Thursday, February 23, 2012

Discussing Satan. . .Well, Isn't THAT Special?!

Well, thanks to Rick Santorum discussing the subject of Satan in 2008, the Devil is entering his way into the Republican race for president.
And I am all in on writing about the Devil, Satan, Beelzebub, whatever one wants to call the harnesser of evil.
Let me stipulate that Mr. Santorum was a private citizen speaking to a traditionalist Roman Catholic school, Ave Maria University. He was not at this point a sitting senator.
What is amazing is that Mr. Santorum was using language that I would not expect at an RC setting. It is more Evangelical and even fundamentalist Christian than what I am familiar about the RC view of Satan.
Here is a bit of what Mr. Santorum said at this speech:

"This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?"


The language Mr. Santorum used is amazing but one that I totally agree with.
Satan, whether one believes is an actual being or a force, is a great deceiver. That much any Christian believes.
But the question is should the potential next president of the United States have been saying such things?
As a Christian believer, yes.
As potential president, no.
No matter what, whoever is running for president is not running for Christian Theologian-in-chief.
But they do not and should not leave their values at the door either.
It is a fine line any candidate walks.
Keep in mind that Mr. Santorum made the above speech in 2008. And it is I presume what he believes.
Mr. Santorum is a devout Roman Catholic. I for one find it refreshing that someone of faith speaks with such conviction.
Right now, the current occupier of the White House, the Dear Leader, President Obama says that he is a Christian. But does he speak about a struggle between good and evil? Does he, as a Christian not president, speak about the role of faith in his life?
Before you answer about his speech before the National Prayer Breakfast which I commented on here, that was not what I had in mind.
That whether one likes it or not, there is a struggle between good and evil. Right and wrong.
I have no problem with a candidate or sitting president speaking on this kind of very personal and deep issues of faith.
So we should applaud that Mr. Santorum would speak boldly and with conviction. And if he is the nominee and eventually president we would know that he stands by his convictions.

1 comment:

An Unmarried Man said...

I actually support Dick's, I mean Rick's, sentiments.

I don't believe in Satan, as you know, but yes, evil grows like a pall over our world.