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Christianity Today, March, 2008 |

Hating Hillary

Getting to the bottom of a cultural trend that has seeped into the church.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 3/03/2008 09:40AM

Paul Kengor, a Grove City professor who's penned religious portraits of Ronald Reagan and President Bush, recently released a third biography, God and Hillary Clinton. In a recent radio interview, Kengor ...

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onlyspam2008

Posted: March 16, 2008 4:45 PM

What is truly amazing to me, other than grace, is the current misunderstanding that most of the Christian right has taken in relationship to faith, government, and politics. I must have been busy at my church feeding the poor or healing the sick when Jesus announced He was a Republican. Was it on FOX or Rush? I watch CNN so I must have missed it. I think most fundamental Christians have developed premature Alzheimer’s because they seem to have forgotten that most of the Civil Rights gains occurred because of the Black Church. And, to the best of my memory, they were few Republicans. Furthermore, most of the liberty and equality women enjoy did not happen because of the social conservative position. What is equally troubling is how many anti-abortionist support the war in Iraq. (Is it acceptable discipleship to wait for humans to be born before we approve the use deadly force?) Please do not assume by my last comment that I am for abortions, I am just expressing my understanding of Chr

Charlie Ray

Posted: March 15, 2008 6:02 AM

Words have the power to shape the heart???? My Bible says that out of the HEART proceeds all sorts of evil. This silly bit of pelagianism is irritating and downright appalling coming from a so-called Evangelical magazine. The truth is that sin has corrupted the heart and out of the heart the mouth speaks. In other words, we do not have the power to shape the heart. The heart is desperately wicked and in need of regeneration. And even AFTER regeneration, the process of sanctification is also a gift of God working in us. That does not excuse us as free moral agents from accountability for our words and actions. However, theological precision is a must if we are going to preach the Gospel. Biblical psychology is a misnomer if this is the theology behind it. Charlie Ray www.reasonablechristian.blogspot.com

dayle

Posted: March 13, 2008 1:26 AM

Thank you for saying what I have been thinking!!!! I am amazed by the ignorance of my brothers & sisters in Christ. Rather than looking at the facts concerning each candidate, so many are sucked in by the media and the "mood of the day." Many believe what is essentially gossip rather than educated points of view. ~We need to each seek out answers concerning each candidate for ourselves and stop labeling them in generalized terms. It is absolutely true...what is in our hearts does spill out of our mouths. A few years ago, a friend lovingly pointed out that I was guilty of such contamination as I spewed out venemous comments about George Bush. I came to understand that despite whatever I thought, Jesus would want me to view things differently. Praying for our leaders is far more pleasing to God. I am grateful for the wisdom of my friend because I was not modeling Godly behavior for my son. I am teaching him to be informed and most importantly respectful.

Nancy

Posted: March 12, 2008 9:17 PM


Thank you for finally cautioning Christians that our mouths and their hearts should be connected. I am consistently embarrassed by those who profess to be followers of our Lord and then take thoughtless cheap shots at someone who has a difference of opinion or approach. Your comment that this certainly does not fill the world with the aroma of Christ is right on.

April

Posted: March 12, 2008 3:02 PM


AMEN! A well balanced article from a Christian perspective. What a great witness it would be if more Christians thought this way.

James Reid Ross

Posted: March 12, 2008 3:20 AM


Love Hillary yes without a doubt 1 Corinthians 13 and ; 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. thanks for the article we should always send our admonishments with love, be salt and light love James Reid Ross

Roger C.

Posted: March 11, 2008 9:22 PM


We, as Christians should treat Hillary with respect for her person but we need to be critical and, in no uncertain terms, when it comes to her political outlook and her scoffing at Christian values.

Lloyd Makaroff

Posted: March 11, 2008 1:05 PM

I wish we would spend as much time praying for our political leaders as we do criticiing. It is a fearful thing to speak against what I believe the Scripture says that the Lord Jehovah, "lifts one up and puts another down". As an evangelical I am embarrassed to identify myself as such because of the stupid things so many say. More and more I am agreeing with the late A.W. Tozer who one time said that he felt that 60% of the members of our evangelical church members aren't truly born again. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Angela Hey

Posted: March 10, 2008 10:12 PM

1. It is not for us to judge whether or not Hillary is a Christian - Judge That Ye Be Not Judged Matt 7 v 1 2. She should get points for sticking by her husband in very trying times - many would have junked him and not forgiven him - forgiveness is surely a most Christian virtue. 3. Her values are typical of professional, well-educated women and seem to be poorly understood by commentators who are not exposed every day to smart female coworkers. 4. Typically (a) men who are forceful are seen as good leaders, women who are forceful are seen as bitches (b) eyes will gravitate to the tallest white male in a meeting, and any man before a woman - hence I suspect that when the candidates are side by side in a debate, subconsciously some will value Obama's words more (c) people rarely notice when men interrupt women, but often notice when a woman interrupts a man Subtle sexist judgments, such as these I am sure cloud opinions of Hillary, and have no place in evaluating a leading politician

eyrl	Posted: March 10, 2008 6:31 PM

I know we are suppose to love even our enemies. But that doesn't mean we can't criticize political candidates. I won't judge Hillary or Bill or Jimmy by their claims of being Born Again or Christian, but I don't know how one can support candidates for president who support gay marriage, abortion, destroying Israel, encouraging immorality, or making the USA weaker. God has called us to not only love, but wisdom. As Americans we have the moral right and responsibility to campaign and vote for the candidate who has shown good leadership and policy and capability. Katrina: what proof do you have that G. Bush lied about Iraq? Do you honestly believe we can keep our freedom while a maniac is amasing weapons of mass destruction so he can wipe Israel and the other "great satan" off the face of the earth. The WMDs were taken to another Arab country.

Ingrid

Posted: March 08, 2008 10:14 PM


Thank you so much for the article. The name-calling and vilification of Hillary Clinton (who is not, incidentally, my preferred candidate) strikes me as one of the ways that Christians earn the reputation they enjoy among many non-Christians as hateful and strident. Thankfully many Christians do express Christ's love toward their friends and enemies alike.

Peggy McGilligan

Posted: March 08, 2008 8:52 PM

If the prince of peace returned today, he'd give Hillary Clinton a good smack; then he'd smack Paul Kengor for being such a hypocrite. It is indeed hubris to suggest that, "Hillary-bashing says more about the political climate Americans have created than it does about Clinton herself." At the very least that's deflection. Hillary's an adult; she's made her own bed. Hillary's heart is her own too; but her actions are in the public arena. Hillary is a political hack – not a nun. We judge her actions, because they affect us. We don't live in a convent, neither does she. And, Hillary never intimates that she's not a monster; she'll never deny that. We all know that faith without works is dead, but not all know how hard Hillary works: http://theseedsof9-11.com

Warren E. Anderson

Posted: March 08, 2008 4:05 PM

Hillary represents a party whose philosophy is morally and intellectually bankrupt. We don't need to label the people of the party this way. But Hillary indeed personifies this description. On the moral front, abortion is the sacrament of the Democratic party. Add to that moral relativism and tolerance. It has been well said that tolerance is the final virtue of a depraved society. The party tolerates every form of evil embraced by their constituents from the Hollywood Left. Intellectually the Democratic Party fulfills the predictions of Alexis de Tocqueville: "America will be great until her people realize that they can vote for themselves largesse from the treasury." Hillary and her fellow Democrats could not co-exist today with someone like John F. Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you...". Hillary wants the American people to believe there really is such a thing as a free lunch, be it health care or whatever.

Agnes O. Atkins

Posted: March 08, 2008 12:14 PM

Of all the vicious politicans, why does the media and a lot of people choose to bash Hillary? I have not heard or read anything bad that she has done. People did the same to Jesus. During the Clinton presidency, the economy was good for poor people; they suffered less. I believe that when you stand for right and try to help poor people, rather than the rich, you get bashed. I think no matter what people say, God will reward Hillary.

usernametodd

Posted: March 08, 2008 9:52 AM

This was just a very relevant and useful critisism. It's difficult and challenging, and very rare IMO, for Christians to mingle peaceably and tolerantly within the political environment, much less in any environment, with people of different yet equally scriptural views. We need to acknowledge that our sin is usually as bad as the targets of our displeasure, and we should concentrate on the message and not get personal about it. It's great politics to get personal but then your getting farther and farther away from any useful Christian counsel. The fact is that one can't tell Hillary from any other politically involved Christian because nobody's doing or saying anything that actually would identify them as a Christian, other than lipservice.

Clancy

Posted: March 07, 2008 4:16 PM

The article attempted to join two issues: Un- Christ-like attitude about Sen. Clinton & one elected official's un- Christ-like stance on life (as well as other issues in opposition to God's word). As with any election, rather than look at whether any candidate meets every expectation I can possible hope for, I'm reminded that I am a better citizen when I get right with God and then vote my conscience. I am a better Christian when I imitate Christ and look for those who by their leading example point the way to Christ. Line up the candidate with your regenerated (rather than hypocritical) heart. This is a challenge, for me -perhaps you also, when the reality of how Christ has called me to live and my current spiritual walk are not always pointing in the same direction. Whose agenda will I endorse? I pray I put God in 3 Persons first always. Will I pray for each candidate? Yes, for mercy. Do I really hate anyone? Only if I see in them what is possible in me: Sin against God.

Jonathan

Posted: March 07, 2008 7:23 AM

I thank the author for a wonderful article. From reading the comments about Democrats here, it sounds as if the Republicans are "Christian" on every issue. Yet to a large degree they ignore biblical teaching on a host of issues. Poverty: The Mosaic law contained protections for the poor that were centuries ahead of their time, and "What you do to the least of these...you have done to [Jesus]." Immigration: check out how Israel was to treat foreigners among them, as well as how Jesus treated non-Jews in his ministry. Militarism: Israel was specifically forbidden by God to use the most advanced military technologies of the time, because they were to trust God (what would that mean today?). So while we are right to hold Democrats up to the light of scripture, we must also do so with the other candidates. Let's face it: neither party is in line with God's revealed will for the world. The Christian is must choose between shades of gray, not black and white, when it comes to voting.

Bill in Virginia Beach

Posted: March 07, 2008 3:30 AM

Regarding "Hillary Haters", they should read I John and note 4:20 in particular ... "If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother (or sister), he is a liar (!)" One other note: Like Hillary Clinton, who is only a few years younger, I grew up in the Methodist Church, attended Methodist Youth Fellowship, and read Motive magazine while in college. Those were some of her formative experiences, as they were for me. Perhaps some readers of this magazine were similarly fortunate. PS - Please pay no attention to my star rating.

Giselle C.

Posted: March 06, 2008 6:35 PM


Very good article. Today, the Lord reminded me that we must accept each other. Everyone has a right to choose, everyone has a right to respect, and everyone has a right to their beliefs because, after all, we are all created by God and are equal in his sight.

Carla

Posted: March 06, 2008 3:10 PM

Thanks for writing this. I'm a Democrat and still a Christian and I find it shocking how evangelicals (I'm Pentecostal) can be so critical of the Democrats (their idealogies and their personhood) and not be critical of the philosophical errors and poor judgement of the Republicans. If we are to be light and salt, then we should be able to hold every idea and action up to the light of the Truth, without belittling the person. Blindly following the Republicans has minimized the effectiveness of evangelicals (and Pentecostals' blindly following of the Democrats has had the same effect). The church could be soooo much more effective.

Karina

Posted: March 06, 2008 1:20 AM

What are the valid issues to vote as Christians? Bush lied about Iraq to go to war. Nobody is analyzing the fortunes made out of the war, rising gas prices and deaths of young Americans, the unanswered corruption charges (Halliburton), not to mention chaos and hunger around the world increasing in these 8 years, or the irresponsible climate policies, the devaluation of the dollar and diminishing power of the US. What are the fruits of this Christian president? Has the rate of abortions decreased? Has homosexuality decreased? Are Bill Clinton's lies about Lewinsky worst than Cheney's and Bush's lies about the war? But to raise these issues means to some you are not “Christian” enough. Abortion and gay's rights have been easy points of manipulation for us as evangelicals to vote blindfolded to other also important issues. If you dreaded Bill Clinton example, now following Bush example, how do you answer your children questions if AS A CHRISTIAN it is right to lie to pursue you goals?

Karina

Posted: March 06, 2008 1:09 AM

SteveS

Posted: March 06, 2008 1:02 AM


Why so much political bashing in the church? Maybe it's passive aggression. Watching the Clinton's for so many years, all the scandal, alleged killings, tainted Canadian blood scandal; China-gate, Whitewater, etc., and no mainstream media outlet will touch any of it. They seem to fear the Clinton's, or deeply revere them. Love Hillary. But for goodness sake don't vote for her.

Amanda

Posted: March 05, 2008 10:45 PM

I appreciate your message here. Thanks for reminder that Hillary is first of all a creation of God. We are called to love her, and, if she becomes our president, to honor, respect, and obey her as the leader God has allowed to come into power (Romans 13 or 14). May God make us ready for any president that takes office, and give us wisdom in choosing wisely so that we can feel confident when we are held accountable for how we vote, just as we will be held accountable for every other deed we do and word we say. Much love to you all, in Christ, Amanda

Lee C

Posted: March 05, 2008 6:26 PM

An even deeper issue is an attitude that I have encountered that says that Christians are Republicans. In one large church I attended I knew of only one Democrat. In another situation I was in a roomful of Christian friends and relatives of all ages. Upon hearing that I planned to vote for a Democrat, one young person (a minister's daughter) wondered, ". . .but aren't you a Christian?" A third experience, this time at a Christian weekend concert event, a lady said to me, "My Christian friends cannot believe that I would vote for a Democrat."

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