Rep. Steve King: Pope Francis should stop talking about 'what might be called pollution'

Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King had some advice for Pope Francis during his visit to the United States: Talk about same-sex marriage and abortion -- and nothing else.

"I'm hopeful that Pope Francis will speak to these two issues: One is the church's unfailing and steadfast opposition to abortion, the position that life begins at the moment of conception and it ends at natural death, and the dignity of every human person," King told Politico. "Second component that is so strong among the Catholic Church is the position of marriage, and it being between a man and a woman."

King, who is Catholic, argued the pope's criticism of capitalism "should be a problem from an American perspective" because immigrants needed to know that the economic system of the United States was "free enterprise capitalism."

"I just think that some of the comments strengthen people that are into distribution or redistribution of wealth, and that's been a growing effort in this country," the Iowa Republican opined. "And so, as that element has grown in this country, it may be giving support to that movement. I don't think that it would be a definitive kind of support, but it might weaken our commitment to free enterprise."

As for climate change, King said the pope should "focus more on theology, and less on" global warming.

"Of course I would disagree that there's a definitive science that has concluded that mankind has turned the earth's thermostat up and that we can turn the earth's thermostat down at will, we just haven't yet found the will," the congressman insisted. "That's the argument on climate change. If they were right, we would be using the terminology 'global warming,' rather than climate change."

"I think those are policy decisions based upon the economics and on what might be called pollution," he continued. "But I would note that, from the dawn of time, every civilization since Adam and Eve has always tried to change the weather, not just observe the clouds, not worship the weather or the sun in that way, but they've always tried to change the weather."

"It's in our DNA to try to change the weather, and so this current civilization that we are is no different than any civilization that's ever trod the face of this earth, and we should be looking at sound science, yes. But I have looked at that science and it's not compelling."

King also called Democrats "political opportunists" for agreeing with many of Pope Fancis' messages.

"I'll just make this charge that many of the Democrats are picking out morsels from Pope Francis’s statements that they're using to advance the political agenda that they've been for a long time, and that's what they do in this town," he said. "But if we leave the priorities of life and marriage, which, as I've stated earlier in this interview, are solid, timeless principles of the Catholic Church and much of the rest of Christianity."

"I think he should bring up the migrant crisis at least with regard to the Christians who have been persecuted so brutally in Syria and in Iraq and have been beheaded in huge numbers by ISIS."

But King said he opposed "bringing 10,000 refugees here."

"We should train them up, package them up, put them in uniform, hand them a weapon and send them back to their country to take their country back," King remarked.

Watch the video below from Politico, broadcast Sept. 21, 2015.