Before I say what I am going to say (and duck) let me make something clear. I am planning to vote for Sarah Palin and her running mate (name escapes me). I thought her speech was brilliant. It was the first time I have been excited about politics in a long time. So I am not some closet Obama guy.
I also have no problem with a woman being VP - or President, for that matter. If I were British, I would have voted for Maggie enthusiastically. Hillary - not so much.
So, having established that, here's my thesis: our reaction to particular events and people is clouded by our politic views.
More specifically, conservatives in the blogosphere and in the political world have been very quick to show their support for Sarah Palin and to justify her place on the ticket. We have given her a pass on her daughter's pregnancy, absolving her of all blame in the matter.
But I have a deep suspicion that if the tables were reverse and Sarah Palin was a pro-choice member of Obama's tickets, our views on her personal life might be a little different.
I can imagine a blogger or two wondering why, if she was such a good person and mother, her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. I wonder if leaders like James Dobson would be questioning why the mother of 5, including a special needs kid, would be leaving the home to run for an incredibly family-unfriendly job. I am afraid that conservatives might be taking a very different stand on the "Palin issue" if she were not one of us.
Imagine what we would have been saying if Chelsea Clinton had gotten pregnant at age 17. Come on, now. Be honest!
Maybe I am wrong. I don't think so.
I have seen it too often. A blogger is outraged because someone ridicules on of his friends, but laughs along when the same thing is applied to someone he doesn't agree with (or like). Too often, our view of issues and events is colored by our beliefs. We who champion inerrancy are sometimes practical relativists as we deal with real-life and political issues. Remember, right is right regardless of who is doing it. And wrong is wrong even if it is done by someone we like.
Look, again, I am a Palin-guy all the way. This is purely a theoretical exercise. The next time a democratic politician's child does something similar (or a theological opponent for that matter) I hope we will be as gracious to that person as we have been to Sarah Palin.
Again, maybe I'm wrong.
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3 comments:
Dave, interesting view, however I can tell you I did not give Sarah Palin a pass as a mother or as a wife, although I hear and see many attempting to do so.
Having 4 children and 5 grandchildren It would never occur to me to do so and I would be careful issuing passes to anyone, especially knowing that the grace of God and discipline of God work without my counsel or approval.
I do believe Jesus gave the woman caught in adultery a pass, thank God for passes, I wouldn't have survived without them.
I don't even know if Sarah Palin needed a pass.
I'm just wondering if we would have given the same pass to someone from the other side.
I, too, have received too much grace to be critical of Sarah Palin.
I gave Sarah Palin's a pass, and I hope that I would have Hilary in the same situation. My pass comes not only from the grace God has given me, but because I know from experience, you can be there, do all the right things, raise children in church and a Christian home, but there comes a time when children make their own decisions. Just because you do everything God's way, it doesn't ensure that your children will. I think Mrs. Palin did the right thing in supporting her daughter. That was the right response. She didn't attempt to justify it, or bring out her parenting card, saying she did everything right or wrong. Her and her husband simply supported her daughter. Period. The situation is what it is and to long for a do over or to lament over it just isn't going to change the situation. The baby wasn't aborted. I have no problem.
I don't think a pass would have been given to the other side. Our theology does seem to change with our views, that appears to be quite evident. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. God uses things such as this to take another look at scripture and see if these things are really so. To change a view in light of a change of mind, is what Paul says we are to do. It's the renewing of the mind, which I believe occurs through out our Christian life as we mature and grow in the Word. This is why I think those who would throw out experience as part of our changing Theology are wrong.
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