A perspective on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi-That of one of her daughters

"During Nancy Pelosi's speaker celebrations this month, as the Pelosi clan drove through the streets of Washington and Baltimore together, some protesters held up signs that read, 'Pelosi Preys on Children' -- a reference to the speaker's pro-choice stand, which contradicts church doctrine.

"My mother, throughout her entire life, has been faithful to the church, even though the church has not been that faithful to her because of her politics. And I think that takes a lot of perseverance," she says. "And still, people protest her right to go to her own church."

The above words are the words of Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a 36 year-old documentary film-maker, who has recently returned to the practice of the faith. Her return, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, was driven by two events. First and foremost the birth her son and, secondly, was the making of her documentary on the Evangelical movement.

All this is contained in an San Francisco Chronicle article, Behind the red curtain Documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of the speaker, leaves the blue states for some cultural learnings of her own, which was brought to my attention by Rocco over at Whispers. This is not an endorsement of or apologetic for some of Speaker Pelosi's more controversial political positions, just an attempt to offer some much-needed perspective from a Christian POV and to show how destructive and un-Christian ad hominem attacks are. As to Speaker Pelosi's positions on issues of life, which trouble me, it must be pointed out that she is the mother of 5 children, four daughters and a son. As a father of four, who can be overwhelmed by a single one year-old, and who is eveyday amazed at the grace under pressure my lovely wife shows (a great Rush album, btw), this reality, this lived experience, says a lot to me. I also have to write that ad hominem attacks on President Bush have no place in civil discourse, as vehemently as people may disagree with his positions, policies and actions.

Before discussing her newfound appreciation of Church and religion, along with her intent to have her son baptized, Alexandra didn't "like to say she's a 'lapsed' Catholic. Because when she does, her mom, recently appointed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, tends to take it as a 'failure that she couldn't keep me in the church.' That position looks especially bad lately, after the elder Pelosi stressed her devout Catholicism during swearing-in ceremonies this month.

"So despite 12 years of Catholic education in San Francisco and four more at a Jesuit university, Alexandra, a 36-year-old documentary filmmaker, prefers to say that Catholicism 'didn't stick. I always try to tell my mother that I believe in God, but I don't believe in church. But that offends her. Parents take it personally when you reject something they gave you'."