From the The Raw Story:
In perhaps one of the strangest twists to date in the story of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a video now shows the governor crediting her electoral success to a preacher who claims to successfully hunt witches.
The speech, shown below, was filmed in June. Palin describes the visit of Pastor Thomas Muthee to the Wasilla Assembly of God in 2005.
....
In 1988, Pastor Muthee and his wife traveled to Kenya after being "called by God." Setting up shop in the basement of a grocery store, they claim to have brought 200 people "to God" and away from the town's "spiritual oppression."
The source of the oppression? Witchcraft, Muthee says. When researching the community, they found that a woman named "Mama Jane" ran a divination clinic that drew a large following in the town.
“We prayed, we fasted, the Lord showed us a spirit of witchcraft resting over the place,” Pastor Muthee said.
Read the rest and watch the video of Sarah Palin's speech at The Raw Story.
Keith Olbermann had the story tonight on Countdown. He said that Jeremiah Wright (Obama's former pastor) looked like Fr. Flanagan next to Pastor Thomas Muthee. You can't make this stuff up.
More on the story of Mama Jane, the "witch" from The Christian Science Monitor.
“We prayed, we fasted, the Lord showed us a spirit of witchcraft resting over the place,”
ReplyDeleteThen we elected her governor.
Wicked, Mark!
ReplyDeletebrava, big sis', brava.
ReplyDeleteMark - that was my thought too. Not wicked, mimi, just a logical conclusion.
ReplyDeleteSteph, wicked is sometimes a compliment.
ReplyDeleteI was more taken by the Spiritual Mapping in the article about Mama Jane.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap.
Coming soon to a location near you?
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this up, especially the article from the Christian Science Monitor. I think this raises issues that should especially concern us Anglicans, since I believe that Pentecostalism in various forms is alive and well in our African churches (assuming that "our" and "Anglican" still mean something).
ReplyDeleteI do have a somewhat different take on the Palin stuff as it relates to U.S. politics, and have just blogged on it. I mean no disrespect to you or the part you highlighted -- especially Palin's views of how she got elected, and the man whose prayers were behind it. I just wonder if we realize how many people in the U.S. share similar beliefs or, at least, would not look down on them -- just as many African-Americans would probably not buy everything Rev. Wright said, but some would still hold him in esteem for what appears to others as "way out" comments or even a worldview.
I'm not defending belief in witches, demons, and mapping strategies for attacking them -- not at all. But I wonder whether any of that is what really drives Palin, whether she believes every last bit of it herself, or if it matters in this election. I don't know. Just asking the questions. I fear this kind of thing just divides us more into the red, Bible-thumping, camp and the blue camp of the "elite" intellectuals who think of witches and Salem and Arthur Miller and McCarthy. While I don't see any of that in your post, others who have picked up this story seem to have told it with something of a sneer. They -- not you (never you, dear Mimi, who so beautifully and graciously cross all religious and cultural boundaries) -- worry me some.
Klady, I do think about my posts on Sarah Palin, and, for a while, (a few days) I resolved not to mention her name, because of the possibility that all the negativity would backfire and cause folks to move to her side because of sympathy for her "persecution". But that resolution did not last long. There's much more that I could post that I have not, but this labeling people as "witches" is quite serious and alarming, and I believe that any association by a candidate for the vice-presidency (a heartbeat away from the presidency) with this type of activity, needs to be exposed.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the kind of candidate we want in this country, then this is what we'll have, but I find it quite frightening. Perhaps I'm wrong to post this, but my voice is small, and it is not likely to have much of an effect on the election. Anyway, most of the folks who read this blog are like-minded. I'm preaching to the choir.
Mimi,
ReplyDeleteI do not and did not think you were wrong to post it. I think blogging should be about what deeply concerns us, however the chips may fall. All I'm saying is that I saw the Olbermann piece interviewing Shannyn Moore, an Alaskan whom I respect as well, and they acted like they never heard of this stuff. I find that angle disturbing -- not what you had to say. I'm just saying it's part of the whole thing to think about -- how our reactions can be perceived, not that we shouldn't have them or should keep from speaking.
When I read something and cheer, I try to stop and ask myself why and think where do I want to take it from there. That's just where I would take it myself -- saying, yes, this is disturbing, but this is not what I want most for people to know about Palin. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't bring it up or talk about it -- it's just another way of looking at how and why religion and the abuse of it stirs us. That's why I posted here -- to explain why I took it in that direction and to say it was not a criticism of your post. I'm sorry if you misunderstood - that was precisely what I was trying to avoid.
Klady, I suppose I'm reflecting my own ambivalence about posting on Palin. You touched a bit of a sore spot without meaning to. I want to do what I can - which is admittedly not much - to keep McCain/Palin from being elected, short of spreading lies about them, without driving folks into their camp.
ReplyDeleteI know mimi - I was teasing :-) She truly is scary though.
ReplyDelete