Sarah Palin Says That Catholics Are Not Christians?
Sarah Palin was recently interviewed by USA Today regarding Rev. Billy Graham: "His message transformed my mom's life,....In the 70s, she would tune into the Billy Graham crusades, televised. My mom was raised Catholic, and she ... was yearning for something more," she said. "His invitation for people to know that they could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ — my mom understood that from the way that he could articulate it. She became a Christian, led the rest of the family to Christ, and that I believe transformed our family."
Sarah, with all due respect, Catholics are Christians, as a matter of fact, they were the first Christians! Receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the most personal and intimate way of communing with Jesus this side of the veil. A person of her political stature should be more astute in the way they articulate their faith. Does she realize that she essentially told twenty-five percent of the American population that they are not Christians?
Maybe one of the magazines that Sarah Palin told Katie Couric "I read all of 'em" was a Chick Tract.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 8:38 AM
24 Comments:
I used to hear that as a Protestant; people would say things like, "I grew up Catholic, then I became a Christian." It drove me up the wall; even as a Protestant, I wanted to strangle people who said nonsense like that. Even as a Protestant, I could see St. Peter's from my house.
Is that ugly drawing intended to be a caricature of Sarah Palin? If so, it would show a snarky, mean-spirited attitude that would be right at home in the "discourse" of modern political punditry. And that's the really sad part. Christians who behave online in the same manner as their secular counterparts. Was her statement hurtful? Yes, but it was rooted in ignorance. The hurtful response on this blog was premeditated. I don't mean to be overly critical, but I really do wish that Christians would review what they post online, and consider whether their content really is distinguishable from that of their secular counterparts. You never know who is out there reading...
You missed the fact that Sarah almost became Vice President , yet has a Jack Chick mentality regarding a major religion that differs from her sect.
Scott, Amen.
Nope, I didn't miss that at all. She's said many jaw-dropping things. You missed my point, which was that disagreements among Christians should lack the sarcasm, insults and courseness that are all-too-common on secular sites. I think your point could've been made without being personal (the demeaning caricature).
I wouldn't read too much into her statement, honestly. I even know a great many Catholics who distinguish between Christians and Catholics in the same way. What they really mean is often basically Protestant vs. Catholic.
I grew up Protestant (Baptist) and became Catholic about 20 years ago. Many of my friends used this distinction although only some of them actually meant that they did not consider Catholics to be Christian. I'm finding that number to be less and less over time.
Either way, you can't be a good Christian if you are a democrat.
Or a good politician if you think Catholics are not Christians and expect them to vote for you.
I am a catholic (a convert from episcopalian/quaker/new age). I am convinced that most of the hate for Sarah Palin is because she did not abort her retarded child. The haters use some of her sillier statements as an excuse to oppose her. I'd vote for her over Obama in a second. And I think she realizes catholics are christians and I hope she comes back to the church. But I still like her.
And here I am correcting my young child when she makes a statement about Lutherans not being Christian. She has a hard time understanding why the division, why are there Protestants, so she was thinking that anyone who isn't Catholic isn't Christian.
I just wish more Catholics realized they *are* Christian, so when faced with being 'introduced' to Christianity, they have the knowledge about that that my daughter seems to have.
This is all very odd. I'm a revert to the Church, and it is my view that by leaving various Protestant denominations and entering again into communion with the Roman Catholic Church, sub Petro, I became more authentically Christian, not less. Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia; ubi Ecclesia, ibi Christi est.
For those of you upset with Palins comment, especially those with a conservative perspective remember the MSM has a habit of presenting comments by conservatives out of context. Second I may be older than most posting here and I've heard that phrase many times growing up, "no I'm not Catholic, I'm a Christian". As imprecise and insensitive that phrase may be I never took it to mean anything other than I'm a Christian just not a Catholic Christian.
Joe, I appreciate your intent to see the good in people and I wish I had more of that. HOwever, Sarah is a member of a sect that by and large does not believe Catholics have a personal relationship with Christ. To them, what makes someone a Christian is "if they once asked Jesus into their hearts." This is Sarah's theology. When she described her mother as being Catholic and wanting something more, she was essentially saying her mom did not have a "personal relationship" with Jesus and thus was NOT a Christian. The context is right there. Sarah believes that Catholics don't have a personal relationship with Christ and thus are not Christians. Than being said, there are plenty of Catholics and Protestants who have been validly baptized and at one time expressed faith in Christ. They may not actively live their faith, but are still Christians. Where they ultimately spend eterrnity is up to God to judge. Not us.
Nice getting linked to by The Deacon's Bench, Russ.
"I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found."
Beauty and truth? Who are you trying to kid? The caricature and hate you spew —snarky and mean-spirited attitude as someone else pointed out— at someone based on an elipses-broken, incomplete hearsay account shows all too well what is actually in your heart.
Then to make up Palin's theology out of thin air: "This is Sarah's theology. . . Sarah believes that Catholics don't have a personal relationship with Christ and thus are not Christians." Beauty and truth? It's not apparent there either.
When wrath and pride displace kindness and diligence; finding the beauty of the Truth and the Way becomes impossible. Maybe, just maybe, if you took the time to look for the truth you would find it. It's out there, just not in your version. Then maybe, just maybe, if you listened to the account of an entire family led to Christ, you would behold the beauty if it too.
Dear Anon: Why do post anonymously? Why are you afraid of identifying yourself?
You write "When wrath and pride displace kindness and diligence; finding the beauty of the Truth and the Way becomes impossible." I do believe that may sums up people such as yourself, though I don't believe in impossible. With God all things are possible (Luke)
Sarah's family was led away from Christ by leaving the Catholic faith. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, not just symbolically. There is no place on earth that one can get closer to God than in any Catholic Church receiving the Eucharist. It is not a beautiful thing to see her mother keeping the family from receiving all the grace available to them . It is not beautiful to see a supposed intelligent person dissing 1/4 of the population because they don't meet her definition of what a Christian is based on her obvious lack of information. Chick tracts are propaganda, not education and her comment reveals the fact that she was obviously exposed to a lot of that propaganda in her sect.
The issue is meanness toward Palin based solely on a heavily edited account, by a press that has consistently misrepresented and quoted her out of context. You have no idea what Palin actually said (nor do I) that was replaced by those ellipses, so you put words in her mouth. Not the first time you've done that; but it's no different than some idiot spouting off about Catholic idolatry. What we know she said that day bears almost no resemblance to what USA Today reported, and none of the hot-buttons that got you so worked up.
Now you shift (after dodging the substance) to justify your ira toward her based on her failure to conform to your specific beliefs. It's a tactic straight from the extreme forms of Mohammedism; where kaffirs can be slandered, enslaved, or worse because 'unbelievers are worthless'.
i dont see in this post where the mean spiritedness or snarkiness was? Pallin made a point re her mother finding Christ in BG televised crusades and conversion from the Catholic Church... Russ refuted the point and "with due respect" to Palin & her holding office & being 'almost elected VP of the great USA... that Catholics are Christians and we encounter Jesus oh so intimately in the Holy Eucharist - fact! The only hatred that i read was anonymous post 2 post up which exactly showed his own hatred towards the Catholic church..peace to you brother/ sister in Christ. & btw caricatures are just that - a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect. Stay blessed Russ & the good work you continue to do through your blog. Pauline
Sarah Palin didn't invent Catholic v. Christian. It comes from a long-held prejudice that the Pope would take over the United States if given half a chance.(I'm not kidding!)Catholics were seen by Protestants as having a higher allegiance to the Pope than to any governing body and therefore were anti-American and scary. It was important to distinguish themselves as more patriotic and closer to God, so they adopted the term "Christian." For examples, look at the opposition to the JFK candidacy, as well as the 1928 Al Smith presidential candidacy.
Thanks Pauline! The Lord Bless you too!
i have always felt, as a catholic, that it was, in a sense, demeaning to be called a christian.
the word christian is the least specific word with which i am familiar.
by meaning almost anything, it ends up meaning nothing.
when non-catholics say catholics are not christian, we should agree.
being catholic is far more than being christian.
in the sense that christian means one who follows Christ, then catholics are christian.
but it is such a weak and starving word.
Anon: Tis true that calling oneself a"christian" can mean anything. From Sarah's comments though, her reference to a Christian is one who is saved and going to heaven. AS a former member of a sect similar to hers, I can tell you that when Sarah Palin said her mother became a Christian, she really believes that if her mom died before she "got saved" she would be in hell. The reality and truth is that no one should ever look at anyone else and say that person is "saved" and that other personover there is Catholic and therfore "not saved." That is rank Jack Chickism.
Sara Palin knew the difference betwee Catholic and her brand of "christianity. Though Catholic or her brand christian girl can become pregnant before marriage,the catholic Church considers the premarital sex sinful,her brand christianity considers it nothing sinful.Such differences in theology convinced her that her brand of chnristianity is better and practicable
Actually I just listened to her speach on YouTube. Just search for her name and Billy Graham. She doesn't even use the word Christian once in the entire speach. Clearly her family left the church and do not entirely share our theology. But I think she has shown herself to be a good person with a moral compass. She is a slap in the face to those who assume that all women must blindly accept the liberal, secular, pro-abortion mantra. As such she is hated by the liberal press. The "journalist" who quoted her either purposely misrepresented her, or revealed their own views of Catholicism.
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