Posted on 09/09/2008 5:48:03 PM PDT by markomalley
At the outset, it's important to note that Sarah Palin is free to embrace any religious beliefs she wants. It's between her and her conscience what, or even whether, she believes. For that matter, the Constitution makes it abundantly clear that there is no religious test for public office.
But there's been a push of late, most notably from the right, to make candidates' spirituality an important aspect of evaluating those seeking national office. And with that in mind, Palin's beliefs, which stray a bit from the mainstream, are drawing closer scrutiny.
For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal.She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. But though she attended the church from her teenage years to 2002, the Alaska governor hasn't talked much about her religion since joining the Republican ticket.
Palin's former pastor, Tim McGraw, says that like many Pentecostal churches, some members speak in tongues, although he says he's never seen Palin do so. Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, "When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths."
Some Pentecostals from Assembly of God also believe in "faith healing" and the "end times" -- a violent upheaval that they believe will deliver Jesus Christ's second coming.
The McCain campaign told CNN that Palin "doesn't consider herself Pentecostal," but McGraw said Palin's Pentecostal roots may be being downplayed for political reasons. The campaign would not elaborate further of Palin's spirituality, saying only that she has "deep religious convictions."
Now, there are probably going to be some who look askance at a practicing Pentecostal who attends a church where people speak in tongues, and people are free to draw their own conclusions about their comfort level. From my perspective, I'm very much inclined to consider all of this a personal matter, outside the political realm.
I do, however, think Palin, given her public comments, should answer a few reasonable questions:
* Does she believe in the separation of church and state? Is she comfortable with a government that remains entirely neutral on matters of faith?
* Does she believe public officials should use religious beliefs to shape public policy? Palin recently said those fighting the war in Iraq are "out on a task that is from God," and added, in the same remarks, that "God's will" was responsible for a national gas pipeline project in Alaska. Might she be willing to elaborate on what this means?
Do they not realize that the more they slime, the more we get determined?
"Reality Check" they called it.
Was an Obama campaign commercial.
Of course not, only secular humanistic beliefs are permissible in the public square.
Who defines "mainstream" in this case?
Even most "mainstream" Baptists believe in the idea of a final war between good and evil.
The MSM - omitting prepositional phrases at a cinema near you.
Headlines should read:
Palin Draws Scrutiny - FROM US
Palin Choice Called Gamble - BY US
So what if she does “speak in tongues.” Ever try to read that crap on Daily Kos, Dummies Underground or the Huffington Puff? That crap isn’t English!
I'll eleaborate a bit. The reporter is a lying sack of dung quoting out of context to satisfy his leftist agenda.
Oh, man. You can’t prop this guy up, Columbia Broadcasting System.
whatever palin’s religion,
she’s more american than
oba mao’s chicago hate-america church
or his moslem religion.
And she didn't say that the war was of God; she said to pray that it be of God. In other words, a "Thy will be done" prayer.
Dear SeeBS,
1.There is a God.
2.Sarah Palin has not declared a state religion in Alaska.
3.While how she chooses to worship is not important to us, the fact that she does believe is very important to us.
4.You may not believe in God, but he believes in you. And he’s taking notes. I see a very warm eternity in your future. I’m not even a Baptist, but I hope for some hellfire and brimstone for you.
5. Get off her case! You all must have mothers. Would you want your mom treated like this on the national stage?
6. Go to your room!!!
Uh-oh...here it comes.
This guy is from the Washington Monthly btw...
Google "Steve Benen." Now - unless this unusual name is held by two political writers the Google search will reveal that Steve Benen used to be with a site called The Carpetbagger Report. An anti-Hillary site? Of course not - it's an anti-McCain site - or at least they have a graphic and a link to "McCain flip-flops." The last few posts refer to Steve's move to the Washington Monthly and its Political Animal section. The Political Animal is credited at the CBS site/link. Click on the "Political Animal" link....they've got all of Benen's stuff! And it's all hit pieces on the McCain campaign!
And...CBS credits "their partner" Washington Monthly!
This is the kind of gossamer-thin separation that makes CBS think that it can claim objectivity, fairness, insert your favorite BS phrase.
Don't get me wrong - it's not a surprise but it is brazen even for the Katie Couric network.
They'd love so much to "catch" a Christian, wouldn't they? They're essentially like the crowd from a couple of centuries ago..."Give us Barabbas!"...only in this case it's "Give us Barack!"
Haven't they noticed that Sarah Palin lives her personal faith and that's what ultimately gives her an 80% approval rating? She isn't pushing it on anyone! Pathetic Leftists.
“And with that in mind, Palin’s beliefs, which stray a bit from the mainstream, are drawing closer scrutiny.”
This article should have been titled: “We’re shameless hypocrites and will do anything to promote our man Barack.”
All the major news organizations ignored, from more than a year, the extreme views of Obama’s church, even though CDs were sold of sermons and Sean Hannity spent about year talking about Reverend Wright, and the black liberation theology described on the church’s website. Only after recordings of some of the more hate filled, anti-American sermons were obtained and played widely did was any interest shown at all by the MSM. And that interest was mostly to excuse and explain away the virulent words of the Reverend.
But it hasn’t taken the MSM year of more to decide to search for anything unusual or damaging about Sarah Palin’s faith, or the churches she’s attended. Heck, has it been a full week yet?
The MSM are pure filth and scum.
Palin’s beliefs are under scrutiny, but not Obama’s.
And the article from these swine describing “black liberation theology” for the masses is coming...?
Isn’t is great that the author states that “there is no religous test for public office”? But then he qualifies his statement with “mainstream”. What is mainstream when it comes to religious beliefs? I dare this flake of a reporter question how religious people choose to interpret the bible!! I am a southern baptist and I don’t adhere to many doctrines of other denominations. To state however that end times theology is out of the mainstream of christianity is to exhibit an ignorance of general christian belief. The constitution of the United States addresses freedom of religion. The elitists of this country insinuate that its okay to be religious as long as you don’t believe it is the infallable word of God.
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