I hate hypocrisy. And I especially hate it in religion. So you will understand my revulsion around the loving embrace of evangelical Christians of Sarah Palin’s candidacy for vice president of the United States.
Let me help you to understand why – and I would invite every evangelical Christian reading this right now to try…just try…to defend this one…
I read a lengthy Op Ed piece in USAToday a few days ago, and filed it away for future reference, because I knew that I could not let it go without comment. It was written by David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. Professor Gushee identifies himself as “a moderate evangelical Christian” at the outset of his article.
When I read what he had to say, my blood ran hot. Of all the hypocrisy, I thought. Of all the blazing, right-out-there-in-the-open hypocrisy…
In his article Prof. Gushee observed that “it is an uncomfortable fact that many of the theologically conservative Christians who have endorsed Sarah Palin’s nomination would not be willing to endorse her or any other woman for service as pastor of their church.”
(Italics mine)
I knew this, of course. In my book What God Wants I made a big point of the ridiculous insistence of conservative Christians that the Bible (and, therefore, true Christian doctrine) prohibits females from holding any position of authority over men. But, to be honest, I had not thought about it in the context of the Palin nomination until Prof. Gushee brought it to my attention. He is, of course, searingly right here.
Noted Mr. Gushee…

“Woman cannot serve as pastors in groups such as the Churches of Christ, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Presbyterian Church in America, most non-denominational Bible churches, and an influential advocacy group called the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW)”

But it is worse than that.
“Actually,” Prof. Gushee tells us, “at the local church level many congregations would not accept Palin or any other woman even as associate pastor, or deacon, or youth minister or Sunday School teacher in a gender mixed classroom.” (Again, italics mine…because I don’t want you to miss the hypocritical irony here. Conservative evangelicals say it’s okay for her — even great for her — to be vice-president of the United States, but NOT okay for her to be a deacon in their own church!)
The CBMW — which includes many of the Christian right’s notable figures among its supporters — has for 20 years expressed concern about “widespread ambivalence regarding the values of motherhood (and) vocational homemaking” and about the “increasing promotion given to feminist egalitarianism,” Prof. Gushee wrote.
And then he asks some pointed questions of conservative evangelical leaders…and I join him in asking these questions:
“Is it now your view that God can call a woman to serve as president of the United States? Are you prepared to renounced publicly any further claim that God’s plan is for men rather than women to exercise leadership in society, the work place, and public life?
Do you acknowledge having become full-fledged egalitarians in this sphere at least?”
To which I add this question: Isn’t it amazing how conservative Christians become raging hypocrites when it serves their political agenda?
And pullleeeese don’t tell us that it is okay for Sarah Palin to run for office because she is only seeking the vice-presidency…and would therefore be under the authority of the president. Everyone in the country understands that, should she and Sen. McCain be elected, and should something terrible then happen to John McCain, Sarah Palin would be the next president of the United States. We all know that going IN. So let us not be disingenuous and exhibit even more hypocrisy.
Okay, come on conservative evangelicals….explain this one to your fellow Christian, Prof. Gushee, and to the rest of us. Because, frankly, we just don’t get it. Frankly, we think this is amazingly, shockingly, hypocritical.