Palin on God's Will and Government

First Read has posted some excerpts of Charlie Gibson's interview with Governor Sarah Palin.  Here's the part of the interview where Gibson asks about some of the comments Palin made at the Wasilla Assembly of God.

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don't know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln's words when he said -- first, he suggested never presume to know what God's will is, and I would never presume to know God's will or to speak God's words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that's a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God's side.

That's what that comment was all about, Charlie.

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln's words, but you went on and said, "There is a plan and it is God's plan."

PALIN: I believe that there is a plan for this world and that plan for this world is for good. I believe that there is great hope and great potential for every country to be able to live and be protected with inalienable rights that I believe are God-given, Charlie, and I believe that those are the rights to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That, in my world view, is a grand -- the grand plan.

GIBSON: But then are you sending your son on a task that is from God?

PALIN: I don't know if the task is from God, Charlie. What I know is that my son has made a decision. I am so proud of his independent and strong decision he has made, what he decided to do and serving for the right reasons and serving something greater than himself and not choosing a real easy path where he could be more comfortable and certainly safer.

Gibson should have referenced Palin's full sentence.  It was: "Pray our military men and women who are striving to do what is right also for this country — that our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God."  She then said:  "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."   Once you see the full quote, Palin's answers here becomes more clear and more consistent. 

Nevertheless, I'm glad Gibson asked some questions in this area, and I'm glad Palin answered them.  I disagree with Palin on some theological matters.  For example, I agree with Cal Thomas when he says: "We have wars and rumors of wars because we are sinners. God doesn't 'back' wars. War is a consequence of sin and God is never on the side of sin."  Nevertheless, I find many of Palin's answers reassuring. 

The other question I think she must answer regarding her talk at Wasilla Assembly of God flows from these remarks:

  [Palin] said the state needed more than just economic development.

"Really, all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God," she said. "Your job is going to be to be out there reaching the people — hurting people — throughout Alaska and we can work together to make sure God's will be done here."

What does Palin mean by this, and how do her beliefs affect her public service?  Does she think it appropriate, for example, for the government to promote (with its funds or otherwise) conversion or adherence to a particular faith or to some religion?  Or is Palin saying that encouraging religious devotion is not the job of government but rather the job of the church? 

Either way, does she regard public service as useless if the people being served are not "right with God"?  If elected vice president, would she treat (and ensure that other governmental officials treat) people of all faiths and none as citizens of equal value?  If so, how would she make good on that commitment?   Given her talk and her candidacy for the second-highest national office in our pluralistic democracy, I think it is important for people to ask and for Palin to answer questions like these.

Comments

[Grupetti]

I struggle to find a civil to describe my view of Palin, but I'm glad this issue of "a task that is from God" was clarified. There are far too many more substantive issues that need to be dealt with.

The "all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God" comment is more troubling. From what I remember, she was appearing in her role as the Governor, not just as a former member of that church - that's the difference.

[Grupetti]

"I struggle to find a civil to describe"

I meant, of course, "I struggle to find a civil way to describe..."

[Melissa Rogers]

Yes, Grupetti, the pastor introduced her as the governor of the state as well as a former member of the church.

[Drew]

My question here is rather than pray that we are doing God's will in the world, why not act what is clearly God's will and that is peace with war as an absolute last resort? She made another comment in there interview that I thought was very disturbing but many probably did not. As I just posted this morning:

"Ms. Palin makes the assumption that the condition of the world is that attack is a first option otherwise she would not have said that the current condition of the world is one of first or pre-emptive strike. Thus, in order to go back to a situation in which war is waged with just grounds, we must see the policy of “war as first option” through. She therefore assumes that the war as first option is just while at the same time holding to the principle that war is a last resort. Both of her propositions cancel each other out and it is therefore a fundamentally irrational set of assumptions."

This is neither a position that supports justus ad bellum or that supports the propagation of peace. The idea that we are in a war as a first option world is very disturbing indeed.

[Drew]

Excuse me jus ad bellum...

[ET]

Isn't "...a task that is from God" quite similar to what the extremists teach in the Madrasses? Does the world need another exstremist leading people to war?

[Karen]

In response to Drew, about why pray that we are doing God's will - Jesus' model prayer:

"...Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...."

And your conclusion that Palin supports "war as first option" is quite a stretch:

GIBSON: "The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is we have the right of anticipatory self defense. We have the right to a preemptive strike against any country we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?"

PALIN: "Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country."