He's since had more exposure and more time on the campaign trail. How's he doing now?
Still lame.
That is, still lame if this article is accurate.
According to that article, a Huckabee supporter said this of competitor Sam Brownback, who apostatized to the Roman Catholic religion:
“I know Senator Brownback converted to Roman Catholicism in 2002. Frankly, as a recovering Catholic myself, that is all I need to know about his discernment when compared to the Governor’s.”Honestly, the man has a point. One point. As I've argued before in discussing the candidacy of cultist/candidate Mitt Romney, if someone wants power, his worldview is open for consideration. If he's a member of a kooky cult, or a totalitarian religion, that's worth considering. It isn't everything, but it isn't nothing.
So what should Huckabee have done? What could he have done?
Oh, he could have done all sorts of things, ranging from saying, "I challenge Sam Brownback to a debate on the Biblical Gospel," to saying "These are important questions, and voters have a right to consider them. For my part, I'm no judge of Sam Brownback's soul, and am going to focus on the policies and philosophies he and I would bring to the White House" — or a dozen other things.
He could have done those things. What did he do?
Well first, Huckabee "issued a statement on Wednesday saying that his campaign neither disseminated nor condoned the message." I think that's just fine.
But then he reportedly called Brownback a “Christian brother,” and said, “As believers, we don’t have time to fight each other.”
Now I know what his apologists will say, and after they've said it all, these truths — assuming the accuracy of the report — will still stand:
- Rather than shelving the issue, Huckabee joined it.
- In joining the issue, he issued the ruling and judgment that Roman Catholic Sam Brownback was a "Christian brother."
- In doing that, Huckabee swept aside the Reformation, and blood of Christians martyred by Rome; worse
- In doing that, Huckabee swept aside central and vital issues such as the Gospel and the sufficiency of the Word of God.
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11 comments:
Lack-of-spine problems, like Huckabee's, often become theological problems. And such weakness in the beginning makes it all the easier to weaken in the future, in fits of political pragmatism.
One doesn't have to be mean to have a strong spine. Look at Reagan who dismissed lesser beings with his trademark smiling, "There you go again."
Anyway, it would take nearly a literal miracle for Huckabee to be nominated, so his spine will probably never get the ultimate test.
But this brings another question, seriously: Could a born-again theologically uncompromising man, who is not a deceptive "spinner" (read "liar), ever become President in this age?
"But this brings another question, seriously: Could a born-again theologically uncompromising man, who is not a deceptive "spinner" (read "liar), ever become President in this age? "
If The Lord want one to. ;-)
"Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes."
Don't cease to pray for them. But if one is going to ride on the coattails of Christs' work ala "Vote for me, I'm a Christian!" then well...
1 Cor 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.
Well, Terry, if it weren't for Lee's proactive correction, I would have answered "No."
(c;
Tancredo seems to have a spine (didn't back down from highly-criticized terrorism deterrence comments, like flint that #1 job is to protect nation, etc) and said his biggest regret was waiting 30 (I think) years to trust in Jesus. That's all I know, though...
There are MANY conservative evangelical Christian thinkers/leaders who consider Rome's doctrinal errors EXTREMELY dangerous and wrong, who at the same time consider them "Christian brothers" such as within my own denomination (PCA) due to their holding of the Trinitarian creed, the whole Federal Vision crew, etc. While we might strongly disagree with them, what relevance would this really have to running for President, ESPECIALLY considering the alternatives (thats a rhetorical question).?!
You completely missed my point.
I don't understand why you have such an axe to grind with Huckabee. I don't think I personally would have said exactly what he did, but you must realize that there are thousands of Christians (including myself) who know individual Catholics that they believe are truly born again. That doesn't mean we deny all the differences and serious problems with Catholic doctrine.
I've never met or spoken with Sam Brownback, and I assume neither have you. If Huckabee has, and he considers him a brother in Christ, who are you to judge him for that? I don't think it was a spineless thing to say. And further, I wonder if you are going to find better theology coming from some of the other candidates (a Mormon, a liberal Catholic, or Fred Thompson who only goes to church with mom)!
Joel--I don't understand why you have such an axe to grind with Huckabee
Well Joel, I don't understand why you don't understand. I explained it, briefly and precisely and in so many words. Both you and Steve seem simply to ignore what I wrote, and dive into the RC issue. That's not the issue.
ON that issue, which isn't the issue, I pretty much stand with Paul. False Gospels get you damned. Rome teaches a false Gospel. Anyone turning to Rome today has ZERO excuse for not knowing that, and it is a statement of the apostasy of his soul. Tooting an uncertain tune on your trumpet won't help anyone, though it may make us look nicer.
But again, that isn't the issue with Huckabee. The issue is what I said it is, in both posts. He seems completely unprepared to respond wisely to attacks which are NOTHING compared to what the Clinton/MSM machine would direct on him if he were the candidate.
I said in my comment that I didn't think it was a spineless thing to say, and I also don't see how it was so incredibly unprepared or unsiwe.
Maybe it would be helpful if you explained why you think it was so unwise. I don't think it really hurt him that much, I don't think evangelical leaders by and large are going to villify him because he called a Catholic a brother. Do you think it would have been wise for Huckabee to say, "I believe Roman Catholics are heretics!" Even if it's true?
I know what you wrote in your post. He could have said, "These are important questions, and voters have a right to consider them. For my part, I'm no judge of Sam Brownback's soul, and am going to focus on the policies and philosophies he and I would bring to the White House."
That would have been a better answer. But I don't think this is a very good example of Huckabee being unprepared to respond to attacks that may from Clinton or the other Republican candidates. In fact, now that Huckabee is top-tier (2nd place in Iowa and leading Romney in national polls) he is starting to be attacked by other candidates and by the WSJ, for instance. Those are the attacks that he will have to deal with, and they have to do with immigration, taxes, and governing the state of Arkansas, not with theology. I think he will be able to answer them competently... he has up to this point. Maybe he is a better politician than a pastor. But I'm not supporting him to become my pastor. :)
Oh please! are you serious?! The guy is running for president of the United States of America, not the board of the Southern Baptist Conference.
In my opinion he'd be an idiot to make some great judgment call on Brownback or to "challenge him to a duel" as you suggest.
That's why he and not you is running for president. We all remember what happened to Alan Keyes because he played that card. Obama came out looking noble.
Besides remember this: in the same manner we judge, we will be judged.
And another thing... many Catholics were murdered at the hands of protestants. I would know, i'm from Ireland. My people were slaughtered because they would not convert to the religion of the oppressor - namely protestantism.
Now don't get me wrong, i'm a born again, bible believing, follower of Christ. My trade is evangelism.
However, we're never going to win people by acting like bigots. Take it from Jesus, he condemned the bigot.
You know, I'm seriously starting to wonder if people like you, Irishdude, are being sent by a Huckabee organization.
You all say the same thing
You all appear not even to have read my article.
So, if you're a real human being, I invite you to read the article, see what I am saying, and respond to it.
Because your comments aren't even close, except in the most coincidental way.
My four concluding points stand.
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