Sarah Palin’s Daughter—What Should We Think?

Topics: Current Events

A friend asked me why evangelicals think it’s okay that Sarah Palin’s seventeen-year-old daughter got pregnant by her boyfriend. I think the exact wording was, “Why are we so excited about it?” Hmmmm. That’s not exactly the way I would put it.

I don’t know anyone who is “excited” about a teenage girl getting pregnant out of wedlock. This seems to be a point on which there is near-universal agreement. Getting pregnant outside of marriage is always problematic, but when you are a teenager, the difficulties are magnified. This isn’t a liberal or conservative observation—just a statement of reality. 

However, I think the question is meant to go to a different point. Why are evangelicals willing to overlook the pregnancy of Sarah Palin’s daughter? Well, it is a useful question, given that everyone I have talked to (an admittedly unscientific sample) seems to love Sarah Palin. Count me in that number. I thought she did a terrific job in her speech on Wednesday night at the Republican Convention. But what about her daughter getting pregnant outside of wedlock?

Here’s a simple answer. Sarah and Todd Palin are not the first parents to have a child make this sort of mistake. And it’s not just the getting pregnant part. It’s as much the part about being sexually active in the first place. Given that most of us knew nothing about the Palins ten days ago, we aren’t in a position to say anything about how they raised their children. But Bristol Palin is hardly the first child raised in an evangelical family to get pregnant out of wedlock. We might be surprised if we knew how often this happens. That isn’t meant to excuse anything. Sin is sin, wrong is wrong, but is helps to remember that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “there but for the grace of God." 

But doesn’t it reflect poorly on the parents when children make bad choices? The answer is yes and no. Certainly it has cast a shadow over the whole nomination of Sarah Palin, and it has given the media another opening to attack her. But her daughter’s pregnancy does not disqualify her for public office. By the same token, I would argue that a similar situation would not automatically disqualify a pastor from serving in a local church. Note the word “automatically.” Sometimes churches have demanded a level of perfection in pastoral child-rearing that James Dobson couldn’t possibly meet. 

It’s not what the children do that matters as much as how the parents respond. 1 Timothy 3:4 tell us that a spiritual leader must “manage his own household well.” How do you measure that? The real test of any manager is how he responds when trouble comes. Anyone can manage an organization when you have plenty of money in the bank, when your market share is growing, and when everyone is happy. Great managers rise to the top when the waters are rough, when money is tight, when the market is down, and when times are tough.

Do they cover up the truth or do they face reality?
Can they demonstrate wisdom in how they respond?
Do they keep their people united?
Do they have a plan and will others follow their plan?
Can they remain positive and calm when others are panicking?

These are the traits of good leadership—and you only see this when unexpected trouble comes. Leaders rise to the top in hard times. And that’s why I think pastors (and other spiritual leaders) ought not to be trashed or suddenly dismissed because of family issues. It’s how they respond that makes the difference.

Regarding Sarah Palin and her pregnant daughter, so far so good. Her daughter did not abort the baby, which many people would have advised her to do. And she and her boyfriend plan to be married and keep the baby. Good for them. I can’t imagine that Todd and Sarah Palin are happy about their daughter’s pregnancy, but as far as anyone can tell, they have responded with grace and courage under an enormous media spotlight. They have done well, their family seems to be rallying to the cause, and they are setting a good example of how to handle a crisis when the whole world is watching.

Evangelicals of all people believe in sin and grace. We admit our sin and we cling to the grace of God. We face the consequences, we seek forgiveness, we love each other, and we go forward together.

What do you think? We welcome your comments.

Visitor Comments:

September 6, 2008, 11:29 AM mellarose says:
	It amazes me how we as Christians continue to build our image as hypocrites. On one hand when it is a celebrity Ms. Spears who at 16 became pregnant as did Ms. Palin, who is now 17, we tend to trash the parents. A huge example Bill O’Reilly, he called her parents pinheads. Now that everyone has drank the Palin Kool-Aid it is a private matter and has absolutely no reflection on Sarah Palin. If I did not look to Jesus for all of my help I would fall into the trap of believing ministers who talk out of both sides of their mouths. You are right, we do not know much about Ms. Palin and we should not overlook the issues in her house as well leadership as Governor. I am deeply troubled by her ability to flip her script regarding families that have disabled children. She LINE ITEM VETOED support for unwed mother as well cut the budget by 62% in her own state for those with disabled children. Now because she has to face what many who have also chosen to keep their disabled children, she says she will be an Advocate. In the few short days she has been on the scene, the so called Right-Wing has fawned all over her and not once stood back to say wait let’s hear what she has really done. No just gulp the Kool-Aid and never check to see what’s in it.
September 6, 2008, 11:57 AM ddg says:
	The issue with the daughter is not what bothers me most (although it would have been interesting to hear the reaction if Hillary Clinton had been the VP nominee and Chelsea became pregnant??). What bothers me more is her willingness to step right in to the political advisors suggestions with half truths or outright lies (seeling a plan on Ebay when she didn’t; opposing the bridge to nowhere when she actually supported it originally, etc.). Is that Christian?
September 6, 2008, 1:23 PM BELIEVER1ST says:
	I appreciate your answer to the issue of this family’s crisis and how well it was handled. I agree that they used wisdom in how they handled it and drew together to implement a resolve that, I beleive, brought it to closure. This is a time to show grace and mercy, but for God’s there would we be. Jesus said in one instance you who have not sinned cast the first stone and then said to the woman go and sin no more. I would much rather follow Jesus’ response than to be found in the number of the religious group that He rebuked. So am I going to be religious or Christ-like? That is the question. May we all grow in the knowledge of our Lord. God bless.
September 6, 2008, 1:54 PM pjw24 says:
	As long as parents in the public eye do not condone their children’s sins (only God knows the hearts in such incidents) but take a humble stance in the situation, then all I read in my precious Bible indicates mercy. If the parents are in the public eye and fall to immoral sins, then it is a different case. Those parents are in authority - a much more responsible position. Thank you for your straight forwardness
September 6, 2008, 3:28 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	Mellarose - I don’t think the Spears family situation (I’m guessing you’re referring to Britney’s sister Jamie) is particularly relevant to this situation, and here is why: There has been a general pattern of permissiveness, lack of guidance and parenting that has led to Britney’s myriad of issues and her sister Jamie’s pregnancy. And that is just what the Spears’ parents have owned up to! I do think that we as Christians should evaluate the character of every person that we put into elected office. Mellarose, one of the main reasons Rudy Guiliani went from front runner to failed presidential candidate is that many conservatives - Christians and non-Christians alike - saw a consistent pattern of problems and character flaws in terms of how he related to his wife and children. But I frankly do not see how you can draw the same parallel to Palin, unless you already have an axe to grind against her for other reasons.
September 6, 2008, 3:32 PM RN4PEDS says:
	Why does everyone think the ‘right thing” to do is to keep the baby? Why not adoption as an option? It is truly the unselfish choice. If you check out the father’s My Space page, you can see that he is not ready to raise a child. Most 18 year old boys (or girls) or not. While abortion may not be the choice for these conservative families, perhaps looking beyond the present emotion of the moment and what is best in the long term for the child would truly be the most courageous and selfless example of how to handle such a crisis.
September 6, 2008, 4:06 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	One other general point I think we all might ponder for a moment about Sarah Palin... A couple of weeks ago, she was unknown to 99.9% of America. Now, news reports have pro-abortion groups like Emily's List spending $30 MILLION dollars so they can inform all of America about how awful she is, what a liar she is, even what her pastor believes about end-times, etc., all over the course of the next 60 days. Imagine if someone were spending $500,000 per day to make your name mud. You'd wake up in the morning to see some shocking, terrible things you never knew about yourself, wouldn't you? DDG, I don’t know the specifics of what you’re referring to, but I would encourage you and everyone to be aware that an awful lot of money is being spent to distort her words and place her in the most unfavorable light possible, and I don’t think it is insignificant to note that abortion advocate groups are bent on her destruction and they don’t care who is in the way or gets hurt in the process. This also includes what we hear about Barack Obama - for instance, false claims that Obama is a Muslim have been spread by well meaning, but uninformed Christians. Be wise as serpents, gentle as doves. Before you say that so-and-so lied or so-and-so did that, make sure we're not damaging our credibility by passing along distortions or wreckless exaggerations. Snopes.com is a website that I've found to be very helpful, in terms of dispelling urban legends and rumors. Here are specific pages referring to various things that have been said - some true, some false, and some only half true - about Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.
September 6, 2008, 7:29 PM Peggy McGilligan says:
	I wonder that Sarah Palin’s detractors would go after women, children, and the unborn. I guess that’s politics. Common sense dictates however, that it’s an untenable position, one that her opponents cannot win. Here’s a clip from Jan & Dean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7X4FovYRA&NR=1 How ‘bout them Dems everybody; restorative justice: http://theseedsof9-11.com
September 6, 2008, 10:04 PM MrsJones says:
	As a non-republican Christian, I have some different views than you on this subject. I’e talked to many of my non-republican Christian friends and family and we all agree on a couple things: 1. were this a Democrat, Republicans would be pointing fingers 2. there is nothing good about this situation. Teenagers have no business having sex or babies. Adding marriage into the mix just makes it worse. They have already demonstrated that they are irresponsible. They have a high school education (well one of them does) and can’t take care of themselves. That’s not the makings of a good marriage.
September 6, 2008, 10:19 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	Mrs Jones, Your post is interesting because it was only one month ago that the affair of John Edwards (former Democratic nominee for President) came to light and Ray posted a blog about this sad situation - read it here. He challenged Christians who opposed Edwards in a political sense to resist the urge to gloat, because "When it comes to sin and covering up, we’re all pretty much in the same boat.". That’s good advice for folks of all political persuasions. And it doesn't help if your starting point is to assume the worst in others either.
September 7, 2008, 12:01 AM leneonme76 says:
	Look I agree that all of us fall short of the glory that’s why Jesus took his place on the cross. I don’t mind being supportive of young pregnant mother she isn’t the first to be in this kind of situation. However, she is the first to be accepted and walk herself across the stage with her soon to be husband pregnant for every minor in America to witness. That’s the part I don’t agree with. Evangelicas (in my opinion) are comprimising their beliefs. Teen pregnancy is an issue in America that we almost always try and keep up with and encourage our teens to practice abstience our teens are being told to wait until your married. And for Bristol to be able to get up and walk across the stage with here boyfriend is just unacceptable in front every teen. Now they will think well why is it okay for her and not for us? This woman and children have pictures on the internet holding guns and Southern Comfort liquor in their hands. Sarah Palin is seen with a gun in her hand by a pool playing around with it like it’st thing to do. This family that’s right just like any others have problems. However, I don’t want a family like that to help assist in running the country on my behalf. Her daughters boyfriend is a redneck and he says that on his myspace page. But the reason you won’t hear about is for some reason it disapperaed now that he is apart of Sarah Palin daughter weird wouldn’t you say. James Dobson and any other evangelical should be ashamed of themselves. If that’s the case then why did Ted Haggert have step down from his position because of his sin...were supposed to forgive, love each other and move forward right? Then lets give Ted back his position. Sin is sin. Hypocrites!!!!
September 7, 2008, 10:24 AM Helen says:
	Derek wrote: Be wise as serpents, gentle as doves. Before you say that so-and-so lied or so-and-so did that, lets make sure we’re right and that we’re not exaggerating, or our credibility is damaged. Derek, I think this is great advice. I assume it also applies to groups that frustrate you such as abortion advocates? What you wrote about them here strikes me as unfair: I would encourage you and everyone to be aware that an awful lot of money is being spent to distort her words and place her in the most unfavorable light possible, and I don’t think it is insignificant to note that abortion advocate groups are bent on her destruction and they don’t care who is in the way or gets hurt in the process. I think this is unfair because I know many of them believe they are helping people and do care who gets hurt in the process. Unfortunately abortion has become so highly politicized that both abortion advocates and prolife advocates (imo) are at risk of losing sight of the people most likely to get hurt. (I realize that they disagree about who some of those people are because of their differing beliefs about when life begins) Certainly Sarah’s daughter made the choices which led directly to her pregnancy. However, it’s hard for me imagine how Sarah can have much time for all five of her five children as well as her career. I wonder if things might have gone differently with Sarah’s daughter if Sarah had made different choices regarding career vs. family. Maybe, maybe not. It’s impossible to tell knowing as little as I do about the family; and even if I knew more, all we can do is guess about how things would have gone. I’m not against mothers working outside the home; it’s just that to me, Sarah seems very into her career and five children seems like a lot of children to be there for. Also, I realize that when fathers are very busy with their careers their children suffer too. If Sarah’s daughter gets married to the father of her baby, which evidently is the plan, I hope the marriage works out.
September 7, 2008, 10:33 AM rlb1961 says:
	Mellarose, since this is a Christian site, I will assume you are just mis-informed and not deliberately spreading misinformation. With regard to the funding for special needs children, the information you posted in incomplete and misleading. The Legislature included a $5 million increase in funding - Gov. Palin reduced the INCREASE to only $3.9 million. So to infer that she reduced spending for special needs children would be false - she simply slowed the increase in the growth of spending. Now that you have the facts, I hope that you, in Christian love, will refrain from making such inaccurate statements in the future.
September 7, 2008, 10:43 AM rlb1961 says:
	leneonme76 said: “This woman and children have pictures on the internet holding guns and Southern Comfort liquor in their hands. “ leneonme76, you should know better than to believe everything on the Internet at first glance. The pictures to which you refer are not what you and others claim them to be. The alleged picture of Sarah in a bikini holding a rifle has been photoshopped - Sarah’s face on someone else’s body (this has been established repeatedly). Also, the pictures supposedly of Bristol Palin drinking - those are pictures of Levi Johnston’s sister (Bristol Palin’s future sister in law). Please check your facts before bearing false witness. (As you know, that is a sin just as serious as sex outside of wedlock!) I understand the concern about how this young girl’s situation might be seen as glorifying sex outside of marriage. However, I think the Palin’s are handling it as best they can. Their daughter made a mistake - she is accepting the consequences and making the best choice for her child by marrying the father. Her parents are supporting her in this, but that does not mean they approve of her original choice to have sex before marriage. I think having the fiance join the family actually said something very positive about the Palin’s - their ability to show mercy, grace, love and support to their children, just as our Heavenly Father shows us every day.
September 7, 2008, 11:18 AM rlb1961 says:
	RN4PEDS said: “Why does everyone think the "right thing" to do is to keep the baby? Why not adoption as an option? It is truly the unselfish choice.” Adoption can be a truly loving and unselfish choice, and it may be that the option was considered. However, according to the Anchorage Daily News was apparently engaged back in January, several months before she became pregnant. If the plan was to get married anyway, this just moved it up sooner than planned. Under those circumstances, they may have decided adoption was not the choice for them. With Todd and Sarah Palin as grandparents, I don’’t believe this child will ever suffer from want or neglect. Their love and devotion to their family is open and obvious to anyone. If the family could not or would not love and care for this child, I would agree that adoption would be the best option. In this case, I will trust that they prayerfully considered the options and decided that this was the correct course of action.
September 7, 2008, 4:23 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	Helen, I understand what you’re saying to a point. But it is no wild eyed, speculative theory of mine that pro-abortion groups engage in character assassination as standard operating procedure. These organizations (Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, etc.) identify judicial appointees and political candidates who pose any threat to their agenda and then use lawyers, political action groups, public relations experts, multi-millionaire donors, journalists and lobbyists to destroy individuals, their families, their reputation, their livelihood—whatever it takes to eliminate potential threats to abortion rights. Helen, you may think this is OK and may wish to defend these groups, but personally, I think that if we as Christians can not stand against the evil practice of abortion, we have a major problem on our hands and have abdicated our role as both salt and light in our world. By the way, I speak only on my own behalf, not as an official spokesperson for Keep Believing Ministries. I do have strongly held views about abortion and about organizations that perpetuate it and do not apologize for this at all. I also want to add that I have a lot of compassion for most women that have had an abortion because I believe that many - maybe most - are themselves victims of a concerted effort to whitewash the realities and immorality of abortion. If anyone reading this post is dealing with the guilt of an abortion, please know that Christ died for ALL of our sins and His forgiveness is available. Run to the cross where you will discover a God of great compassion and forgiveness.
September 7, 2008, 10:25 PM Helen says:
	Thanks for your response Derek. No, I don’t think it’s ok to destroy someone’s reputation, livelihood or family because they stand in the way of an agenda. I wouldn’t defend those tactics. But - people aren’t “the enemy” just because they have different beliefs from you or even because they take a strong stand for what they believe in. I’m not trying to change your views on abortion. I might be trying to change your views about people who believe differently from you about abortion. You can appeal to them not to use unethical tactics and I hope they will if their tactics are indeed unethical. But they won’t be persuaded to stop fighting for what they believe in any more than prolife advocates will.
September 8, 2008, 10:23 AM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	Helen, I understand where you’re coming from. Indeed, people themselves are not the enemy. My intent was not to demonize people in the abortion industry, although I can see how it came across that way. My intent was to illustrate the tactics and media savvy of the abortion industry so people can be especially skeptical of what they read, hear and see about Sarah Palin and other abortion opponents. rlb1961's comments (above) about the doctored photo underscore this point. So I apologize for implying in any way that abortion providers as individuals are enemies and want to illustrate God’s forgiveness and compassion for them by re-telling an amazing testimony by abortion doctor Bernard Nathanson on Ray’s latest blog entry.
September 8, 2008, 1:07 PM Helen says:
	Thanks Derek. I apologize if I read into your comments anything that wasn’t there. Thanks for patiently responding to my comments.
September 10, 2008, 7:17 AM Jenn says:
	Sarah Palin did not “line item veto support for unwed mothers” as the media has been depicting it. She used a line item veto to reduce the amount of funding being given to a specific non-profit that does many things for teens, including having a program for unwed teens. The amount of money she approved still represents nearly THREE TIMES the amount of money that non-profit received from the government the previous year.
September 10, 2008, 12:28 PM cgeppy at aol dot com says:
	I agree with everything you said although I have a little issue with the fact that Sarah has a 4 month old special needs child and now a teenager expecting a baby of her own....I am sad that Sarahs’ priorities at this time in her life are not her family, but for her own personal gain. I think if she were to ask God for guidance in her decision making, the “world” would not yet know who Sarah Palin is right now! God asks us to have our own homes in order and I do not see that with her. Do not get me wrong, she has spunk and can speak well, yet as a wife and mother that does alot of the same things Sarah does, (volunteer, soccer mom, PTO), I know when enough is enough and I know that my family needs me too! God will honor that and I know “my time to shine in another light” will come. I wish her well in her journey.