Although I have not been overly-enthusiastic about the Presidential candidates this year, I did find some measure of excitement when John McCain didn’t pick yet another white man as his running mate and instead chose a woman! This insures that whether the Democrats or Republicans win in November, history will be made. We will either have our first black President or our first woman Vice President. I do find that rather exciting.
So, yeah, I was excited that McCain chose a woman for his VP. I admit to not having read tons about Sarah Palin, but I have read a few things on the web and heard others talk of her. I like that she practices what she preaches in regards to being pro-life. It is easy to say you are for the unborn until you are hit with an unplanned pregnancy or your unborn child is diagnosed with something that will make life more challenging.
That said, I was dismayed this week when I read about a speech Governor Palin gave to her former church last year calling America’s role in Iraq a “task from God.”
Yahoo has this from her:
Palin asked the students to pray for the troops in Iraq, and noted that her eldest son, Track, was expected to be deployed there.
“Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God,” she 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.”
I wonder in what context this was said and what exactly she believes is the “task that is from God.” Stopping terrorists? Getting rid of Saddam Hussein? Ridding the world of WMDs? Hmmm. I wish, too, I understood what that is we are supposed to be praying for. “That there is a plan and that plan is God’s plan”? Does this mean that we hope that what we are doing lines up with God’s will so we pray that He will bend His will to bless what we have already done? It kind of sounds that way to me, but maybe I am misreading what she is saying. Still that is my perception. Does anyone else see it the same way or do you know in what context this was said?
I just know my pastor always teaches us that we should not do our own thing (which may be a “good thing”) and then pray for that to be God’s will and for Him to bless it. Instead we should see where God is working, where He is blessing and yield ourselves so HE can use us in whatever way He wishes. I am afraid my politicians want to do their own things and then pray God will bless it. Instead why don’t we let God be God and seek His face and allow Him to guide us in all we do … especially when it is something as drastic as destroying another country and killing thousands of their innocent civilians!
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Do you reckon this applies to countries as well? Let’s seek God’s will and yield to Him to work through us. Let’s not go out on OUR missions to “save the world” and then pray for Him to bless us. Let’s seek to please God and HE will make us live peacefully with our enemies. We are working for peace in the wrong way. We need to seek God and please Him first. After all, America is not the Savior, He is.
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September 13, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Marahm
Absolutely, this applies to countries as well. America’s wealth has aided countless countries and individuals, but when we start projecting our own agenda onto God’s, we set ourselves upon a course of destruction.
You suggest that Palin, “practices what she preaches.”
With all due respect, I disagree. There is no hardship, and little courage in bringing a Down Syndrome baby into the world when a woman has a doting house-husband, a deep pocketbook, and enough help so that she’d never have to change a diaper.
How would she dare force the same choice on 99% of the rest of women who have to work, who may or may not have a husband, but certainly not a house-husband? That’s what I call a hypocrite hiding under the illusion of practicing what she preaches.
September 13, 2008 at 3:21 pm
samer85
Like you said in your article, Susanne, a country was destroyed and thousands of innocents were killed so saying that this war is a task from God is so hurtful to hundreds of thousands who lost their loved ones and that will only spread more hatred and tensions. After all, al-Qaeda terrorists say that the crimes they do are “tasks from God” and that naturally hurts a lot of people. I wish Americans also know that we feel insulted when we hear someone saying that a war that is waged against one of our countries is a “task from God”.
September 13, 2008 at 3:48 pm
susanne430
Marahm, thank you very much for your comment! I like reading other people’s perceptions and you brought up some valid points that I had not considered on the abortion issue as it is related to Palin vs. the average American woman. I appreciate you sharing your opinion.
Samer, I thought the same thing. When I read the mission in Iraq was a “task from God,” my reaction was, “Oh my, does she even know how much she sounds like the al-Qaeda terrorists?! They use that same justification for the evil they do in the world!” :-O Thank you for bringing up that point!
Also interesting to consider what you said about how the killing of innocents will only spread more hatred. Seems like common sense. You don’t endear a country to you by killing their sons, daughters, mothers and fathers.
Thank you both for your thoughtful replies!
September 17, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Joni
Samer and Susanne, I am so glad I found your shared blog!! Susie I am mad at you for not mentioning it to me! 😉
I will keep on reading. It opens my eyes to things I’d never thought of before – Palin’s comments are a good example. I didn’t hear that comment from her until later, but I can see now how that would be a bad thing seen from another view!!
Hugs!
September 19, 2008 at 11:17 pm
susanne430
Welcome, Joni! So good to see you over here! 🙂 Sorry I didn’t mention this blog before. It is rather new actually. Hopefully we will write some more stuff eventually … ha, ha! Is there any topic of interest to you? Samer can provide a great Middle Eastern perspective on many things. You probably know most of mine already. 😉