I have two simple thoughts:
First, I have a deep hope that evangelical political power brokers and commentators will not demean the God they follow by mocking her, snickering at her, and launching deeply personal attacks about who she is as a person. Respect her, realize she is a woman who loves Jesus, and distinguish yourselves by your kindness. America is watching and so is God.
Follow Sen. Sam Brownback's example:
One spring Wednesday, a few months into the term, Senator Sam Brownback’s turn came to lead the [Bible study] group, and he rose intending to talk about a recent cancer scare. But as he stood before his colleagues Brownback spotted Clinton, and was overcome with the impulse to change the subject of his testimony. “I came here today prepared to share about this experience in my life that has caused great suffering, the result of which has deepened my faith,” Brownback said, according to someone who watched the scene unfold. “But I’m overcome now with only one thought.” He confessed to having hated Clinton and having said derogatory things about her. Through God, he now recognized his sin. Then he turned to her and asked, “Mrs. Clinton, will you forgive me?” Clinton replied that she would, and that she appreciated the apology.
Second, I hope that she will be open about her own faith...that she will remember this incident from early 1997 and her words as recounted in a Washington Post story at the time [Note: couldn't find a copy of the story via Google - I pulled mine from a research file. The story is entitled, "Applying the Salve of Prayer: Clintons Use Gathering to Speak Out Against Anger, Cynicism", February 7, 1997, p. A1 by John Harris]
"A few hours later, it was the first lady's turn for confession at a luncheon speech to the same audience. The night before, during a courtesy call to the prayer group, she said she was "taken aback" when a man came up to her and asked for forgiveness.I was that person who apologized. As I wrote about in full detail in Tempting Faith, I did so after years and years of hating the Clintons. But is her words that matter because they were humble and healing and full of faith. I hope she can bring that same spirit to her campaign because we are certainly a country in need of all those things whether she becomes president or not.
"For most of the last four years, I have worked very hard to destroy you," she quoted him as saying.
"Of course, I forgive you," Hillary Clinton said she responded. Only later, she recounted, did she come up with the response she wished she had given: "What I should have said is, 'I don't know you and I don't know anything about you, but I want you to forgive me also, because I am sure that in my moments of frustration and anger I have said terrible things about people like you -- and I have thought even worse.' "
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So the Jewish families who abort babies with Tay-Sachs are murderers?
So those of us who had abortions in order to survive the Holocaust (perpetrated exclusively by the baptized) are murderers?
I am surprised at the negative comments towards Mrs. Clinton. Do you not remember Jesus' own words? Jesus stated such things as "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."
Paul stated that we are "saved through grace alone." We are not saved by works. For those who make all these negative comments: Who are you to judge the works of another? If we held your life up, would we see a perfect life that follows the will of Jesus every minute and with every word you utter? In just your negative comments here, you are negative to the vary words Jesus spoke. I admire people of Faith who are involved in Politics. I think it has to be one of the hardest professions (along with lawyers) to live out one's faith. What gets me excited on this election is that there appears to be some people of real faith running that don't try to wear their faith as show, but instead try their best to live out their faith. Senators Clinton, Brownback, and Obama are three such examples. While evangelicals may want to focus on "litmus" tests of one's Faith, they ignore that there are many ways one lives out their faith. Sen. Obama's work with inner city and the poor is just one example that came long before he had any political aspirations. He heard Jesus call to care for the sick, the poor, and the lame and did something about it. Yet, you have Senators who want to cut aid to the poor to provide perks to their rich contributors. How contrary to Jesus' words. Thanks David for the good post. I do hope she talks about her faith and Barack and Sen. Brownback do too. It will be a glaring light that no matter if they win or not, may help people come to know our Lord. For this is the ultimate test of one's faith (i.e., do they keep it hidden or do they let their light shine so others can come to know Jesus).
David, My Biblical studies on the subject of child sacrifice/abortion show me that those who claim to be believers in God and who also trumpet child sacrifice are not really lovers of Jesus. They are the seed of the whore, Cp. Isaiah 57:3-5. The sooner you know that you will quit gushing over Hillary's so called love for Jesus
And how about the 'lovers of Jesus' (including the Bushes, Reagan, et. al.) who go/have gone to the Bohemian Grove and cheer as a baby mannequin (apparently--no observer has gotten close enough to tell) is offered up in a fiery sacrifice before a huge idol called Molech? America is officially pagan, and both political sides worship at the pagan altar. Now, can we get back to creating real 'lovers of Jesus?'
How ironic it is that this thoughtful blog attracts so many angry fundamentalists.
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