ABC News Ties Sarah Palin to Pentecostalism

NewsBusters ^ | September 15, 2008 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

Sarah Palin hasn't been a member of the Assemblies of God church for six years but that hasn't kept ABC News from using that church to attempt to smear Palin as some sort of religious loon. Perhaps they thought that Pentecostal denomination was easier to use as a sledge hammer against Palin than her current membership in a nondemonational church. Almost predictably the accompanying video that you can see in this ABC News report starts off showing Pentecostals speaking in tongues along with mentioning that other Christians often refer to them as holy rollers. Here are excerpts from the written report (emphasis mine):

For two decades, Palin was a member of an Assemblies of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. In 2002, years before she was elected governor of Alaska, Palin and her family switched to a nondenominational church, but Palin still returns to her old church on special occasions.

And yet this ABC News report focuses on her previous denomination. Following the intro, the report returns to its obsession with speaking in tongues:

The most scrutinized and least understood aspect of the Assemblies of God Church and Pentecostalism in general is the ancient practice of "speaking in tongues."

"Speaking in tongues is a heavenly language," said Donna Morgan, a member of the Pennsylvania-based Freedom Valley Worship Center who embraces the experience. "That we're going to God and Jesus intercedes for us."

Pentecostalism has been described as evangelical experience on steroids. Like evangelicals, Pentecostals believe that the Bible is the literal word of God and that the end of time is near. However, Pentecostals also believe that the Holy Spirit can give you gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophesy, and divine healing.

[PJ-Comix]

Yet another pathetic attempt by the MSM to marginalize Sarah Palin.

[scooby321]

What kind of Church is Trinity that Obama went for 20 years.

[snarkytart]

WTF is wrong with these idiots in the media?
The woman went to a normal mainstream church. Goodness.

[Diogenesis]

Don't expect the pro-terrorist MSM to admit that Gov. Palin graduated in JOURNALISM.

Gibson, the Biased ABC Media Bully [looking down his nose from up on high]:
"Please take off your American flag pin. The American flag is an abomination now prohibited by ABC News."

---

Charlie Gibson's Gaffee

"The Times got it wrong. And Charlie Gibson got it wrong.
There is no single meaning of the Bush doctrine. In fact, there have been four distinct meanings,
each one succeeding another over the eight years of this administration--
and the one Charlie Gibson cited is not the one in common usage today.
...... I know something about the subject because, as the Wikipedia entry
on the Bush doctrine notes, I was the first to use the term."
Charles Krauthammer

---

Comparison: Gibson Questions for Obama (and Edwards in 2004) vs. for Sarah Palin

Obama's Puff-piece interview:
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to “win”?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?

Palin's 'kangaroo court' interview:
Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking?
Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders?
Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job?
Questions about foreign policy
-territorial integrity of Georgia
-allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO
-NATO treaty
-Iranian nuclear threat
-what to do if Israel attacks Iran
-Al Qaeda motivations
-the Bush Doctrine
-attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan
Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]

---

"Charles Gibson of ABC News was out for blood and inherently applied
a double-standard compared with the kid gloves George Stephanopoulos
used on Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois on Sunday night.
Gibson was out to embarrass Palin and expose her presumed ignorance from the word go. "

UPI Say ABC Exhibits Double Standard

---

Did ABC & Gibson Use Camera Trickery To Belittle Gov. Palin?

"While it's true that Governor Palin is of less stature than Mr. Gibson,
the deliberate choice of the camera's height, framing and the use of
telephoto lenses all serve to make Mr. Gibson look overpowering
and Governor Palin the weak prey. This is common shooting technique
we use to make a villain appear more ominous."

---

ABC News Edited Out Key Parts of Sarah Palin Interview

---

Boycott ABC sponsors:
Target, Glade Scented Oil (SC Johnson), Plavix, Advil PM,
Verizon, BlindsTOGo, Magic Eraser (Mr. Clean), Stop and Shop,
Toyota, Bali Bras, Ghost Town (movie), Prilosec OTC, Verizon Wireless,
Ethan Allen, AT&T, Werther Original Chocolates, Garnier Hair Products

[bcsco]

I was a member of the ELCA for years but returned to the LCMS some years ago because of the ELCA progressive agenda.

I’d love to have someone try and paint me as an ELCA member. I’d hand their head to them.

[Hang'emAll]

Here is the press release for Sarah.

“She was there for 2 decades but never heard anything.”

Hey, it worked for Hussein.

[skimbell]

Forget Trinity, obozo’s brother has family pictures of their muzzie upbringing. MSM wants to jump Palin about her religion, let's see how obozo likes revisiting his “muslim background”.

[wk4bush2004]

This is ridiculous! I am a tongues-speaking charismatic Christian and I find the MSM’s attacks on Sarah’s Pentecostal heritage offensive. It doesn’t matter if she speaks in tongues or not (plus, she has never confirmed if she does), and even if she does, WHO CARES????

Sarah Palin is a more-than-capable leader who will do wonders for America! Plus, she is a CHRISTIAN, and that’s all that matters!

[wideawake]

Pentecostals are the third-largest Christian group in America after Catholics and Southern Baptists.

They are the largest or second-largest Christian group among African-Americans - depending on how one classifies denominations. They also have a large Hispanic following.

Pentecostals also have an exemplary record on racial issues - the Assemblies Of God (mostly white) and the Church Of God In Christ (mostly black) began life as a united interracial movement that was forcibly separated by Jim Crow laws.

[Obadiah]

The same MSM that are trying to slash Sarah Palin desperately worked to hide Jeremiah Wright.

[N. Theknow]

It doesn’t matter if she speaks in tongues or not (plus, she has never confirmed if she does), and even if she does, WHO CARES????

Want to hear someone speak in tongues, take 0bama's teleprompter away.

[joe fonebone]

I thought the holy rollers were a bowling team on the Simpsons..........

[wideawake]

Almost one out of every nine Americans is a Pentecostal.

If the media wants to demonize one of America's largest, most energetic and most charitably active Christian denominations I invite them to go ahead.

If they want to make the election to be a referendum on the Pentecostal movement then the Democrats will not gain a single white vote that wasn't already a lock for them and they will lose black votes.

I say this as someone who rejects much of Pentecostal theology.

[snakedriver]

That’s hilarious.

[N. Theknow]

Interesting choice of ties for Charlie.

Salesmanship 101 - When you want to befriend a client, wear blue.

Salesmanship 102 - When you face an adversary, and you seek to control them, wear red.

[DogBarkTree]

DU moonbat George Oilwellian's latest video compares Sarah to tongue speaking snake dancers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naXqE4dTxPA

[agere_contra]

Pentecostals also believe that the Holy Spirit can give you gifts such as speaking in tongues

Many Christians have been given the gift of tongues, including myself.

The MSM obviously regard the gifts of the Holy Spirit as being niche religious activities on a par with getting poisonous snakes to bite you, or believing that Jesus hates Whitey. Not so.

[wilco200]

The MSM speaks in tongues...FORKED

[NavyCanDo]

I think Obama is a Pentecost as well. Without a teleprompter he does seem to be speaking in tongues.

[MrB]

A Socialist bastardization of Christianity,

led by Rev Killwhitie.

Yes, please, let’s talk about “membership in radical, extremist churches”.