Support From On High

I'm finding it difficult to understand that God is on the side of the Republican Party. But I'm trying.

Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic reports that a Reverend Arnold Conrad gave the following invocation on October 12 preceeding the appearance of his candidate, John McCain, at a rally in Davenport, Iowa:

I also would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god--whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah--that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and election day.

While introducing the Repub vice-presidential nominee at a rally in Clearwater, Florida on October 7, 2008, McCain-Palin supporter and surrogate Joe Lieberman described Sarah Palin as one "who with your help will be the next Vice-President of the United States." (I cannot provide a link but was watching when he stated this.)

Mrs. Palin, slicker than others in claiming divine support for her causes, generally is more subtle. She gave a largely anti-abortion rights speech in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on October 11 in which she stated "There are the world’s standards of perfection … and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God, and dear to Him for their own sake." Palin then segued into an attack on Senator Obama's alleged "unconditional support for unlimited abortions, " thus delivering a clear message: God and I agree; Barack Obama disagrees.

This is nothing new for the Alaska governor. On June 8, 2008 she told graduating evangelical students at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church (where she was baptized):

I can do my part in doing things like working really, really hard to get a natural gas pipeline. Pray about that also. I think God's will has to be done, in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that.

It's less threatening than curious that an individual who could be the next Vice-President of the United States is convinced that God has blessed her positions on public policy. This is, after all, the candidate who recently told Katie Couric:

My church, I don't have a church, I'm not a member of any church. I get to visit a couple of churches in Alaska when I'm home, including one, Wasilla Bible Church, and that's the one that you're talking about.

Palin: "God is all for me. And I'm all for God, except on Sunday mornings."