The word "liar" can come back to haunt you
It should be stipulated that Mike Huckabee never completed his "theology degree".
But if his referring to it as such was a lie, what's Mitt Romney's false statement about he and his father marching with Martin Luther King?
ADDENDUM: Here's the Washington Post on the subject of Romney's "figurative" seeing of his father, George- whom nobody doubts was a great champion of civil rights- march with Dr. King.
ADDENDUM II: More on the question of whether Romney's campaign- even if not Romney himself- deliberately tried to deceive the media and the public in its handling of the former Massachusetts governor's claim.
HT: Real Clear Politics
But if his referring to it as such was a lie, what's Mitt Romney's false statement about he and his father marching with Martin Luther King?
ADDENDUM: Here's the Washington Post on the subject of Romney's "figurative" seeing of his father, George- whom nobody doubts was a great champion of civil rights- march with Dr. King.
ADDENDUM II: More on the question of whether Romney's campaign- even if not Romney himself- deliberately tried to deceive the media and the public in its handling of the former Massachusetts governor's claim.
HT: Real Clear Politics
Comments
Just wondering if you're still in the Des Moines area? Can you provide a recommendation on confessional churches in the area? There is an LCMS church in Carlisle that is confessional, but are there others? Also, what are your thoughts on metro area schools, public or private?
I am currently serving as emergency pastor at St. Mary Lutheran, a independent confessional storefront church considering affiliation with the ACLC, and located at 505 Euclid here in Des Moines. We worship at 10 AM on Sunday morning, and will be having a Christmas Eve candlelight service 7 PM.
I'm a former member of Holy Cross in Carlisle. In fact, I was married there. From all accounts Pr. Johnson is a fine, confessional man.
But again, drop me an email and I'll be glad to describe the confessional situation here in Des Moines as I see it.
Twice.
The notion that Romney was using the word figuratively is a rationalization- especially since his dad apparently didn't march with Dr. King at all.. Granted, George Romney was very big on civil rights, so no big deal, really... if Mitt and his people weren't trying to play "gotcha" on a pretty fine technicality in Huckabee's case.
Incidentally, Huckabee explained what he meant, too... and his explanation rings a great deal truer than Romney's.
Huckabee's B.A. in religion (funny how you forgot that part!)is close enough to being a theology degree to itself to make the Romney campaign's protest at his description a quibble. Add his 46 hours toward an M. Div. at Southwestern Theological Seminary, including three years of New Testament Greek (two more years than I have- and I completed
my M.Div!), and you have those who claim that Huckabee was either trying to deceive somebody or other than correct in his claim to be the most theologically qualified candidate running for the nomination looking rather silly to anyone who knows the facts.
I guess the point has to do with that old saw about glass houses and stones. If Romney's people are going to quibble over the distinction between a degree in religion and a degree in theology, they have to be willing to take the hit when he's caught exaggerating himself.
However, I agree with your categorization of both incidents as minor matters. That Huckabee has a degree in religion rather than theology doesn't change the thrust of his observation that of the candidates, he was the best prepared academically to handle the particular issue under discussion. And nobody doubts that George Romney was a great advocate of civil rights.
Trouble is,once again, that when the Romney campaign goes negative on Huck about such matters, it makes it inevitable that the favor will be returned. Neither of these candidates are dumb enough to do a Dukakis under fire.