Religion and Politics--What Else?

I'm blogging this story as a former Pentecostal, and because I am of the opinion that a person's religious beliefs can't really be separated from their public life.  Besides all that there is some interesting information here.  Later this week I'd like to answer your comments on my Obama post from day before yesterday; however, right now it's competing with my writing this weekend's homily.

Here's the politically religious stuff--comments welcome:

The Rev. Ed Kalnins had no way of knowing he'd be a controversial figure in the 2008 presidential race when he became pastor of a small Pentecostal church in Alaska nine years ago.

But Kalnins has begun to gain attention after The Huffington Post political website reported Tuesday that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee, may have drawn her religious convictions from Kalnins' Pentecostal church.

Kalnins has preached that critics of President Bush will be banished to hell; questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted into heaven; and preached that the Sept. 11 attacks and the war in Iraq were part of a world war over Christianity, The Huffington Post reported after reviewing recorded sermons by Kalnins.

A statement on the website of Kalnins' church, the Wasilla Assembly of God, indicates that Palin attended that church from the time she was a teenager, but adds that she and her family haven't been members of the congregation since 2002.

Even so, Kalnins said, Palin has maintained a friendship with his church and attended various conferences and special meetings there — most recently in June, when the governor spoke at a ministry graduation service.

"Whether I influenced Sarah, I don't know," Kalnins said, adding that Palin seeks God on her own.

"She and her family were a part of our church until 2002," he said. "From 2002, she went to another church ... called Wasilla Bible."

He said he doesn't know why the Palin family made that change and said it's easy for the press to distort views expressed in a religious sermon if they are taken out of context.

"You can take any kind of a sermon ... without an introduction and without a conclusion and say that this guy is weird."

Peter Feldman, a spokesman for the McCain-Palin ticket, said he didn't have any information he could provide about Palin's ties to, or history with, the Wasilla Assembly of God Church.

Instead, he said that Palin was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church, was a member of a Christian athletes fellowship in high school and, during the last seven years, she and her family have attended a nondenominational evangelical church in Wasilla.

Source

Comments

[Jason]

So what does that say for Mr. Obama's association with ministers such as Rev. Wright and Father Pfleger?

To quote a popular Austin radio talk show host politics is nothing but performance art and both sides have proved it by coming after each other with the same tired arguments. I want to hear about issues and what they are going to do for the country not political pandering.

That being said no one is perfect and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. So if the pundits want to keep attacking straw men/women instead of where each of these parties want to take this country, let them. Maybe all this political/personal back and forth will help people remember what we should really be focused on...God

[kristin]

(Amen to the prior commnents by Jason)

Did you happen to watch/listen to her speech last nite, at the Republican Nat'l Convention? If so, how does it affect your comments in today's post?

[Deacon DW]

You may or may not get an idea of where I lean politically--in my maturity I've grown somewhat conservative compared to 30 years ago. However, I doubt I'll endorse anyone on the blog here. I'll keep you guessing and just let you know that I'm a happy moderate.

I am pro-life in the strongest sense, which means that I don't believe that we currently have a pro-life candidate. What I'd like to write about later this week, or early next week should I find time, is what our responsibility is as Catholic citizens in a society that rarely shares our beliefs, values, and doctrines in their purest form. Basically, given that regardless of who you vote for you will have to accept certain untenable--in terms of Catholic morality--positions, the question is, "What are you going to do about it?"

There will be no post tomorrow, but look for my homily Saturday afternoon.

[Carol]

Exactly. What is anyone going to do about it. Those who recognized a "true pro-life candidate" in Ron Paul worked for his furtherance-- I hope. As we can (and ought to have by now) see in various Church documents and articles, the Church has never wavered on abortion as intrinsic evil, and even from Rome we know it is THE issue. Any clergy who differ from that or shade it or minimize it or maneuver around it -- just like Pelosi-the-laity -- are not in union with Rome, just as Claptrap Central (ultraTrads and Sedes) aren't. Man loopholing Rome regarding matters of the Church's clear teachings on many matters should be a reason to deny Communion with the Saviour of mankind, but especially if we try to edge around intrinsic evil, grave sin, so that it flourishes under our watch. Satan's main goal is not to have unlimited abortion -- tho' what a coup-- what God has created, he's pretty sure he can destroy any ol' time, and gain some souls into his filthy lair! Not to even mention cloning, homogamy, etc. No, satan's main goal is the same as it was on Golgotha: to kill Christ's Body. Those of us who receive His Body and Blood are in satan's crosshairs. Always. We need to triple-check every thought against the Catechism, if we would be true.

It is not politics as usual--it hasn't been since satan stole into the Democratic party, and Catholics have never had any business being liberals about what we know to be/are taught is sin, most especially grave sin. True --we do not have a consistently pro-life candidate this time (AGAIN)-- but neither do we licity have an Obamarama option. We cannot even comic-balloon a thought that he'd help limit abortion in some way. Our options are to not vote, to write in someone, or to vote for the voiceless babies-- even if it means more poverty-for-all for 4 more years.

[Pia]

It wouldn't just be more poverty for Americans, but most especially for the rest of the world, in particular the 3rd. Too bad the rest of the world can't vote in the US elections, considering they will probably bear the brunt of the choice made in November. Not to mention that it could well be for 8 more years, not 4.

Anyway, the reason why I felt relieved reading some of the things DD has posted, is not so much that it made me want to run to Rome to vote for Obama. It was a relief to think that maybe I'm not a bad Christian because I don't feel I can vote on one issue only, especially since the world is in a total shambles because of the bad choices made in Washington over the past 8 years. of course the idea of using abortion as birth control is abominable, and the whole idea of a right to choose, a fallacy. I despise women who consider the issue from this most selfish position.

But I can't help but wonder how many women all over the world will have no choice but to abort because they can't afford another mouth to feed...or because they are between a rock and a hard place,amidst war and famine, and see no hope and no future for their children (like Etty Hillesum...who was convinced that she needed to "sacrifice" her baby so that she could save him from the intrinsic evil that her country was immersed in, and so she could continue helping fellow Jews both outside and inside the work camp for a few more months at least).
So many things to ponder, and no easy choice, especially because I distrust the cynicism the Repubblican Party has shown in making this choice for VP because they know many Catholics are one issue voters. Now they'll be able to cut funding for unwed mothers at the federal level, not only in alaska.