Saturday, September 06, 2008

WHO'S MORE DANGEROUS? THAT MASS-MURDERER IN WASHINGTON STATE WHO SHOT AND KILLED SIX PEOPLE WHO CLAIMED GOD TOLD HIM TO "I listen to God" he said "God told me to.", OR THESE TWO PEOPLE? READ ON.
Bold italics in story are mine.

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Palin: God tasked us with Iraq war
from Press TV

Sarah Palin, the surprise vice presidential pick by Republican candidate John McCain, has said the war in Iraq was 'a task from God'. Like US President George W. Bush, Governor Palin attempted to justify her policies by claiming they were divinely-ordered during a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June. "Pray for our military. Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right for this country - that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," the Alaska governor said in her address posted on the website of the Wasilla Assembly of God. Earlier in 2005, President Bush claimed he was on a mission from God when he started the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I am driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did." The US president told a Palestinian delegation in Sharm el-Sheikh. Palin, prior to her 'there is a plan and that it is God's plan' comment on the Iraq war, asked the audience to pray for a $30 billion national gas pipeline project because it was 'God's will to get that gas line built' as well. Earlier in March 2007, Palin had said, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." The report comes as one of the first on Palin's positions on foreign policy issues, as the Republican camp has not yet allowed her to hold a press conference.
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I'll answer my own question: George W. has been the dangerous one the past eight years, and God help us if Sarah Palin gets in, it'll be even more of the same.


I consider myself a deeply spiritual person. I pray every day, and even read my Bible. I often attend church. And I know this: if people claim to hear God proclaiming divine messages for them, and them alone, those folks are either severely Bipolar and hallucinating in a "manic" episode, or they are paranoid schizophrenic. Because God doesn't tell us to hurt others. Some folks will always use religion as an excuse to commit atrocities. But it's a helluva lot more scary, when they have the power to not just run outside in a rampage and take several innocent lives (which is horrifying enough!), but the power--and the desire--to put the guns into the hands of our young people, and commit them to an unnecessary and brutal war.Funny how this country works. If you're a guy with a history of mental disorders, alcoholism, and ego-issues, you can simply snap, and go "mad" and kill people, and claim--and perhaps even believe-- that you "listen to God.". The fellow from Washington State is looking at life in prison. You can be another guy, with all those same issues, and get two terms--as President of the United States of America.
Sarah Palin thinking it's a divine mission? I heard she only recently got a passport. Perhaps she's not gotten out much, and so she believes the Assembly of God Church in Wasilla, where she recently made these claims, is the be-all, know-all of spiritual development. I wish I could tell her to rethink what she's said. To meditate. To be still. To pray on it. But I won't.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The things that have been done in God's name....
makes me sick. God help us all if Sarah Palin comes into power.

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

Selma: Amen to THAT!

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

It's actually 3:01 A.M. here in Atlanta area, but my Blog is set on Pacific Coast time.

billie said...

it has been my experience that religion is used as a conduit for power grabs and greed. it's only folks like you- lay folks- who genuinely believe what you believe- the powers that be see that you believe and use that to their advantage. unfortunately, many folks who claim to be christians are sucked into the vortex by the robertsons and the falwells and the parsleys and the hagees-- and the palins and bushes. this is why there needs to be complete and utter separation of religion and politics. i don't want anyone who claims to be religious running anything. these people aren't good people who actually believe- they are pretenders who use who they need to to get what they want.

i am completely baffled as to why folks can't see that. time and again, they are drawn like moths to a flame to people like palin and bush because they preach hatespeak- antichoice and antigay. what is wrong with people is what i want to know. there are far bigger issues facing us right now than whether gay folks marry each other.

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

Thanks, Betmo. Absolutely Church and State ARE separate. I probably feel more strongly than most people of faith, because for nearly 18 years, I called myself "a cheerful Atheist/Nontheist" and I am well aware of the tendency of most Believers to have extreme intolerance towards those who don't believe the same way. It baffles me, because if you are secure in your own Faith, you do not have to impose it on anyone else. Of course, Fundies believe they are "saving" others--and that's whether you are a Fundie Christian, or an Fundie/extremist Muslim. But to respond more directly to two issues you raised:
Gay rights will eventually be accepted by mainstream Christianity just as other Peace & Social Justice concerns have(Civil Rights for women and people of color, for example). Not that we as LGBTQ people NEED any affirmation by any religion, but acceptance/inclusion (I hate the word "tolerance"--it sounds like medicine one is forced to "tolerate") will make life easier here. I expect this will happen within the next 50 years, but probably not any sooner (sigh).
As far as abortion goes, John Kerry, a Catholic was asked how he could support reproductive rights for women. Although he accepted abortion is a sin as "an Article of Faith", he said that "...abortion is a medical procedure that women have a right to access."
In China, the State forces women to have abortions(once the "quota" of one child per family is reached). It is just as barbaric to have the State force a woman to remain pregnant, and force her to give birth.
Back to Fundamentalist/Extremist religious folks for a moment:
Is there any difference at all between a Fundamentalist-Extremist "Muslim" who decides to strap a bomb to himself or herself and blow up Americans for being infidels, and the Fundamentalist-Extremist "Christian" who blows up abortion clinics, and shoots the doctors(non-believers in their eyes)who perform them? I think not.

Kate Evans said...

I just posted another Palin link. This is all really horrible.

I think the abortion as a medical procedure is just pure logic. It's up to medical practioners and patients, not policy-makers or citizens.

Lydia said...

Thoughtful post. I'm so scared of the latest polls, and am feeling really depressed about all the Palin hooplah. On top of that, I sorta opened up a can of worms in my blog post of 09-10, with a weirder than weird comment from an evangelical. I'm spiritual, too, and frequently in prayer. But I can't even think of going to church because I'd run into people like this evangelical dude, instead of someone peaceful and open-minded like you!

SarahJane said...

I also find Sarah Palin very scary. I keep waiting for her eyeballs to come boogling on springs out of her glasses.

But god told me not to vote for her, so all's well.

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

Kate Evans--Yes, and amen!
Lydia--Thanks for the compliments.
If you DO decide to attend a church, The Unitarian-Universalists are very open-minded, as are most Episcopals. I identify with Roman Catholic church, but if you do RC, look for a parish with an emphasis on Peace & Social Justice. Or simply join:
www.paxchristiusa.org/
It's a great open, kind organization that gives you a "prayer & community" fix, even without church-going!
Sarah Jane--very amusing!

Lydia said...

You hit on the three that would interest me, plus one more: Quaker. I think I identify most with RC also, but have been conflicted being pro-choice and liberal. So you've given me some insight and I thank you! (When my cat, Bleecker, was finally ready to go at age 16 after two years fighting kidney failure I called the local priest and asked for an individual "Blessing of the Animals" for him. We bundled him up and took him to the parish house and the priest was SO kind and ended with "and bless the caregivers." It was truly special.)

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

The Quakers are special. I love their "friend" talks at their meetings(if you ever enjoyed Six Feet Under, there's a lovely episode where this is addressed).
Your story of your cat and the priest's blessing is so sweet. God Bless You, kid.
I wrote about the passing of my beloved Aussie, "Frisco", in my Jan. 15th, 2008 Blog entry; I wrote about her life in the following entry, and the cremation service we held, in the next entry..