Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Saradise Lost - Chapter Sixteen -- Palin's Views on the End Times

I first met Alaska Governor and GOP Vice Presidential aspirant Sarah Palin when she was on the City of Wasilla Planning Commission. I appeared at one of their meetings, along with my boss at that time, now-convicted ex-Allvest CEO, Bill Weimer. We were presenting a proposal Allvest was working on, in conjunction with a Wasilla-based mental health clinic, to open a community corrections project there, and needed a facility permit.

At that time, I remembered her, because she seemed to be the only person on the commission who had actually read our proposal. It was obvious from her questions.

Of the encounters I've since had with Sarah Palin, two that brought up her faith, have become important, in light of the possibility that she might someday soon be in charge of thousands of thermonuclear weapons.

In June 1997, both Palin and I had responsibilities at the graduation ceremony of a small group of Wasilla area home schoolers. I directed the Mat-Su College Community Band, which played music, and she gave the commencement address. It was held at her church, the Wasilla Assembly of God.

Palin had recently become Wasilla mayor, beating her earliest mentor, John Stein, the then-incumbent mayor. A large part of her campaign had been to enlist fundamentalist Christian groups, and invoke evangelical buzzwords into her talks and literature.

As the ceremony concluded, I bumped into her in a hall away from other people. I congratulated her on her victory, and took her aside to ask about her faith. Among other things, she declared that she was a young earth creationist, accepting both that the world was about 6,000-plus years old, and that humans and dinosaurs walked the earth at the same time.

I asked how she felt about the second coming and the end times. She responded that she fully believed that the signs of Jesus returning soon "during MY lifetime," were obvious. "I can see that, maybe you can't - but it guides me every day."

Our next discussion about religion was after she had switched to the less strict Wasilla Bible Church. She was speaking at, I was performing bugle, at a Veterans ceremony between Wasilla and Palmer. At this time, people were beginning to encourage her to run for Governor.

Once again, we found ourselves being able to talk privately. I reminded her of the earlier conversation, asking her if her views had changed. She was no longer "necessarily" a young earth creationist, she told me. But she strongly reiterated her belief that "The Lord is coming soon." I was trying to get her to tell me what she felt the signs were, when she had to move on.

note: Feel free to reprint this article.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I get furious reading your site because you seem over the top, but having met you, I know that you are not. You are consistent and you tell things how they are, maybe a bit too direct for my taste, but you call a spade a spade and sometimes you just get material that throws itself in your lap and what can you do? You are not soft on Democrats, either.

I don't know how I will vote, but I am glad that you blog and share what you know.

Anonymous said...

Mormons have some pretty far out beliefs as well but Mitt Romney can still do a pretty good job as an executive. I have been looking for a D that is better.

Her beliefs will make a staunch friend of Israel. Most Jews don't undertand the fact that evangelicals are huge supporters of Israel.

Anonymous said...

ha ha ha ha ha!!
Palin makes me laugh...not because she is funny but because she is ridiculous!! I am a woman, too, but she sets us back about 20 years with her "views" and religious beliefs. Archaic. Insulting and she does NOT support women s rights. She is a hypocrite just like the rest of them.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

Anonymous said...

I agree. Her views are HER views and I should not have to have them shoved down my throat and be threatened with "hell" because I don't believe what she does.

I had enough of that in Catholic School.

Ames said...

This is very important. I'm posting it w/ permission at Submitted to a Candid World, and I'll be promoting this as much as I can.

JJ said...

Her beliefs will make a staunch friend of Israel. Most Jews don't undertand the fact that evangelicals are huge supporters of Israel.

The only reason Evangelicals support Israel is so that Jesus can come back, convert the Jews to Christianity and kill the Jews that refuse. They are praying that the Jewish people either become Christians or die. That is the height of anti-Semitism.

Ames said...

Hey there; I'm getting torn apart on my site for boosting what a few people there think is mere rumor. Is there some assurance you could give me that the events described here actually happened?

Anonymous said...

Can you please write more about the conversation in which she said dinosaurs and humans co-existed?

Who said what?

Anonymous said...

"Can you please write more about the conversation in which she said dinosaurs and humans co-existed?"

If she didn't say it, she should have. Dinosaurs and humans at one time did co-exist.

Todd Olsen said...

Most Jews don't undertand the fact that evangelicals are huge supporters of Israel.


Because they are NOT. The moment it suits them they will turn on Jews without a second thought.

You are either a liar or naive to believe liars.

Anonymous said...

So why doesn't a story like this have a by-line? Who is the "I" in this report?

Anonymous said...

Joe -

It says, "Posted by Philip Munger."

Talibangelical said...

How did they fit those dinosaurs on the ark? There were so big!

Anonymous said...

Glen said...
""Can you please write more about the conversation in which she said dinosaurs and humans co-existed?""

"If she didn't say it, she should have. Dinosaurs and humans at one time did co-exist."

Biologically this is true, but only becuase birds are descendents of therapod dinosaurs. Therefore humans and dinosaurs happily co-exist today. But if you truly think that humans co-existed with creatures such as tyranosaurs, Triceratops, or other "classic" dinosaurs you are sadly mistaken. They died out more than 60 million years before the first creature that could be called "human" ever walked the Earth.

Unknown said...

How did they fit those dinosaurs on the ark? There were so big!

It was a VERY BIG ark!!!

Anonymous said...

Dinosaurs were not allowed on the ark...that is why they are now extinct. Jezz..everyone knows that! Dinosaurs were notorious sinners, no respect for the Lord.

Paleobrute said...

Perhaps some of you -who are no doubt self-described "liberals" who believe in freedom of speech so long as it can be used by you to ridicule someone's religious beliefs- can explain exactly how a belief in Creationism might be "...important, in light of the possibility that she might someday soon be in charge of thousands of thermonuclear weapons." -? Perhaps you're worried she might be mean to some of those dinosaurs, huh?

Of course, Obama (presumably the candidate of choice for Munger and his sycophants) has ALSO declared to believe in "Creation". Oops! Who you gonna vote for now- Nietzsche? Guess you all didn't get the memo:

"Nietzsche is dead."
-God.

Maybe you all can write him in, hmmm?

Anonymous said...

"paleobrute" is misinformed.
Obama believes in evolution, like many intelligent Christians; saying he believes in "Creation" means he believes God is the Creator responsible for evolution; not that he believes the crap Sarah Palin claims to.

True science can have no lasting quarrel with true religion. Understanding that evolution is a divine technique of creation is not difficult for religionists who also comprehend that if God created everything, science and true religion are perfectly unified in God. It is only some people's mistaken notions about creation— like Palin— that are at odds with true science.

Paleobrute said...

Michael Hart: "...not that he believes the crap Sarah Palin claims to...Understanding that evolution is a divine technique of creation is not difficult for religionists who also comprehend that if God created everything, science and true religion are perfectly unified in God. It is only some people's mistaken notions about creation— like Palin— that are at odds with true science."

Give us a quote that supports your claim that Palin views "creation" in terms other than what you described (which is essentially Intelligent Design).

Then give us one reason why -even if Palin's religious views fall into the range of what YOU describe as "crap", that would in some way negatively impact her leadership abilities. Perhaps you can give us an example that shows how her "crap" religious beliefs have negatively impacted her home state of Alaska.

In other words, don't just resort to ad hominem attacks: give us some proof or at least empirical evidence that supports your diatribe.

Also, I'll point out that Obama's (alleged) religious views AS HE DESCRIBED THEM do not amount to a DIFFERENCE in religious belief. Rather, Obama's explanation included a differing opinion on whether evolution should be taught in schools. As such, that represents a difference in POLITICAL beliefs- not RELIGIOUS beliefs.

Leftwingers are so quick to jump on anything Palin says that they don't even take the time to understand the issue.

film izle said...

difference in POLITICAL beliefs- not RELIGIOUS beliefs.

Leftwingers are so quick to jump on anything hahahahaha supppper

film izle said...

The only reason Evangelicals support Israel is so that Jesus can come back, convert the Jews to Christianity and kill the Jews that refuse. They are praying that the Jewish people either become Christians or die. That is the height of anti-Semitism.