Heard ya the first two times Rupert LOL! Just kidding.

I've been to about 5 AoG meetings (to please a boss at the time who insisted I check it out). I have to say, there were parts of the service that were inspirational, and the music at this particular assembly was very good. But when the speaking in tongues thing broke out I started to get a little freaked. I was amazed however at the ability of some of these "speakers"; I listened carefully for say, a repetition of a phrase which would betray a practiced gibberish rant, and could hardly detect one. "Speakers" however, were clearly a chosen few and picked ahead of time though the premise was that they broke out into ancient language upon feeling inspiration. At this particular church they also did the "Laying of Hands" where the preacher and elders surrounded a parishoner and after listening to his particular problem, would relieve him of his malady by the preacher laying his hand on sufferer's head while saying a prayer to exorcise his demons. The sinner would invariably fall backwards onto the floor (the Elders were there for the sole purpose of catching him) writhing and convulsing-really sometimes quite pitifully- and then would rise and victoriously pronounce himself cured. I did notice that it was the same "sinners" every week with garden-variety ailments-alchoholism, cheating....

I met once with the minister- a charicature of Pentacostal intolerance and insecurity dressed in expensive clothing and obviously doing quite well. I recall another spooky episode where during the service, he said something about how he knew who was tything and exactly how much. And though I don't recall the specific threat attached, it really scared me.

I know that no particular assembly necessarily represents an entire Denomination, Maybe Palin's is/was quite different, but I would not be comfortable with such people holding power in such a large and diverse country.

Rupert, I don't understand why you're calling me out. I was quite careful to accurately describe my (limited) experience with an AG church and to keep my interpretation to a minimum. I even mentioned that I did not know whether this particular church was representative of the whole denomination. Though other posters here tell quite similar stories.

I don't know what goes on in a mosque or a synagogue; I've never been to either.

My feeling is, as others have stated, that I don't care which religion a candidate practices- So long as they don't try to push it on me, my children, neighbors, or make it national policy.

No reasonable person could argue that there has not been a clear trend in this country towards the elevation of (particularly fundie Christian) viewpoints in the political discourse. BTW a trend opposed to every other developed country where religion is on the wane. Witness the presidential primary debates where the candidates had to jump through hoops to answer religious questions. Sometimes with laughable disconnect. Pious Rudy Giuliani anyone?

I told you what I saw going on there, hoping you would draw your own conclusions. I know I've reached mine.

Athiest here too, though I would not pin it entirely on AG. Keep talking, people need to know what this AG stuff's about.

ie. No-one can deny that Christian fundies of all stripes will NEVER sit by and let this be a secular society. Evangelicism; by definition, is to carry your personal redemption message and to bring others to the fold.

The message was never unclear when I was there "Never give up. Promote, at any cost and in all areas, our message. INJECT the message if necessary". They were insecure, one-track-minded, and took no prisoners. I have literally seen families torn apart; certainly friendships.

That's why I don't trust Palin. I have seen this stuff with my own eyes, have seen the changes it has made in lifelong friends. If I've brought anything away from my association with these people; it is that strangely, they are lost. They have "found" nothing.

On a side note: Didn't McCain refer to these same people as "agents of intolerance"? I really wonder how well he and his VP will get-along together.

Long as they're not f'ing. Because LOL We all know he's a horndog.

All the best

C

Go read Suskind's book. I give it a year or two. Geenie is OUT of the bottle.

WE invented and used this monster. On this 9/11 I had the thought that maybe we should examine on this night- Not the maudlin, fading, Rah-Rah memorials; as the relatives complained today "yearly funerals".

Maybe we should look at how we got here. No, not just Bush, how we got here for the last 62 years.

That's the message people want to hear.

I think what most people misunderstand, is that a single nuke (which is entirely possible) anywhere in the world, particularly in the USA would shut down EVERYTHING. Air, global shipping, financial markets, commerce.

I am old enough to remember the LA riots of '92, where with a police infraction led to anarchy. Can you imagine what a nuke attack would do? It would turn us against ourselves.....

Suskind posits that the matierial could be bought for 10-20 million dollars. There's lots of people who could come up with that.

DO please read the book. The CIA was so proud to have shut down the Plutonium trading network in 2003, THROUGH THE MAIL 100mg at a time, and held a celebration. ala "Mission Accomplished" only to find in 2006, that the network was still active. And presumeably still is.

Hide your head in the sand if you like (maybe the best place for it). WE blew it on Nuclear Verification a long time ago....

Hmmmm Who was that? Oh yeah, deregulatin', star fuckin', Ronnie (I'll consult my astricological charts while I go slowly crazy) De-regulate, "did I say De-regulate?" Ronnie the hero Reagan. How's that banking de-regulation working out now?

Where's the "trickle down" happen? I really want to know. Suply some facts, if you can afford.