In today’s column, outspoken atheist Christopher Hitchens describes the religious situation of this year’s crop of candidates. Here is an excerpt of the full article which is available at http://www.slate.com/id/2199568/
Interviewed by Rick Warren at the grotesque Saddleback megachurch a short while ago, Sen. Barack Obama announced that Jesus had died on the cross to redeem him personally. How he knew this he did not say. But it will make it exceedingly difficult for him, or his outriders and apologists, to ridicule Palin for her own ludicrous biblical literalist beliefs. She has inarticulately said that her gubernatorial work would be hampered “if the people of Alaska’s heart isn’t right with god.” Her local shout-and-holler tabernacle apparently believes that Jews can be converted to Jesus and homosexuals can be “cured.” I cannot wait to see Obama and Biden explain how this isn’t the case or how it’s much worse than, and quite different from, Obama’s own raving and ranting pastor in Chicago or Biden’s lifelong allegiance to the most anti-“choice” church on the planet. The difference, if there is one, is that Palin is probably sincere whereas the Democratic team is almost certainly hypocritical. The same is true of the boring contest over who can be the most populist, and of the positively sinister race to see who can be the most demagogically anti-Washington. With this kind of immaturity right across both tickets, it’s insulting to be asked to decide on the basis of experience, let alone “readiness.”
Read the full column at http://www.slate.com/id/2199568/
It should be required viewing to witness Sarah Palin address her church in June (video can be found on YouTube.com). Knowing a little about the culture, beliefs and language of Pentecostal type churches, you can be sure that Sarah Palin has a core belief that she has been ordained by God to be the prophetess to lead the American people to Jesus and save the world. According to the Assemblies of God official website there are four core beliefs: Salvation through Jesus, Divine Healing, Baptism in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) and The Second Coming (rapture theology). The second coming is followed by a thousand year reign on earth bringing the salvation of the nation of Israel and a thousand years of peace.
What is truly terrifying is how this particular moment captures her Howard Beale “mad prophet of the airways” potential.
This intimate revelation of Sarah Palin is the perfect cautionary instruction as to why politics and religion do not mix.
It should be required viewing to witness Sarah Palin address her church in June (video can be found on YouTube.com). Knowing a little about the culture, beliefs and language of Pentecostal type churches, you can be sure that Sarah Palin has a core belief that she has been ordained by God to be the prophetess to lead the American people to Jesus and save the world. According to the Assemblies of God official website there are four core beliefs: Salvation through Jesus, Divine Healing, Baptism in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) and The Second Coming (rapture theology). The second coming is followed by a thousand year reign on earth bringing the salvation of the nation of Israel and a thousand years of peace.
What is truly terrifying is how this particular moment captures her Howard Beale “mad prophet of the airways” potential.
This intimate revelation of Sarah Palin is the perfect cautionary instruction as to why politics and religion do not mix.
Is this the same Christopher Hitchens that writes for Vanity Fair and has written a book on how there is no God?
Is this the same Christopher Hitchens that writes for Vanity Fair and has written a book on how there is no God?