A Crash Course in Palin Politics

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday September 5, 2008


A week ago hardly anyone had heard of Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Then suddenly her name is on the lips of every person interested in presidential politics. I am even more behind the times than most. I didn’t know anything at all about her – not even that Republican candidate John McCain had named her as his running mate – until the same day she gave her speech to the Republican Party Convention last Wednesday night.

My preparations for her speech included a crash course in the media coverage leading up to Wednesday night. And I am amazed at one aspect of the reporting: Sarah Palin is being accused of seeking office to the detriment of her family by some of the same people who have screamed the most loudly that women can take on any role and be just as good as a man. Now that they’re confronted with the reality of a woman who might just take that idea seriously enough to prove it, they suddenly think she has no business being governor of Alaska – let alone potentially the Vice President of the United States of America – when she’s got five kids, including a four-month-old son with Down’s Syndrome.

Why is that? What makes Palin unacceptable as the Republican VP candidate when we almost had Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate? Is it that Clinton’s one daughter is grown and Palin’s two daughters are still young? Is it because Chelsea Clinton has not become pregnant out of wedlock and Palin’s 17 year-old-daughter Bristol is? Or is it that only Democrats should lead the way to women’s breaking of the political glass ceiling in America?

I am not at the point where I am ready to declare my vote, but I am at the point when I can declare my dislike for how this election has been covered. I am ready to stand up for unbiased reporting in the media. And I am ready to stand up for the truth that women CAN be both great mothers and great career people – no matter what career that may be.

Of course, sacrifices must be made when one is striving to both raise a family and make a difference in the world. That’s true for both mothers and fathers. Several times in my family, my wife chose to give up career-enhancing activities and opportunities in order to meet family obligations. And I’ve been Mr. Mom – devoting myself full-time to raising my kids rather than building my career.

Jesus recognized that family obligations and other obligations can often come into conflict. Here’s what he said in Matthew 10:34-37: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

Some people have interpreted that passage to mean that family doesn’t matter to Jesus. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Rather, he emphasized the choices that must be made when one is truly committing him or herself to a cause – in this case the cause of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus calls us to action, we are expected to respond – even if Mom, Dad, or other family members disapprove. Love God first – then you have the right resource to love family.

So does Sarah Palin love her family? Watching them on TV Wednesday night, I would say, “yes.” Does she love them more than politics? That’s impossible for me to decide. If God has called her into politics (including becoming candidate for Vice President), then responding to that call DOES become more important than family. It’s a tough decision – and only Palin can make it. Voters can affirm it or reject it; but they cannot decide it. Nor can the media – as much as they may want to try.

God called me into ministry, and I thank God every day that my family was behind me and supported me in becoming a pastor – even though it meant giving up so many things and accepting so many changes in their lives. Others who have been called into ministry tell a different story. A spouse or child cannot handle the change; relationships break down. Divorce ends the marriage. Estrangement ends the parenting. But those called by God must be willing to accept that loss and have faith that God will use the loss to bring a greater good in its place.

Maybe we need a VP candidate who causes us to think about these things. We certainly have a Savior who does.

A Birthday Present to America: More Faith, Less Politics

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, July 4, 2008. Getting closer to catching up!


The other day, a columnist in the paper complained about the amount of attention being paid to the religious faiths of the various candidates for president. He wanted less religion and more politics. And I think he expected to get great shouts of “AMEN!”

He might have that reaction from some people, I am not one of them. I want our candidates to be driven more by faith and less by politics. Right now, it’s almost as if the candidates are putting a religious veneer over a thoroughly secular political mindset.

Our politicians remind me of the “jewelry” I used to get out of the nickel-vending machine when I went with Dad to get my hair cut. The barber’s shop had four or five little machines that held all kinds of goodies in little plastic cocoons. You put in your nickel, turned the crank, and out popped your prize!

I once got a golden ring. I was so proud of that ring; I showed it off to everyone. “Look, Mom! See what I got at the barber shop! It’s so beautiful; I’m always going to wear it!”

That night, as I got ready for bed, I looked again at my “beautiful” golden ring. But there was something wrong! All around the ring, my finger had turned green! It was even green on the two fingers on either side of my ring finger. “Mom!” I screamed. “I’m being poisoned by my ring!”

Of course, what really happened was my golden ring was actually cheap metal and the greening had to do with the veneer rubbing off and the “real stuff” showing through.

In many ways, I think our presumptive presidential candidates are showing some "green" in their faith.

John McCain eagerly sought the endorsement of certain religious leaders, thinking that they would add to his credibility as a presidential wanna-be. John Hagee was one such leader. He is pastor of a mega-church in San Antonio, Texas, and his television and radio ministries reach thousands more people across the country. McCain looked at Hagee and said, “Wow, there’s someone whose endorsement I could really use.”

McCain’s pursuit of Hagee’s endorsement was not religious – it was political. I suspect McCain had no idea what theologies Hagee believed in or preached. That was detail stuff that didn’t matter. Except it did. Once the veneer of the Hagee endorsement wore off, Hagee’s extreme theologies of God, Israel and end times were so off-putting to mainstream Americans that McCain disassociated himself from the Hagee endorsement.

Less religion and more politics? I don’t think so!

On the other side of the political parties, Barak Obama has not done much better. At a recent campaign appearance in Detroit, Muslim supporters were snubbed and two women wearing traditional Muslim headscarves were banned from sitting behind the candidate to prevent them being photographed or televised with Obama. Why? Because of the persistent Internet rumor that Obama is secretly a Muslim and terrorist sympathizer.

The Obama campaign has gone out of its way to keep Obama’s image from being “sullied” by Muslim supporters – that’s a political decision, not a religious one!

Obama has intentionally expressed his religious views in many venues. He claims to be a Christian who emphasizes the social justice portion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the part of Jesus’ message that proclaims good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and release from oppression to the oppressed (see Luke 4:14-21). It’s one of the few scriptural claims that Jesus made himself. Yet, Obama’s politically driven lifestyle oppressed two women because of their differing faith. Actually, because of their differing attire.

I am disappointed in both candidates. Let me see your REAL FAITH rather than your REAL POLITICS. People are desperate for REAL CHANGE in this country – and so far, what I’ve seen is more of the same ol’ same ol’. Wouldn’t it be nice if either candidate would truly live his faith? Let me really see what God is doing in your life, and maybe that will be all the politics I need to make an informed voting decision come November.

Today, marks the birth of our nation through the declaration of independence from Britain. I cannot think of a better birthday gift for our country than politicians who put their faith first, their families second, and their nation third. With the right priorities, we can make a difference.

Politics as (un)usual

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, April 4, 2008

Be prepared for some heavy-handed political maneuvering. Accusations and counter-accusations may fly from both the right and the left. One side may accuse another other of losing touch with their basic human compassion. Meanwhile, that other side will point fingers back for not remaining truly loyal to their commitments. It may get very ugly before it’s over.

Think I’m talking about the Pennsylvania Democratic primaries? Nope. National conventions in August and September? Nada. General presidential election in November? Not even close. I am referring to the once-every-four-years gathering of United Methodist Church leaders from around the world for what we call the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. It’s happening down in Fort Worth, Texas at the end of April, but the politics are already going on.

Allow me to do a quick “UM 101” for all those who are not United Methodists (and maybe even for a few that are). The United Methodist Church is a world-wide church, with congregations not only in the United States but across Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well. They are organized into Annual Conferences, and the Annual Conferences elect delegates to represent them at General Conference – that quadrennial gathering referred to above. Here in Ohio, United Methodists are organized into two Annual Conferences – East Ohio and West Ohio – loosely based on geographic boundaries. I say “loosely” because Meigs County belongs to the West Ohio Conference even though its in the southeastern corner of the state.

United Methodists also have a document known as the “Book of Discipline.” This book is our covenant agreement as United Methodist Christians for how we are organized, how we conduct ministry, and what the processes are for joining the church, becoming pastors, and almost everything else that one could possibly imagine. It also contains the rules for what to do when things go wrong, with lots of definitions of what those wrong things include. Every four years during General Conference, what’s in the Book of Discipline can be completely altered, amended or deleted by vote of the delegates.

What if someone thinks something in the Discipline is wrong and wants to change it? And what if someone else thinks that the Discipline is just fine without change? And what if another person wants to change that something, but in a different way that the first person? It gets complicated.

Now multiply that “someone” by just short of 1000 – that’s the number of delegates at General Conference – and multiply the “something” by more than 1500 – that’s the number of suggested changes to the Discipline that they will have to deal with. Now it is more than complicated – it’s politics!!

I wish I could say that church politics is handled more gracefully than governmental politics. But everyone who’s been to a church meeting when there’s something controversial being decided knows the truth: church politics can be pretty mean. People can get so focused on what they think about the issue that they no longer listen to anyone else. And when convinced of being absolutely “right” about the issue, they can become harsh, condemning or condescending to anyone who doesn’t agree. So when two “rights” are diametrically opposed to one another, no one listens, everyone yells, and decisions are based on majority rule rather than prayerful consensus. We have “winners” and “losers”, but the truth is really that no one wins.

We cannot get away from politics. And I much prefer political fights to fist-fights or all-out war. And, yes, there are some things that really are more right than others – even when popular opinion says otherwise. God has declared some things to be right and others to be wrong. Consider the Ten Commandments, or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1, offers a list of wrongs that may be less well known, but is certainly to the point:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all kinds of godlessness and wickedness of people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. They not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Paul’s words are not pretty; but his words describe us! Yes, I include myself in that description. And if you are honest with yourself, you will admit to it, too. Even as Christians, we can fall into the trap of reverting to old behaviors and old ways of thinking that look like Paul’s list of wrongs, unless we remember to include God and follow God in all of our decision-making and actions.

What happens when we do put God first? Paul tells us what that looks like in Romans 12:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Honor one another above yourselves. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if politics could be conducted the way Paul tells us to behave as Christians? Of course, in governmental politics; but especially in church politics! So that’s my prayer for our General Conference: that the delegates from all sides will depend on God first and put Romans 12 into practice, leaving behind the more common but wrong practices of Romans 1. Even if you aren’t United Methodist, would you join me in that prayer? And I’m happy to pray it for your church, too!

She Hasn't Got a Prayer

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, January 18, 2008

In many ways, Dawn Sherman is your typical 14-year-old. She goes to school, sings in a church choir – and wants to make a difference in the world. But unlike most teenagers, she’s not waiting until she’s a “grown-up.” Dawn is making a difference – at least in her school district – right now. She is party to a lawsuit that’s tearing her school and community apart.

I read about her in a newspaper article from the Chicago Tribune (after it being highlighted at GetReligion.org). The Illinois state legislature passed a “Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act” last year that allows schools to provide one minute of silence at the beginning of the school day. Dawn objects to the practice; she claims that it violates her rights because, “first of all, the teacher is being made to stop teaching, and I’m being [made] an audience to something that is heavily suggestive in the direction of prayer because of the title of the act. It’s called the student prayer and silent reflection act.”

Something else you should know about Dawn. She is the daughter of one of Illinois’ most prominent atheists, Rob Sherman. The elder Sherman has long been trying to eliminate any references to God from the public square. In the early 1980s, he filed suit on behalf of his son, then a first grader, to stop his school from making him include the “one nation under God” phrase in the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Sherman has also attempted to remove “In God We Trust” from US currency, had run-ins with members of the Bush Administration over public displays of religion, and once even accosted the president himself over atheists’ rights.

The Tribune article on Dawn Sherman includes an intriguing anecdote from her early years: “Dawn was exposed to her father’s beliefs at an early age. She jokes that when she was still a fetus, her father would whisper to her mother’s belly: ‘God is make-believe. God is make-believe and Daddy is perfect.’”

As US citizens, the Shermans are certainly entitled to think what they want to think, and to act the way they want to act. No one should force religious beliefs down their throats. But the counterpoint is that they should not be allowed to force their non-religious (some might say anti-religious) beliefs down any one else’s throat. And that’s the problem. In Dawn’s estimation, her rights are being violated; and the only way for her rights to be put “right” is for her rights to violate the rights of others. She gets her way, so no on else gets another way.

Quite frankly, if her case is based on what she said in the article, then I am surprised that a federal judge was willing to put a temporary injunction against the statute. Read again what she stated as her reason for objecting: “[it’s] heavily suggestive in the direction of prayer because of the title of the act. It’s called the student prayer and silent reflection act.”

She doesn’t like it because of its title? And she’s got it wrong! The title is actually “The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act.” Student prayer does not get top billing, even though she tried to make it so as part of her objection. Furthermore, how many kids in the classroom will have a clue what the act’s title is? Seems many of them have a hard time remembering the date when the colonies declared their independence from England. (July 4, 1776, in case you’re wondering.) Basing an objection on statute titles that will never be spoken in the classroom seems specious to me.

Eventually, this case (or another one like it) will reach the US Supreme Court. A similar law in Texas recently received the green light from the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals. A couple in one of Dallas’ suburbs filed suit in 2006 against the local school district and the Texas governor over the state’s minute of silence. On January 5, 2008, the court said that “the primary effect of the statute is to institute a moment of silence, not to advance or inhibit religion.” No decision has been made about whether or not the couple will appeal the ruling.

I find the whole situation sad. What has brought this country to the low point of somebody suing somebody else over everything? Maybe it’s just me, but I thought our courts were designed to deal with real issues of justice, not simply one person’s opinion becoming more important than another person’s opinion. Even as a pastor, I don’t think school prayer is an “Issue” with a capital “I.” Kids could gather together before and after school to pray. They can organize Bible studies, pass notes of encouragement to one another, and do other little things that reflect their faith without causing controversies.

And I pray that in some quiet, loving and non-controversial way, someone will show the Shermans just what God’s love really looks like. Remember, Dawn sings in a church choir. That’s one little step. Maybe others will follow.

As for prayer in schools, I think my grandmother had it right: “As long as there are tests in schools, you better believe there will be prayer in schools!”