It's hard to say. People say she's an Evangelical, but what does that mean, really? Is she a Pentecostal? A Bible churcher? Christianity Today reports that she was baptized a Catholic as an infant, but her parents raised her in Bible churches. She has attended Pentecostal churches in recent years. It sounds like she's like a lot of US Christians today: a little of this, a little of that.
Doug LeBlanc points to a potential line of attack the Left might open up against Palin. The progressive Evangelical Hugo Schwyzer goes there:
The press simply calls her an "evangelical." But that's far too broad a term, as we all know. Given that Palin seems to have enormous credibility with Christian conservatives, it's worth asking some questions about her theological views. After all, while many Pentecostals reject superficial "end times" millenarianism, others -- including many affiliated with AG, a denomination to which my third wife belonged and with which I am very familiar -- are anxiously awaiting the Rapture and the various stages of Tribulation. Someone who anticipates the imminent end of the world is, I think we can agree, a dangerous person to have one heartbeat from the presidency.
Ah, yes: Is Sarah Palin an End Times nut? Doug talks sense to this paranoia:
President Ronald Reagan entertained a long-standing fascinating with the End Times -- widely credited to what he learned during childhood from his mother -- yet by his second term he was pushing hard for nuclear disarmament.While millenarians sometimes show interest in influencing politics (Tim LaHaye, for example), I cannot think of one national-level American politician who has made millenarianism an important reference point of public policy. Such eccentrics tend not to rise very high in either of the two major parties.
Millenarianism tends to create a deep pessimism about what will become of civilization in the run-up to the End Times. It would take an almost bipolar person to believe in millenarianism and to see much point in a life of public service. I suppose it's possible to imagine a millenarian running for office in order to hasten the end, but the millenarians I know recognize that the timing of the Apocalypse is entirely in God's hands.
Doug's right, though I'm sure the Left will have its predictable freakout over the scawy Church Lady. All traditionalist Christians believe in eschatology (that is, some kind of End Times scenario). But most of them understand that "no man knows the hour." Relax.
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/obama-triumphs-will-be-first-black-us-president/
and all of these false prophets, prophecy’s about Mccain/Palin victory can now be put to rest.
Politicans can't be followers of Jesus as God made that point very clear in Luke 16:13, "You cannot serve both God and Money." Politicians serve money because money is more imporatant to them than God and they lie, cheat, and steal to obtain it.
Only The Lord knows a persons heart
I wonder if Sarah Palin would consider Jesus a Socialist as well?
All through the new testament it says to give to the poor and less fortunate. Here, for instance, Jesus says you will be cast into "everlasting fire" for not taking care of the poor. Seems pretty straight forward to me. You can't have it both ways.
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.(41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) For I was an hungred, and ya gave me no meat: i was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:(43) I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." -Matthew 25 34-4
You need to rightly divide the word. Jesus said this as a Jew, to Jews. This was prior to the New Covenant, so Jesus spoke according to the law, and in the spirit of the law. Under the New Covenant, believers are under GRACE now. No one who does not feed the poor is going to hell. Again, Jesus was talking to the unregenerate under the Old Covenant. Your theology is skewed, to say the least.
I was personally amazed when Palin first came out with her speech. I thought, “Wow, this woman really has it together”. After the initial affair with the buzz created, I began thinking a little more rational and then watched events unfold.
It was soon clear that it is almost impossible to really juggle an enormous work responsibility with kids. Was I a working mom? YES. Fortunately I could work hours that didn’t have much conflict with being there. As I did want to teach my kids about morality as preteens and teens, I knew that teaching, role playing and talking about the issues was only one step. The next step was to be there.
I am told that studies tell us that most teenage pregnancies occur between the hours of 4pm and 6pm. I don’t need studies to tell me the thinking behind hind this. Whether there is actually a study out there that actually states this, I don’t really know. But, it doesn’t take rocket science to understand that opportunity exists in a home after school and before parents come through the door from work.
I believe kids want to come in the door and yell, “mom”. And have someone within the walls yell, “I’m here”. In the best of worlds, I believe this is an ideal time to catch up on your kids day. Usually kids are a little weary from school and need a snack to rejuvenate them before they kick into homework gear, other activities or just good home time. and what better time to really find out what is going on with them, with school, with peers, with teachers. Sometimes, well you don’t get a second chance to find out the important things.
Was I 100% there everyday? No I wasn’t. There were occasions. But they were unpredictable. I’m grateful that because the majority of the time I was there, good habits were created for after school activities. Did I leave them vulnerable during those infrequent absences? Of course I did. But, inside I feel like overall the decision to be around was a good one. My kids are all grown and out of the house. Now my career has a little more priority. But, it takes a back seat to still being a parent to my 35 year old twins , 31 year old daughter and my two year old grand daughter.
The pleasures of family. Immeasurable.
Back to the initial statement. So many heartbreaking things have happened in the Palin family. A lot of residual hurt exists. Life could have been different with different choices.
It puzzles me how the diehard Christians would support this type of role model. It seems sort of double standardish. Do you get my drift?
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.