Marco Rubio is a caricature of the earnestly religious politician. He’s said that the age of the Earth is a big mystery, that being gay is a choice and that abortion should be illegal in all instances — perhaps due to the fact that he currently attends both Catholic and Baptist churches, and he used to be a Mormon. But don’t worry: he’s also said that he doesn’t actually believe any of those things.

Either way, Rubio remains a committed multi-denominational Christian. And at a campaign stop late last month, flagged by RawStory yesterday, he expounded on his religious views when asked how his faith would affect his decision-making as Commander-in-Chief:

It’s a long answer with some decent and relatively non-controversial Christian theology — it’s even somewhat endearing at times — but here’s the part that sticks out. From RawStory:

“We are biblically ordered not to be afraid,” Rubio said. “You know why? Because God is telling us that no matter what happens, ‘It is part of my plan. I will give you the strength to endure it whether you like it or not.’” Rubio noted that he had previously been asked why God would allow terrorist attacks to happen. “Where was God on 9/11? Where was God in Paris?” he recalled being asked. “I said, ‘where God always is — on the throne in Heaven,’” he explained. “The question was how could God allow these bad things to happen? It always challenges us to understand that God’s ways are not our ways. What we may interpret as bad, and most certainly is in the case of Paris or 9/11, even that is part of a broader plan for the universe and for our lives that we are just not going to know the answer to. God’s ways are not our ways.”

There are two problems here. First, by saying that everything that happens is part of God’s plan — even the worst things — Rubio is committing himself to the position that 9/11 and the Paris attacks were actually divinely inspired. That’s generally a bad look for a presidential candidate.

Second, and perhaps more important, Rubio is dismissing the entire premise of being Commander-in-Chief. He’s spent a great deal of time talking about how his plan to combat violent extremism (excuse me — [turns on Summer Overture] — radical Islamic terrorism) is the best way to prevent massive terrorist attacks. Like Paris and 9/11. Now he’s telling us that such attacks are unavoidable? That they’re all part of God’s plan? That he can’t really keep us safe? From terrorists or from God?

It would have been enough for him to state the obvious: that God doesn’t take sides in American foreign policy. Instead, he felt the need to repeat some platitudes he heard at one of his three churches. “God plans everything” makes for a good sermon, but it’s terrible policy.