Floozies for Christ: Bristol Palin

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not once be named among you, as becometh saints; Ephesians 5:3

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: I Thessalonians 4:3

More evidence that you can’t be a satirist anymore: It used to be that people who charged speaking fees were those who had actually done something; in 2010, however, we have an agency called Single Source Speakers that has added Bristol Palin--19-year-old daughter of former Alaska Governor and failed U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin--to their roster of speakers. Single Source doesn’t say what she’ll be charging for her speeches, but Associated Press quoted family attorney Thomas Van Flein as citing a figure between $15,000-$30,000. Single Sources’ entry on Bristol Palin reads:

Bristol Palin
Fee: ????
Travels from: Alaska
Programs: Abstinence, Conference, Fundraiser, Pro-Life, Special Event/Holiday, Women's, Youth
NOW AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL APPEARANCES

Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's oldest daughter, took the country by storm practically overnight when she was introduced to Americans during the 2008 presidential campaign. Her teen pregnancy and the birth of her son Tripp, resulted in millions of Americans discussing the issues surrounding teen pregnancy. Bristol has since gone on to become a Teen Ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, and speaks about pregnancy prevention, abstinence, faith and life. She recently appeared on the ABC drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and is working on her first book.

As for "working on her first book," I wonder what book she’s reading (or colouring); I find it hard to believe she’s writing one, given that she hasn’t done anything worth writing or reading about. Bristol Palin is someone whose main accomplishment has been to have a child out of wedlock, and whose name is known only because her mother is a famous politician. When it comes to speaking on pregnancy prevention and abstinence, as Winston Churchill would say, "Here, surely, is the world’s record in the domain of the ridiculous and the contemptible." Bristol seems to be following in her mother's footsteps when it comes to cashing in on celebrity. For those who’ve forgotten, Sarah Palin had almost a year and a half left in her term as Governor of Alaska when she up and quit, apparently because she was unaccustomed to and unwilling to put up with more of the criticism (warranted or unwarranted) that comes with being a national figure. She’s since gone on to the book and lecture circuit, instead of continuing to serve as governor.

Those who think they know what the positions of Bristol and Sarah Palin are on the issues of teenage fornication and pregnancy might be surprised. On February 16, 2009 they appeared on Greta Van Susteren’s program on Fox News. The best commentary I’ve read on this appearance comes from Ingrid Schlueter on her former blog, Slice of Laodicea, which is fortunately still online:

Quote of the Day

"Get beyond the ideal of abstinence," the 44 year old, new grandmother said. "Hey, life happens."

–Governor Sarah Palin to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Channel, 2-16-09 in reference to her teen daughter Bristol’s pregnancy. Bristol told Fox that she has "no immediate plans to marry."

Bristol Palin: Teen Abstinence Not Realistic

Evangelical Governor Sarah Palin has become something of a conservative icon these days for Christians. Anyone who watched the Fox News interview last night with Governor Palin and her 18-year-old daughter, however, should be asking some hard questions.

Fornicating and then having a baby out of wedlock is apparently no longer viewed as sin among evangelical Christians. The word "sin" simply does not exist. Neither is marriage all that important to this "pro-family" leader. Her daughter and boyfriend are still unmarried after their child was born. Bristol is only now "engaged" to the high school drop-out who fathered her child. Sarah and Todd Palin are OK with this. As for Bristol, she says she has "no regrets", not even for her child who was born outside of the institution of marriage, and she thinks that abstinence is unrealistic. I would suggest that with a moral outlook devoid of God’s authoritative Word, she is correct. Bristol does not appear to begin to understand what she has done and what kind of an example she has been to other girls her age, many of whom will never have wealthy parents to pick up the pieces. Worse still, Governor Palin shrugs the situation off as not ideal, but says the family will "make the most of it."

...why would Todd and Sarah Palin allow Bristol on national television as some kind of celebrity for having a baby out of wedlock, her sole accomplishment thus far in life? What message are they sending her–that fornication pays with big media gigs?

If a daughter of a supposedly Christian home can go on national television with parental sanction and state that abstinence (moral purity) is unattainable, it says volumes about the values she has imbibed. Bristol appears to be the tragic product of completely secular thinking. God and His Word apparently have nothing to do with her world and life view.

As far as I’m concerned, anyone who believes that the grace of God (which is, in the title of a booklet by Dave Breese, The Wealth By Which We Live (1982)) is not "realistic" or sufficient for living a life of purity and holiness has no business claiming to be a Christian. Some may think I’m being too hard on a 19-year-old girl. However, she’s old enough to charge fees for public speeches, and people don’t charge fees for speaking unless they figure that they’re knowledgeable enough on something that people will pay to hear what they have to say. If Bristol Palin is going to publicly pose as someone possessing knowledge or wisdom that’s worth paying to hear, then she’s fair game for public criticism. I see no evidence that she has any such knowledge or wisdom, and I wouldn’t pay 15-30 cents to hear her speak, much less $15,000-$30,000. Especially do I not think that Bristol Palin has any wisdom to offer Christian young people.

Those who are anxious for Christian young people to hear a message about abstinence and purity would be better off hearing from someone who’s actually lived such a life. I was in the audience at Bartle Hall in Kansas City on December 30, 1983 when Elisabeth Elliot delivered a powerful message based on her experience. It gets replayed every so often on Focus on the Family, and the audio may be available on the Internet. If you can’t find it, look for her book Passion and Purity (1984).

July 15, 2010 update: Bristol Palin and the bum who fathered her child are back together and engaged, and fittingly, on the cover of Us magazine. It's quite apparent that he doesn't know Jesus Christ; I'd accuse Bristol of sinning by marrying an unbeliever, but I see no evidence that she's a Christian, either.

June 26, 2015 update: The engagement mentioned above broke up, and now another engagement has broken up, but Bristol Palin is pregnant--again, out of wedlock--again. As reported by Helena Andrews of the Washington Post, June 25, 2015:

Palin, whose recent engagement to former Marine and Medal of Honor awardee Dakota Meyer ended mysteriously and abruptly, broke the baby news on her personal blog Thursday.

“I wanted you guys to be the first to know that I am pregnant. Honestly, I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my chin up on this one,” wrote Palin.

“I know this has been, and will be, a huge disappointment to my family, to my close friends, and to many of you,” continued Palin, mother of 6-year-old Tripp with her first ex-fiance Levi Johnston. “But please respect Tripp’s and my privacy during this time. I do not want any lectures and I do not want any sympathy.”

Thus far, Meyer, who has more than 65,000 followers on Twitter and who Mama Palin once called “an American Hero,” has remained silent on the subject of Bristol’s baby.

There's no point giving Miss Palin any lectures, since it's apparent that she wouldn't listen, anyway. And I'm sick of people holding press conferences or making publicly available posts on blogs, asking that their privacy be respected. If you want your privacy respected, keep your privacy private. As for the silence of Miss Palin's latest ex-fiance, maybe he has doubts as to whether the child is his--but that's just my speculation.

June 3, 2023 update: Miss Palin married Mr. Meyer in June 2016; the couple had a child in 2017, and were divorced in 2018. As of February 2020, Bristol Palin was a realtor in Austin, Texas.