Sarah Palin is a member of an Assembly of God church.

Guess who just so happened to be a preacher in that denomination?

Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Well… before he went public as an atheist.

He sheds some light on the theology of that church:

Pentecostals are “gifted” people. Besides speaking in tongues, they also practice other “gifts of the spirit” (charismata) described in the New Testament, such as “interpretation” of tongues, prophecy, faith healing (“The prayer of faith will save the sick,” James 5:15), miracle working, and discernment of “evil spirits.” I saw some “casting out of spirits” (exorcisms) in that church. The Assemblies of God practice a direct worship, often with tears and raised hands, in intimate “spiritual” (emotional) connection with the creator of the universe. They are in love with Jesus and think he has a special love for them. Most pentecostals are fundamentalists, believing that the bible is perfect and true, the only source of truth. I did not know a single Assembly of God believer who was not a young-earth creationist who believes dinosaurs roamed this planet a few thousand years ago. They believe in the non-metaphorical existence of demons and Satan (who, according to the book of Revelation, is a seven-headed dragon) who are roaming the earth luring vulnerable souls into evil. They believe in a historical talking snake and donkey, and in the existence of witches, wizards, and evil creatures that can infect not only an unlucky individual but an entire geographical region, which must be purged by prayer. … … They believe in an approaching Armageddon, a fiery end to the world, which they will escape in the Rapture. And that is what makes them so dangerous. They don’t really care about this world. They don’t want peace on earth — they want the violent biblical prophecies to be fulfilled so that they can get to heaven and be rewarded with eternal life. They want to say, “We told you so!” One of the pastors at Sarah Palin’s church announces that “the storm clouds are gathering.” Another of her Assembly of God pastors reports that “Sarah is a great woman. A religious woman.” When Sarah Palin told her Assembly of God church earlier this year that the war in Iraq is “a task from God,” she was not speaking allegorically. As a pentecostal fundamentalist, she has to believe, as I used to preach, that we are indeed living in the end times. This is no harmless delusion. In America there is “no religious test,” and anyone can run for high office, as an individual, but that doesn’t mean we must not fear religious zealots exercising control. Although the First Amendment guarantees private citizens the “freedom of assembly,” the establishment clause requires that the government should be free from the Assembly of God.

By the way, Dan Barker’s new book, Godless: How An Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists, is now available!

While we’re on the subject, I enjoyed this statement about Palin from The Online Gargoyle‘s Laura Dripps:

… we’re all supposed to rejoice and support a gun-toting, allegedly corrupt, inexperienced, social conservative, just because she’s a woman?! As a Hillary supporter, I am offended. As a female, I am embarrassed. And as a human being, I am disgusted. Make no mistake about it. The nomination of Gov. Palin isn’t breaking the glass ceiling; it’s just raising it out of our sight.

(Thanks to Robin for the link!)



