Jan 16, 2008

Mike Huckabee and "acts of God"

I find this story from a decade ago almost unbelievable.
The Arkansas Legislature scrambled today to rewrite a bill intended to protect storm victims after Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, objected to language describing such natural phenomena as tornadoes and floods as "acts of God."

Mr. Huckabee said that signing the legislation "would be violating my own conscience" inasmuch as it described "a destructive and deadly force as being 'an act of God.'" The Governor, a Republican, said the legislation was an otherwise worthy bill with objectives he shared.

Mr. Huckabee did not veto the bill but instead asked that it be recalled by the General Assembly. He suggested that the phrase "acts of God" be changed to "natural disasters...."

Governor Huckabee's explained his objections in a letter to the bill's authors, saying: "I feel that I have indeed witnessed many 'acts of God,' but I see His actions in the miraculous sparing of life, the sacrifice and selfless spirit in which so many responded to the pain of others."
Theologically shallow and politically irresponsible. That's Mike Huckabee.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm mystified why this report leads the individual posting it to draw such conclusions about Huckabee. "Natural Disaster" for one is more politically correct so, for that, we could conclude the governor was being politically astute. Theologically, you can turn to many Biblical references and find how Huckabee's beliefs came to be grounded in a God of love who desires fellowship with us, despite our tendencies toward vindictive judgments of each other and the Creator.

Jim Anderson said...

As people waited for relief, Huckabee quibbled over a purely legal term with long history of uncontested use. It was foolish and ill-timed, and hardly good leadership, Christian or otherwise.

Anonymous said...

I'm not so sure about that... I agree that relief is necessary, and takes priority, and in that sense the move was politically a bad one for Huckabee. I also think his motivation for condemning such language was the wrong one.

However, irrespective of Mike Huckabee, such language does not belong in U.S. legislation and congressmen should know better.