Views of God

[pyat]

From CNN.com:

"FINDLAY, Ohio (CNN) –- In an interview posted online Wednesday, Sarah Palin told Dr. James Dobson of “Focus on the Family” that she is confident God will do “the right thing for America” on Nov. 4.

Dobson asked the vice presidential hopeful if she is concerned about John McCain’s sagging poll numbers, but Palin stressed that she was “not discouraged at all.”

“To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder,” she told the influential Christian leader, whose radio show reaches tens of millions of listeners daily. “And it also strengthens my faith because I know at the end of the day putting this in God’s hands, the right thing for America will be done, at the end of the day on Nov. 4.”

She also thanked her supporters — including Dobson, who said he and his wife were asking “for God’s intervention” on election day — for their prayers of support.

“It is that intercession that is so needed,” she said. “And so greatly appreciated. And I can feel it too, Dr. Dobson. I can feel the power of prayer, and that strength that is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation. And I so appreciate it.”

The interview was taped on Monday by phone while Palin was campaigning in Colorado Springs, where “Focus on the Family” is headquartered."

I'm not quoting this to spark debate about the election, or basic politics. I feel their comments raise interesting questions about how they view God, and prayer.

If Palin loses, will she say it was because:
A) God did not consider her or McCain to be the best candidates?
B) God had no control over the outcome of the election?
C) God did not chose to "intervene" because people didn't pray hard enough?

I'm sure there are other options.

Does Dobson's comment about praying for God to intervene mean that he believes God is usually "hands off," unless specifically petitioned?

It seems to me that they regard God as a magic fairy who gives you things, but only if you want them hard enough.

In any case, they might win, so... we'll see.

Comments

[paka.livejournal.com]

Come on, this stuff is old hat. Thinking of God as some weird variety of Santa Claus is something anyone, from any religion, can do some of the time but with these guys Sacred Santa is endemic. You know the sort of thing. They've been doing praying stuff throughout this campaign - I think you might read Athelind, recently he posted the slur campaign where some of the Republican faithful were dead certain that Obama's evil voudounista family (in Kenya) were sacrificing chickens for his victory, and that Moslems loved him universally, and therefore they were praying to achieve complete spiritual victory and so on.

These people are complete fanatics and a true danger to my country, my family, my friends, and my willingness to accept that "Christian" can be synonymous with "decent human being." You should see the rhetoric behind the anti-Gay marriage thing here in California. These guys who have everything feel that eeeeevil Gay people have co-opted the system to form a serious threat to their kids and their god. There's always a threat out there.

We are expected to believe that the most powerful and sympathetically benevolent entity in the universe is seriously threatened by a few nerds playing AD&D, cares deeply about NASCAR races, and always comes down on the side of right-wing Republican Americans.

Though, I gotta say, if a McCain victory is God's will, then I hadn't realized that He hacks electronic voting.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Though, I gotta say, if a McCain victory is God's will, then I hadn't realized that He hacks electronic voting.

The question is, could God make an electronic voting machine he couldn't hack?

[hannahmorgan.livejournal.com]

*tries to come up with a joke about God's lesser-known son Chad, who died by hanging....and fails*