Palin, Prayer and Precedent
September 20, 2008
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Posted by Ray Fowler
Was Sarah Palin out of line with her prayer or simply following presidential precedent? On June 8, 2008 Sarah Palin prayed for our troops at Wasilla Assembly of God Church in Wasilla, Alaska. In a heavily edited interview broadcast September 11, 2008 Charles Gibson questioned Palin about the appropriateness of her words as a political candidate.
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.
Well, yes and no. Gibson only quoted part of her words. Palin’s words come out very different when placed in context. Here are her exact words:
Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. 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. So, bless them with your prayers, your prayers of protection over our soldiers.
There is a big difference between claiming that something is God’s plan and praying that something we do lines up with God’s plan. Gibson accused Palin of doing the former, when she was actually doing the latter. As Palin explained to Gibson in the interview:
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.
Palin has historical precedent for praying this way, as the following video makes clear. The video contains clips of former presidents Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln praying or requesting prayer for our nation in times of war. (As an aside, I get a little tired of the “media elite” mantra that gets thrown around as in this video, but the content of the historical clips is well worth a watch.)
(Video length: 4:52)
(HT: Instapundit)
TRANSCRIPTS FROM VIDEO:
Bill Clinton asks for God’s blessing on our troops (from Clinton’s address announcing air strikes in Iraq; December 16, 1998):
In the century we’re leaving, America has often made the difference between chaos and community, fear and hope. Now, in the new century, we’ll have a remarkable opportunity to shape a future more peaceful than the past, but only if we stand strong against the enemies of peace. Tonight, the United States is doing just that. May God bless and protect the brave men and women who are carrying out this vital mission and their families. And may God bless America.
John F. Kennedy prays for God’s blessing concerning the imminent Soviet threat (from Kennedy’s Inaugural Address; January 20, 1961):
The same revolutionary beliefs for which our forbears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God … (With a good conscience) our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt leads the nation in prayer on D-Day (from FDR’s radio address to the nation; June 6, 1944):
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization … O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; … faith in our united crusade … With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy … Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace … Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.
Abraham Lincoln speaks about prayer, God and war (from Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address; Saturday, March 4, 1865):
Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.
Back to the Gibson/Palin interview:
PALIN: 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.
So, what do you think? Was Sarah Palin out of line with her prayer, or was she simply following presidential precedent?
LINKED: Ann Althouse (Thanks!)
Related posts:
- Palin, Prayer and Pipelines
- Journalists Code of Ethics
- Sunday at Sarah Palin’s Church
- Sarah Palin Roundup
Categories: Politics, Prayer, Video
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I think all of our leaders have inappropriately invoked God at times of war (everyone should read Mark Twain’s “War Prayer, in my opinion). I think it muddies a more complicated political reality of war and enables people to see nothing but good and evil. Gibson, too, is an idiot for playing the “holy war” card.
But Roosevelt asks that “thy will be done,” which is interesting, because I have written that I believe Palin has a very different understanding about what exactly “God’s will” means.
Palin has also said this:
“I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that.”
You say that there is a big difference between claiming that something is God’s plan and praying that something we do lines up with God’s plan. Isn’t it clear in this case that Palin is asserting that God has a plan for a gas line to be built?
I have linked to your post from Jeremiah Films: Prayer; Palin gets it, Charlie Gibson “are we fighting a holy war” has it wrong
David – Thanks for commenting. I just re-read Twain’s “War Prayer” a couple weeks ago in preparation for a literature class I am teaching. It is a fine piece of writing and makes some good points, but Twain also sets up a straw man (straw prayer?) in the process. Surely we can pray for protection for our soldiers and a peaceful resolution without also praying for the destruction of our enemies. Surely we can pray for rain for our crops without wishing a drought on someone else. I think Lincoln’s quote does a better job of capturing this conundrum in prayer.
As far as Gov. Palin’s understanding of God’s will, I visited your blog to read your thoughts on that. You stated: “Palin, it would seem, would seek to mold the mind of God to conform to her politics, opinions and ideas. Palin doesn’t want to do God’s will; she wants to create it.” I really don’t get that from Palin’s statements. She seems to me a believer who is sincerely seeking God’s will in her life. I guess we will just have to disagree on that one.
Amy – You wrote: “Isn’t it clear in this case that Palin is asserting that God has a plan for a gas line to be built?”
I have read the same quote from Palin. Although it could be interpreted that way, I don’t think it is clear from the quote that that is what she meant by it. I always like to give a person the benefit of the doubt and let them explain their own sound bites. From what she has said elsewhere, I believe she simply meant that if this was God’s will, then pray for that.
By the way, this same principle applies to Senator Obama and his words as well. I think it was silly for Rebublicans to jump all over him for his lipstick on a pig comment and try to interpret his words for him. Yes, his words could have been interpreted that way, but he told us what he meant by them, and that’s good enough for me. We should extend the same courtesy to Gov. Palin.
Wayne – Thanks for the link!
Ray,
Thanks for visiting my blog and at least giving my thoughts a hearing, even though my argument left you unconvinced. Most of what I have to say is inference (from studying Pentecostalism, having Pentecostal friends and listening to loads of her old church’s sermons) about her theology through her phraseology common in those circles.
But yes, I think she is sincerely seeking to live God’s will. I just think her theology understands God’s will as something that can be shaped into what she wants. I mean, she actually “whatevers” the idea of saying “thy will be done!”
But again, she was speaking off-the-cuff, so I could be reading more into it than is there, and I readily admit it. Still, I think it is something we should all take a careful look at, given this is the church that formed her, just like we did with Obama.
Praying for our soldiers protection is different, I think, than praying for this war to be God’s will. But that is an EXCELLENT distinction to make! I had not thought of that. (but drought to rain metaphor I think doesn’t quite get at what I’m saying). Yes we can pray for protection without wishing ill will on our enemies, but can we pray for a military victory and, by association, not wish death on others? I don’t know.
This is a conundrum that is particularly difficult for me since I’m a spouse of a military officer.
Thanks for your gracious response! I really appreciate your tone and plan on visiting again. (Hopefully I have followed suit:)I enjoy having someone check my thoughts from time to time because it always leads to new insights.
David – Actually the drought to rain metaphor was from Twain’s War Prayer, but I see that I bungled the reference. Here is the quote from Twain: “If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor’s crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.”
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and for your cordial tone. You are always welcome here.
Ray Fowler wrote:
“I have read the same quote from Palin. Although it could be interpreted that way, I don’t think it is clear from the quote that that is what she meant by it. I always like to give a person the benefit of the doubt and let them explain their own sound bites. From what she has said elsewhere, I believe she simply meant that if this was God’s will, then pray for that.”
I can only go by what Palin says. In this case it’s perfectly clear: Palin claims to know that God has a plan for building a gas line.
Words have meaning, which is presumably why you made an effort to analyze precisely what Palin said about our troops in Iraq. In my opinion, we should hold our politicians responsible for both their actions and their words.
Palin has used phrases like “God’s will” and “God’s plan” on more than one occasion in support of political positions. Now, if Palin had used the phrase “God’s will” in urging humanitarian work, it wouldn’t be a concern for me since the Bible offers instruction about charity and giving. But the Bible offers no guidance about gas lines. Therefore when Palin talks about “God’s will” regarding gas lines, she’s using religion to carry a political agenda.
It would be wonderful if Sarah Palin would explain some of her political positions to me. Unfortunately, that’s not a realistic possibility. As we’ve seen, she’s not even been generally available to the press. Therefore, as a voter, I have no choice but to judge her on her words and actions, just as I do for Obama, McCain, and Biden. In this case, she clearly linked building a gas line in Alaska with “God’s will.” Since I don’t believe that God has a plan for gas lines in Alaska, I’ve concluded that Palin used an appeal to religion to try to win support for her political position.
Thank you for letting me post a dissenting opinion on your blog.
Amy – You are very welcome. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Outstanding post, brother! Just outstanding.
Thanks, Gunny.
Way to Go, Ray. Thanks for a great post.