Jesus and Witches

Isn't it time we admit that politicians who wear their religion on their sleeves--especially loony apocalyptic religions like Sarah Palin's--are poor choices for high positions in government? Do we really want someone who believes in "End of Days" anywhere near the nuclear access codes? Do we really need a Christian version of the Taliban here in America? Palin and her witch doctor would be hilarious if only so many Americans did not find these superstitions acceptable...

We may now juxtapose this article with the one Ramirez did elsewhere here on NEWSWEAK ['Understanding Barack Obamas Faith''],and come to understand why NEWSWEAK has become the patently biased creature it now is,engaging not in ''news'' as it is seen through an impartial lens,or ''journalism''as it applies to entities that are entrusted to deliver unvarnished commentary,but the rise of a species of propaganda machine,replete in what the AP calls ''interpretive journalism''[which now soaks its pages], partisan opinion-editorialism,and a filtering,blocking, or disseminating of information deemed unhelpful to their handpicked candidate,ideology or political party.

''I was ashamed to tell a stranger that I am a ''journalist''. The amount of bias we are seeing in the media is disgraceful'' Michael S. Malone,ABC NEWS,Oct.27,2008 on his webblog MSM.

Lets face it. Miller knows no more of writing on ''religious affairs''than she does about fornicating,which may explain this:

MOODYS/STANDARD AND POORS Oct 27,2008:''Newsweek Publishers Credit Rating Downgraded''.

Truth: Let's take a look at a real record of poor judgement. Obama is not just affiliated with pastors who fervently pray for protection, he associates himself with radicals who proclaim the most vitriolic hatefulness.

For a more objective look at Obama's inability to make good decisions, or any decision at all, please take the time to see OBAMA's VOTING RECORD on HIS OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT WEBPAGE: http://obama.senate.gov/votes/

What will you find?
* Approximately 28 Instances of him giving a NEA vote
* Approximately 47 Instances of him giving a YEA vote
* Approximately 140 [One Hundred Forty] Instances of him NOT VOTING

We can all agree that is a more important measure of judgment, or lack thereof.

question for shalynn@.... How is it that when god almighty commanded moses to kill his son, Isaiah, as a test of his faith and loyalty to god, it was considered not as a commandment of ill will, but as a commandment of virtue and goodness? How can anyone rationally justify an act on that scale? Just about everything I have ever read in the bible is not to be taken literally. It is like a rule of thumb to live by. Spreading some sort of religeous fervor on top of political views will only make things worse than they already are. Both the republicans and the democrats are like children calling each other names and poking fun at one another. Both parties are cancer to the U.S.

It doesn't concern to much what theology Palin believes. People all over the world believe in things that I find to be bizare. What bothers me is that people like Palin are zealots that have no room in their hearts and minds for people that believe differently. The hold their certainly above reason, tolerance, inclusiveness or compromise. Everything in their lives is rooted from their faith and they use it to justify the least admirable traits of human behavior antiethical to all forms of Christianity.

Great. The rise of the Pentacostals can be likened to the rise of extremist groups in other religions(Islam for ex.). This is not a positive for Mrs. Palin or for our Country.

Palin is right in making Jesus centre of her life.No achievement or success will bring peace or joy if it has not come as a result of prayers_To the Living God,creator of heaven and earth

Can you believe in 2008 we are still discriminating against people based on religion, creed, etc? In a couple of thousand years we don't seem to have moved very much at all. The entire Christian religion was devised by Peter & Paul, Jesus died a Jew. As a fellow Jew, even though I don't believe he was the Messiah, if he truly comes back some day, all you Christians will be in BIG BIG trouble for all the horrible things you have done to other "non-believers" in his name. I get a good belly laugh at all this End of Days scenario. Hell was not described by Jesus as Peter & Paul created - a place where purgatory existed or people will burn. Jesus believed in the Jewish version of Hell. The whole anti-Christ and Armegeddon BS was made up out of whole cloth as well.

Count me as a non-believer, but all those right wing Christian evangelicals will be in for a HUGE surprise when their fairy tale never comes true. What does really irritate me is the complicity of all those Jewish neo-cons willing to conspire with the crazy right wing Christian evangelicals. The evagelicals only want to help adance Israel and Jewish causes to satisfy the End of Days need to get all the Jews back to Israel. With all the technological advances we have made in the last 2,000 years, this is what governs our politicians? More hocus-pocus? Palin is only the standard bearer of this craziness because she is telegenic, has a decent figure and a face that is neither too ugly nor too pretty. Enough already!

It must be easy writing an article primarily based on YouTube clips. Anywhoo, I'm starting to understand the biased mainstream bias. If Newsweek can assume that Palin believes wholeheartedly everything ministers at her church do or say, then they must hold Obama to the same standard. They won't, but fortunately there are bloggers who are more competent reporters than the mainstream media.

Palin
- Believes in speaking in tongues
- Believes witches exist
- Believes that God protects and loves America

Now remember, Newsweek is assuming these candidates believe all their spiritual mentors express
Obama
- Believes that whites suppress blacks
- Believe that whites should be punished
- Believes Louis Farakhan is a heroic figure
- Believes Jews should be persecuted, perhaps even destroyed (see Louis Farakhan)
- Believes the government invented the aids virus, then released it to black communities
- Believes that America is an evil empire, and sympathize with terrorists ("chickens coming home to roost")
- Believes there is no reconiliation between races, inspiring further racism amongst communities

I'm just using the analogy of Newsweek. Thank you Newsweek- You've put it all into perspective for us. I just took the journalistic steps that you've refused to. Thank God for bloggers who will get to the bottom of these issues. We all know the mainstream media won't.

To LoriW: Couldn't agree with you more. If we are concerned about VPs, one should look into the tax records.
Biden made $319, 883, and paid zero. Palin made $166,080 and paid $2,017 to the IRS. Who is the fat cat here.

For the 24% or so of you out there that are still supporting Bush, and I imagine supporting McCain in this election, remember a very good quote from Voltaire: "It is dangerous to be right, when the government is wrong" The government has been wrong since Dubbya crawled out of mommy and daddy's house and stepped onto the stage....McCain is more intelligent, however policy's will not change much. You think the recession we are in now is bad, give Bush/McCain 4 more years and see where we are then, fathoms worse off than we are now.

Why does the media feel the need to critize Sarah Palin? Is it because she is someone they feel threatened by? She is a very articulate and knowledgeable person. If the Media would shut their mouths long enough to listen they might learn something.

Part 3 of 3
Some religious believers ??? and many of their critics ??? often use the term "faith" as the affirmation of belief without an ongoing test of evidence. In this sense faith refers to belief beyond evidence or logical arguments, sometimes called "implicit faith." Another form of this kind of faith is fideism: one ought to believe that God exists, but one should not base that belief on any other beliefs; one should, instead, accept it without any reasons at all. "Faith" in this sense, belief for the sake of believing, is often associated with Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and some other existentialist religious thinkers.

Faith as Religious belief, has been advanced as being desirable, for example for emotional reasons or to regulate society, and this can be seen as ???positive??? when it has 'benign??? effects. However, rationalists may become alarmed that faithful activists, perhaps with extreme beliefs, might not be amenable to argument or to negotiation over their behavior.

Superstition (Latin superstitio, literally "standing over"; derived perhaps from standing in awe; used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief in fear or magic, especially foreign or fantastical ideas, and thus came to mean a "cult" in the Roman empire) is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to supposedly irrational beliefs of others, and its precise meaning is therefore subjective. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings.

To medieval scholars the word was applied to and beliefs outside of or in opposition to Christianity; today it is applied to conceptions without foundation in, or in contravention of, scientific and logical knowledge.))

My conclusion would be the question on Palin(or any other candidate)'s religious belief is relevant and church and state must be kept seperate.

Ideally, I want a leader who would use the scientific method in addressing all matters of governmental decisions as opposed to someone who lazily made decisions based upon faith, astrology or tea leaves. Acquire knowledge and use it!

Separation of Church and State. Simple quesiton: Are you for it? Or against it? It is one of the fundamental principles this nation was founded on. It is in our Constitution. Freedom of religion. Freedom to practice individual beliefs. And, just as important, freedom from having religious values/beliefs influencing public policy.

The United States is not a Christian nation. It is not a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; or a nation defined by any other specific belief set. It is a secular nation made up of people whose religious beliefs run the gamut from belief in a variety of somethings to belief in nothing at all. Thus, it is relevant and important to examine how our leaders/candidates may, or may not, take their personal beliefs into account when making decisions that affect each and every citizen. These decisions must be based solely on common, humanistic moralities. Otherwise, we are no longer the America we were founded as.

Nowhere in this article was there a disparaging remark about Sarah Palin's personal beliefs. Simply a statement of fact concerning their nature, and the question: "What if...?" Not asking such questions would be doing every American a disservice. Mr. Obama has certainly had his religious and church affiliations scrutinized heavily. I ask you, those who are expressing outrage and disgust with this piece, why was it OK when it was Obama, but it's not appropriate when it's your candidate?