Conversations in a Red State

Below are some random musings from an email that came out of a (rather heated) conversation with the unnamed relative about Barack Obama's crazy pastor versus Sarah Palin's crazier pastor, Sarah Palin's own pre-wedding pregnancy, Palin's views on choice, and her position on the overfishing problem (hint: she doesn't think there is one, really).  PS - I added a few more notes and links than exist in the original email, which I thought I would mention just for sake of truthiness.

The Reverend Wright versus Wasilla Assembly of God Thing

A lot of socially important black people in Chicago belong to Trinity Church (which is Church of Christ, ie Congregationalist, which is predominantly white nationally) - Oprah belonged for some time as well.  Wright follows something known as black liberation theology, which was developed during the Civil Rights era to draw blacks from the Muslim faith back to church.  I personally am not a fan of this philosophy but feel that most evangelical thought - on abortion, gay rights, sex education, evolution vs creationism, etc - is much more scary because it actually has an impact on our laws.

I agree that Wright is a nut but I don't think Obama adheres to Wright's nuttier beliefs whereas Palin does adhere to the nuttier beliefs of the Assembly of God congregation.  Pastor Ed Kalnins, who has been a friend, mentor, and minister to Palin all of her life said after her assumption of the vice presidential candidacy, "She will take our message to the world!"  According to Salon, a pastor named Howard Bess said of her,

"The evangelicals were trying to take over the valley. They took over the school board, the community hospital board, even the local electric utility. And Sarah Palin was in the direct center of all these culture battles, along with the churches she belonged to."

Obama did eventually resign his membership officially in May but I think he had not really attended in some time because he apparently was not present for those incendiary sermons which have so angered everyone (Obama was in Florida when Wright damned America).  Palin also resigned her membership in the Wasilla Assembly of God (which is a division of Penetecostal faith) but has maintained a close relationship with the church. No one has asked her to renounce them despite the fact that pastor Ed, "preached that critics of President Bush will be banished to hell; questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted to heaven; charged that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and war in Iraq were part of a war "contending for your faith;" and said that Jesus "operated from that position of war mode". (from a Salon article about Bess and Palin).

Like Mother, Like Daughter

BTW, Palin eloped in 8/29/88 and her son was born in 4/20/89. That's less than 8 months - oops!  Dubious that he was conceived on the day they were married and then born prematurely.

Feminist for Life?

Also, her views on abortion are as follows: Palin has called herself "as pro-life as any candidate can be"^[176] and has called abortion an "atrocity."^[177] Palin supports a constitutional amendment to make abortion illegal in all cases, including rape and incest,^[178][179] except if the life of the mother is endangered.^[180]"   Her views on sex education aren't much better, but at least she will allow discussion of birth control (whatever that means).

All the Fish in the Sea

With regard to commercial fishing as in all things us versus Mother Earth, Palin deprecates science and environmentalism: "I do not want to see us return to the days when ADF&G (Alaska Department of Fish & Game) decisions were based too much on science promoting environmentalist politics."  Basically wherever someone wanted to protect wildlife or fish stocks, she would attack it as "personal agendas of federal fishery managers."(Interestingly, the source document for these quotes used to be located at www.palinforgovernor.com/Position%20Papers SarahPalinOnCommercialFishing.pdf is no longer available).