Dave's Mormon Inquiry: Palin the Pentecostal?

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Palin the Pentecostal?

As I noted a few days ago, once one candidate's religion becomes a deal-killer for political office, anyone's religion can become a disqualifier. The latest evidence: this clumsy CNN story, apparently written by a reporter on Anderson Cooper's team. The misinformation in the article is discussed at length at Get Religion and at The Dallas Morning News. But it's the unstated message the piece is trying to convey that ought to ring a bell for any LDS reader: How could you vote for anyone who believes this stuff? For Romney, it was Mormonism; for Palin, it is Pentecostal beliefs, attributed to her because she attended a Pentecostal congregation in Wasilla until 2002.

Sep 09, 2008 in Politics | Permalink

Comments

Don't forget Obama's having to distance himself from his church and minister.

This all really is unfortunate. Thanks for reporting, Dave.

Posted by: Christopher | Sep 09, 2008 at 12:51 PM

nice write-up

Posted by: BrianJ | Sep 09, 2008 at 11:00 PM

I agree with you that it would be wrong to exclude Palin simply because she is a Pentecostal with outlandish beliefs.

In Palin's case, it seems that she injected her religion into politics. She wants creationism in the biology curriculum, sex education out of the curriculum, and identifies matters of war and peace as the will of God.

Wouldn't it be irresponsible of voters to ignore her explicit policy agenda?

Posted by: Hellmut | Sep 10, 2008 at 08:30 AM

"She wants creationism in the biology curriculum, sex education out of the curriculum"

Wrong and wrong.

I'm not sure where you've been, but these rumors were uncovered days ago.

Posted by: Tim J. | Sep 10, 2008 at 08:57 AM

Thanks to your correction, Tim, I have looked into these claims. I agree with you that the creationism accusation is unfair.

It appears to be the case, however, that Palin declared in an Eagle Forum questionnaire that she opposes "explicit" sex education.

If you have evidence to the contrary, I would be glad to see it.

Posted by: Hellmut | Sep 10, 2008 at 08:25 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.

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Karen Armstrong: A Short History of Myth
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Contemporary Mormonism: Latter-day Saints in Modern America
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Terryl L. Givens: People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture
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Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith
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A Mormon in the White House?
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Kathleen Flake: The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle
How a generation of Mormons learned the art of politics and became full-fledged Americans again.
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Between the Testaments: From Malachi to Matthew
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Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years among the Mormons
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Prince & Wright: David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
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Davies: The Mormon Culture of Salvation
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Bushman: JS: Rough Stone Rolling
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Adventures of a Church Historian
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Bradley: Pedestals And Podiums
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The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship
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OSC: The Folk of the Fringe
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Quorum of the Anointed, 1842-1845
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Alexander: Mormonism in Transition
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God and Country: Politics in Utah
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Barlow: Mormons and the Bible
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Remini: Joseph Smith
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Arrington: The Mormon Experience
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Givens: By the Hand of Mormon
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An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
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Marvin Hill: Quest for Refuge
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Garry Wills: Head and Heart: American Christianities
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Christianity: A Very Short Introduction
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The Language God Talks: On Science and Religion
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God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World -- and Why Their Differences Matter
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Stephen Prothero: Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
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Bart D. Ehrman: God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer
Ehrman examines five biblical explanations for suffering and evil: divine punishment, human action, redemptive suffering, inscrutable mystery, and apocalyptic dualism.
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F. E. Peters: The Voice, the Word, the Books: The Sacred Scripture of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims
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