[Vision2020] A woman to serve as president?

[Ralph Nielsen]

David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian  
Ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, wrote an opinion piece for  
USA Today (Sept. 15, 2008) about the status of women leaders among  
evangelicals and Palin's potential as the vice-President and later as  
President of America. Her most rigorous supporters are evangelicals,  
but Gushee asks whether they have thought through their own theology  
when supporting her? He asks the following questions.

• Is it now your view that God can call a woman to serve as president  
of the United States? Are you prepared to renounce publicly any  
further claim that God's plan is for men rather than women to  
exercise leadership in society, the workplace and public life? Do you  
acknowledge having become full-fledged egalitarians in this sphere at  
least?

• Would Palin be acceptable as vice president because she would still  
be under the ultimate authority of McCain as president, like the  
structure of authority that occurs in some of your churches? Have you  
fully come to grips with the fact that if after his election McCain  
were to die, Palin would be in authority over every male in the USA  
as president?

• If you agree that God can call a woman to serve as president, does  
this have any implications for your views on women's leadership in  
church life? Would you be willing to vote for a qualified woman to  
serve as pastor of your church? If not, why not?

• Do you believe that Palin is under the authority of her husband as  
head of the family? If so, would this authority spill over into her  
role as vice president?

• Do you believe that women carry primary responsibility for the care  
of children in the home? If so, does this affect your support for  
Palin? If not, are you willing to change your position and instead  
argue for flexibility in the distribution of child care  
responsibilities according to the needs of the family?