Sarah Palin said in the debate the other night:
"But even more important is that world view that I share with John McCain. That world view that says that America is a nation of exceptionalism. And we are to be that shining city on a hill, as President Reagan so beautifully said, that we are a beacon of hope and that we are unapologetic here. We are not perfect as a nation. But together, we represent a perfect ideal. And that is democracy and tolerance and freedom and equal rights."
I hate this stuff. I really do. This idea that our country represents a "perfect ideal." There is absolutely nothing conservative about that. If all Palin is saying is that we Americans have a special obligation to be a moral example to the nations, because we have been especially blessed, fine, I agree with that (but I would agree with that if I were French, and we were talking about France; I would imagine that every God-fearing patriot of any nation would think the same of his nation and its role in the world). If she's saying that America is the New Israel, then I call idolatry on that. And not only idolatry, but a dangerous idolatry. Unfortunately, I think that's exactly what she means.
Andrew Bacevich analyzes the Palin quote here. He said there are three ways to look at this: 1) God doesn't exist, therefore this is nonsense; 2) God does exist, but he has no particular interest in the United States of America; or 3), below:
The third possibility is that God exists and has indeed singled out America as his New Israel. In that event, John Winthrop's charge of 1630 demands urgent attention - not least of all his warning of what will befall America should it be seduced by earthly concerns and carnal desires and tend too much to superfluities.Today no doubt, the eyes of all people are indeed on the United States - what happens here affects the world. Yet many of those who observe us don't like what they see. The question for Governor Palin and for other believers committed to the concept of American exceptionalism is this: have we kept the Lord's covenant? If not, perhaps the time has come to mend our ways before it's too late.
Who knows? The sound you hear even now on Wall Street may be God's wrath breaking out against us.
Dr. Bacevich, remember, is a political conservative and an orthodox Roman Catholic.
If you haven't bought Dr. Bacevich's new book "The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism," by all means do.
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Seemed appropriate:
"If you are a Christian, no earthly city is yours. Of our City ‘the Builder and Maker is God.’ Though we may gain possession of the whole world, we are withal but strangers and sojourners in it all. We are enrolled in heaven: our citizenship is there! Let us not, after the manner of little children, despise things that are great, and admire those which are little! Not our city’s greatness, but virtue of soul is our ornament and defence. If you suppose dignity to belong to a city, think how many persons must partake in this dignity, who are whoremongers, effeminate, depraved and full of ten thousand evil things, and at last despise such honour! But that City above is not of this kind; for it is impossible that he can be a partaker of it, who has not exhibited every virtue." + St. John Chrysostom
Wow, Rod. Just when I think you're raising the bar...WHOOSH, BAM!
Well, we're debating Wright's words over on the Wright and Ayers thread, but here's my response to assertions like Rod, from that thread:
I consider Jeremiah Wright a heretic, along with a vast majority of American protestantism. I'm happy to spend hours - and have - slicing apart the failings in his theology, or any other heretic's. But as a political matter, the fact is that the specific quote by which people are defining Wright is simply not to anyone with basic reading comprehension skills "preaching malice" or "begging" God to damn America. Here's the quote:
"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
This is really just logic 101; it's an "if/then" statement. IF America is killing innocent people and treating citizens as less than human and acts like she is God and is supreme, THEN God should damn America. Especially once you add that last one, would you honestly say that you disagree with this statement? I don't. I assume you and I both believe that Wright is wrong about the facts. But what's so exceptional about that?
Believe me, I can dig up hundreds of quotes from saints and pastors from the past 2000 years that would support my assertion that this statement is completely unremarkable in the annals of Christian anti-war polemics.
Sorry, that last anon. was me.
Doug
"[T]he average person sees nothing wrong in believing that their country is special in the eyes of God."
Thus leading the 'average person' to be more than willing to not question their leaders when they use this idea to shape national policy.
Nope! Nothing wrong at all!
I didn't say there was "nothing wrong" with it. I said that the average person sees nothing wrong with it. I also said she and her speechwriters probably haven't put a lot of thought into it, because it is merely following in a long American tradition that starts with Winthrop, continues with the founding fathers citations of "Divine Providence", Lincoln's recruitment of God as being on the side of the north during the Civil War, etc. Feel free to object to the tradition all you want. My only point in my third paragraph was that I think it reflects less a sincerely held belief than a common rhetorical device widely accepted by the majority of Americans. I think the only reason we notice it in her speech more than others is the idea (fair or not) that she takes her faith more seriously than McCain, Obama, or Biden.
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