A Response for Palin

Joseph Farah makes a an observation that Sarah Palin might face a difficult question that could make a big difference in how she is viewed. He speculates that if asked if she believes that, since salvation is through Jesus alone, that Muslims and Jews will go to Hell, that there is no direct answer to the question that won't land her in trouble. If she answers yes, then she shows herself to be a bigot. If she answers no, she loses the evangelicals. If she replies with a wishy-washy non-answer, she loses credibility. He offers the solution:

Palin: I know exactly why you are asking that question in this forum. You want to play the "gotcha" game. You want a headline from this interview. You want something sensational. You want me to say something controversial and provocative and maybe even offensive to millions of Americans of other faiths. But I'm not going to play that game with you. I already have told you what I believe about salvation and redemption. It's the same belief hundreds of millions of other Christians around the world share. I am firmly committed to my faith, just as others are committed to their faiths. I respect the faiths of others, just as I hope they respect my beliefs. This is a serious issue that cannot be addressed adequately in bumper-sticker slogans or sound bites. Therefore, I'm not going to fall for that bait. I love to talk about my faith. That's something I'm qualified to do. I welcome the chance to talk about the issues facing this country today. That's something I'm qualified and prepared to do. But I'm not going to talk about the faiths of others. Nice try. Next question.

While I feel that this reply is in keeping with a spirited, on-the-offense campaign, it is still dodging the question, and people who really care about the issue will notice it. The evangelicals will feel slighted that she didn't have the chutzpah to make a simple assertion that every evangelical believes is true and vital to their faith, and the people on the other side will see her as playing politics as usual by not giving a definite answer.

Part of the problem is that Palin, as an evangelical Christian, doesn't have a good answer, or at least, not one that is good politically. Going by the Bible, the only way to salvation is through Jesus. It doesn't become much clearer than that.

The Catholic Christian, on the other hand, has a somewhat easier recourse (though neither the Catholic nor the Evangelical has a nice brief means of answer the question). The evangelicals have to fall back solely on the Bible. Catholics can speak about natural law, and the genuine desire each human has to follow natural law. Furthermore, Catholics can talk about an earnest yearning for the Truth, which is Christ, without knowing that the Truth is Christ. Finally, Catholics can talk about the mitigating factor of invincible ignorance. Thus the Catholic response is:

"Communion with the Church and faith and obedience to Christ are necessary for salvation. However, due to circumstance, it is possible that a person visibly outside the Church is still invisibly in communion with the Church through a desire for goodness, piety, and truth. Thus, while it is normative to achieve salvation through the Church, the visible body of Christ, and thus through Christ Himself, it is possible that mercy is bestowed on those raised in invincible ignorance who yet thirst for the glory of God."

In other words: "I cannot say that Jews and Muslims are going to Hell. By ignorance of the truth, but also through a true desire for holiness, Jews and Muslims may be unknowingly seeking Christ, and in the end achieve salvation."

For Palin, not being a Catholic, I would recommend she respond:

"As all Christians, I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Salvation is through Him. However, Jesus Himself warned us not to judge the eternal destination of our fellow man: "judge not, lest ye be judged". There is always hope that those visibly outside of Christianity may be saved. This is no different than how we deal with the courts: a man is assumed innocent until proven guilty. Will I say that it is much more difficult for someone outside of Christianity to be saved? The answer is: of course. Is it easier to get to San Francisco from D.C. by taking the interstate or by walking through countryside? Of course. Walking through the countryside is a lot harder and a lot longer path to take, and the temptation to give up and go home is much stronger. Is it impossibly difficult? That I cannot say. That requires knowing a person's inner disposition towards to God, and none know that save God Himself."