Candidates seeking guidance from God

A bit of fact gathering recently revealed some interesting counterpoints to Mr. Zlotow's condemnation of Sarah Palin and the GOP (Fence Post, Sept. 17).

First of all, the comment that Gov. Palin declared the Iraq war a "task that is from God" is yet another total misrepresentation by the liberal media. The actual quote, which the media will not cite for obvious partisan reasons, was "Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

An analysis of the entire statement would reveal that Palin is praying for guidance from God that we're doing the right thing in Iraq. Not much different from what Barack Obama himself said when asking for God's guidance; "Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

But if Mr. Zlotow believes that seeking guidance from God is wrong, from whom does he suggest Barack Obama should seek guidance?

How about Rev. Jeremiah Wright? William Ayers? Bernadine Dohrn? No one can deny that the Wright has provided guidance to the Obama family for more than 20 years. And the latter two - leaders of the terrorist Weatherman group of the late 1960s - certainly influenced Obama in two nonprofit enterprises in the Chicago area from 1995 through 2001.

During a primary debate, Obama described Ayers only as "a guy who lives in my neighborhood." Funny, I know that I would remember someone who led more than 40 bombings of public and private buildings and served with me on two boards for more than four years as more than just a guy from the neighborhood.

So the question I would pose to Mr. Zlotow is, would you rather have your government officials seeking guidance from God - and admitting it - or from the likes of Wright/Ayers/Dohrn - and hiding it?

Roger Willis

Naperville