I want to start by admitting one place where I went too far in my statements about Sarah Palin. It was unfair of me, and a cheap shot, to suggest that, were she elected President, she might use that position to “nudge along” the end times. I drew an extreme, unsubstantiated, conclusion based on some speculation by myself, and some of the other people here, regarding Mrs. Palin’s religious beliefs and worldview. I can understand why you might believe I am a follower of Christopher Hitchens or Andrew Sullivan, when I am, in fact, not.

However, I think that everything else I said regarding Mrs. Palin was well within the bounds of a political discussion. Mrs. Palin ran for Vice President in 2008 and has said the would consider running for President in 2012. That makes her subject to scrutiny regarding almost every aspect of her beliefs and her life. This includes her religious beliefs, at least to the extent that they might have a concrete impact on her actions as a public official.

Both I and some of the other writers here were speculating on whether the fact that Mrs. Palin was wearing both and Israeli and an American flag pin could signify that she believes in a form of Christian Zionism which derives from the theology of dispensationalism or premillenialism. According to what I have read, a significant minority of U.S. evangelicals believe in some form of dispensationalism. One consequence of this belief, from a public policy perspective, is that organizations in the U.S. formed around it have provided significant financial and political support to the settler movement in Israel. These organizations believe they are playing a part in assuring that Israel will play its role in bringing about the end times. The establishment of the settlements in the West Bank and elsewhere is one of the key issues in the Middle East conflict.

I have not, yet, tried to find out the answers to the questions that myself and others have raised here regarding Mrs. Palin’s specific religious or political beliefs that may pertain to Israel and the Middle East. But, if and when I do so, I will not turn to either Christopher Hitchens or Andrew Sullivan. I know that Hitchens, in particular, is opposed to any “religious” belief. That does not make me hostile towards him, but it means that I would question his reliability on this subject.

I might, time permitting, write a separate comment regarding our disagreements or mutual misunderstanding regarding the meaning of certain key terms such as “virtue” and “intellectual”. But, I wanted to say at least this much while this article remains “active”.

In this case it should be my lack of virtue you have issues with. Not Sarah’s. But fear not, my confessor has a similar issues with my lack of virtues and is working hard with me. Hopefully he’ll prevail too.

Is David Pryce-Jones an intellectual? He’s intelligent certainly. Learned most definitely. But if you use the word intellectual pejoratively like I do, then no. He’s not an intellectual.

Per:

“and I think she has a legitimate place in American public life”

How big of you. Obviously your virtue cannot be called into question.

Per:

“There is a movement among some Protestant churches to actively support the settlement movement in Israel precisely in order to help bring about the end times prophecy to which Leonard refers.”

Let’s get this straight. Sarah Palin is known -thanks largely to Christopher Hitchens and Jeffrey Hart – to possess an extremely dangerous version of protestant religious beliefs. She also said in a Barbara Walters interview that she supported the Israeli settlements, because more Jewish people would be flocking there in the days ahead. Or something like that. And she wears a pin of the flag of Israel which all somehow means she’s for the hastening of the end times.

If this is true, then why is The Left so upset that Sarah Palin is going to run for President in 2012? Or 2016? How can she? Won’t she have ended the world by then?

I know this sounds exceedingly selfish on my part and I am embarrassed to say it in so public a forum. I hope she never goes away. For the self-described political satirist, she is the gift that keeps giving and giving and giving….

I’m so ashamed.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen NY

Maybe because she sees Israel as an ally under attack, and the others are not? (Although I could argue that GB is not only under attack, but nearly defeated. They’re not resisting, though)

Will Palin have the answer inked onto her telepalmter?