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Palin Attended Church Event With Samurai Sword Ceremony
On June 7th, 2008 Sarah Palin interrupted her schedule of state business and spent Alaska state taxpayer money to fly up from Juneau to the Mat-Su Valley where she attended on June 8th two religious events dominated by the Wasilla Assembly of God, which is demonstrably Palin's key Alaska church.
At the end of one those events, young adults in a church Palin had attended for over two decades were presented with Samurai swords. "Warriors of old were considered undressed if they were without their sword... Swords were worn in service to the lord of the realm. Some of the most renowned swordsmen were the Samurai," intoned a church member officiating the sword ceremony, who then quoted Psalms 149 verses 6-9:
"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double edged sword in their hands to inflict vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples, and to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, and to carry out the sentence written against them."
In the lead up to the November 4th, 2008 presidential election there was an almost total failure, of not only mainstream but also alternative media and even bloggers, to inform the American voting public about the very specific and militant nature of the Christian religious tendency Sarah Palin was demonstrably heavily linked to.
In one of the two ceremonies Palin attended on June 8, 2008, known as "One Lord Sunday," a Christian supremacist gathering of Mat-Su valley area Christian church members, Palin was blessed and anointed by Wasilla Assembly of God head pastor Ed Kalnins. A second ceremony Palin attended that day was nationally publicized for footage on the Wasilla church's website that showed Palin giving a speech in honor of students graduating from the Wasilla Assembly of God's Masters Commission program.
In the speech, governor Palin effused, "It was so cool growing up in this church!" and went on to suggest the US military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan was sanctioned by God, and the governor. And Palin was prayed and blessed over by Ed Kalnins and Wasilla Assembly of God Paul Riley. But media did not delve into the nature of the Masters Commission program, nor reporters and journalists, or bloggers for that matter, bother to watch the video segment of the June 8th, 2008 Wasilla AoG video segment in full.
Anyone who did so would have noticed, later on in the ceremony, 1) a speaker addressing Palin from the stage, indicating she was still in the audience and, 2) shortly after, a ceremony in which male 3-year Masters Commission students were presented with Samurai swords, in a ceremony which mentioned the Samurai code of honor. Special note was made of the specific uses of the Samurai swords gifted to the students, such as cutting down opponents from horseback, ground-level combat, and in very close combat -- as an auxiliary blade to be plucked out for a sudden, killing blow.
The one female 3-year graduate of the program present in the ceremony was presented with a western-style broadsword that also was larger than the Samurai swords presented to the male students.
[below: 3-year graduates of Masters Commission Wasilla Alaska program given swords]
Other video to be found on the Wasilla church's web site, from a September 7, 2007 Masters Commission event at the Wasilla Assembly God, shows a national Masters Commission speaker waving a sword about from the pulpit while addressing students in the program, then playing an excerpt from the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot and suggesting to the program students that there are times when it is necessary to fight.
[below: Masters Commission national speaker Jayme Montera waves sword about during sermon, plays clip from Mel Gibson war movie "The Patriot"]
From September through to November 4th, 2008, there was an almost uniform failure, by not only mainstream media and progressive media but also bloggers, to notice such unusual and highly distinctive characteristics of Palin's religious associations. It was more than a trivial oversight; following the election, a story printed in the February 2009 issue of Charisma Magazine confirmed Palin's continuing association with Alaska religious leader Mary Glazier.
Glazier is a high level leader in a religious movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). She and Sarah Palin prayed together, both over the phone and in person, the Charisma story revealed.
On June 13, 2008 Mary Glazier told attendees at the "Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth" conference, who represented many of the New Apostolic Reformation's top leaders, that,
There is a tipping point, at which, at which time, because of the sin of the land, the people then have to be displaced.... God is preparing a people to displace the ones whose sin is rising so that then they tip over and the church goes in -- one is removed and the church moves in and takes the territory. Now, that does not mean that the people are removed, because God removes them from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. They are given an opportunity to change allegiances.
Later in the speech, Mary Glazier described how she had been present at the inception of Sarah Palin's political career and that Palin was in her personal prayer group :
There was a twenty-four year old woman that God began to speak to about entering into politics. She became a part of our prayer group out in Wasilla. Years later, became the mayor of Wasilla. And last year was elected Governor of the state of Alaska. Yes! Hallelujah! At her inauguration she dedicated the state to Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
On January 7, 2009, both Mary Glazier and another key Third Wave and New Apostolic leader, Dutch Sheets, appeared at the church most closely linked to Sarah Palin, the Wasilla Assembly of God, where Palin was re-baptized and attended for over two and a half decades. During the church service Sheets declared that Glazier "was the lady who brought us into the state [Alaska]." On June 7, 2009 another New Apostolic Reformation leader, International Coalition of Apostles member Lance Wallnau, gave a talk at the Wasilla church, in which he outlined the "Seven Mountains Mandate."
The July 12-14, 2008 Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth conference that featured a number of speeches and sermons -- on the plans of leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation to take control of society and government through their "Seven Mountains Strategy."
These efforts to take control of religion, family, education, arts and entertainment, media, government, and business are clearly defined in their publicity and in numerous conferences on their efforts. In an October 16, 2005 Wasilla Assembly of God church event, in a speech given shortly before he blessed and anointed Sarah Palin, Thomas Muthee quite plainly laid out the need to take over the seven "kingdoms" in the short sermon, or speech, Muthee gave before the anointing of Sarah Palin.
Loren Cunningham is credited as one of three evangelists who supposedly received the Seven Mountains idea as a vision from God. Cunningham is founder of the global evangelizing organization Youth With a Mission, which owns the increasingly notorious "C Street House" where GOP Senators John Ensign and Tom Coburn enjoy cut-rate rent and Bible classes, and swap personal secrets such as news of Ensign's recently disclosed extramarital affair.
For another informed take on Sarah Palin's religious and political leanings, see Alaska native Leah Burton's recent book Theo Palinism: The Face of Failed Extremism
For further reading, see:
Palin Ties To Militant Religious Movement Confirmed
Palin Pastors, Ensign C Street House Owner Promote Same Infiltration Plan
Fighting Demons, Raising the Dead, Taking Over the World
Prosperity, Spiritual Warfare, and the "On-Demand" God
The New Christianity: What the Mainstream Media Has Missed
and [website section with collection of stories]
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I would also like to share a Harper's magazine article from May 2009 by Jeff Sharlet, about the growing influence of the Christian Evangelical military. There is a growing group who believes more about their allegiance to God than to the Constitution. Please read an excerpt here:
When Barack Obama moved into the Oval Office in January, he inherited a military not just drained by a two-front war overseas but fighting a third battle on the home front, a subtle civil war over its own soul. On one side are the majority of military personnel, professionals who regardless of their faith or lack thereof simply want to get their jobs done; on the other is a small but powerful movement of Christian soldiers concentrated in the officer corps. There’s Major General Johnny A. Weida, who as commandant at the Air Force Academy made its National Day of Prayer services exclusively Christian, and also created a code for evangelical cadets: whenever Weida said, “Airpower,” they were to respond “Rock Sir!”—a reference to Matthew 7:25. (The general told them that when non-evangelical cadets asked about the mysterious call-and-response, they should share the gospel.)
http://www
StayinCivil, you are a real treasure trove! Thank you for all your information and insights.
You are more than welcome. Without sounding "sappy" I really do think these stories are about patriotism. I love our democracy and I want it to stay a democracy. And I truly believe if our fellow Americans knew about this growing Evangelical movement made up of zealots, whose goal is to turn our democracy into a theocracy, I think they would want to be a part of stopping them...
Let's all do our part to STOP THE CHRISTIAN TALIBAN...
Valuable posting. Thanks.
And check out the Jesus Camps for indoctrinating the very young.
http://www
Should scare the bejesus out of most sane people.
A lot of good information here. The writer is right. The media have not covered Palin's connection to fringe activist Christianity. It sounds like this New Apostolic Reformation's idea of reform is theocracy. It is un-American.
And Un-Christian too.
Some fringe Christian activism does good (social justice). I think you meant fringe Christian right activism. The New Apostolic Reformation group are Pentecostal I believe, but their agenda sounds like Dominionism (far right Christian theocracy).
The proud ignorance displayed in this post by psa163 is astounding and all too prevalent in the theological crowd:
"the separation of church and state is NOt in the constitution. read it
endment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
The Constitution doesn't say anything about murder. So, you know, grab a sword...
why did media not cover this much?
seems she got too many passes to me
I think the reason that "corporate owned" MSM is not covering these stories is because they are afraid of angering the Christian consumer..
But these stories and the links provided, along with the C Street home owned by The Family is not about mainstream Christianity. These stories are about religious zealotry and its goal to turn our democracy into a theocracy.
I know that most Christians believe in our democracy and would be shocked if they knew and understood the agenda of these Christian Taliban...
Sure enough. Therefore this whole thing has to come to light now.
I think you are right. Too much $$$ to be made off of Sarah Palin. That is why the media gave her a pass on not only the AIP and her extreme Christian views, but on her lack of qualifications and her lying. And she knows this. That is why she became hysterical when Rick Sanchez ran a piece on Todd's membership. CNN claimed someone from the McCain campaign phoned them immediately and threatened a lawsuit (sound familiar?). The piece did not air a second time.
Sarah says that her success is because God is working in her life when in truth it is people who must sell advertising that are keeping her afloat. But she knows this. She is going to milk it for all its worth.
Even more disturbing that the MSM didn't catch Palin's attendance (with children in tow) at the Jews For Jesus guest speaker sermon wherein he claimed Israel was being punished by God for not being Christian. This, after all of the (quite righteous, I might add) coverage of the Jeremian Wright debacle.
We certainly didn't see her exit the church in indignation, did we now? Official photos of her office indicate a tiny Israeli flag stuck in her curtains. . .one must therefore assume she supports Israel, in the manner of 'saving' it for Christianity. ("Why, I can see ISRAEL right outside my window!")
She claims to not belong to any church, but managed to sneak in the code phrase 'servant's heart' into her nomination acceptance speech. . .a 'wink out' to all those Evangelical Christians out there to say 'I'm one of you' without revealing that to the rest of the nation.
Yes, the bloggers have reported these, but in piecemeal fashion. This requires a full, in-depth article with national MSM distribution.
"I don't know why that association isn't discussed more," Palin said, "because those were appalling things that that pastor had said about our great country, and to have sat in the pews for 20 years and listened to that -- with, I don't know, a sense of condoning it, I guess, because he didn't get up and leave -- to me, that does say something about character.
That's hot!
Why do people waste time going to church?
Let me guess... Gozer worshippers.
Nice article and good to see this information expanded and available on Huffington Post.! I take issue with one point--bloggers that I read were definitely aware and posting about this issue during the election. Such a broad dismissal of "bloggers" is puzzling unless you only refer to Huffington Post bloggers? In fact there are some good blogs to find out much more about Sarah Palin such as Palingates and PalinsDeceptions. I hadn't known about the sword part of the ceremony. Such language is especially troubling when you consider that these are people who interpret the Bible literally and not metaphorically. How Palin's associations with such a militant religious group could have been ignored while every little bit of the strange behavior of Obama's preacher were covered ad infinitum is deeply disturbing.
It is! If Obama had had even ONE of the many Palin issues he would not have been elected. I think he would have been politically finished by Oct 25th.
The story about Sarah's witch doctor was swept under the rug as was her connection with the Alaska Independence Party! It made the news for a day or two, but was soon forgotten. The MSM in this country dropped the ball...aga
Groups like the C Street cult with their plans to dominate are certainly guaranteed their right to believe whatever they want to. But when their people infiltrate the government at high levels, it should be a matter of grave concern to all Americans!
I remember when JFK was nominated for the Democratic ticket. There was endless discussion by the talking heads about the influence of the Catholic Pope. IMHO, the possibility of that influence is nothing, compared to the influence of these fanatics!
Uh! They're handling swords because they couldn't get snakes?
LOL! Probably a little too cold up there for most of them!
Palin also was head of her local chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes when she played basketball in Wasilla. FCA is a dominionist group linking students, coaches and teachers in efforts to convert non-believers and Jews to Christianity via public school athletic programs.
No 'separation of church and state' there.
BTW for all of you armchair Constitutional scholars out there that claim that phrase is not in the Constitution, please read Madison's letters and the Federalist Papers, which so clearly spell out and support that exact intention.
True, but the phrase "separation of church and state" has been an accepted metaphor for years when referring to the Constitution and when talking about religious freedom...
The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business.
The constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Both the free exercise clause and the establishment clause place restrictions on the government concerning laws they pass or interfering with religion. No restrictions are placed on religions except perhaps that a religious denomination cannot become the state religion.
The above passage is www.allabo
So, something is missing and there is a dire need for an additional law. Or as you say the democracy might soon be replaced by theocracy.
Jefferson did say that, but Madison is your 'main man' when it comes to this portion of the Constitution and his writings are very inconvenient for 'separation' deniers. Again, read the Federalist Papers AND Madison's letters explaining 'separatio
BTW, I am a Christian. But respectfully, Palin's Christianity is not my cup of tea.
And that is why I want to keep the government out of MY religion.
Pananism is up an running in America diguised as religion.
If this hasn't been posted http://www
:) Thanks for that. I was thinking that all those swords waving about by untrained non-swordsmen is an accident waiting to happen.
It's useful to remember that once a week Bush had a conference call with religious and church leaders.
He also had regular briefings on homeland security with the heads of corporations, but governors of states and cities did not get any such privilege.
"When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity; when many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion."
- Robert Pirsig
...and one of those church leaders was Ted Haggard.
Religious fanatics! This bunch of looney-tunes is tied up with the C Street crowd to take over the government. This is dangerous! Some of their little plans border on t reason and sedition!
I have a problem with legislators belonging to a secret cult-like religious group who believe that they are chosen by god to RULE the country. What god? Whose god?
I also have a problem with "leaders" who participate in witchcraft ceremonies! I also have a big problem with those who are working to bring on the "rapture" and to hasten the return of their god to the earth. To do this would involve some kind of holocaust for the rest of us.
I have a problem with those who deny science and the evidence that the earth is more than 6,000 years old. These same people would even change textbooks for our children and would teach them, instead, with bible stories written a couple of thousand years ago, never proven to be more than myths and fairy tales.
Perhaps most people simply see this group and their affiliates as the deluded fringe. But when they begin to infiltrate Congress, I draw the line! C Street and their cronies should be investigated!
You and everyone else that believe in "separation of church and state", and who believe in our democracy should be writing everyone in the MSM demanding coverage of these religious zealots.
Also, go to the links provided, learn and then share with friends and family....
These "Christian Talibans" have been working for decades to turn our democracy into a theocracy. And it is no joke....Th
Let's get our heads out of the sand and shine a light on these Christian Taliban...
So far, Rachael Maddow has been the only MSM journalist to say much about the C Street cult. The rest only dwell on the more salacious part of the story, namely the adulterous affairs of the members.
I emailed MSNBC yesterday to encourage them to continue their investigation.
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