On God's role as a political consultant

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

-- Bob Dylan, "With God on Our Side."

God knows I don't want to get into a theological debate.

But the question of whether God wanted Scott Walker to run for governor, but changed His mind, remains a nagging question. I've had some e-mail correspondence on the subject from some deeper thinkers than me, and wanted to share some of it.

My first post on the subject was simple:

God to Walker: Get Out

"I believe that it was God's will for me to run. After a great deal of prayer during the last week, it is clear that it is God's will for me to step out of the race."

-- Scott Walker, statement on withdrawing from governor's race.

Cory Liebmann weighed in with, God changes mind, endorses Doyle.

Walker felt the need to respond:

Walker for Governor Blog
March 28, 2006

A Lesson That Applies to Life Far Beyond the World of Politics

A few liberal blogs are having fun with the fact that I made this comment in our speech:

"Early last year, we jumped into the race together after a great deal of prayer. I believe that it was God's will for me to run. After a great deal of prayer during the past week, it is clear that it is God's will for me to step out of the race."

Somehow, they think that this implies that I thought that God was on my side in the race for Governor. What an amazing misunderstanding of my faith.

As anyone can see by reading my full announcement (www.scottwalker.org), I did not lead off with God. I went through and explained all of the reasons for me getting out of the race. At the end, however, I acknowledged the other things that ultimately played into my decision.

Like any other important decision in my life, my family and my faith were the key. Last January, I looked at the facts, spoke with political advisors and then talked and prayed about the decision with my family. My conclusion was to get into the race for Governor.

Last week, after looking at the facts and speaking with our political advisors, I talked about it and then prayed about it with my family. My conclusion was to bow out of the race for Governor.

In each case, I ultimately thought it was God's will to do what I ended up doing. Still, one should not assume that when I said that I felt it was God's will for me to run that this meant that I thought that it was God's will for me to win.

Too often cynics like to blur the statements of believers into implying that we think that God chooses sides in elections. To me, God does not seem to pick sides in elections as much as He calls us to be on His side.

That's a lesson that applies to life far beyond the world of politics.

- Scott

Charlie Sykes posted Walker's comments with a headline, "The Left's God Problem," wondering why anyone would have trouble understanding Walker's point. Boots and Sabers, predictably, backed Walker and bashed liberal heathens.

It does raise interesting questions, and not just for non-believers. Religious people, too, can have very different views on this question.

One of my spiritual advisors offers this analysis:

For example, many people would say it is appropriate, and recommended, to pray over an important decision like this, but they would say they are praying for God to give them wisdom/strength/courage to make the right decision. That is very different than saying it is "God's will for me to run."

Walker basically argues that God has a role in selecting who runs, but doesn't then get involved in the campaigns. Any political scientist will tell you that who runs is one of the most important determinants of who wins. As they say, you can't beat somebody with nobody.

I know this is a more literal reading of Walker's argument, but if it is God's will that Mark Green runs against Doyle, but that Robert Lorge (or whomever the other candidates are) run against Herb Kohl, then God is pretty involved in the outcome as well.

My guess God is probably has a few more important things on His/Her mind than picking candidates in Wisconsin elections.

That doesn't mean it's a bad idea to pray, if you are so inclined, or that faith can't be important in your life. It just means that it probably isn't "God's will" that someone is in or out of a political race.

As Sykes asked about Walker's post, "Why is that so hard for some folks to understand?"

Fighting Ed Garvey's post, "The Gods Must Be Busy," takes note of this NY Times story about a long-awaited study on the power of prayer:

Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.

And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested.

Which would explain why Walker got out of the race even though many Democrats were praying for him to stay in.