Posted on 09/06/2008 7:22:54 PM PDT by Merciful_Friend
Andrew Sullivan claims a petard is about to be hoisted, in reference to a sermon recently given by the pastor of Governor Sarah Palin's church, one Larry Kroon. Sullivan clearly believes that it is exactly equivalent to some of the controversial sermon remarks of Barack Obama's pastor and mentor of twenty years, Jeremiah Wright (remember, Obama named one of his memoirs from a phrase his pastor coined, and praised him enthusiastically until the day he threw him in the garbage).
The transcript of Larry Kroon's sermon is is at this link. The audio is here. Here is the portion we're supposed to find shocking, as dramatized by blogger Max Blumenthal and quoted by Andrew Sullivan:
Kroon placed Zephaniah in a modern context, warning that the sinful habits of Americans would invite the wrath of God. "And if Zephaniah were here today," Kroon bellowed, "he'd be saying, 'Listen, [God] is gonna deal with all the inhabitants of the earth. He is gonna strike out His hand against, yes, Wasilla; and Alaska; and the United States of America. There's no exceptions here -- there's none. It's all.'"
Well, I listened to the audio. And the first (if least significant) correction to make to the characterizations made and implied by Blumenthal and Sullivan is that Pastor Kroon does not bellow those lines. He just speaks them; some words are even arguably hushed a little for effect.
The next thing to observe is the import of what Kroon is saying, even given the limited context which the quote above allows. Kroon is talking about God's wrath ultimately coming against the entire world: "It's all." He begins by mentioning his own home town, Wasilla. He expands to include the state, Alaska, and then the entire nation, and then simply "all." Well, although this point may be de-emphasized or glossed over in a variety of Christian churches or contexts, it is nonetheless a common and fundamental Christian belief that there will be a day of judgment and that God's wrath will be deployed. Kroon is saying only that. And he is personalizing it for his congregation by naming their home town. Note: Jeremiah Wright's controversial sermon remarks would arguably be quite equivalent to Larry Kroon's remarks above if in addition to bellowing "God damn America!!" he had also bellowed "God damn the south side of Chicago!!" But I don't believe that the record shows that he bellowed with that degree of balance.
i was driving to san diego today and listening to roger.
he went over this. whatta laugh!
Please
That comparison is so weak to be pathetic. The words that Pastor Kroon said in no way compares to what Jeremiah Wright spoke. Andrew Sullivan and the rest of the media are just dishing out trash. The war is on. Screw the msm.
Uh, yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna get a lot of traction. Course they made some hay out of Hagee, but he does tend to bellow - he sets himself up for that stuff. But he’s no racist whipping up the people against a certain racew.
A. Sullivan is a rabid homosexual, his mind is ravaged by the effects of AIDS fighting drugs. He has lost all sense of logic.
0bama went to a “church” for 20 years that practises Black Liberation Theology Christianity, that is anti-Judeo-Christian.
Isn’t this what almost all Christian believe? There’s nothing shocking about it.
But it WOULD be news to Andrew Sullivan...
Yes, but he didn’t give much to the church! Barely $20 a week. That is why Rev Wright doesn’t like the Obamas.
at least sarah’s pastor’s god is going to strike everyone equally, so no racism, dems should be happy /s
This is about the flimsiest, most-Biblically inept interpretation of a sermon as I’ve seen in ages.
Am I seriously supposed to believe that applying Zephaniah’s apocalyptic warnings to modern day towns across the world is the same thing as Jeremiah outright calling for God to damn America and to strike it down?
Talk about clutching at straws on a dark, cloudy, moonless night in the north pole in the middle of winter...
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