Palestinian Attack In Israel Part of God's Judgment, Said Recent Guest At Palin's Church

After several months of scrutinizing Barack Obama's former place of worship, reporters are now taking a close look at Alaskan churches frequented by presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

As the Huffington Post reported earlier Tuesday, Palin addressed a gathering at the Wasilla Assembly of God, asking them to pray for oil pipeline development and "God's will" in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Boston Herald and Newsweek have both identified Wasilla Bible Church as the Alaska Governor's most recent church. And it was at that Bible Church where a recent guest described a Palestinian attack on Israeli citizens as part of God's judgment coming to pass on Earth -- an analysis likely troubling both to Jews, as well as to mainstream foreign policy analysts.

Describing a trip by his son to Jerusalem, Jews for Jesus founder David Brickner described the a July Palestinian bulldozer attack against Israeli civilians as part of God's "judgment."

That speech, from August 17, is posted on the church's website, along with all other recent addresses delivered to the congregation.

In a talk entitled "The Jerusalem Dilemma," Brickner also went on to describe all of the problems in the Middle East as related to Jerusalem. "But what we see in Israel, the conflict that is spilled through the Middle East, really which is all about Jerusalem, is an ongoing reflection of the fact that there is judgment," Brickner told Palin's church, adding: "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real. When Isaac [Brickner's son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment -- you can't miss it."

Listen to Brickner here.

Brickner's analysis tracks with various other strains of evangelist Christian eschatology, but finds decidedly less favor in foreign policy circles. With Gov. Palin's views on foreign policy mostly unknown, and the McCain campaign thus far ill disposed to the idea of making her available to the national press, it's unclear how much stock she personally puts in Brickner's theory. An email to the McCain campaign asking for clarification was not immediately returned.

Comments

[sana99]

Whether or not Palestinian attacks were the will of anyone but Palestinians may be debatable
and surely commentary like that alarms secular Jews (Jews who do not believe in Judaism) and other nonbelievers, but for believers in the God of Abraham, that kind of thing really would be just His usual personality, another day in the searing spotlight of God's favor. Mosaic books, as well as (accepted or unaccepted) books of prophetic statements are riddled with God's "told you so's", "serves you rights," and "Thats RIGHT, I AM the one who sent them" . Threatening anyone He is paying attention to with the negative aspects of nearby (and distant) people is the Jewish God's style and it kind of always has been as far as I can tell. In many scriptures you even have God's running commentary about laughing as"all Israel" is taken away in chains by "strangers" and other delightful aspects of God's sense of humor.
(Since, of course, most of Israel's policies really kind of don't live up to even 30% of God's "rules" ,this would, if it echoed their oral and written history tend to lead to the "wrath of God" through everything from natural elements, local and distant populations, variety illness, and whatever else God managed to dig up.)
My point is that according to Abrahamic scriptures (Bible, Torah, etc) that IS what God would say, if He exists. Whether the God of Abraham exists is a whole different issue.

[msieger]

Please read or listen to David Brickner's entire message for yourself at the Jews for Jesus website, www.jewsforjesus.org, so that you can see Brickner"s remarks in context. Please also take a look at Mr. Brickner"s comments concerning his message at Wasilla Bible Church, as well as an interview by Christianity Today with Mr. Brickner about this issue, at that same website.

[lindajoy]

Hanging out with hate-mongerers that see Jews as having wrought the Holocaust, terrorist attacks and a litany of other plagues - seems to be a pattern for the McCain team.

Only difference, McCain didn't sit through such sermons, Palin did. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/us/politics/23hagee.html

It is offensive enough that people believe they need to change other peoples' faith to be more like theirs, but coming out and saying that attacks in Jerusalem (or that Hitler was God's hunter), is God's retribution against Jews who do not accept Jesus as their savior.... That crosses a very very clear line. If you are not offended by that, you should not be in a position of representing a diverse people.

Tolerance matters.

[msieger]

I'm a Jewish believer in Jesus. I'm glad Seth Colter Walls has posted a link so that you can actually hear David Brickner's entire message.

Walls has quoted just one paragraph of the six-page transcript of David Brickner"s message, giving the false impression that he is saying that a bulldozer attack by a deranged Palestinian is God"s judgment on the Jewish people. Please listen to the entire message for yourself so that you can hear Brickner"s remarks in context.

Among other things, Brickner says, "My mother always told me, "Be careful when you point a finger at somebody else, because there"s some pointing back at you." And really, Israel has not cornered the market on unbelief. Israel is an example of what all humanity has been saying to God since the beginning of time, shaking its fists at the heavens and saying, "You"ll not rule over us." And so all of the controversy that we see swirling in Jerusalem is really a mirror that the world looks in to see the controversy within . . . . It"s the dilemma of the human heart."

Brickner is saying that without forgiveness of sins, which he (and I) believe only comes through Jesus" sacrificial death for us, there is judgment " not just for Jews, but for all mankind.

Matt

[jimoase]

Here we go again. When given the choice of attacking a person's character or accomplishments the tendency for this blog is to attack the character. Could it be its easier, takes less research and works easier with the mob mentality?

Lets do some analysis of the bloggers individual records. We know no one is completely good or bad. Therefore to be honest bloggers opinion, if honest, would reflect that same characteristic. Do a check on the bloggers entries and see if human balance is that individuals tendency. You decide.

My first worthiness clue is the use of generalization words like everyone, always, never and other words that lump. Unless we have some mental problems each of us, individually, tend to have variation in mood, likes, dislikes, sense of humor, energy and those components that make us human. So when I see a all or nothing type comment I know I am suppose to be influenced by that bloggers intellect. When someone tells me how bright they are I tend to step back a bit, how about you?

Jim

[booksnmore4you]

So much for garnering the Jewish vote on Palm Beach County - IF this news gets out widely, that is!!!

[openhand]

As Obama says, leave these side issues out of the debate. You attack Palin on experience and Obama ends up having to say stupid things like he has had experience running a campaign.

You attack her on her church, and the focus is back on Obamas church. Understand this. All McCain has to do is prove reasonable doubt and Obama will struggle.

These issues, the voters are clever enough to join the dots, thats a far better way of making a point stick. If they get told the conclusions all the time then they forget. 3 months to go, last lap, focus people, focus.

Get back to Judgment + Policy.

[Hypomaniac]

OK, but in fairness, let's hear what's going on in some of those extremist synagogues as well-- along having with god's will on their side, they're "chosen" too!

[arthur2008]

Thank you, plooger, for bringing the discussion back to the central issue. Gov. Palin's obvious attraction to fringe causes, from "religious" quackery to an anti-American separatist group, leaves little doubt that she is the last person America needs in a time of crisis brought on by eight years of Bush/McCain thinking. Her obvious and apparently frequent dissembling is part of the political culture we need to change. That said, the focus needs to remain on Sen. McCain, who has let the country down with his cynical, self-serving -- and incompetent -- selection process. It hardly represents a break of any sort from the Bush years.

[usakaput]

sarah was it gods will when our friend israel attacked the uss liberty ,killing 34 sailors.

[Rog49Thomas]

If Brother Brickner's theological reasoning is sound, what would he make of individuals or a country who provided support to Israel in what would have to be an attempt to thwart what Brickner would see as the just punishment by his wrathful God?

Interesting friends for Israel to have.

[Rog49Thomas]

On this theological basis then, what am I to make of the following:

(1) Hurricane Gustav threatened the residents of the Gulf Coast during the Republican but not the Democratic Convention.

(2) Various natural disasters and flooding (Katrina, Gustav, etc) have focused on Republican/conservative states. Liberal bastions such as St Paul/Minneapolis and Boston have been relatively unscathed.

(3) While NYC is widely perceived as a liberal bastion, the attack in 2001 took place when a Republican was mayor. And one with a reputation for quite a harsh social agenda. And this attack followed relatively shortly on the assumption of the presidency by a Republican.

I'm not sure but I think there's a pattern here.

[JagPop]

Huh? Chatter, chatter, chatter. I read a large number of comments at Huffin' and I think pretty much everyone missed it.
WHY were Israelis being judged?: NOT because they are Jewish, but because they weren't following the prophecies of the Satanic Christians. According to the Satanic Christians (like those at Palin's church) Jerusalem should be cleansed of Muslims. THIS is anti-semitic?
The End-Time prophecies goes

Dummies For Dummies:
The Dummy Christians, like those in Palin's church, believe:
To speed up the return of Jesus:
1) Jews must cleanse Israel of Muslims and take back ALL of Greater Israel
2) There must be a huge war -- Armageddon
3) YOU die in Armageddon
4) ALL the Jews in Israel die except those that had converted to Christianity.
5) The God fearing people of Palin's church are lifted into the clouds and safe from plagues and Armageddon.
6) Jesus returns to earth and people descend safely from the clouds. TV has only one channel -- the 777 channel.
Ok, so I don't have all the details of their beliefs straight. The straight poop isn't any better. The bottom-line is is that they support wars (Iraq, whatever) if they are told it will lead to wars and chaos -- the signs of the Return of Jesus. Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians is detested by them.

THIS IS THE BELIEF SYSTEM OF YOUR NEW VP.

[rike44]

You've got to be kidding, they really believe all that??? Talk about sheep.................. and stupid to boot.............. yikes............... Not an ounce of common sense that I can see. It's like believing in fairy tales about little red riding hood, etc............

[Dave24]

"Religion: bringing people together in a world torn apart, by religion"

God is an idea, nothing more.

[SSF]

Don't let Mccain and Palin turn the Presidency into some new, twisted Priesthood!