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"Walking and chewing gum" is indeed an impressive achievement (beyond me alas) but being in two different places simultaneously would be a little more challenging, I feel.

Not easy to conduct a Bible study when one is leading a political protest march down the Shankhill Rd. Difficult to provide spiritual counseling when one is huddled at party headquarters working on political position papers. Hard to deliver a sermon on Scripture when one is being interviewed by the BBC about your latest threat to boycott a meeting with the Catholic opposition. Not easy to come to the Church bake sale when one is in Strasbourg on Monday and Tuesday and in Westminster for the remainder of the week. Difficult to get to the Wednesday evening church service when one is meeting with the paramilitary leadership of the UVF.

That might be a little too much even for Paisley's unquestioned powers, wouldn't you say?

All of those activities are political activities and those who engage in them are known as politicians. When the Presbyterian Church ordains men for ministry, I doubt if any of those things are part of the job description.

As for Paisley's political activities being an extension of his Christian ministry, one could say the same about any politician who professes Christianity and attempts to put his Christian principles into action. However, that in no way negates the fact that he is a politician.

All of those activities are political activities and those who engage in them are known as politicians. When the Presbyterian Church ordains men for ministry, I doubt if any of those things are part of the job description.

I am puzzled as to how you'd know, really. Do you happen to write job descriptions for Presbyterian ministers in your spare time at the monastery?

Apparently you must not know that Ian Paisley was ordained by his own father in 1946, and according to today's article in the Belfast Telegraph, one would not be surprised if Ian Paisley's ordination ceremony might not have in fact had some significant political overtones in his commissioning:

"The fact that Ian Paisley would later recount the story of his father James's role in the bitter fight against Home Rule and show people his bandolier and rifle, mementoes of an earlier Ulster Says No campaign, indicate that his father also played a significant role in shaping his destiny.

Ian Paisley death: Devoted family man, his children were in awe of him

A minister, a statesman, and father of 5 adoring (now adult and very accomplished) children.

I can see you stomping around now, pulling your hair and at the same time screaming, "But he's a politician! He's a politician!!!When did he ever find the time to be a daddy!"

Proof's in the pudding, as they say. Apparently he did. My point from the beginning has been this: highly effective people have a way of making their own time to do what they intend to do.

Now I know from another one of your postings that you think I have some sort of "I'm a Paisley expert shtick" going on here, but it would help if you did more thorough research of your subject matter before you decided to post.

JP II may have forbade the likes of (pedophile) Fr. Robert Drinan (D-MA) from continuing to serve as a Congressman, but unlike Drinan, Paisley never reported to Rome.

Ecclesiastically speaking, Presbyterian ministers may serve as statesmen with the permission of their congregations. As foreign a concept as it might seem to some Catholics, Paisley's parishioners likely found his work in both Parliaments to be an extension of their church's Christian ministry and saw Paisley's work as a mission field for living the Christian faith.

Of course at the rate you're going you'll probably upbraid him for being too much of a missionary and not enough of a minister -- as though they are somehow mutually exclusive.

FReegards!