Did We Ever Dodge a Bullet and How.  You Betcha!

Betty Cracker recently made the comment, after having read Game Change, that McCain should be punching himself in the face.  Palin’s recent speech to an evangelical organization called Women of Joy last Friday brings new meaning to that thought.

First off she comes right out and says that there is no place for separation of church and state in our government citing the Founding Fathers as her resource for this:

I beg you, Women of Joy, to bring light and be involved, loving America and praying for her. Really, it is our solemn duty. Praying for true spiritual awakening to overcome deterioration. That is where God wants us to be. Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our Founding Fathers, they were believers. And George Washington, he saw faith in God as basic to life.

Wait, what?  Doesn’t the First Amendment to the Constitution read something like this:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

And weren’t those same Founding Fathers responsible for the Bill of Rights because there was some concern that the original Constitution was a little loosey-goosey in some of those areas?  So wouldn’t it be logical to assume that, despite their personal religious beliefs the, ahem, Founding Fathers DID believe that the operations of government should be kept separate from the operations of religious institutions?

Sarah doesn’t think so.

In fact that there speech she gave was very revealing in another way.  She called out to the “Prayer Warriors” in the crowd.

Prayer Warriors all across the country—and I know some of you are here tonight—your prayer shield allows me and others to go forth. You give out strength, providing a prayer shield. That is the only way to put one foot in front of the other, and get through some of these days with joy.

I don’t know how any politician could, or would want to do this, without knowing that there were prayer warriors out there, holding you up and seeking strength and wisdom for you. ... I am so appreciative of their efforts.

Palin’s ties to the extreme evangelical sects of Christianity are no secret.  Many will remember this video of her being anointed and prayed over by Kenyan pastor and witch hunter Thomas Muthee.  What was not picked up on at the time was Muthee’s close involvement, and, by extension, Palin’s, in an organization known as the New Apostolic Reformation.

Bill Berkowitz’s article at the link above is a fascinating, albeit creepy, read.  To really learn more about this organization check out researcher Rachel Tabachnik’s detailed, highly informative, three part series on the NAR.

Here are the Cliff notes.  This is a large, loosely organized outgrowth of the Pentecostal and other evangelical movements whose founders apparently felt that converting individuals wasn’t going far enough.  These people want to take over all of society and convert it to their form of Christianity so the world will be scrubbed and sanitized in time for the End Days.

“How?”  you may ask.  Well first by marketing your ideas extensively with videos, literature and group training.  By claiming to map out demons in cities and towns and exorcise them thus banishing sin, poverty, pollution, hunger, you name it, from those same cities and towns.  (Remember how Muthee ran off the witch and ALL THE BARS IN TOWN TURNED INTO CHURCHES, BY GOD!)  By setting up huge networks of small cells reporting to mid-level managers who in turn report to higher level managers.  By keeping this pretty much under the media radar by this kind of low key networking.  Oh, and pushing a “7 Mountain” system of complete takeover of religion (i.e. all other religions), education, the arts, media, commerce, government, you name it.  All would be controlled by the Apostles. 

So what’s Palin’s involvement with this group?  Well according to one of the founding apostles of the group,  Alaskan Mary Glazier, Palin became part of her prayer network at the age of 24. Palin is and has been a Prayer Warrior for over 20 years.

In addition to Palin’s involvement the NAR has strong ties to Rick Warren and his Saddleback Church, was involved in the campaign to pass Proposition 8 in California and the draconian anti-gay laws in Uganda, and was closely tied to Ted Haggard, the fallen Colorado Springs evangelical (Jesus Camp anyone?)

Realistically I don’t think this movement is going to achieve their goals, although the growth rate of the groups charted out by Rachel Tabachnik is a little scary.  Their message is primarily based on superstition and casting out of demons with amazing miracles happening as a result.  There is a limit as to how many people are going to buy in to that.

No, what really scares me is that someone who believes this message, who has actively practiced and promoted it for over 20 years could potentially have been a heartbeat away from the presidency.  And that the mainstream media has not called her out on it.  Somebody who has hinted that she may run for president of the United States in 2012 said, out loud, and at a large event (some 17,000 Women of Joy in attendance) that she sees no place for the separation of church and state.  And gets away with it. 

I take back what I said above.  McCain doesn’t need to punch himself in the face.  He needs to hit himself over the head with sledge hammer.

Posted by marindenver on 04/21/10 at 04:36 PM • Permalink

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