Mara Vanderslice: September 2008 Archives

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Governor Palin, Put Away Falsehood

September 4, 2008

The Matthew 25 Network is extremely disappointed in Governor Sarah Palin's address last night at the Republican National Convention. We call on her not only as a political figure, but also as a prominent Christian, to commit herself to campaigning in good faith, with a strong commitment to truth-telling.

As Christians, we are called to be respectful and loving toward our neighbors, honoring their intentions even if we disagree. We are also called to be truthful in all things, to "put away falsehood" (Eph 4:25) and refrain from slandering, belittling, or speaking out of contempt for anyone.

If these are the standards God has set for us in our personal lives, our church communities, and our neighborhoods, how much more so should they be for those of us who choose to be in the public eye? Shouldn't we expect our brothers and sisters in politics to also speak the truth in love and to extend respect and goodwill even to those who disagree with them?

Sarah Palin has shaped much of her life around her Christian faith.[1] It has been continually suggested that one of the major reasons John McCain chose Palin as his running-mate was her Christian faith and her ability to energize evangelical Christian voters. Thus, it is not a stretch to say that Palin has been thrust into the position of being one of the more visible faces of Christianity in today's political scene.

As such, she has a calling higher than her responsibility to her party's victory in November - a calling to represent Christ in the world. This is why her speech at the Republican National Convention last night was so disappointing to us at the Matthew 25 Network.

To be blunt, we saw very little of Christ's love in Sarah Palin's speech last night, as she heaped contempt on those who disagree with her politically, while offering no vision for how to resolve the critical issues facing Americans today like job loss, health care, growing child poverty rates and the war in Iraq.

In questioning not only Barack Obama's policies but also his motivations, and mocking his career, Palin went far beyond what could be considered acceptable disagreement and into what looked like open hatred for her political opponents. The name of Christ should never be associated with hate or contempt for one's fellow human being, but last night, in Sarah Palin, we believe it was.

Moreover, as has been documented by major media sources including the Associated Press [2], Palin engaged in falsehoods not only about her own record, but about Barack Obama's record as a State Senator and as a U.S. Senator. As Christians, we are called throughout Scripture to speak the whole truth, to put away falsehood, to bear true witness even when it hurts our own interests. The name of Christ should never be associated with falsehoods or deception, but last night, in Sarah Palin, we believe it was.

As a prominent face of Christians in politics, Sarah Palin is called to do more than represent her party - she is tasked to represent Christ to the world.  We in the Matthew 25 Network call on Gov. Sarah Palin to repudiate her attitude of contempt towards her political opponents and tell the whole truth - if not for the sake of a more honorable politics, then for the sake of our Christian witness in the world.

Senator McCain is no less responsible because he selected Gov. Palin and praised her speech, and he claims to be a Christian as well.  It is ill-fitting to use Christian identity and language for one's political advantage without seeking to live up to that high calling.  Ultimately, as the Presidential candidate, Governor Palin's tone and infidelity to truth reflect negatively on Senator McCain as well.


[1] - TIME Magazine interview,
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1837536,00.html
[2] - "Attacks, praise stretch truth," International Herald-Tribune.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/04/america/CVN-Fact-Check.php