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Sarah Palin’s Candidacy – Another Point of View
Rev. Mike Warren and Jerry Crawford with foreword by Rev. Flip Benham • 9/15/2008
Here is Rescue Rochester's responses by Rev. Mike Warren & Mr. Jerry Crawford:
In regards to Alan Keyes arguments against a Palin VP run:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)" The use of this passage of scripture to call into question the candidacy of Sara Palin is erroneous. The context of the Corinthian letters was the father heart of Paul admonishing a wayward child church; one that had succumbed to the spirit of the age or more accurately never separated itself in the first place. Sexual immorality was rampant in the church as was, factions and class envy. This letter to the Corinthian church best applies to our wayward western brand of Christianity not to the candidacy of a believing sister in Christ. I would ask Alan these questions that are raised by his letter regarding Mrs. Palin. Is being a Vice Presidential candidate equivalent to being married to the president and thereby placing the VP under the president's authority? Is the Vice President constitutionally bound in a loyalty oath to the President? Using the logic of Alan Keyes there are more compelling questions to be raised beyond the Vice Presidential run of Sarah Palin. Using the premise of 2 Corth. 6, could any Christian become a member of the United States armed forces with an unbelieving unprincipled commander in chief? Could a believing Christian serve as a United States attorney, or as a member of the cabinet or as an ambassador to a foreign nation? In fact could a Christian take any position in the executive branch of the government? Mr. Keyes states that the Palin VP run acts as a stumbling block for the pro life community. "For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. (1 Corinthians 8: 10-12) He puts forth the argument using the what if scenario of a McCain push for embryonic stem cell funding. Could it be that he is unwilling to acknowledge that God Himself may have heard our cries for our nation and for the children and raised up Sarah for such a time as this? Using Mr. Keyes argument in the time of Haman would have left Esther of the sidelines of history and the Jewish people looking for another deliverer. Let's deal with realities. Thanks to the Palins' courage,service and humility the fate of unborn children is once again in the glaring spot light of the national scene. The reality of choice is being shown upfront and personal with the Palins' daughter's choice for life and Mr. and Mrs. Palin's choice to embrace and carry Trig, their newest son born with Downs, to term. Then in the glare of a national political convention gathering the whole clan and showing the nation how a American family deals with adversity and failure- with love acceptance and moral courage. These children are embraced as the treasure they are; not avoided as some form of punishment. God Himself has orchestrated a clear choice for the American people. Prayerfully we will choose life that we and our offspring will live. Rev. Mike Warren ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator John McCain’s pick for Vice President has created quite a stir in the Republican Party. She is also the subject of a surprising amount of controversy from Christian pundits. Of the few that can actually make a rational argument, there seems to be two adversarial positions. One is a shallow opinion that extrapolated to its farthest point would conclude that Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics at all. This position is weak and easily dismissed. The second opinion is that God’s established order precludes women being in positions of authority over men. This well documented dissertation includes family, civil and spiritual positions of authority. The most “honest” of those with this position admit that this is not an absolute, but, out of hand, reject any other view as being scripturally “outweighed.” I respectfully submit that I believe Mrs. Sarah Palin is not only qualified for this job, but that she just may be God’s choice at this time. First, her qualifications. Many (most?) politicians who reach high levels of power are ambitious, calculating and self-serving. They major in Political Science, Constitutional Law, and get involved in the elective process right from the start. They are the ones who cultivate the right circle of “friends.” Then there are the “statesmen” who have a vision of how things should be, who are usually given positions of some authority to get them out of the way, or to just shut them up! I believe Sarah Palin is one of these. She stared at the PTA level, not exactly a stepping stone to being governor. As she demonstrated an ability to get things done, the right way, with a great deal of integrity, the doors just kept opening for her. Proverbs 29:2a When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: She did not schmooze with the “good old boys,” she exposed corruption (even in her own party) and held them accountable for their actions. She is not perfect, or even alone is serving; but, I believe she is a committed Christian who is submitted to the will and Biblical authority of God. Judges 4 is the account of Deborah, a prophetess who judged Israel who had been oppressed by Sisera for 20 years. In verses 5-7, through her God commanded Barak to bring an army of 10,000 and God would deliver their oppressors into his hand. In verse 8 Barak refuses to go unless Deborah goes with him. Verse 9 she agrees but warns that the Lord would sell Sisera into the hands of a woman. Verses 14 - 16 Indeed Barak and his army did “rout” their oppressors, but in verse 21, Jael, Heber’s wife killed Sisera - “Delivered into the hand of a woman.” God delivered Israel by the hand of a woman. Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Again God delivered the Jews by the hand of a woman. Kathryn Kuhlman, a powerful healing ministry that pointed the way to the true Healer, in her autobiography addressed the issue of women leadership in ministry. In her words she asked God about it, and He told her she was there because the three men He called refused to come. Desperate times call for desperate measures. While the God ordained leaders are espousing the correct order of things, there are some donkeys out there doing the work. One disapproving article concluded that to allow a woman in a position of authority would create confusion and risk bringing God’s judgment upon us. I say we are in a period of judgment and just possibly He is raising up a Deborah to deliver us! Mr. Jerry Crawford |
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Recently, Rescue Rochester has received e-mails decrying the McCain Palin ticket; specifically the addition of Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate. These e-mails from pro-life pundits take two tacts. They try to make the argument that Sarah's agreement to run on the ticket was evidence that she and pro-lifers that agree with this move were now unequally yoked and possibly becoming a stumbling block to the pro-life movement. Or they decry Sarah's sex and make the argument that she is violating God's perscribed order.
