Last time I took Senator Obama to task for his Saddleback abortion talking points; in this post I engage the most troublesome response from Senator McCain:
Q: HOW ABOUT THE ISSUE OF EVIL? I ASKED THIS OF
YOUR RIVAL IN THE PREVIOUS THING. DOES EVIL EXIST AND IF
SO, SHOULD WE IGNORE IT, NEGOTIATE WITH IT, CONTAIN IT OR
DEFEAT IT?
A: DEFEAT IT. COUPLE POINTS, ONE, IF I'M PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, MY FRIENDS, IF I HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM
TO THE GATES OF HELL, I WILL GET OSAMA BIN LADEN AND BRING
HIM TO JUSTICE. I WILL DO THAT AND I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
I WILL GET THAT DONE. NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TAKE
THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN -- INNOCENT AMERICAN LIVES.
OF COURSE EVIL MUST BE DEFEATED. MY FRIENDS, WE ARE FACING
THE TRANSCENDENT CHALLENGE OF THE 21-CENTURY, RADICAL
ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS. NOT LONG AGO IN BAGHDAD, AL-QAEDA
TOOK TWO YOUNG WOMEN WHO WERE MENTALLY DISABLED AND PUT
SUICIDE VESTS ON THEM, SENT THEM INTO A MARKETPLACE AND BY
REMOTE CONTROL, DETINATED THOSE SUICIDE VESTS.
IF THAT ISN'T EVIL, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT IS AND WE'RE GOING TO
DEFEAT THIS EVIL AND THE CENTRAL BATTLE GROUND ACCORDING
TO DAVID PETRAEUS AND OSAMA BIN LADEN IS THE BATTLES -- IS
BAGHDAD, MOZIL AND IRAQ AND WE ARE WINNING AND WE ARE
SUCCEEDING AND OUR TROOPS WILL COME HOME WITH HONOR AND
VICTORY AND NOT IN DEFEAT AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE
HAVE -- AND WE FACE THIS THREAT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
IT'S NOT JUST IN IRAQ. IT'S NOT JUST IN AFGHANISTAN. OUR
INTELLIGENCE PEOPLE TELL US AL-QAEDA CONTINUES TO TRY TO
ESTABLISH CELLS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. MY
FRIENDS, WE MUST FACE THIS CHALLENGE. WE CAN FACE THIS
CHALLENGE AND WE MUST TOTALLY DEFEAT IT AND WE'RE IN A
LONG STRUGGLE, BUT WHEN I'M AROUND THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ARE SERVING THIS NATION IN UNIFORM, I HAVE NO DOUBT,
NONE.
First, what is McCain right about: Osama Bin Laden is indeed evil---really evil.
Nevertheless, by turning a "big picture" question about evil merely into a chance to recount his "I really hate Al Qaeda" talking points, McCain cheapened an important question that could have benefited from a more thoughtful answer.
Of course, Rick Warren is partially to blame. By creating a false "quad-cotomy" (who would respond that we should "ignore" or "negotiate" with evil) he let McCain "answer" the question asked without fully addressing the bigger issue: HOW do we defeat evil?
Yet, McCain on his own implied that evil is defeated through military force. St. Paul, however, says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 8:21) He also writes, just a few chapters later though, that "governing authorities" are "God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he [the authority] does not bear the sword for nothing." (Romans 13:1, 4) Jesus himself tells Peter to put away his sword as the Messiah goes to face evil and warned that "all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52) But, just a few hours earlier Christ had implied that swords might be a good thing to have around after he is taken into Roman custody (Luke 22:36---although some read this passage as teaching through irony)
How the example of Christ is to be followed by those who call themselves Christians and by nation-states populated by Christians is a difficult and complex question. Many have taken up the problemof evil over the centuries and N.T. Wright has given it a thoughtful treatment in the wake of 9/11 with Evil and the Justice of God. Bishop Wright says, "The call of the gospel is for the church to implement the victory of God in the world through suffering love." (emphasis in original)
To be honest, I do not know how this all works itself out in the hard decisions of a President. Whether tracking down and and killing Bin Laden is a step forward or backward in a broader war on evil is open for debate. I do know that I personally am comforted more by Obama's recognition of the need for "humility" in confronting evil, for evil can indeed dwell in American streets and hearts as well. John McCain took the easy way out by simply equating evil with Al Qaeda and then aiming more bullets at Bin Laden.
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Thanks, RTH, for this. It's a challenging question when put to persons who would rule the state because they must have enough perspective to recognize the need for humility when speaking of evil, since every society and every human being participates in evil to some degree, and is susceptable to do so in larger degrees. But they must also have a pragmatic sense of how to draw the line and what appropriate use of soft and hard power is called for in a given situation. McCain's answer as you have quoted it is shallow and doesn't really address the question.
I haven't watched the Saddleback conversation with each candidate yet online, so I wonder if the issue of Christian faith and faithful application of just war ethic was posed. One would think that issue/question appropriate for a church leader to raise.
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