I facetiously noted yesterday that Sarah Palin probably wasn’t to blame for her use of the expression “blood libel” — a term associated with anti-semitism since the Middle Ages — because she had probably just picked it up from an editorial in the Wall Street Journal. As politicians like to say, I’m now “re-thinking” what I wrote because it looks like Palin has a bigger “Jewish problem” than just parroting an old expression.
This morning, when I read an in-depth piece in Huffington Post, written by Jordan Zakarin, it reminded me of Palin’s long association with Wasilla Bible Church, and her stated religious views which, to this writer, were the first indication that she’s well into nutjob territory.
Wasilla Bible Church, which is affiliated with the Pentacostal Assembly of God, is part of the creepy, theocratic “Third Wave” movement, whose members believe they are called to conduct “spiritual warfare” and “do battle for Jesus” to help them “take dominion” over the United States. They also believe in demonic possession of entire geographic regions and in the spread of family “curses.” If this reminds you of darker aspects of the Middle Ages, then bravo, you’re up on your history. Which is more than you can say for the members of Wasilla Bible Church.
In terms of the church’s views, we’re talking the extreme fringe of fundamentalist delusions. To sum up one of their main tenets, Jews need to change their ostensibly materialistic, money-grubbing, abortion-encouraging ways and follow the lead of Christian Zionists like the fine folks in the Pentacostal Assembly of God. All Jews, they believe, should return to Israel, so a supposed biblical prophecy about the “end times” can be fulfilled; once all Jews are back in Israel, they will “hand over” control of the world (I kid you not) to proper Christians. The Jews’ return to Israel will then trigger the second coming of Jesus, maybe even with a nuclear war on Iran thrown in as part of the deal. What’s scary is that this kind of hogwash makes sense to a substantial number of people in America, including Sarah Palin.
Palin has been “anointed,” or given blessing, three times by three separate “apostles” of the Third Wave movement. One of the “apostles” who laid hands on Palin is Rev. Thomas Muthee, an African cleric known for claiming to have driven out “the spirit of witchcraft” in a town in Kenya. He spoke at Palin’s church, “anointed” her, and called for Christians to “take back” the banking system from the Jews. Palin called that particular church event “awesome.” There’s much more information in Zakarin’s article — information that would be readily available to the U.S. press (the ones Palin calls the “lamestream press”) if they’d bother doing their job. Palin needs to be asked just how much of her church’s deluded claptrap she subscribes to. She has every right to believe whatever she wants, but Americans also have the right to reject her for being too extreme.
This article appears in Jan 11-17, 2011.
John, I am a researcher/writer who contributes to http://www.Talk2action.org and I’ve written many of the articles on Palin and the New Apostolic Reformation. Palin spent over twenty years at Wasilla Assembly of God, which is affiliated with the Pentecostal denomination. However, the church and its leadership are deeply involved in an international movement called the New Apostolic Reformation, also referred to as “apostolic and prophetic.” Wasilla Bible Church is a different and independent church that Palin has also attended. This is the church that invited David Brickner of Jews for Jesus to speak.
It was at Wasilla Assembly of God that Palin was anointed by Thomas Muthee, a Kenyan pastor who is a star in the “The Transformations,” a movie series that teaches spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare and has resulted in “Transformation” organizations around the world. The apostles teach “dominionism,” the idea that evangelical Christian must take control over government and society.
The apostles and prophets of the New Apostolic Reformation are largely Christian Zionists due to their end times beliefs and they also aggressively proselytize. The apostles are major supporters of Messianic Jewish ministries in Israel, Russia, Eastern Europe, U.S. and South America. Their media demonizes Judaism while they simultaneously cultivate relationships with Jewish and Israeli leaders. Note that a number of directors of John Hagee’s Christians United for Israel are involved in the apostolic and prophetic movement.
See my most recent article on this topic at:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/1/13/14015/8393/Front_Page/Dog_Whistle_for_Prayer_Warriors_Palin_as_Victim_of_Blood_Libel
Watching the right wing of this country study at the feet of the great and powerful Sarah Palin is like watching Peter Sellers in the movie “Being There”.
Chance, a simple gardener, has never left the estate until his employer dies. His simple TV-informed utterances are mistaken for profundity.
Well, great. I got the two churches mixed up, and I apologize. The descriptions of Palin’s activities, however — other than the names of the churches being screwy — remain. Of course, nothing has changed re: her being a fundamentalist nutjob with associations with anti-semites. And the US press still needs to do a much more thorough job of asking her if she shares those “Jews control everything” allusions made by her pals and spritual leaders.
Stamping Out Harold Camping
Is Second Coming date-setter Harold Camping worthy of death? He already has a zero batting average after his September 1994 prediction fizzle and, according to the Bible, is a false prophet.
Nevertheless that California shaman, who should be ashamed, claims he’s found out that Christ’s return will be on May 21, 2011 even though Matt. 24:36 says that no one knows the “day” or “hour” of it!
A Google article (“Obama Fulfilling the Bible”) points out that “Deut. 18:20-22 in the Old Testament requires the death penalty for false prophets.”
The same article reveals that “Christians are commanded to ask God to send severe judgment on persons who commit and support the worst forms of evil (see I Cor. 5 and note ‘taken away’).”
Theologically radioactive Harold Camping and his ga-ga groupies (with their billboards featuring “May 21, 2011”) should worry about being “stamped out” if many persons decide to follow the I Cor. 5 command.
The above article concludes: “False prophets in the OT were stoned to death. Today they are just stoned!”
PS – For many years Camping was not known as a pretrib rapture teacher. But now, for $ome my$teriou$ rea$on, he seeks support from those who believe in and teach an imminent, pretrib rapture which supposedly will occur SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE the traditional SECOND COMING to earth! For a behind-the-scenes, documented look at the 181-year-old pretrib rapture belief (which was never a part of any official theology or organized church before 1830!), Google “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” “Pretrib Rapture Diehards” and “Pretrib Rapture – Hidden Facts.”