Pentacostalism Obscured in Palin Biography

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Pentecostalism obscured in Palin biography

By ERIC GORSKI and RACHEL ZOLL – 1 hour ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sarah Palin often identifies herself simply as Christian. Yet John McCain's running mate has deep roots in Pentecostalism, a spirit-filled Christian tradition that is one of the fastest growing in the world. It's often derided by outsiders and Bible-believers alike. Palin was baptized Roman Catholic as a newborn. She was then baptized in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church as a teen and attended that church until six years ago, when she and her family adopted a different home church, an independent evangelical church.

Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign, has said Palin attends different churches and does not consider herself Pentecostal.

Details of Palin's religious background and its influence on her public policy are still emerging. As Alaska governor, she signed a proclamation as Alaska's governor honoring Christian Heritage Week and said creationism shouldn't be barred from classroom discussions. She used traditional evangelical language in praying that a natural gas pipeline be built in Alaska and that the U.S. mission in Iraq was a "task that is from God." Yet she's also said she would not force her views on others.

Palin identifies herself only as Christian in her biography on the National Governors' Association Web site. In an Aug. 14 interview with Time magazine, she once again described herself as Christian. When pressed, she said she attended a "nondenominational Bible church." "I was baptized Catholic as a newborn and then my family started going to nondenominational churches throughout our life," she said. She did not mention her longtime association with the Assemblies of God, which claims nearly 3 million members and is one of the biggest Pentecostal groups in the U.S.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jCeGgS4vbVt6qpxTpahCgGn_R-dQD92VOKVG0

[LibDemAlways]

1. A Christian is a follower of the precepts of Jesus.

In Sarah Palin I see a woman who kills animals for fun, who puts her political ambition above the needs of her family, who uses her children as political props, who wants to destroy the pristine wilderness of her beautiful state for profit, who has cut funding for social services for her state's citizens, and who will gladly stand before a national audience and spout Rovian lies while smirking.

Palin can call herself whatever she wants, but a follower of the teachings of Jesus she's not.

[jennied]

8. Well said.

[barbtries]

11. not according to my "bible christian" friend

she says christian is accepting christ as your savior. this in response to my observation that in my life, my behavior is more "christian" than that of many self-professed religious "christians." following his teachings appears to be secondary to accepting him as your personal savior. for her and many others, you cannot be christian until you have been baptized. and considering that palin is an evangelical "christian" there's no hope that she will maintain a separation between church and state if she ends up vice president.

[FiveGoodMen]

34. Accepting Jesus as savior, but maintaining that he really didn't know what he was talking about!

That's the great thing with the Christian right -- they don't take their "savior" at his word.

For instance, find this in the Bible: "If a man looks as though he will be able -- at some time in the near future -- if he wants to -- to strike you on one cheek...kill him and his sons and a million or more of his people before he gets the chance!

Here endeth the lesson.

[bitchkitty]

41. That's a fairly recent interpretation of Christianity, I believe.

Christians were around long before holy rollers started up.

[barbtries]

42. well, yeah

her "church" was founded in the mid-seventies. but they're "first generation" christians. and only they get to go to heaven. go figure.

[kegler14]

18. Hey, hey, leaqve the kids out of it!!!

Except of course when the Repugs want to use them as political props. Then it's OK. As someone else said, the only reason Bristol's boyfriend was in the picture is because he was stupid enough to impregnate a 17-year-old.

[lynnertic]

2. creationism shouldn't be barred from classrooms but sex ed should...

:eyes:

Oy. JC himself would not be so silly, is what I think.

[sam sarrha]

4. worst yet is their Apocalyptic made up prophecies doom cult, F'n brain washing

[lynnertic]

5. you sound like that Brit (I should say you sound like many brits) so I want to weigh in with:

I don't think that Pentecostalism is a death cult any more than I think NASCAR is a death cult. People don't go to a Pentecostal church because they want to die, but because they want to live.

It's easy to pan pentecostals from our comfortable chairs but in downtrodden places like the Sudan and Wasilla (the meth capital of Alaska) pentecostal Christianity is an OK and hopeful alternative to an otherwise miserable existence.

The appeal of pentecostal christianity is hope in the face of hopelessness. Not death, hope. It's very human and very positive. The people you're afraid of (Republicans who would vote for Sarah Palin) know this and that's why attacking her religion itself, the philosophy, will work against you.

You have to attack the practical absurdities and the corruption, specifically.

(I say this as a friendly and well-read agnostic)

[AlbertCat]

20. The appeal of pentecostal christianity is hope in the face of hopelessness.

Nope...it's FALSE hope and fairy tales in the face of hopelessness.

Substituting one fake high for another.

[lynnertic]

23. false hope is hope nonetheless, like the hope that the dems will win an election

...one day.

So I take you seriously and explain something you might not know about, you come back to snipe at me, and now I get to tell you to shove off.

[Odin2005]

27. "fake hope" = opiate of the masses = no desire for social justice.

If people think that living a miserable existance is just how the "evil, fallen world" is and they will have a much better existance in heaven they will have no desire to fight inequality and injustice. Religion is not called the "opiate of the masses" for nothing.

[lynnertic]

28. What you say is true for some people. For others, like refugees in the

wild of Sudan, it's not a false hope. It's the only hope, and it helps one endure and perhaps even prevail.

Yes it's a religion that has its roots in oppression. Yes, it can be used for evil. Understand how it's not the same for everyone, how profoundly positive and meaningful it is for some people.

Ease up some, you're allowed to eschew religion so allow others to embrace it.

[LeftyMom]

26. Pentacostal theology emphasizes "the rapture" which is death cult theology.

The whole rapture thing is essentially cop-out suicidal ideation for people who hate the world but don't quite have the guts to leave it. They want to die without the whole icky dying part, so they've constructed this whole fantasy world where not only will god/jesus make that happen, but their political and social enemies are all made to suffer AND they get proven right.

It's sick wish fulfillment for unstable and deeply unhappy people.

[lynnertic]

40. OK fine it's a death cult. But it works for some people

who want or need their wish fulfillment that way.

[sam sarrha]

30. they want the Apocalypse to happen so Jesus can return.. all will die except Pentecostals

the Dominionists say only 144,000 will survive..

not actually a death cult..s they plan to survive,, it's everybody else that dies in the apocalypse..

[lynnertic]

39. That's right, and the wild speculation to ID the antichrist

...is one of my favorite aspects of the religion.

[kath]

31. you may be well-read, but I think you need to read up on Dominionism/Christian Reconstructionism

See multiple threads in GD.

Read up a bit, and you may rethink statements like "pentecostal Christianity is an OK and hopeful alternative to an otherwise miserable existence" and
"It's very human and very positive".

Turning the US into a theocracy under Biblical law is in no way "OK" or "very positive".

If you can't find the threads and posts I am talking about, I would be happy to lend assistance.

[lynnertic]

37. I have read those things, and I've agreed to certain points upthread.

Real people are involved. People wouldn't join this church if it didn't do something for them. I did say that the church could be used for evil, so I'm not arguing that point. I'm also not arguing your view that the belief system is a dangerous fairy-tale.

But we all suffer delusions. Mine seems to be an optimism about human nature, and let me tell you it's hard to maintain here.

I'm not going to denegrate a whole group of people for their belief system because of a couple gay cheating pastors and nasty busybodies are trying to use it for political gain.

Next you're going to ask me to condemn Catholicism, or agree that Buddhism is a whole bunch of nothing.

;)

[sam sarrha]

35. it is a cult that prays for ultimate war that ends civilization.. i grew up in that church

[lynnertic]

38. I'm really glad you got out. n/t

[sam sarrha]

3. the Pentecostals are a cult.. messed up my childhood teaching Revelation in Sundayschool 5yrs old on

[Solly Mack]

6. Christian Heritage Week ? snort

[hermetic]

7. Personal experience

I have attended several Assembly of God services. Part of the service is that good, old Speaking in Tongues.

No wonder she doesn't want it mentioned. I didn't like anything about her from the get-go, but when I saw what her church was, well....:crazy:

[juajen]

25. I read she has not attended a pentacostal church in 5 years. NT

[kath]

32. Lie.

[sam sarrha]

36. the pastor of her church is a supporter of Joel's army

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=joel%27s+army&spell=1
:wtf: :hide: :woohoo:

[kayell]

9. She prayed for a gas pipeline????!!!! Christians are soooo wierd.

They believe in an omnipotent, omniscient God that they read about in an infallible book, yet they also believe that he* might be swayed to their political or economic advantage by a little pleading.

*it's always a he with this sort.

[LibDemAlways]

24. That says it all doesn't it? In the video of her

recently addressing the Assembly of God congregation she lists Alaska's "natural resources" as oil, natural gas, gold, and (lastly) people. No mention of the forests, the lakes and rivers, majestic mountains, scenic fjords, glaciers, or abundant wildlife, all of which she apparently has no appreciation of or use for except to pillage (in the case of the land) or kill (in the case of the animals). I've been to Alaska several times and it is breathtaking. This nutcase isn't worthy of it.

And let me assure you, praying for a gas pipeline isn't high up on most Christians' list when they pray. That comes from the warped mind of a corporate suit disguised as a "Christian" governor. I suspect her Christianity is as phony and politically expedient as Bush's.

[Journeyman]

10. As a young man, enamored with a cute girl I'd met, I attended her church . . .

it was Pentecostal and they were "infused with the spirit," spoke in tongues, seemed possessed at times, and believed themselves the true guardians of the Word, arrayed against all others. Certainly, if I'd been older or understood better what they were, I'd have probably been a bit more disconcerted by them. But -- truth to tell -- I was just trying to get in the young ladies' pants, so I pretty much ignored the "babbling brooks" that populated the meeting hall. At least, until the day I realized I would never attain my goal and pretty much lost interest in the quest. That's when the gyrations and gimcrackery came to the fore. Looking around, I saw people "possessed by God" who twitched and twisted and jumped all about, then broke into excited preaching, "channelling" the word of the Lord to the assembled multitude. (Okay, to the two or so dozen gathered in the old rickety building.)

What bemused me was when one of the "chosen," caught up in the "love of the Word" and funneling God's wisdom direct from the source, suddenly forget what they were saying and stood there with a blank look, mumbling incoherently. God, it seemed, had forgotten his lines. With others, however, God took the easy way out: they spoke in "tongues," with no rhyme or reason and certainly no syntax, content to show their "chosen" status without running the risk of embarrassment through a forgetful Deity. This group -- and the object of my lust was among them -- didn't so much speak in tongues as they babbled in incoherent sounds, at times simply trilling their tongue in imitation of speech.

It was all far too bizarre, even for a teenage hippie with a buzz on. I got up in the middle of the show and left the theater. I shudder to think one of those "useful idiots" now fills a position of some authority, and potentially could be "exalted" to a spot where they could make my life very, very miserable. So there's only one option: work harder for Obama and hope the margin of victory proves great enough to thoroughly discredit these sorts of evangelical thumpers.

[LiberalFighter]

17. Thinking about it they probably all should be certified nuts and locked away.

[Norrin Radd]

12. "If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures

from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man."

--attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

[judasdisney]

13. Democrats just aren't serious about confronting "dominionism" or fascism or anything

I hope to be long gone, far, far away when Democrats get what's coming.

[kath]

33. hear, hear - it's way past time for people to wake up and see what

the whackaloons and fascists are up to.

[meowomon]

14. I grew up attending a Pentacostal church

Those people are nuts.

[Enthusiast]

15. I agree, and

if she were to be elected it would be the greatest tragedy for our country. These religious extremists have too much influence as is.

[semillama]

16. "would not force her views on others" is another lie

coming from the woman that pressured a librarian about books that needed to be removed from shelves...

[VaYallaDawg]

19. I guess it's too cold in Alaska for rattlesnakes -

otherwise, they'd be passing those around to be handled as well.

Shame on me.

[saigon68]

21. LOL

[AlbertCat]

22. Shame on me.

Nope...good for you!

Religion should be scrutinized like anything else. It's time for religion's "free pass" to end.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. What do you mean? Palin is the biggest rattlesnake in the state.