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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Tennessee man charged with stealing back car from Central Point towyard Emergency services, March 4 Gold Hill will install cameras in City Hall to monitor employees Lion sanctuary in Phoenix could be shut down Siskiyou County murder suspect will return to California Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Tennessee man charged with stealing back car from Central Point towyard Emergency services, March 4 Siskiyou County murder suspect will return to California Ashland man faces multiple charges Emergency Services, March 3 Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education Medford schools superintendent gets high marks St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Environment The new normal under climate change? 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Bentson Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders place four on all-conference team South boys cruise by McMinnville Tornado breaks through with win James moves past Allen in Cavs' win Crater boys fall short in 5A play-in game Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders place four on all-conference team No. 1 Kentucky rallies to avoid first defeat Coyotes hold off SOU for championship Faster tempo evident in first OSU practice Hungry Ducks pleased but not satisfied Pro Sports James moves past Allen in Cavs' win Eagles deal running back McCoy for Bills' Alonso A's switch-pitcher hopes to find a role Kersey remembered at service Tempers flare in Heat win over Suns Community Sports Business Latest Stories CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Harry & David announces new president Ride & Drive: 2015 Chrysler 300 Local businesses still feeling effects of port slowdown Blog: Costco teams up with Citi for its next credit card Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones Letters to the Editor, March 4 Kathleen Parker: The GOP — A tragedy in 52 acts Landgren cartoon: Speeding up baseball Letters to the Editor, March 3 Editorials Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 4 Letters to the Editor, March 3 Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Columns Kathleen Parker: The GOP — A tragedy in 52 acts Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Lost in Suburbia: The tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth 5 Things to Do This Weekend (March 6-8) Dear Monty: Home seller seeks to start bidding war Dave Ramsey: What does ‘first right of refusal’ mean? Pantry pride Food Pantry pride Tips for a Pacific Northwest crab feed Prudence Hilburn: Butternut squash a suitable stand-in for sweet potatoes Community blog: Pizza is a canvas for season's freshest veggies Food for Thought: Get creative with after-school snacks Home and Garden Dear Monty: Home seller seeks to start bidding war Paul Rogers: Looking for signs of new life Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Health HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU Percussion Group presents 'Timber' TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory Theater Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Review: OSF elevates the neglected 'Pericles' Music SOU Percussion Group presents 'Timber' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones ... Tennessee man charged with stealing back car from Central Point towyard ... Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love ... Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones ... Tennessee man charged with stealing back car from Central Point towyard ... Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love ... ANOTHER VIEW Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> When Scott Walker pronounced himself agnostic about President Obama's patriotism and Christian faith, it must have seemed like a clever formulation. "I've never asked him, so I don't know," he said. And about Obama's Christianity: "I've never asked him that." Walker quickly found his pitch unequal to the presidential big leagues. His argument can't be generalized into a rule. I have never met Billy Graham, for example, but I'm pretty sure what he believes. As political attacks go, this one is particularly heavy-handed — the equivalent of saying: As far as I know, my opponent is not a swindler and a degenerate. A politician who tried this form of passive aggression before also got criticized for it. During the 2008 Democratic primary fight, Hillary Clinton said that Obama is not a Muslim "as far as I know" — sounding more like one of the wackier speakers at a CPAC convention. For Walker, this is more of a paper cut than a chest wound. But it can't be good for the Republican Party, which some Americans associate with religious exclusivity, for a front-runner to sound religiously exclusive. Walker's Baptist upbringing — he is the son of a pastor — does put a particular emphasis on the personal acceptance of Christ. It was another Baptist governor, Jimmy Carter, who elevated the idea of being "born again" into the realm of presidential politics. For evangelicals in general, there is no such thing as a birthright Christian. Faith requires a conscious and highly consequential decision — a choice that some do not make. But here Obama has been as forthright as anyone could be. "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian," he said in a 2008 Christianity Today interview. "I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals." Questioning this affirmation involves a serious charge — an accusation of the worst sort of cynicism. And it is simply not the role of a Christian layman to publicly dispute the self-identification of other Christians, especially in a political context. It is a practice that can lead down ugly alleys of sectarianism. Some, of course, will find the whole idea that human beings can make profoundly consequential religious choices to be foreign. And they may find proselytization — the necessary correlate of religious choice — to be offensive. But here a little patience might be in order. In many cases, adult converts have come through low points of addiction, humiliation or crisis. They believe they have found, past the limits of their own strength, something extraordinary and undeserved, which they can only describe as grace. You may find such converts to be deluded or annoying, but there is little doubt that they have had a profound experience that defies adequate metaphor. They feel they have been washed by water or refined by fire. They have heard a voice in the night or a melody above the noise. Things previously thought important — status or wealth — appear vanishingly insignificant. They can say, with G.K. Chesterton: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live. In such cases, people amazed by grace are wont to talk about it. But this motivation is the opposite of self-righteous judgment. It is gratitude. I have known people who, after a single moment of transforming trust, have spent the rest of their lives in astonished and vocal thankfulness. But this type of faith, by definition, is unlikely to publicly judge the faith of others. It is founded on recognition of personal limits and failure. In the New Testament, grace often moves in stealthy and unexpected ways — lavished on lepers, Samaritans and tax collectors. Perhaps the modern equivalents would be people with HIV/AIDS, illegal immigrants and ... tax collectors. In any case, Christians should not look to the powerful for definitions of orthodoxy — or be proud of an unmerited gift. Michael Gerson's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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