David Gushee, in an editorial in USA Today, poses some great questions for conservative evangelicals who cheer Sarah Palin's role as vice presidential candidate. They include:
If you agree that God can call a woman to serve as president, does this have any implications for your views on women's leadership in church life? Would you be willing to vote for a qualified woman to serve as pastor of your church? If not, why not?
Do you believe that Palin is under the authority of her husband as head of the family? If so, would this authority spill over into her role as vice president?
Do you believe that women carry primary responsibility for the care of children in the home? If so, does this affect your support for Palin? If not, are you willing to change your position and instead argue for flexibility in the distribution of child care responsibilities according to the needs of the family?
I too wondered about this when I heard the news that Sen. McCain had chosen a female running mate, especially the second question: If Palin's husband is to have authority over her, does that extend to her role as vice president--or even president??
It seems like hypocrisy and dualistic thinking to separate the church sphere from the secular, political one, as I believe Al Mohler has recently done. So, how would a conservative Christian answer these? All I know is that it would require a lot of gymnastics!
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