into the final stretch before the June 10 primary, but hasn’t yet registered on any polls of the race.