God And The Election

The Associated Press reports that Rev. Jay Scott Newman of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina wrote of "Barack Hussein Obama" in a letter distributed to his parishioners Sunday:

Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.

This is only one priest out of the mainstream, I hope (and think) of thought in the Roman Catholic Church. But in an October, 2008 with psychologist and evangelical Christian leader James Dobson of Focus On The Family, vice-presidential candidate (and non-Catholic) Sarah Palin stated (beginning at approximately 8:15):



To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder and it also strengthens my faith because I'm going to know at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done, the end of the day on November 4th.

On November 12, Palin told Wolf Blitzer (begins at approximately 1:10) on The Situation Room:



I think the same thing for our nation as we seek God's guidance, his wisdom, his favor and protection over our nation, that at the end of the day, that the right thing is done.... And I do believe that prayers were answered, others who prayed across this nation in the election that this nation would be protected, that we would be safe, that we would be prosperous and favored.

Let's see if we can sort out this thinking of the Christian political right: We seek God's guidance and protection over our nation, confident that we have put this into God's hands and the right thing for America will be done. Barack Obama- the embodiment of intrinsic evil, or, at least, supporter of abortion rights- is elected.

Perhaps someone should ask the illustrious Governor of Alaska the following: given that an opponent of the pro-life position was selected on November 4 to lead this country, did God in fact see that the right thing was done? Or did He decide not to grant wisdom to the American people and assert His will in the election? And if, directly or indirectly, God did not determine the outcome of the election, does He then prefer we not "be prosperous and favored?"

I am not questioning the sovereignty of God. But unless she has concluded that the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, rather than John McCain and Sarah Palin, was a reflection of God's will, Sarah Palin is.