Friday, February 20, 2009

Saradise Lost - Book 2 - Chapter 30 -- Matthew Chapter 6, Verses 3 & 4

Queen Esther Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is working on some weird moves.

Along with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, she is trying to figure out how to become the top recipient of both organizational and individual political contributions, from the huge reservoir of American fundamentalist, evangelical and charismatic Christians. It is a road Palin and Jindal are familiar with, both being products of that culture.

Late this morning, Palin stood on the tarmac at the Wasilla airport. The facility was envisioned and created during the administration of Wasilla ex-Mayor, John Stein.

Palin defeated Stein in 1996, in a campaign that featured Palin supporters claiming her as Wasilla's "First Christian Governor." It was a Gingrich high tide environment that drummed Palin's supporters with questions about Stein's heritage. Churches supporting Palin claimed Stein's name sounded "Jewish."

This morning, Palin stood on the apron outside a hanger where relief supplies had been loaded onto two airplanes owned by the son of Billy Graham, the most famous American evangelist of the 20th Century. She was standing next to Billy's son, Franklin. News people were there. They were supposed to be there. The Governor's office had sent out press releases at public expense, touting the upcoming "relief" trip.

I've already called it a fundraising trip for Palin's new political action committee, SarahPAC. We won't know until the first quarter 2009 financial report on the PAC is available, how successful the trip was for Palin. Graham's non-profit, Samaritan's Purse, claims they are distributing $65,000 worth of food packages, to be handed out to about 1,000 families.

Anchorage Daily News reporter Kyle Hopkins was there to interview Palin this morning. He asked some of the hardest questions I've seen him ask the governor. That isn't saying much. He got some interesting responses, though. Here's the most fascinating exchange:

Q: How would you respond to people who said that you should have made this trip, you know, a month ago or six weeks ago? Why wait until now?

PALIN: Well from the day that Sean Parnell and I got elected, our efforts have been to make sure that we have a revitalized economy in Alaska. And that job opportunities would be seized by all Alaskans. Especially those in rural Alaska to recognize that instead of importing our workforce as we do today, to such a large extent, we want the young people in rural Alaska to get these jobs. That has been our effort from the day we got elected.


Now, as for personally what Sean and I have done as individuals to help in rural Alaska, in faith-based communities, you know I think, well I think Matthew 6:3 says it best. It’s a scripture that says, 'let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing.' If you’re going to do a personal charitable effort ... what we do personally to support and tithe and offer assistance to some of these missions, I’m going to keep that to myself.


Hopkins didn't ask Palin about her
personal donations. At that point, he hadn't asked her anything personal.

This happens often recently with Palin. She seems to infer from certain word groups, inflections, or reporter body language, that a question asked of her is far more personal than it is.

And why bring up Matthew 6:3 and 4? I love seeing her quote Verse 3. That's part of what she has been able to get away with for years. Especially with the media.

Alaska media has never been able to come close to adequately and accurately portraying how deep her religious vision actually is, because she has managed to hide it so well over the years. The media's mistake has been in believing her skill at hiding this was evidence her religious agenda is back-burner stuff. It never was and never will be.

The self-serving way Palin brought up the 4th Verse of Matthew 6, should bother genuine Christians:

She's at Wasilla Airport, near where she got her start in politics, taking off from the runway the first "non-Christian" she crushed built for her. She talks with Hopkins about her husband's strong values, derived from his Alaska Native roots. She's there with - in ascending order - Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, whose tongue is hanging out in reverence for Queen Esther Palin; Dr. Jerry Prevo, Alaska's most prestigious homophobe; Billy Graham's anointed successor, Franklin; and God. They are on their way to respond very non-secretly to a high-profile situation, in a unique way.

Hopkins' transcription of Palin's reading of Matthew 6:3 & 4, is:

If you’re going to do a personal charitable effort ... what we do personally to support and tithe and offer assistance to some of these missions, I’m going to keep that to myself.

Looking at The Layman's Parallel Bible, she did a decent job of parsing those two verses to her best advantage, without misquoting the passage. However, each standard version of this passage actually rebukes Palin for handling this trip to the lower Yukon the way she is. If you read verses 3 and 4 together a few times, it may become as apparent to you as it did to me, that Sarah Palin missed the import of this passage. Also.

I'm not quite ready to write this episode of Saradise Lost up as a comedic parable. Tempted - yes! Prevo, Palin, Parnell and Graham may end up doing that quite well themselves......also...

Graham, Prevo, Parnell and Palin, in performing this mission so visibly, may be blaspheming Matthew 6:4.

Maybe the Heath parents should spend the weekend calling Bill McAllister, telling him that he has failed Queen Esther their daughter, and should resign. How dare he publicize the Governor's secret trip?

Meanwhile, when you look at the SarahPAC financial report for Q1 2009 (it will be out around April 22nd), check how this weekend went for her. I'll bet it brings her more than $65K. If it doesn't, it failed, because she'll need a lot of money to move to the next level Queen Esther her persona demands.

Update - Saturday 2:30 p.m: Andrew Halcro put up his long-awaited "Black Helicopter" post yesterday. I just got around to reading it. Essentially, Greta van Susteren's husband is a prominent figure in Scientology. Andrew throws out the possibility that Susteren's hubby, John Coale, may have started or help start SarahPAC.

Andrew's blog entry is certainly worth a read, but the picture of Greta's husband, leering at Palin at the Iron Dog finish, is worth the admission price all by itself...

note - I'm not a "Christian." Most likely, I'm a non-Christian Unitarian.

8 comments:

Steve said...

Where are the pictures from Philip? Did you do them?

Anonymous said...

Philip - this Unitarian reads your blog all the way from Texas. Unfortunately, our own scripture quoting gov, Rick Perry, isn't nearly as entertaining as Sarah.

The best Sarah can come up with, despite all the deep pockets she has access to, is $65,000 in food donations?

Anonymous said...

quoting scripture again? Well talking scripture and GINO proverbs 10:10 come to mind:
He who winks the eye causes trouble, And a babbling fool will be ruined.
~~~~~~~~
Oh since she was running around babbling scripture and winking I hope she's not claiming a per diem for today? If this was truly a "charitable" endeavor, besides if she is playing gov. she shouldn't be quoting scripture? Church and state do not mix...!

regina said...

This is a coincidence, but only yesterday I posted a long article about Sarah Palin and religion. It's from my neutral non-religious point of view, showing where some churches are today and how they got there in ever decreasing circles.

Today there are another two posts about her photo-op trip. I got very angry this morning after I watched the tarmac interview.

Please have a look...

http://palingates.blogspot.com/

Bob Broughton said...

Another take on Palin's religious beliefs: Mother Gov. Sarah Palin is not heeding a clear message from God

Warning: don't read this if you have a mouthful of coffee.

Philip Munger said...

steve - I picked up the photos off the web, and artistically altered them. The top one is Rev. Muthee, Talis Colberg, Palin and Todd Palin, being blessed by Rev. Muthee (and - protected from witchcraft, IIRC). The second pic is a crop of a picture of her praying before a public appearance.

others - thanks for the refs and links!

Anonymous said...

Phil - it's not Talis in the photo. It's Pastor Phil Markwardt and it's not Todd. It's the pastor of Wasilla Assembly of God - Ed Kalins (not sure of spelling).

Philip Munger said...

anon @ #7 - thanks. Looking at them with the names you gave, it makes sense.