F.W.W.J.V.?

I am unaware that any presidential or vice presidential candidate this year has explicitly denied being a Christian. To the contrary, each candidate has at least inferred that such is the case. Sarah Palin describes herself as a “Bible-believing” Christian and so I feel it is fair to examine precisely what such a claim means. Does Palin’s belief in the Bible include both the Old and New Testaments? Is her belief in a literal or figurative interpretation of the Bible? Is the historical Jesus the central figure of her belief, or is it the Christ? I do not think these unfair questions for anyone claiming to be a Christian to answer. Just as to say that I am an American proves insufficiently ambiguous when explaining who and what I am, so is it equally disingenuous to simply claim to be a Christian. For the vast majority of people who make the claim to be Christian, their ability to elaborate on exactly what they mean is personal and of little consequence on the global scale. But when Palin, who will be a heartbeat away from occupying the most powerful office in the world if John McCain is elected, claims to be a Christian, the world is entitled to know just exactly what she means. Where does Jesus or the Christ stand on abortion? Where does Jesus or the Christ stand on usury? Where does Jesus or the Christ stand on war, violence, and torture? In the twenty-first century, the claim to be a Christian is code for “I believe in the institutional religion” and does not mean (sadly) to be a disciple of Jesus as the Christ. The Constitution of the United States of America is ingenious in many ways, not the least of which is the absolute separation of Church and State. When it is clear that Sarah Palin has rocketed out of nowhere to become the Christian Right’s vice-presidential candidate of choice, it is only fair to ask the evangelical question, “For whom would Jesus vote?”