Sarah Palin's Pentecostal Ties: Should They Adversely Affect the Election?
If John McCain wins this election, are we going to have a Vice President who does crazy things like speaking in tongues? What if Palin is 'slain in the spirit' during an important news conference?
According to CBS.com, for some 20 years, Sarah Palin had been a practicing Pentecostal at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in Wasilla, Alaska. She stopped attending this church in 2002. Tim McGraw (no, not that Tim McGraw), who is Palin's former pastor, did admit that some members of Pentecostal churches do indeed speak in tongues. According to McGraw, Palin is not one of them.
McGraw also commented that Palin does not consider herself Pentecostal, but that her religious beliefs may be downplayed for political reasons.
Assemblies of God Church Doctrines - Divine Healing and Baptism in the Holy Spirit
As a former member of my local Assembly of God Church, I had to learn the four doctrines in order to obtain membership. Two of these doctrines could explain why the public is concerned about Sarah Palin's religious stance: Divine Healing and Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Divine healing, according to the Assemblies of God website, is an "integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers." Basically, if you believe in God and ask God to heal you, he will heal you. I have seen this act performed in my former church, and some people do believe it works.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is also referred to as being 'slain in the spirit.' Pentecostals believe that when a Christian is baptized in the Holy Spirit, he or she will be able to speak in tongues. According to the Assemblies of God website, baptism in the Holy Spirit "is accompanied by the initial physical sign of speaking in other tongues (unlearned languages) as the Spirit of God gives them audible expression."
Assembly of God Churches have a bad reputation
When I first expressed interest in joining my local Assembly of God church, I was met with some doubt. My friend asked me if I really understood what they were about, because some of their beliefs are pretty "out there". Our church was viewed by most locals as the 'church of misfits'.
However, in my experience as a former member of the Assembly of God church, the members are quite normal. Every religious conviction comes with its own set of rules and practices, but Pentecostals are no more 'out there' than Lutherans or Catholics.
Will Palin's Pentecostal ties affect John McCain's presidential campaign and cost him the election?
Yes, I think they will. I think a good majority of voting Americans misunderstand Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians enough to want to avoid having one in office. As a former member of an Assembly of God Church, I believe Sarah Palin's religion is the least of the Republican party's problems. It will be interesting to watch the poll numbers now.
Sources:
"Assemblies of God (USA) - We Believe", http://ag.org, http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/index.cfm
"Palin's Beliefs Draw Closer Scrutiny", www.CBSnews.com, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/09/politics/animal/main4429553.shtml
"Pentecostal Palin", LJWorld Reader Blogs, http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/vox-box/2008/sep/06/pentecostal-palin/
Published by Heather K. Adams
Heather K. Adams is an award-winning journalist with the North Dakota Newspaper Association. While she can write on many topics, she specializes in personalized national and state news reports, music, and pa... View profile
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24 Comments
Post a Commenthey your stupid jus because your pentacostal doesnt mean your unstable or even that every whim you have is direct communication to God....... but yes you can have direct communication to God .... cause when Jesus christ was murdered ont the cross and rose the veil between God and man.......
Thank you, Eddie Andrews for setting the record straight on Sarah Palin's beliefs. Most Candidates for the highest offices in the US start learning domestic and international issues two or four years before they are nominated. Most Vice Presidential candidates already know the procedures of the Senate ... And more importantly, they know the veteran Senators they will have to deal with when promoting a piece of legislation. Sarah Palin is starting with a big diasadvantage. From the convention to the inauguration, Sarah Palin has barely three months to learn what other politicians take years to learn. The nagging question is: Will Sarah Palin be ready to lead the Senate after the inauguration?
I don't really think her personal religious beliefs should be part of determining her qualifications. I do think that an amendment that does not define or limit the powers of government should not be in the US Constitution. I think that the Gay Marriage amendment might be the first step toward big government dictating life styles. I think that any amendment placing God in the Constitution would compromise the religious freedoms granted us in the Bill of Rights and might be the first step toward a theocracy. Sarah Palin is free to believe as she chooses. Just like the rest of us. Sarah Palin is free to choose her own life style. Just like the rest of us. Let's keep it that way.
I'm a conservative and a Christian and I will not vote for McCain because of Palin's presence on the ticket. I do not want a Pentecostal anywhere near the Presidency. People don't realize just how unstable these people are. How weak-minded does a person have to be to get so overwhelmed by crazy Pentecostal music that they start babbling gibberish??? Even more seriously is the fact that Pentecostals believe that every thought, emotion and whim they have are direct communications from God. There's no room for reason in such a person.
What Sarah Palin does in the privacy of her own church is her business. I am totally pro-choice when it comes to religion, provided that people don't force their choices on everyone else.
Sorry, but this is not true. Governor Palin's quote was uh-hmm (intentionally?) edited by the uh-hmm (unbiased?) media. What Governor Palin was saying echoed that of President Abraham Lincoln and President John Kennedy when sending troops out, namely that we shouldn't use God's name to justify war or anything else; so we shouldn't pray that God is on our side, but that we should pray for our leaders that we are on GOD's side. That's a HUGE difference than saying this is a mission from God. In fact it is the exact opposite. When ABC (intentionally?) edits the quote, and then in the interview edits it again for the West Coast feed to make it not only seem like an assertion, but an unchallenged assertion, so people like the above person hear it in an absolutely blatantly incorrect way, it makes one wonder. Please double check before repeating what the mainstream media says. They've already chosen sides, and for the few who aren't still swooning every time Obama speaks, they're ofte
Nice work -- and congrats on getting featured. I'm sure many more will follow. You are one of AC's top rising stars. :)
I've been a Pentecostal all of my life and a member of an Assembly of God Church in California. While I'm pretty excited at the possibility of having someone like Sarah Palin on the Republican Ticket, I would caution anyone about choosing a candidate based ONLY on their religion. To be one-issue or one-cause voters is irresponsible. We have a tough choice ahead and unless you've been hiding under a rock...our country is not getting any better. I'm not sure one person or one party is the solution. All of this is bigger than individuals. It's time we pray...and pray like never before. And vote!
Religion and politics don't mix. I am advocate of science but I am also against abortion and embryonic stem cell research.It would nice to know whether she disagrees with stem cell religion at all or just embryonic stem cell research. Religion shouldn't be weighed in the decision for science advancement only personal beliefs. I grew up penecostal and did not approve of the religion personally. It was too political and like I already said; politics and religion don't mix. But thanks for the report.
Her personal views on abortion and gay rights have not influenced her governing in Alaska AT ALL. In fact, just the opposite.