Palin Pastor: GOP Downplaying Her Beliefs

For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal.

Sarah Palin asked church members to pray for $30 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. But though she attended the church from her teenage years to 2002, the Alaska governor hasn't talked much about her religion since joining the Republican ticket.

Palin's former pastor, Tim McGraw, says that like many Pentecostal churches, some members speak in tongues, although he says he's never seen Palin do so. Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, "When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[IslandGyal]

Sarah Palin's texes; have you all seen this?
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2008/09/sarah-palins-ta.html

[Bitsko]

From the linked story: Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, "When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths."

Actually, I can understand what is coming out of your mouths. It's called BS.

[Smirk]

Agreed--it is BS, and I would be surprised if, when a member of the AG church in Wasilla stood up and spoke in tongues during a service if another member didn't claim to have a "word of knowledge" about what was said and immediately offer a translation. That's what used to happen in the AG church I attended for several years as a teen and it gave me the creeps every time.

[Grannysue]

She may speak in tounges? So that's what McSame has been doing all this time, huh, didn't recognize it, except for the POW part. Funny, I thought this woman was running for VP, you would think by all the partying going on inside the GOP she's running for the top job!

[Vern58]

Ummmm. I think Great White Moose Woman not only speak in tounges- she speak in Forked Tounges! (excuse the political incorrectness, please)

[Bitsko]

They're excited because their great leader is a very very very dull little man.

[Vern58]

Let's just encourage the good Pastor to keep talking about her extreme and obtuse brand of Christian practices. The farther off center she looks the better. If i had picked a religious extremist and holy roller for my running mate, I'd downplay it too.

[mergina]

i wonder why? could it be because she is a psycho?

[dwillisno1]

McCain and Palin Moses and Mooses

[OregonGary]

Good one.

http://garydorr.com/lipstick.html

[AnnieinOR]

Why? What kind of Christian is ashamed of her faith? "I am not ashamed of the Gospel" banner has been stuffed in the closet.

[islandchris]

Religious politicians are double liars (and this unfortunately includes Obama) - they want us to accept that their world view is profoundly shaped by some Bronze Age fables - and then claim this will have no influence on their governing. If their religious beliefs have no influence then why should we care what they believe - there should be a moratorium on asking anyone about their belief.

The problem is that the politicians are the ones to keep trying to trumpet their faith - and then ask us to not look too closely at what that means. Take a look at a British or Canadian election if you want to see how a modern democracy functions without constant protestations of faith. It would cut a lot of the cr*p from our overlong process.

[HeevenSteven]

Looks to me like all the Palin myths are going down in flames.

[lvdragonlady]

It is ok for the GOP to point out all of the faults about O and his beliefs but they are trying to hide hers.

MORE OF THE SAME
MORE OF THE SAME
MORE OF THE SAME

[fistbump]

THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL DEMS AND HUFFPOST READERS:

Please STOP talking about Sarah Palin. The Republicans want us to attack her and obsess about her. That way they don't have to defend themselves about the ECONOMY, JOBS, Afghanistan and all the issues they can't win.

Attacking Palin will not win us new votes. Attacking on the ECONOMY will. Keep it on the issues and THEY LOSE!! They are AFRAID to talk about it.

The Repubs are coming up with distractions everyday, and that's another day we aren't talking about the ECONOMY!!! Do you see them attacking Biden? No, because it's a dumb strategy.

FOCUS on McBush and the issues. Bush third term. Four more years of Bush. Repeat!!

[NoSillyName]

Biden could step into the Top Spot, if, gods-forbid, it became necessary.

Palin SHOULD NEVER BE ANYWHERE NEAR THAT SPOT! McCain has to leave due to health, age-related problems, cancer, or just out of spite and we're TOTALLY scr*w*d.

[dadw5boys]

IT APPEARS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THE USA WILL FAIL TO MAKE THE INTERST PAYMENT ON IT'S NATIONAL DEBT !!!!!!

DUE OCTOBER 1st ----- $ 511,000,000.000.OO BILLION DOLLAR INTERST PAYMENT !!!!!

GOVERNOR PALIN WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM ???

Governor?

YOO HOO GOVERNOR ?? WHERE ARE YOU ? COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!

[NoSillyName]

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? The Rev. Wright video was all over the media for weeks. This woman's beliefs are absurd. I've only seen video of her at that nutty church with the tongues-speaking, demon seeking, mass hysteria wailing, Jesus Camp child brainwashing, Spiritual Warrior craziness at one blog here at HuffPost early in the week.

Why isn't that footage being played widely à la Rev. Wright?

[lvdragonlady]

Why??? because it this the GOP that is why.................

MORE LIES
MORE OF THE SAME

TIME TO END THE MADNESS

[LightSword]

So, praying for a better America is bad for liberals now? My goodness.

[sonofsamstone]

THIS liberal Democrat has is FINE with someone praying for a better America!

Letting someone who "speaks in tongues" have control of the nuclear arsenal?

ummmm.......not so much.

[riley85]

As a McCain/Palin supporter--I pray the media attacks her small town church.

Who exactly do you think will care if you trash her church?
You're only impressing BO supporters--and pushing the voters he needs away in droves.

It will be the small-town girl's freaky church against the arugala-eating elitist anti-American freaky church. So who do you think swing voters will side with?

[KaAp]

Before you comment on Arugula don't you think you ought to learn how to spell it?
I am glad you are praying for the media to attack her small town church .. I am praying that the right will stop preying on the minds of this nation ...
How dare you have the audacity to call any person anti-American? Do you remember a democracy with discourse? Do you remember civilized debate? Or did civilization, education, basic spelling, reason and rationality all go out the window when we became a fascist theocratic state ...

You know the story of Exodus? Did you ever think that God (if there was one) might smite you all with a ton of arugula and several dictionaries?

[Charmed]

Why didn't Ms. Liar ask her own pastor for advise and prayer instead of Rick Warren.......she's Cheney's twin and she has no soul with her lying self.