Palin's Strange New Christianity - What The Media Missed

[Are_grits_groceries]

Sarah Palin is, broadly speaking, in the emerging postdenominational movement, which by 2000 encompassed 385 million Christians and is vastly different from the faith as it has been practiced in recent centuries. We identified Palin as in a majority tendency of postdenominationalism known as the neocharismatic movement, or the “Third Wave.”

Evangelical missionary reference work World Christian Trends calls the Third Wave “a new and disturbingly different” kind of Christianity whose members “can accurately be called radical Christians with some pentecostal /charismatic parallels” and which has, as one of the distinctive characteristics of Third Wave Christian ministry, a heavy emphasis on healing miracles including raising the dead—an emphasis promoted from the pulpit in sermons at Palin’s most central church, the Wasilla Assembly of God.

We also found extensive evidence that Palin is in a religious movement founded in 2001 that has coalesced out of Third Wave Christianity; the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

The NAR is bent on radically reinventing Christianity, and is fast becoming the vanguard of the global
Christian Right. Its leaders have openly declared that their aim of achieving worldwide biblical government and a utopian age in which evil—as an ontological category—has been banished by purging demon spirits and unbelievers from the earth.

Palin is directly, personally linked to not one but two major NAR leaders, Windwalkers Ministry International founder Mary Glazier and Thomas Muthee—who have both publicly described battling alleged witches with prayer-warfare. Through Glazier, Palin appears to be under the authority of the man who founded the NAR and has announced the advent of a second Reformation, C. Peter Wagner.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religiousright/1275/the_new_christianity%3A_what_the_mainstream_media_has_missed_/

yeesh!

[Enthusiast]

1. This religion is very dangerous.

I suspect Gingrich will be President Obama's main opponent.

[rosesaylavee]

2. Yeah, forget whatever that first guy said about how to live your life...

what was his name...oh yeah, Jesus. Christ, that was so old school all that love and forgiveness and do-unto-others-kindness stuff. Let's be all about punishment and power. That's where it's at. Yeah. That's the ticket to heaven.

[KharmaTrain]

3. She's Also An Opportunist

This "third wave" gets its momentum using religious radio and tv...it's more an electronic pulpit than a physical one. It also covers many denominations...with one demonination in mind...$$$ and power.

The boooosh machine used this religious media to full effect in energizing the evangelicals and getting them out to vote. Then hung them out to dry. The James Dobsons and Rick Warrens and other electronic preachers went searching for a new leader. Many rallied behind Hucklenutz, but he couldn't break through. Along came Palin...getting the big time media attention and speaking the code. She may be a "true believer", but we see that it's to ride the wave to her own power and riches.

Just as in any wave...these movements ebb and flow as dictated by the times. In many ways, this movement flourished in a culture of greed and self-centered indulgence. Now, with the economy flattened and millions refocusing their priorities and world view, will the "third wave" offer a viable alternative or just an escape?

[SpiralHawk]

4. Republicon Homelander "raising from the dead" rites

As recommended by Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and the vast cadre of soul-dead, manliness-challenged, Republicon Chickenhawk 'morally-superior' Wide-Stance Family Values hypocrites & Pharisees.

[JohnyCanuck]

6. Just keeping my fingers crossed

that when Dick "Darth" Cheney's pacemaker gives a final tick and he heads off into eternity, they don't manage to bring him back to life to inflict him on earth's inhabitants for a second go around.

[Salviati]

9. Unfortunately I think that they'll bring him back as a soulless zombie bent on destruction...

Oh, wait....

[KatyaR]

10. Isn't he that already?

Oh wait, nevermind . . . .

[SpiralHawk]

5. Interesting tidbit

"The rift seemed to go straight to the heart of the hard right: one of our stories about Palin and the NAR was reposted in its entirety on the Free Republic Web site, then a fight broke out between pro and anti-NAR site members. It was astounding!"

That passage was taken from the Religious Dispatches link in the OP

There is so much FEAR and HATE in these so-called religious movements, which I have to regard as truly anti-spiritual. They really should be ashamed of themselves for imagining that their 'religions' have any authentically healthy connection to Spirit, and for spreading so much mis-information, fear, and hate -- the antithesis of true Christianity, or spirituality in general.

What would Jesus do? I reckon he'd tell them all to take a deep breath, sit down, shut up, get a grip, and work on their own Krappy Karma.

[Berry Cool]

7. The good news? They create a rift between themselves and more traditional conservative Christians

who think that they are just as whacked-out as non-Christians do. Not to mention liberal Christians who believe the right wingnutty brand of Christianity to be scary to begin with.

This means the likelihood of their achieving true dominance and power is small indeed. They don't represent the majority of Christians, and they don't even represent the majority of conservatives or Republicans.

[Flying Dream Blues]

8. Purging nonbelievers from the earth? Charming. And a great belief for a President to have, huh?

Thanks, John, for putting your country first.

[old mark]

11. Thanks for this post and the link. I worked with several people over

the last few years who seem to be involved with this movement now that I read about it.
One of them pretty regularly saw "demons" on the city streets and his group engaged in prayer sessions to chase them away.
Another is an ordained minister - by whom I don't know - who has his own small congregation and subscribes to the 5,000 year old earth stuff. He suffered a severe head injury long ago(seriously - near death) and takes lots of medication, but still has people believing in his message. He now works as a chaplain for an institution with locked-in parishoners.

I put this link in my favorites - I want to keep up with this movement.

Thanks again.

mark

[TWiley]

12. Close but no cigar ..... Radical YES .... the Media missed this too.

Remember, Palin supported Buchanan and Larry Pratt in the 1996 presidental election. What attracted HER?

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45/085.html
http://www.realchange.org/buchanan.htm
http://www.publiceye.org/ifas/fw/9604/buchanan.html


Also, google Christian Identity. Larry Pratt (buchanans reform party co-chair at the time) gave major christian identity speaches, including one at waco during the seige that was attended by Oklohoma city bomber Timothy McViegh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Pratt

SFurthermore, her husband is a member of the radical AIP (alaskan independance party) which is a successionist movement with links to the palmento movement of South Carolina linked to the racist neo-confederate movement of the south.
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp#s=SC

Palin's, tax-stimulus opponet allies (fellow governors) are radical republicans elected in states with these radical political-religious movements:

Haley Barbour (R) Mississippi http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp#s=MS
Perry (R) Texas http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp#s=TX
bob Jindal Louisianna http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp#s=LA
mark Stamford South Carolina http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp#s=SC

Considering the radical viewpoint of the Republican Party and her universal support, her radical religion has far deeper, and more disturbing, roots. Remember, this is the party that openly endorses Rush Limbaugh, as their voice. Now, that is radical.

Buchanan, in 2008, called Mr. Obama "one of them" and Sara Palin "on of us". Define "us", and you define Palin in Buchanan's eyes.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/pat-buchanan/one-of-them-and-one-of-us.html

My investigation tends to reveal that palins religious convictions, point in this direction here: http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/identity_history.htm
and here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/cr_ident.htm

Read palin's gun-nut, ultra conservative, fundamentalist, Buchanan-Pratt supporting, survivalist, successionist, beer can and "grizzly bear hockey mom" image for what it is in absolute simplicity.

You will wind up with christian identity.

[juno jones]

16. Thank you for the links

Please see my post #14.

[madmom]

13. Trying to bring ronnie raygun back are they?

[IDemo]

15. Damn, a person's gotta be fast on the keyboard around here

beat me to it! :rofl:

[juno jones]

14. This is a good place to start for those who are interested:

"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover by dogemperor (a dominionist cult survivor)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/7/165650/170

Bruce Wilson who posts on Talk 2 Action http://www.talk2action.org/ also posts on Dailykos as troutfishing and has a habit of posting his sources, videos, documents, etc online there.

The dailykos diaries of dogemperor and troutfishing are chock full of primary source documentation of Sarah and her 'religion'.

[Sal Minella]

17. "purging...unbelievers from the Earth" -- Isn't this what the radical Muslims want to do also too?

Maybe we could just establish fenced-off "Work It Out, Folks" zones, like giant boxing arenas where the Purging Radical Christians and the Purging Radical Muslims can slug it out toe to toe.

And leave the rest of us (who tolerate and/or encourage other religions) to live in peace.

[krabigirl]

18. "holy" crap...did anyone read about the Teen Challene bootcamps?!

I never knew such hellish places existed here. WHY aren't these things shut down???