It's extremely rare that I agree with left-wing hack Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly -- even a little bit -- but this is one of those times. Most attacks on Sarah Palin from the left lack any real substance, and are just part of a hysterical smear campaign that has been going on since she rose to national prominence. The majority of Palin's policy positions fall well within the GOP mainstream, and she did nothing in her short time in office to indicate that she's anything like the strawman built up by her enemies. But her recent remarks are disturbing.
I beg you, Women of Joy, to bring light and be involved, loving America and praying for her. Really, it is our solemn duty. Praying for true spiritual awakening to overcome deterioration. That is where God wants us to be. Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our Founding Fathers, they were believers. And George Washington, he saw faith in God as basic to life.Here's Benen,
far less amusing is the fact that Palin and others of her radical ilk reject any notion that "God should be separated from the state." It's the 21st century, for crying out loud. There are some countries that endorse Palin's worldview and intermix God and government -- Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan under Taliban rule come to mind -- but they're generally not countries the United States tries to emulate.Palin obviously doesn't have the same worldview as Iranian mullahs, etc., but even filtering out Benen's typical leftist smears, he has a point. Separation of church and state is a founding principle of America and not something we should look to tear down. The fusion of God and government is not a positive aspiration. And it doesn't sound like Palin is just talking about retaining ceremonial deism. She has apparently bought into the whole "Christian nation" idea, with her talk of returning to our "Christian roots." Despite the political separation of church and state, the U.S. was once a overwhelmingly Christian nation, with the vast majority identifying as Christian. But it is no longer. Depending on what poll you choose to go by, around 20%+ of the country does not identify as Christian -- that's tens of millions of U.S. citizens. We aren't leaving. If anything, the country is slowly growing less Christian by the day. Talking about returning to Christian roots in a country where large numbers are not Christians is stupid and exclusionary. Sarah Palin gives ammunition to those who try to tie the Republican party to Christian extremists, and talk about the "theocratic wing of the GOP."
Our country isn't based on religion, and its establishment is specifically prohibited by the Constitution, a document drafted by the same founders people such as Sarah Palin like to quote-mine, in order to pretend that they really didn't want separation of church and state. It sounds like Palin has little understanding about the actual views of the founders.
Having said all that, I don't want to make too much of this situation. Palin was speaking to a religious audience and some of her remarks can probably be written off as just pandering to the crowd that thinks more religion & prayer is the answer to our problems, and that the U.S. has lost its way, and needs to get back to being a God-fearing nation. Still, the more I see and hear of Sarah Palin, the more I hope she is never again a GOP nominee for the presidency or vice presidency.
Palin is truly scary to me. She seems extremely ignorant for a (former) governor, and not a bad governor at that, from what I've heard. Her popularity seems due entirely to a particular kind of personal charisma that appeals to a relatively narrow audience. Even when I thought I liked her, her manner and choice of words sometimes made me cringe a bit.
ReplyDeletePal, there is no part of the Constitution that says anything about "separation of church and state". Most certainly, the so-called "establishment clause" says no such thing. The establishment clause is a prohibition against an official and formal sectarian state religion such as the Church of England and the subsequent religious restrictions placed on the populous that would surely follow such an establishment of a government run church.
ReplyDeleteTake a chill pill, there bub. And while you are at it, read the rest of the the establishment clause--it might clarify matter for you as it makes fully clear just what the intention was.
The intent was to keep government out of religion, not religion out of the public square.
You reading of the establishment clause is purely a a reflexive regurgitation of the "modern", which is to say Marxist, reading of it.
I suggest you go read the prayers said by FDR, no less, from the White house at the start of D-Day.
Also, religion had everything to do with the founding of our nation: Both historical, as a religious haven, and legally--those are god given rights, not rights given by Man through the State. Your assertion to the contrary is preposterous.
It is you that has gone astray from the moral and political traditions of America, not Palin.
Stop pretending otherwise.
As for Palin being "scary", well the only people she scares are political, economic and cultural Marxists of various stripes. It seems that you too are infested with this disease, even if it is "merely" of the cultural variety. You need to do a little soul searching about the sources of the underpinnings of your "beliefs", such as they are. They have little to do with "being on the Right". Little at all in fact.
Palin has done nothing, absolutely nothing at all, that is not in line with the political, cultural or social traditions of this nation.
You would know that if you were not thoroughly enthralled to the the cultural Marxism that has laid this country so low the last 50 years or so.
I would say that you do not even realize how you have been had. Shame on you.
I wouldn't say she scares me, since her actual policies in office were not those of some sort of extremist. But she does inspire fanatical followers that remind me of right-wing versions of the Obama-worshippers that were everywhere during the 2008 campaign. These people hang on her every word, ignore all her flaws, see her as some sort of "true conservative" savior, and react with intense hostility to anyone who offers even the most mild criticism of their hero.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for illustrating the reactions of a Palin-worshipper to any criticism of Palin.
I'm well aware of what the establishment clause says. And I'm also aware that separation of church and state has long been considered a principle of the U.S. system of government. But apparently not by you.
"Also, religion had everything to do with the founding of our nation"
No one said religion had nothing to do with the founding of the nation. But it certainly wasn't "everything."
"those are god given rights, not rights given by Man through the State. Your assertion to the contrary is preposterous."
First of all, that's yet another strawman, since I didn't say anything in this post about where rights derive from. But it's pretty stupid to talk about "god-given" rights to someone who doesn't even believe in your imaginary deity.
"It is you that has gone astray from the moral and political traditions of America, not Palin.
Stop pretending otherwise."
Why isn't it possible to conduct an argument without resorting to moronic ad hominem attacks?
"As for Palin being "scary", well the only people she scares are political, economic and cultural Marxists of various stripes."
Wow, another strawman. What a surprise. I didn't say Palin was scary. In fact, in the comment above, I specifically said she doesn't scare me. Did you even read the post you are responding to?
"You need to do a little soul searching about the sources of the underpinnings of your "beliefs", such as they are. They have little to do with "being on the Right". Little at all in fact."
I'm on the right because of my political positions on many topics, not because I need confirmation from some thin-skinned Palin-worshipper who can't even put together a logical argument.
"Palin has done nothing, absolutely nothing at all, that is not in line with the political, cultural or social traditions of this nation."
I didn't say she had. I merely objected to something she said in a speech. Are you going for a record for number of strawmen in one comment?
"You would know that if you were not thoroughly enthralled to the the cultural Marxism that has laid this country so low the last 50 years or so."
I seriously doubt you have the slightest idea what cultural Marxism even means. Obviously since I have a blog I enjoy arguing. But I don't enjoy arguing with people so clueless that they can't respond to arguments with anything but strawmen and ad hominem attacks.
I came.
ReplyDeleteI saw.
I left.