WORLD Magazine Library powered by Amazon
Term Life Insurance at Savings up to 75%!
Logos Bible Software for Bible Study
Albert Mohler on the Palin debate
In an article on his website, Albert Mohler reacts to the controversy surrounding the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. Dr. Mohler believes that Palin can serve well as VP, but adds that “there is something to give us all pause in this picture, and those who care for the future of the family should take note and think hard.”
Concerning the revelation yesterday that the Alaska governor’s unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, Dr. Mohler acknowledged the awkwardness and embarrassment of the situation but pointed out:
The Palins spoke of their pride in the fact that their daughter would keep her baby and marry the father. Once again, the Palin family chooses life over death, birth over abortion, when aborting the baby would be justified by many and considered the easy way out of an embarrassing situation. Yes, that baby is a gift, as is every single living human being, born and unborn.
On whether Palin, as a mom, was taking on too much by accepting the nomination just four months after giving birth to a child with Downs syndrome: “If I were her pastor, I’d be very concerned for her and her family,” Dr. Mohler told The Wall Street Journal. “But it looks as though she’s found a way to integrate it all in a way that works.” He later added in light of yesterday’s announcement: “Well, I would be even more concerned now.”
Concerning whether a woman can and should serve as vice president:
Do I believe that a woman can serve well in the office of Vice President of the United States? Yes. As a matter of fact, I believe that a woman could serve well as President — and one day will. …
The New Testament clearly speaks to the complementary roles of men and women in the home and in the church, but not in roles of public responsibility. I believe that women as CEOs in the business world and as officials in government are no affront to Scripture. Then again, that presupposes that women — and men — have first fulfilled their responsibilities within the little commonwealth of the family.
I encourage you to read all of Dr. Mohler’s article here.
back to top190 Comments to “Albert Mohler on the Palin debate”
I had to laugh about this.
Hillary Clinton has been in the spotlight for 16 years. First she forced herself on the American public by riding Bill’s coattails and then as a NY Senator.
Now she is upstaged by a gun-toting, pro-life, beauty pageant contestant from the state of Alaska who no heard of until recently.
Report comment as offensive
Nick: Governor Palin has been on the radar of some of us for a long time.
Report comment as offensive
I’ve been speaking to my parents about Palin for several months. They’ve been hoping McCain wouldn’t take their excellent governor away. Vain hope that.
Like OutKast says, she’s been on our radar for a while now…
Report comment as offensive
Palin is everything that McCain wasn’t, and is the antithesis of Obama and Biden…
What’s not to like?
Report comment as offensive
With respect, the Queen didn’t lobby for her job and had plenty of help (too much help, not enough Mom, if you ask Charles who blames his parents for every stupid thing he’s done) and Lady Thatcher’s children were grown when she became Prime Minister, though she must have been working in politics all along to get that far.
I have had misgivings about this myself since the pregnancy was announced, mainly because I think they’re very young to get married in the first place (I’m not knocking it), but also because this is a time when I suspect Bristol would like to have mom to herself, so to speak. Where will this young couple live? In Alaska or Washington? But I don’t know these people personally, so I don’t really know the truth about the support system. I even feel for the 7-year-old having to leave Alaska for a school in Washington. But I have to trust that the Palins know their family and their situation well enough that they made the right decision for their family.
I think it’s their call.
Report comment as offensive
Hillary Clinton “forced herself” on the American people? Last time I checked we still live in a democracy, where people are free to vote for or against someone. The people of New York freely elected her to the Senate. She ran for the Democratic nomination, and the majority of the people freely declined her.
Report comment as offensive
I do have to agree with Nick that Palin’s selection must stick in Hillary’s craw a bit. Her own turned her down and now this upstart comes along. When you let yourself think about it for awhile, it is really very funny. But that’s life, and stuff like that happens to all of us.
Report comment as offensive
To NJ Lawyer
What do you think about a woman with a 5 month old Down’s syndrome baby and 17 yeard old pregnant daughter running for Vice-President?
Will she have enough time to devote to office?
Report comment as offensive
Gov. Palin is running with McCain - whatever people think, and it seems there are a number of ideas, the Palin’s daughter is NONE of OUR BUISNESS - Bristol and her boyfriend are getting married, again, NONE OF OUR BUSINESS -
I’m surprised at Evangelicals even suggesting to tell the Palin’s what to do - playing the game of “if I were their pastor” - Liberals and the left are EXPECTED to have the ‘nose out of joint’ syndrome, but we as Believers are to support and help one another.
There are numerous threads on this issue, it’s beginning to look rather odd that we can’t get on with what McCain and Obama have done, and haven’t done, but settleing for a gossip session about a seventeen year old girl - sounds very much like women’s gossip, but in this instance the men are just as bad if not worse than the women ——– YUCK!
Report comment as offensive
By the way, kids leave their states, cities, etc., when dad gets a promotion or the family decides to move. Palin’s kids will do just fine - kids adjust, they make friends faster than their parents.
Report comment as offensive
To Anlir
My point was we elected Bill into office and not Hillary. She acted like she elected and was constantly in the news.
After she actually elected into office we now have to tolerate her.
Report comment as offensive
If we were talking about a 17-year-old black girl of an ordinary poor family who got pregnant, you guys would be moaning about the declining moral standards of the country, the need to teach abstinence, the terrible effect of “liberal” culture, etc. etc.
Because it’s the daughter of a right-wing extremist that might be vice president, you’re all cooing about the wonder of life, the admirability of her keeping the baby and planning to marry the father, yadda yadda.
There are some declining moral standards in this country all right, and if you conservative Christians want to see them, that’s why you have mirrors.
Report comment as offensive
Report comment as offensive
To Steve
Who are the left-wing extremists in this country?
No one is defending this pregnant girl. We just admire the fact that Ms. Palin is not a hypocrite.
This pro-life woman gave birth to a baby knowing it had Downs while she was pregnant and she did not take her daughter to an abortion clinic.
How can anyone not respect someone who has the courage of their convictions, whether we agree with them or not.
Report comment as offensive
Steveg,
YADDA YADDA - I haven’t heard that one where I live in almost a year. LOL
Make it up as you trot down the thread - we are used to your silly made up stories about how we Evangelicals would react. All of which is ALL IN YOUR MIND, — maybe Drill can come to your rescue and cleverize your fictional excuse for gossip -
Where’s DRILL?
Calling Drill, calling Drill -
Report comment as offensive
Do you people honestly think that teenagers just discovered sex? It has been going on since the beginning. Instead of abstinence and abortion we ought to be discussing why these young girls are getting pregnant at such an alarming rate when they have more access to more birth control than at any other time in history. I know I grew up sheltered but I have asked several people recently who are quite a bit older and quite a bit younger than me how many sexual partners they have had in the past. The numbers were mind boggling. I am talking about people I would consider my peers. Most of the oldr ones managed not to get pregnant. Many of the younger ones have. Recently I talked to a woman who has been pregnant 9 times. She has 4 children but only 2 live with her. What happened in 15 or 20 years that girls can’t seem to comprehend birth control? Heck when I was at the University of Maryland they gave me condoms when I sprained my foot.
Report comment as offensive
Nick, that’s a tough question for me. I think I know where my heart is, I know the “right” answer, but there’s a part of me that wouldn’t like to be denied the opportunity to try. I will relate the following story and you may glean from it what you will. As you know, I worked for a federal judge for many years, and the world revolved around him. He came first, his career came first. He was lucky to have a wife who understood what it meant to him to be a judge. That was no 9 to 5 job for any of us in chambers, but even moreso for him. He worked part of every evening, every weekend, and did “exra-curricular” activities. Every vacation he called us every day and worked on the phone. The man never stopped! He wrote a commencement speech for a law school class one year and in it he suggested to the students that they remember to smell the daisies. I asked him if he had it to do over would he smell the daisies more, would he change anything. He considered my question, but his answer was “no.” His family more than survived. They are one of the closest families I have ever encountered, and they are not Christian, rather Jewish. He had enormous amounts of energy. At 75, he put 25 year old kids to shame when it came to work product. He truly thrived on work and lived his life. (By the way, many judges, male and female are the same way.)
Had I not had the experience of working for the judge or the chance to observe the others, my answer to you would be a resounding “no.” But I did have that experience, and Sarah Palin is probably one of “those” people. They live life to the full. I think many of us would be amazed at what people like that accomplish and accomplish well.
Report comment as offensive
NICK and others RE #8 -
No one questioned the ability of Joe Biden as a newly elected Senator from Delaware - a small state by the way - when he took office as a Senator while at the same time raising two young boys after the tragic death of his wife and another child. There was no question of ability to balance Senate and home interests.
It seems to me the real issue is that Governor Palin does not fit into the stereotype of “woman” that liberals prize.
Report comment as offensive
The setting: Biden/Palin VP Debate.
A question about experience arises (really, go figure, why would that come up?)
Palin answers the question with her good resume of qualifications and experience which trumps BHO’s by far. Then Biden chimes in and hits her with his experience–which is good if you want to be an experienced US Senator–he has 35 years and that’s it. No budgets, not maintaining a payroll, someone else always carries out the affects of his votes.
So for the Palin comeback and response—”Tell me, Senator Biden, have you or your running-mate Senator Obama ever reduced the property taxes of any US citizen? Well, I have. Senator Biden, how can your experience of 35 years in the Senator and Senator Obama’s experience of 180 days in the senate give us any indication your ticket is a ticket of change? And finally, Senator Biden can you tell Americans how you have fought political corruption and won?
Debate over!
Report comment as offensive
Nick: No one is defending this pregnant girl.
Imagine if the pregnant girl were the daughter of some anonymous Democratic voter of no particular political use to you and tell me the conservatives wouldn’t be reacting in horror about how terrible those permissive liberals are, letting their teenaged girls have sex and not teaching them about abstinence!
Can you make that claim? With a straight face?
Report comment as offensive
There are teenaged girls with parents who vote for either party or none at all who do stupid things. Every thinking individual knows none of these parents are “letting their teenaged girls have sex,” emphasis on the “letting.” This is usually NOT the parents’ idea. So, yeah, I think Nick could.
Nick?
Report comment as offensive
“Governor Palin has been on the radar of some of us for a long time.”
A “long time” is GOP code for “less than 20 months.”
Report comment as offensive
“Can you make that claim? With a straight face?”
Yes.
Report comment as offensive
Luke.
So what?
Report comment as offensive
NJ Lawyer and Steve
Aren’t the children of the politicians pretty much off limits?
Cheney’s daughter is a lesbian and Bush’s daughters had some drinking problems but the media has pretty much given them a pass.
But to answer your question there are so many unwed mothers nowadays no one seems too worked up over it. So no I don’t think conservatives would have found it a big deal if a liberal’s daughter was pregnant.
Report comment as offensive
#18, ITT, No one questioned the ability of Joe . . .? Are you sure about this? Granted, I don’t think that they should (nor of Mrs Palin) but I doubt that no one did. In fact, Joe did. He had to be convinced to take the oath after the tragedy. Thankfully, IMHO, he did.
Facts are facts, Mrs. Palin has raised a fornicator and that will never change. She has to deal with the fact that the policy of “abstinence only” simply didn’t work in her own family. Hopefully, with the grace of god she’ll realize what a bad policy it is using her own family as part of the measurement. It doesn’t work in our nation and it’s just another reason to consider a more sane (OK, my editorial) sex eduction policy in the classroom, as much as Christians and Conservatives may hate it.
Report comment as offensive
Nick asks:
“NJ Lawyer and Steve
Aren’t the children of the politicians pretty much off limits?”
They should be, but in this case, the MSM has nothing else to use against Palin, so here we are.
Report comment as offensive
And thanks for answering, and thanks for allowing me to pre-empt you a bit.
Report comment as offensive
Scott
YOU WRITE:…
“Facts are facts, Mrs. Palin has raised a fornicator and that will never change”
And who are you Scott? - are you without sin?
Report comment as offensive
I was going to make a snarky remark about conservative Christians being unable show embarassment about Palin’s family situation, but there is enough squirming in this thread that I’ll give them a gentleman’s “C” grade.
(C stands for condescension, but the way, not to mention conservative and Christian as well. When my parents were kids, CCC stood for Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, a liberal New Deal program that caused conservatives of the time to foam at the mouth as the conservatives of today do over…well, everything.)
Maybe today CCC should stand for concupiscent [bad "C" word] corps.
Report comment as offensive
From a Reuters story:
Palin’s disclosure that her 17-year-old, unmarried daughter is pregnant, in addition to the news that she had hired a private lawyer in an ethics probe in Alaska, led some to raise questions about McCain’s judgment and how thoroughly her background was examined in selecting the relatively unknown governor last week as his No. 2.
Please note how I predicted this on May 2. Am I good, or what? (Modest and proud of my humility, also.)
http://modestypress.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/raising-a-better-candidate/
Report comment as offensive
To Random Name
Let’s try this one more time. I don’t doubt any conservative Christian or Republican wishes Palin’s daughter wasn’t pregnant and I will believe her boyfriend marries her when I see it.
But why can’t you respect a pro-life woman who didn’t abort her Downs syndrome baby and didn’t take her daughter to an abortion clinic. Where oh where is your admiration for a woman who practices what she preaches?
Report comment as offensive
SteveG at # 12:
I think you hit a nerve. Well said. Poor Vicky is still sputtering.
NJL: the MSM has nothing else to use against Palin
Oh my, the hero of your party picks someone barely out of diapers politically to be one heartbeat from the Presidency and you think the MSM isn’t interested? Just wait.
The Post this morning had some interesting stuff on Palin, well paid lobbyists, $50 million in earmarks for her tiny town and the generally corrupt political culture in Alaska. Look for a lot more where that came from.
You are going to have to go a long way to blame it all on the MSM rather than the sewer from which Ms Palin has apparently crawled.
Report comment as offensive
#29… Sin? Who’s talking about sin? “Sin” is just biblical manure. I’m merely judging the failure of Palin’s abstinence only policy which, CLEARLY, didn’t work for her own family. Let’s leave sin out of this since that’s the type of judgment that Christians/god make based on that silly book that they revere. I didn’t judge Palin’s parenting or the daughter’s character or action. Are my facts wrong Victoria? As much as you pray that they are, I don’t think even you can argue my point. The policy didn’t work for her oldest daughter.
Report comment as offensive
Guess who said this:
“On the pinhead front, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. The sister of Britney says she is shocked. I bet.”
“Now most teens are pinheads in some ways. But here the blame falls primarily on the parents of the girl, who obviously have little control over her or even over Britney Spears. Look at the way she behaves.”
Yes, that’s Bill O’Reilly of Fox News. What will he say about Bristol’s ‘condition’?
Report comment as offensive
NJLawyer post 27,
actually I believe if you look at the time lines, it was Sarah Palin’s actions which were being challenged and reviewed.
It was the Palins and McCain who entered Bristol directly into the discussion, at which point, of course, the discussion pretty much dissipated, as well it should have.
My sense is that it is lasting longer in WMB than it is in many other places.
Report comment as offensive
NJLawyer post 27,
interestingly there were a number of ways to quell the discussion:
1) show the birth cetificate for Trig
- many birth certificates are bineg produced in this campaign
2) release Srah Palin’s medical records
- this will pretty much inevitably have to be done anyway
Releasing the data on Bristol was an interesting approach (debunking a rumor about your daughter’s pregnancy by announcing that she is pregnant????). But it was done at the Palin’s and McCain campaign’s choice, not the demand of the media.
Now the reality is that Bristol’s pregnancy was pretty much going to come out anyway. The only question was when and how.
Report comment as offensive
#32
Nick, I won’t answer any more questions you ask me until you are willing to answer questions I ask you.
Report comment as offensive
This is so wrong.
http://tinyurl.com/gamblingissowrong
Report comment as offensive
Random name post 39,
how is it so much more wrong than betting say the GM stock will go up or down in price?
Report comment as offensive
Lumpy: In context, if you look at the sister of Britney Spears (and her parents) side by side with Bristol Palin (and her parents), there’s absolutely no comparison. Give it up.
Report comment as offensive
Let’s look at two different candidates -
Governor Palin’s daughter is pregnant, 17 and will marry her boyfriend and carry their child.
We have a guy running for President who would take another path, living up to his constant pro-abortion stand -
I’ve got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to
teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a
mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. Obama
One young 17 year old girl handles her situation like a woman, a strong woman -
One man would handle the situation much differently, like a selfish individual obviously the infant would be the punished victim, needing to be eliminated by the knife -
Report comment as offensive
To Random
How did I not answer your question?
And yes it does concern me that McCain (a 72 year old man) picked Palin based on one short meeting.
McCain said he know about Palin’s daughter but I wonder.
Report comment as offensive
outkast post 41,
I suggest that the first step in such comparisons is outcomes.
The initial outcomes are similar.
If we are going to waste more time considering Bristol’s situation, then it wil be the intermediate and long term outcomes which will be most interesting for comparison.
I suggest we don’t have adequate data for those comparisons yet and wont for some time.
Report comment as offensive
Random Name,
inTrade, the market your link discusses, was correct in predicting every house and senate election in 2006, while the pundits and experts were often wrong.
It now has McCain down another point today at a 38.7% chance at the presidency. If people are sure about McCain there’s a lot of money to be earned if he wins. If he had named a competent VP candidate I’d buy some some shares at that price.
Report comment as offensive
victoria post 42,
your conservative presuppositions are showing!
Report comment as offensive
Mrs. Spears was good enough to have a book deal with a large Christian Publisher of Bibles. Why throw her under the bus and not Palin?
“Meanwhile, Thomas Nelson, which publishes Bibles and inspirational books, said Wednesday it has suspended publishing a parenting book by Lynn Spears, mother of Jamie Lynn.”
“We have postponed the book indefinitely,” said Lindsey Nobles, spokeswoman for Tennessee-based Christian publisher, in a Reuters report Wednesday.
Report comment as offensive
The Governor and VP positions have a lot of support staff and persaonal/household assistance. Far more than any stay-at-home mom ever had. Mr. Palin has time on his hands too.
Report comment as offensive
Arcadia, I watch the evening news every day, and the MSM is talking about protestors at the RNC convention, but they didn’t last week at the DNC convention. Pick a station, they’ve made truly nasty remarks about baby bumps.
You talk about a general corrupt politial culture in Alaska — is Ms. Palin a part of that or has she gone after that. Be fair. That’s all I ask, and so far, the MSM has not been fair. It has been salacious. There has been more talk about this pregnancy than anything else, and it’s been nasty.
Musing, I have had the news on almost all day, and every station has mentioned the pregnancy. And I don’t have cable. So, it’s not just here on WMB.
For people who are always writing here that the issues should be discussed, you’re having a fine time.
And Random, I give you an A plus for your snide condescension.
Report comment as offensive
Well, I would be even more concerned now. . . I believe that a woman could serve well as President — and one day will. . . . Then again, that presupposes that women — and men — have first fulfilled their responsibilities within the little commonwealth of the family. Is this kind of public role what most women want? Clearly not, and for that I am honestly thankful. The tasks assigned to women within the home are monumental. . . Still, there is something to give us all pause in this picture, and those who care for the future of the family should take note and think hard.
I believe that Mohler is preparing the way for Palin’s withdrawal from the ticket.
Defeating Obama is certainly more important to him than electing Palin.
It’s becoming clear that independent voters think McCain showed too much political calculation and too little judgement in this selection, which will hurt him more than a fired-up base will help. The base is going to blame liberals for this fiasco, which is good for McCain, and might even let him keep the benefits of making the appointment without keeping Palin herself, and the disadvantages she brings.
Setting aside all we’re learning about Palin, we’re learning a lot about McCain’s management style (David Brooks today is devastating, without meaning to be), and I think Republicans will use what’s left of the convention to pick another VP.
Report comment as offensive
In other words, your post #30 let you win the race to the bottom, as you call it. It’s offensive.
Report comment as offensive
NJL -
Giving people the benefit of the doubt is always a good idea - In the case of what’s happened in the past few days since Gov. Palin has been chosen, I have little respect if any, for what I’ve witnessed - attacking a nominee, her husband and their daughter has been made a wicked pass-time, of ridicule and “if I were you” -
Strange how the left can justify abortion, and yet behave like vipers against a young girl and her parents.
In many ways its best that this has happened, those of us who might have tried see how useless it is to fight with vipers, their ways are different from ours.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Matthew 12
Report comment as offensive
Apparently everyone on the left has perfect teenagers. Sin is inevitable. It is the response to that sin that shows true character. The left is just sore because she didn’t exercise her right to ‘choose’.
As disgusting as Bill Clinton was, I admire Hillary for sticking with him. As heartbreaking as teen mistakes can be I admire parents for sticking with them and dealing admirably with the consequences.
Report comment as offensive
NJL,
When I am brought to trial for the crime of condescension, I certainly hope that I will be tried by a jury of my peers. If you are on the jury pool, I will suggest to my lawyer that based on that criteria he include you as one of the selections.
By the way, in regard to Nick and Night Train, they seem to be in a very similar place in regard to black people. You have indicated to me that I am unfair to Nick, though I am not sure how. If he asks me questions, I presume he is checking in for my answer. If he asks me questions, and I answer them, I think it reasonable to expect him to answer mine, which he doesn’t seem willing to do.
As I see similar comments and behavior on the part of Night Train, who seems to be an apostate evangelical Christian, are you going to leap to his defense in a way you do for the (apparently) Catholic Nick? I am confused about your criteria for whom you defend.
Under what conditions (if any) would you leap to my defense at WorldMagBlog?
Report comment as offensive
Xion: “The left is just sore because she didn’t exercise her right to ‘choose’.”
As StuBob noted if not in this thread, then another on this subject, the Palins DID choose. Sarah and Todd chose to have a Down Syndrome baby. Bristol Palin is choosing to have her baby.
The left is sore because the Palins DID exercise their rights, just not in the left way.
Victoria - agreed. I’m looking forward to tonight’s convention hour. I’m sure you are, too. But I’ll bet you the news people will make some snide remark.
Report comment as offensive
My teen was pretty perfect, and didn’t get pregnant, even with the moral hazzard of parents who don’t denounce other people’s weak families.
One of my brother’s kids got pregnant in college. My brother and his wife actually changed their lives. They moved (nowhere near the White House). He went to work for the family business, and grandma became a day-care worker so little mama could go to work. My brother found a job for the baby’s father, too. Goodbye college life, hello jobs and night school. My brother made the biggest sacrifice, I think, because he’s shrewd enough to know the likelihood of spinning off a stable marriage probably aint the greatest.
Report comment as offensive
Let’s see now, it is unforgivable to call Michelle Obama to task for a statement that she made – and then repeated – WHILE CAMPAIGNING for the man who want to be PRESIDENT, but it is OK to viciously attack the new vice-presidential candidate? What is wrong with this picture?
Where are the impassioned chest-beaters of the Media? Of the Left?
Also, seems to me like Obama and his surrogates were inferring that McCain et al were out-of-touch with the “Middle-class”. Now we have a V.P. candidate that is showing herself to have many of the challenges of Middle-class but is handling them well – and the Media and the Left go into attack-mode more viciously than Freddy Kreuger – slicing and dicing her family at every opportunity!
Let’s get back to the issues – oh, wait, we don’t know where Obama stands (for long) on any issues but killing innocent babies and raising taxes. (Ooops, there goes my sarcastic streak again…)
Report comment as offensive