Washington Post "On Faith" editor and religious agnostic Sally Quinn took time yesterday morning to hack out a blog post offending people of faith entitled, "What will God whisper in Herman Cain's ear next?":
Herman Cain said that God told him to run for president.
“That’s when I prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m a man of faith. I had to do a lot of praying for this one, more praying than I’ve ever done before in my life,” the Baptist preacher said. “And when I finally realized that it was God saying that this is what I needed to do, I was like Moses. You’ve got the wrong man Lord. Are you sure?”
Now Herman Cain has suspended his campaign. Did God tell him to do that?
Why on earth would God tell Herman Cain to run, put him through all of this, then have him get out of the race?
If God told Herman Cain to run, why did he also tell Anita Perry her husband should run (she saw the burning bush) and Michele Bachmann and all of the others who have been tapped on the shoulder? Is this some sort of cruel game God is playing?
[...]
Running for president was not the first time Herman Cain had been called by God. He was once, as he says, “called to preach the word of God and minister to the least, the last and the lost, and minister to his people.”
What’s next for Herman Cain? Will he write another book, do another radio show or give more speeches? Many were eagerly awaiting his endorsement just one day after his withdrawal. After all, there are a number of Republicans out there still in the running who are competing for God’s favor.
What will God whisper in Herman Cain’s ear next?
Even though she edits the Post's religion blog, at no point in her post did Quinn seriously delve into any theological exploration, choosing to stick comfortably to predictable sophomoric snark about God "whispering" in ears and playing "cruel game[s]" with people.
Instead of seeking answers from Christian theologians or even faithful Christians with political vocations, Quinn opted simply to mock the very notion that an observant Christian can feel that God is calling him or her to seek a particular vocation. Maybe that's to be expected from an agnostic like Quinn who essentially thinks God is something we make up for ourselves but has no objective existence outside our imagination.
Yes, the folks Quinn are mocking are seeking elected political office, but every day all over the world there are folks who feel called by God to quit their jobs and pursue callings as pastors or missionaries. Others feel called to glorify God in some capacity as laymen, feeling that their work is not a mere occupation but a divine vocation.
The doctrine of vocation has a rich history in Christianity. It's a shame that the Post's religion editor either is ignorant of it or worse, deliberately chooses to dismiss it as unworthy of consideration.
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