At the same time, the pro-life side hailed Palin and her daughter as heroes for living out what they believe. I think, however, that we ought to look at this as a test for ourselves. Would your belief in the sanctity of life have stood the test if you had found yourself in the Palins’ situation? Either as a middle-aged working mom, or as the father of a pregnant teenage girl? How supportive is your church of young, unwed mothers?

Next, let’s take the war in Iraq. Mrs. Palin’s oldest son enlisted in the Army and is preparing to deploy. Critics of the war have not said much about this young man’s love of country. But his actions, like those of his mother, should cause those who support the war to reflect for a moment: How would you react to your son’s enlisting? For putting his money where his mouth is, so to speak?

Pick any other issue . . . homosexual “marriage”: She is against it. But her first act as governor of Alaska was to veto legislation that would have denied state-funded health benefits for gay partners.

Or oil drilling: She is for it—even in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and even though she loves the great outdoors as a hunter. Earmarks? She helped scuttle the infamous bridge to nowhere. But it also seems that as a small-town mayor, she hired lobbyists to help secure millions in federal dollars to benefit her community.

Like all of us, she wrestles with her own convictions. Every flashpoint in American politics and culture seems to come together in this woman from Alaska. I am not telling you how to vote, but for once, I will urge you to watch the news and the political commentaries. Because if you can see through the smoke, you will be able to witness the clash of worldviews in real time.