Mike Huckabee is appearing all this week on televangelist Kenneth Copeland's Believers' Voice of Victory program, and in the first two episodes, there was a lot of discussion about "character," "integrity," and "excellence." All that talk didn't move Copeland to mention either Sen. Chuck Grassley's probe of his ministry or the Oral Roberts University scandal, but he did display a keen understanding that he shouldn't be using his non-profit television ministry to bolster his friend Huckabee's candidacy. He began each program with the meaningless disclaimer that Huckabee was appearing as an ordained minister, but not a candidate. Oh, and by the way, he's running for president. Copeland echoed other Huckabee supporters' praise, talking about "God's anointing and calling on this man." He then launched into a discussion of how America's universities have been "dumbed down," but that the standards are higher at Christian schools, including at ORU, which Copeland said demands "excellence." Throughout the campaign, Huckabee has made clear his views on evolution, abortion, and marriage, all rooted in his fundamentalist reading of the Bible, which apparently -- who knew? -- lays out God's plan for governing America. But appearing with Copeland, Huckabee felt even more free to talk about how at age 15, he first understood "that [God] owns me, that my life doesn't belong to me... And we have to look at our lives as a matter of what does He want me to do because after all, he's the master, I'm the servant. I'm not here to please me, I'm here to please Him." As Arkansas governor, Huckabee added, "I had to come to the conclusion that I only had one client... when I laid my head on the pillow, I'd say, 'Lord, are you pleased?' ... even if I get voted out of office, I'll never get voted out of heaven." Copeland chuckled, "the devil doesn't have a prayer."
Read more in this week's FundamentaLIST. --Sarah Posner
