Sarah Palin

So…what have we learned about Sarah Palin?

Well, we have learned that she is ambitious, brave, tough, crafty, stubborn and very human.  She has adjusted her stand when she understood that certain positions were politically unwise and counterproductive (right moves for the wrong reasons?).  She makes some statements about what is God’s will based on her dispensationalist, pentecostal, right-wing evangelical mindset.  She has made statements that are not accurate or particularly truthful.  In other words, she is a politician with all the positives and negatives.

My conclusion (which, I confess could change prior to the election) is that she is just like the others in this race.  So, our choices are narrowed down to two sets of questionable candidates.  Good grief!  What will I do on election day?  At the moment, I am going to write in Ron Paul.  Yes, I’m going to throw away my vote to make a statement.

Here is my prayer:  Dear God, send us someone with integrity who is honest to the bone and will put the good of our nation above personal, special or party interests.  Amen.

A Straw God

“For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us…’” (Exodus 32:23)

It is folly to construct a God out of our imagination and prejudice then, on that basis, to reject Him. It only seems fair that if one is going to reject God that one rejects the real one.

Your image of God may be like the one on the roof of the Sistine Chapel…a man-like creature complete with long, flowing beard. That image (in spite of the proscription against making images of God — Deuteronomy 4:23) came out of the mind of Mr. Michelangelo. It was his construction, a product of his imagination and prejudice.

You can construct your straw god and rail against it, beat it to chaff and burn it. Since, however, it is not the real God, it accomplishes little other than a release of anger and frustration. It might make you feel better and earn the cheers of your ignorant companions and, if that’s what satisfies you, so be it.

If, on the other hand, you want to reject the God of believers then go to Scripture. That’s the one we believe in, not your straw god. And don’t quit when you find something about Him you don’t like. There are some things the real God does that none of us understand or even applaud. Nonetheless, they are part of the real God. Once you have looked at all his attributes, you are in a position to make an informed decision. He’s not a man, limited by space and time; He is spirit, existing outside of the constraints of time in eternity, permeating all of space, dwelling in the gaps between the atoms and the void between the galaxies.

What atheists reject seems to be a composite god constructed of ignorance, misinformation, supposition and a prejudiced reading of the King James Version of the Bible. May I suggest a more honest approach? With an open mind, read an accurate modern language translation (not a commentary like The Message) and gather your understanding of God from it. Then make a decision about acceptance or rejection based on valid information.