Bush, Palin Both Think They're Chosen By God
Over recent weeks we've watched Sen. John McCain dabble at being a "candidate for change" to counter Sen. Barack Obama. From attempts to seek any distance available between himself and Dubya and establish that yes, he's still a "maverick" to flip-flopping, McCain's trying it all. While some of his moves are little more than party politics, such as the scuffles over Pres. Bush's role at the RNC, others represent a likeness to Bush that chills me to the core. Most significantly is the choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Beyond both being governors of oil-rich border states, both Bush and Palin speak about God in a way that is different and a cause for concern. Many American politicians talk about God in their rhetoric; Jimmy Carter, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Pat Buchanan and others in this New York Times article by Gustav Niebuhr, even today's Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Obama. The difference between these references and those made by Bush and Palin is clear. While they all speak about receiving gifts from God or wanting to be an instrument of God to do his will; only Bush and Palin claim to have the inside track that they are already chosen and been told what God's will is. That leads to the scariest, most personal form of an in-group/out-group dichotomy.
Yes, the speech given by Palin to the commission students at her church in June of this year was given at a church to Christians. I expect any speaker in this venue to mention God. I especially expect this church-member-turned-state-governor to say "I came from this church and am out doing good things, you can do it too!" What I don't expect to hear are things like:
"Pray for our military men and women....that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to pray for; that there is a plan and that it is God's plan."
"I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built."
"I can do my job...but really all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God."
Excuse me? I thought Palin was a move forward, not a move 800 years backwards. The Iraq War is a "task from God?" A pipeline is "God's will?" All the work Palin does is worthless unless all of Alaska is Christian and agrees with Pastor Kalnins? Let's look at these. (Caveat: if I speak of "God" or "God's will," I am speaking of the Christian God that both Bush's and Palin's faith espouse as I understand it.)
The military talk sounds like something you'd hear as a serf in a public square during the Crusades extolling the deeds of the brave knights fighting to reclaim Jerusalem from the lowly Moors. Last time I checked, the Christian God really wasn't into the "Shock and Awe" war-making business. Seventeen years in Catholic and Christian schools - I may have been out-to-lunch in a few classes, but I figured out that Jesus' God was a peaceful God. Not the same guy who torched a couple cities a few thousand years ago, this was the God of The Beatitudes and The Golden Rule. I'm not quite sure how occupying a sovereign foreign nation fits with treating others how we would like to be treated. Apparently Bush and Palin know. Bush was "chosen by God" to perform what Palin calls a "task from God." How far is that really from saying the Iraq War is "God's will?"
Like Bush, Palin is no stranger to saying she is working to implement God's will. As governor of Alaska, she presided over recent negotiations regarding a natural gas pipeline. She referenced this project in her June speech saying that unification to see this project through was "God's will." As Palin led this project to fruition, I would say that Palin would now assert that she did "God's will" in doing so. Again, I won't say I caught everything, but I know God in Genesis gave us many gifts of the Earth to use as we needed, to "subdue the Earth," and I don't see where it says "destroy the Earth" or "take over animals' pastures" or "pollute the air with multitudes of gasses without regard to consequence." I would think that unity is of God's will. However, I think God would like to see us in unity with all creation, not just to feed our own greedy need for energy.
The scariest is that third quote; it gives her the easiest back-door escape route known to the religious-based politician. "What I said I would do didn't happen? Well that's YOUR fault for not getting yourself right with God!" And that is where it gets really scary. You see, when we have a president saying he was "chosen by God" and a vice presidential nominee saying she "does God's will," that automatically unbalances the scales like we see Lady Justice holding. Her blindfold is apt as well, as subjects with religious intonations often preclude the debaters from seeing the full picture beyond the filter of their own religious beliefs. Anyone who doesn't believe what they believe automatically ends up on the defensive. This fosters a sense of tension and aggression instead of freedom to discuss ideas and beliefs. I'm right, you're wrong, that's that. Sounds like what we've been told by Bush for quite some time, like "You are either with us or against us" or "Mission Accomplished."
Palin's Pastor Kalnins played minstrel for George Bush. Not only did he disagree with those who voted against Bush, or any Republican for that matter, he challenged the one thing that spiritual humans hold sacred and dear and private: their souls. Pastor Kalnins is a Bush-supporter, and has been quoted as saying, "I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation," while speaking in 2004 about Sen. Kerry. I thought the Catholic God was harsh for looking down on you for eating meat on Fridays or an hour before Sunday Mass. But a God who would send you to hell for all eternity over a vote in an earthly election? That's a bit draconian for me.
So I'm still left wondering why a "maverick" candidate would take so many pages from his predecessor's playbook, especially one that he seems to want to run from, screaming. McCain has been shown to offer more of the same of what the last eight years have brought. Palin shows the same messianic delusions Bush has shown, and that's McCain's running mate. And I'm left praying that my Christian God of peace is stronger than Bush's and Palin's Christian God of War, and that war is not a task of God, fuel does not come from drilling, and officials are directly answerable to the people they govern, not their diety.
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It has finally dawned on me. The Greeks had many gods. Then along comes some book of myths that someway or another consolidated into a single god. Though; in some confusing manner, this single god was deconstructed into three "things". Anyhow, fast forward to today. It appears that each christian "tribe" has some manifestation of a god. It seems logical that we now have many gods after all these years. It does seem that we now have a Palingod that appears to actually have an inside line to a god. All I can say is that Jefferson did some serious reading and thinking to come up with the ultimate blueprint to govern by. This being the Constitution. The beauty of this document is that it enables all these christian "tribes" to "duke" it out and "maybe" get back to a better reality where god and state are two separate entities. I do hope these christian "tribes" vote wisely, after all they do have the most at stake to lose. This being their very own god.
Sometimes I wonder if they think they are god.
Any god who would choose Bush and Palin is certainly a deranged sociopath. The fact that they're in positions of power is a strong argument that God doesn't exist.
They are chosen by God...to destroy America.
I am so tired of the hypocrisy from the Republican party! They are constantly preaching about protecting the constitution yet they appear to have forgotten the First Amendment. They have zero respect for others of various religious beliefs and they put religion into everything they do. The God references are really very inappropriate for politicians. Why don't others call them on this? Are we going to start adding even more amendments to the constitution. If these extreme right wing wackos gain control of our country (my biggest fear) then the America I grew up believing in will be gone.
One more reason they want to keep her away from the press.
True, brillianly written, and very, very, scary!
Thank you! Be sure to mark youurself as a fan - I'm not done writing about the right and their abuse of religion yet!
Sarah Palin, like the rest of the republicans are nothing more than Wolves in Sheeps clothing. When Rudy and Her attacked Barack Obama's organizing experience as a Community Activist and Organizer as not having any actual experience and leadership qualities as they would have. They have gotten applause from all republicans in the convention and out of the convention. The republicans were their Christain Faith on their sleeve and voice it publicly as they would like all of us to believe.
If you are a Christain, you know, or should know that, Jesus Christ teaches you to take care of the least of these, as he speaks of this as one of A HOST OF ISSUES concerning the welfare of people in( Matthew 25:40-46);(Proverb 17:5, God's word says), "Whoso mocketh the poor Reproacheth his Maker and he that is glad at calamities shall not be Unpunished. These are only a few scriptures that God's word teaches us how to treat one another.
They have ATTACKED one of the very Godly principles of God's word. The Evangelicals and ALL CHRISTAINS, that support Community activism in any form, should be very upset with the republicans for MOCKING A PRINCIPLE OF GOD'S WORD, they are being fooled.
That's why Jesus said in Matthew 23(the whole chapter) to the so called religious leaders and fair to say, those who say they follow God's and Jesus Teachings, WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES!
I can't wait for the phlogiston and spontaneous generation theories to resurface in our "science" classrooms.
Sarah Palin Is "W" in a blue dress!!! As a woman I'm NOT fooled. Palin would send women's rights back to the dark ages.
the republican's have made a strategic mistake because they have a bubble too. serious folks in many areas of public life who have reservations will begin speaking out if no one shows up to talk over dinner. and although, it could happen here, not this time.
It's this kind of thing that makes me sad for the state of humanity. I'm not going to start a pro-athiest rant here, but seriously, these are the kind of people that called for Socrates' execution. This country was started with the idea of ending the absurdity of divine providence, bringing it back now is straight idiocy.
"morality required no divine sanction or inspiration, no appeal beyond reason and nature"
--Thomas Jefferson
Democrat = Progressive
Republican = Regressive
In reading the Bible, you encounter many people who "spoke" to god, and had god "speak" to them. And yet when I walk down the street and see a homeless man "speaking" to god, I don't really believe that he's doing so. And I don't believe that bushco(tm) or sarah quaylin are speaking to god, or being spoken to BY god!!!
The fact of the matter is that bush's worst hidden quality is the fact that he honestly believes that god speaks to him!! And now it's sarah quaylin's worst quality too. Let's make sure that it doesn't stay hidden!!!
I am so glad someone else besides me, noticed the 'God' references.
If Obama can be associated with Rev. Wright, then why shouldn't Palin be associated with Pastor David Brickner of Wasilla Bible Church? Brickner's statement (and she was in the pews at the time) that Israel deserves what it gets from the rest of the Middle East is outrageous.
Obama's church may be radical, but his smart and independent enough not to make it scary. Palin, on the other hand, appears to be a true believer of the worst sort: a true believer without the capacity to distinguish between a belief in Jesus as savior and God wanting an Alaskan pipeline.
It will never be reported because they don't care. It is up to the blogger community to force the issue into the main stream media. The constant lies and distortions done by the republican party will continue unless we shine the light on evil. Pass this information on to whatever sites or blogs that exist.
I agree with you and have been wondering why the mainstream media does not cover this. We had to endure days of listening to Reverand Wright soundbites. Why aren't we hearing about the speaker at Palin's church which stated Israelis are being killed and attacked because they haven't taken Jesus as their savior? The mainstream media should be covering more of this wacko church's beliefs as well as her husbands long term involvement in the Alaskan Independence Party-this party also has some very crazy beliefs. What bothers me also is why do so many Republicans think she is just GREAT without really knowing the truth about her. I shouldn't be shocked there are so many stupid people-they elected Bush , but still, it never fails to amaze me.
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