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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Almost every anti-Palin article on this site mirrors the anti-Hillary Clinton and anti-Obama articles that this site derided!
This article is is the Rev. Wright witchhunt all over again. I've been begging Salon to remove the personal slurs and deal with issues, but apparently Glenn Greenwald's editorial is in fact the site's manifesto: we will no longer concentrate on poltics, we will give personality and personal attacks the bulk of our attention.
Pathetic.
I was raised Assemblies of God, though I have since left the church. As strange as Assemblies of God doctrine and practices all may seem to an outsider, it all seemed perfectly normal from the inside. I think almost any religion would seem pretty wacky when dissected this way. Catholics believe, for example, that communion wafers literally turn into the blood and body of Christ.
There is certainly a lot of talk of "spiritual warfare" in A of G congregations, but it's more about saving souls than the war in Iraq. Women and people of color were at the forefront in the early days of the Pentecostal movement, and you will find that many Pentecostal churches are racially integrated in a way the old mainline churches aren't.
Anyway, must we spill so much ink writing about Sarah Palin's family/ religion/ sexuality? There are plenty of other reasons to vote against her. She has lied about her record, she is inexperienced, and I disagree with her views on just about everything. But when Salon columnists call her a "dominatrix" or write condescending articles about her religion, they are only playing into the hands of the right.
Now we know you wouldn't ridicule Joe Biden's religion, you wouldn't ridicule John McCain's religion, you wouldn't ridicule Joe Lieberman's religion, you wouldn't ridicule Mitt Romney's religion, but you would ridicule Sarah Palin's religion.
Well isn't that special?
I would laugh at your ridiculous article and the even more ridiculous comments made by readers if your views weren't so tragic. The Assemblies of God is the largest Protestant Church in the world. To describe the AoG as anything other is completely disingenuous on your part. The AoG has many social programs that have worked and affected the lives of many within inner cities, rural areas, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, and victims of natural disasters. In fact, they have the # 1 drug and alcohol treatment program in the world. The Presbyterians' Lilly foundation has even reported that the AoG gives more money to social programs and causes than any other organization with the exception of the SBC. And the notion of speaking in tongues has been studied on varies levels in academic institution such as U.Penn with the findings being mainly positive. If you listen to the Governor's speech to a Masters' Commission, which is one of these outreach programs, you would hear a even-tempered message. Governor Palin is simply expresses the classical understanding of the Protestant doctrine of the sanctity of all vocations (taught by Luther, Calvin, et al). She, as the Governor, has something to accomplish (i.e., pipeline, etc.) and these graduating students have something to accomplish in the community. This is what her message is about. Notice that she says that they are going out into the community to affect the lives of hurting individuals. She never says that the Iraq war is God's will; she is saying that we need to pray that it is and that we are doing the right thing. It's really clear (it's absolutely clear) if you listen to the entire message, but since it's 12 minutes, most of you buffoons won't take the time. But you will act as though you are an expert on the AoG or even Governor Palin. You mention the DNC chairwoman in your article. Go look at her church's website if you want to see fringe group. But of course you won't because that doesn't work for your agenda. You people are idiots and you should be ashamed of yourselves. To the author, this is shoddy work at best. Full disclosure here: I am an ordained AoG minister who was educated at an AoG university and who graduated with a master's degree from Princeton Seminary.
It's not the religion. It's whether she has the capacity to sequester her religious beliefs and act in the interests of ALL Americans representing a wide variety of religions. Given what I've read of extreme evangelists, nothing is subordinate to their understanding and implementation of "God's Will."
Can you say Holy War?
It is a real shame what Joan Walsh has done to Glenn Greenwald.
The collapse of his journalistic integrity is likely the cause of the recent earthquakes - unless it was those mad scientists recreating the big bang.
With Greenwald on the dark side, who will we have to illuminate the world?
These are dark days indeed.
I would happily support the candidacy of a member of any one of the world's religions (See List Below), if I was convinced that he or she would be an honest advocate for reasonable public policy, as well as a passionate protector of the liberty and dignity of all citizens. I would actually prefer lower taxes if the person had the courage to propose corollary cuts in spending, as I would expect anyone who is serious about advancing the general welfare to be on a crusade against governmental and bureaucratic corruption.
However, as any careful observer can report, Fundamentalists, fanatics of all religions, too passionately believe themselves to be in possession of 'Absolute Truth," to extend such civility to "heathens" or "infidels." Religious fanatics habitually begrudge the rights of citizenship to the rest of us. The Republican Party Platform reflects that anti-democratic fanaticism, on abortion, on gay-rights, on civil liberties of all sorts. They are big on bigotry. Why should they not pick Governor Palin, after all, she is one of them?
Major Religions of the World - Ranked by Number of Adherents
Sizes shown are approximate estimates
This list is from Adherents.com
Christianity***: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
primal-indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
Baha'i: 7 million
Jainism: 4.2 million
Shinto: 4 million
Cao Dai: 4 million
Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
Tenrikyo: 2 million
Neo-Paganism: 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
Scientology: 500 thousand
*** Nominal Christians, of all sects, compose about 33% of all the people on earth. For statistical purposes: Groups which self-identify as part of Christianity include (but are not limited to): African Independent Churches (AICs), the Aglipayan Church, Amish, Anglicans, Armenian Apostolic, Assemblies of God; Baptists, Calvary Chapel, Catholics, Christadelphians, Christian Science, the Community of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"), Coptic Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches, Ethiopian Orthodox, Evangelicals, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Local Church, Lutherans, Methodists, Monophysites, Nestorians, the New Apostolic Church, Pentecostals, Plymouth Brethren, Presbyterians, the Salvation Army, Seventh-Day Adventists, Shakers, Stone-Campbell churches (Disciples of Christ; Churches of Christ; the "Christian Church and Churches of Christ"; the International Church of Christ); Uniate churches, United Church of Christ/Congregationalists, the Unity Church, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Vineyard churches and others.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
