Sarah Palin's Demon Haunted Churches - The Complete Edition
Bruce Wilson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 11:43:32 AM EST
[ vote this story up on Digg ] Contained in this story :

--A new 8 minute video documentary, "Palin and the Holy Laughter Anointing"

--The 10 minute video documentary "Sarah Palin's Churches and The New Wave" (currently also titled as "Sarah Palin's Demon Haunted Churches").

--Documentation on the sources of video footage used in the documentary.

--A written summary of the surrounding story, to contextualize the video.

--Supplemental Documentation on the Third Wave movement.

Sarah Palin's churches are actively involved in a resurgent movement that was declared heretical by the Assemblies of God in 1949.  This is the same 'Spiritual Warfare' movement that was featured in the award winning movie, "Jesus Camp," which showed young children being trained to do battle for the Lord.  At least three of four of Palin's churches are involved with major organizations and leaders of this movement, which is referred to as The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit or the New Apostolic Reformation.  The movement is training a young "Joel's Army" to take dominion over the United States and the world.  

Along with her entire family, Sarah Palin was re-baptized at twelve at the Wasilla Assembly of God in Wasilla, Alaska and she attended the church from the time she was ten until 2002: over two and 1/2 decades. Sarah Palin's extensive pattern of association with the Wasilla Assembly of God has continued nearly up to the day she was picked by Senator John McCain as a vice-presidential running mate. Palin's dedication to the Wasilla church is indicated by a Saturday, September 7, 2008, McClatchy news service story detailing possibly improper use of state travel funds by Palin for a trip she made to Wasilla, Alaska to attend, on June 8, 2008, both a Wasilla Assembly of God "Masters Commission" graduation ceremony and also a multi-church Wasilla area event known as "One Lord Sunday." At the latter event, Palin and Alaska LT Governor Scott Parnell were publicly blessed, onstage before an estimated crowd of 6,000, through the "laying on of hands" by Wasilla Assembly of God's Head Pastor Ed Kalnins whose sermons espouse such theological concepts as the possession of geographic territories by demonic spirits and the inter-generational transmission of family "curses". Palin has also been blessed, or "anointed," by an African cleric, prominent in the Third Wave movement, who has repeatedly visited the Wasilla Assembly of God and claims to have effected positive, dramatic social change in a Kenyan town by driving out a "spirit of witchcraft."

The Wasilla Assembly of God church is deeply involved with both Third Wave activities and theology.  Their Master's Commission program is part of an three year post-high school international training program with studies in prophecy, intercessory prayer, Biblical exegesis, authority and leadership. The pastor, Ed Kalnins, and Masters Commission students have traveled to South Carolina to participate in a "prophetic conference" at Morningstar Ministries, one of the major ministries of the Third Wave movement. Becky Fischer was a pastor at Morningstar prior to being featured in the movie "Jesus Camp."  The head of prophecy at Morningstar, Steve Thompson, is currently scheduled to do a prophecy seminar at the Wasilla Assembly of God.  Other major leaders in the movement have also traveled to Wasilla to visit and speak at the church.

The Third Wave is a revival of the theology of the Latter Rain tent revivals of the 1950s and 1960s led by William Branham and others.  It is based on the idea that in the end times there will be an outpouring of supernatural powers on a group of Christians that will take authority over the existing church and the world.  The believing Christians of the world will be reorganized under the Fivefold Ministry and the church restructured under the authority of Prophets and Apostles and others anointed by God.  The young generation will form "Joel's Army" to rise up and battle evil and retake the earth for God.  

While segments of this belief system have been a part of Pentecostalism and charismatic beliefs for decades, the excesses of this movement were declared a heresy in 1949 by the General Council of the Assemblies of God, and again condemned through Resolution 16 in 2000.  The beliefs and manifestations of the movement include the use of 'strategic level spiritual warfare' to expel territorial demons from American and world cities.  Worship includes excessive charismatic manifestations such as hundreds of people falling, 'slain in the spirit,' and congregations laughing, jerking, and shrieking uncontrollably.

In early 2008 an outbreak of those phenomena commenced at the palatial former ministry estate of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, recently bought up and restored by prominent Third Wave author and leader Rick Joyner's Morningstar Ministries. The (spiritual) "breakout" lasted for many weeks and was publicized in an extensive collection of video footage available on YouTube. Healing services in the Third Wave movement claim to heal the sick and injured through methods that in some cases can appear bizarre - including, as in recent cases involving Todd Bentley, the patient being head butted or kicked by the anointed healer. Recipients of such "spiritual" or miraculous healing make a wide range of astonishing claims - to have been cured of life-threatening illnesses, had joints repaired or replaced, been given gold teeth or gold fillings, regrown stunted limbs and even had deformed skeletal structures straightened and reshaped.  Worldwide mission efforts of the movement are built around the idea of combating witches, warlocks, and generational curses, which prevent churches from being able to take root.  

Thomas Muthee visited Wasilla Assembly of God and gave 10 consecutive sermons at the church, from October 11-16 2005. As both Palin and Wasilla AoG Head Pastor Ed Kalnins have attested, Thomas Muthee  'prayed over' Sarah Palin and entreated God to "make a way" prior to Palin's successful bid for the Alaska governorship. Muthee made a return visit to the Wasilla Assembly of God in late 2008. Thomas Muthee's Word of Faith Church is featured in the "Transformations" video which details an account on how Muthee drove "the spirit of witchcraft" out of Kiambu, Kenya, liberating the town from its territorial demonic possession and enabling a miraculous societal transformation.  The "Transformations" video set is used as an argument for social improvement  through spiritual instead of human means, and as the best method for fighting corruption, crime, drugs and even environmental degradation.

In the video, producer George Otis declares that after Thomas Muthee and his followers banished the "spirit of witchcraft" from the town, the crime rate in Kiambu dropped almost to zero, along with the rate of alcoholism, and according to Otis most of the residents of the town joined churches. The "Transformations" video has helped spark a network of 'Transformation' ministries and mission organizations and 'transformation' has become a buzz word for change based on supernatural instead of human efforts.

The Third Wave, also known as the New Apostolic Reformation, is a network of Apostles, many of them grouped around C. Peter Wagner, founder of the World Prayer Center.  This center, which was built in coordination with Ted Haggard and his New Life Church in Colorado Springs, was featured in an article by Jeff Sharlet in Harpers, May 2005, "Soldiers of Christ."  Sharlet was one of the first to write in the secular press about the World Prayer Center which is often referred to by those familiar with the Third Wave as the 'Pentagon for Spiritual Warfare.'  It features computer systems that store the data of communities around the world, mapping out unsaved peoples' groups and spiritual mapping information for spiritual warfare. Wagner has his own group of about 500 Apostles in his council and each of these Apostles has ministries under their authority, sometimes hundreds or thousands.  Recently various networks of Apostles came together to form the Revival Alliance.  Leaders of the Revival Alliance including Rick Joyner of Morningstar anointed Todd Bentley whose Lakeland Healing Revival has recently been a controversial topic in the Evangelical world.  

Wagner's top leaders often conduct spiritual warfare campaigns against the demons that block the acceptance of their brand of Christian belief, such as 'Operation Ice Castle' in the Himalayas in 1997.  Several of their top prophets and generals of intercession spent weeks in intensive prayer to "confront the Queen of Heaven."  This queen is considered by them to be one of the most powerful demons over the earth and is the Great Harlot of Mystery Babylon in Revelation. (The "Great Harlot [or 'whore'] of Mystery Babylon" theme also figures prominently in the sermons of Texas megachurch pastor and Christians United For Israel founder John Hagee, former endorser of John McCain's 2008 presidential bid.)  Wagner and his group also claim that the Queen of Heaven is Diana, the pagan god of the biblical book Ephesians and the god of Mary veneration in the Roman Catholic Church.  Following the 'Operation Ice Castle' prayer excursion which included planting a flag for Jesus on Mt. Everest, one of the lead prayer intercessors from the excursion, Ana Mendez, reported that there had been dramatic results including, "millions have come to faith in Asia... and other things happened which I believe are also connected...an earthquake had destroyed the basilica of Assisi, where the Pope had called a meeting of all world religions; a hurricane destroyed the infamous temple 'Baal-Christ' in Acapulco, Mexico;  the Princes Diana died... and Mother Theresa died in India, one of the most famous advocates of Mary as Co-Redeemer."

Mike Rose, senior pastor of Juneau Christian Center has a long relationship with Rodney Howard -Browne, credited with being the instigator of the outbreak of 'Holy Laughter' around the world, including the Toronto Airport Revival.

Church of the Rock, led by Senior Pastor David Pepper, has taken their youth to participate in 'The Call, Nashville.'  This event is held at various locations around the country under the leadership of Lou Engle, also featured in the movie "Jesus Camp." At these events youth are worked into a frenzy of anger and consternation at supposed national moral corruption.  Engle, who shuffles while he preaches in imitation of Jewish prayer, is featured toward the end of the "Jesus Camp" video documentary.

The Third Wave movement is cross-denomination and is not synonymous with any specific denomination, nor is it synonymous with Evangelical or Fundamentalist.  Although the movement emerged from Pentecostalism, it draws its support from a variety of denominations and religious streams.  They believe they are forming a post-denominational church to take the world for the end times.  To date, all of the writing and objections to this movement have emerged from other Evangelicals and Fundamentalists who believe the movement to be unbiblical.  Also, it is other conservative churches that refuse to embrace the 'outpouring of the Spirit' that are targets of much of the anger of the movement.

You can find more information on the Third Wave movement and additional links to the activities of Palin's churches on www.Talk2action.org in the following articles:


Sarah Palin's Churches and the Third Wave, Part One

Sarah Palin's Churches and the Third Wave, Part Two (with embedded video.)

The video is also posted here.

Documentation of the Video and Supporting Articles
Sarah Palin's Churches and the Third Wave
Also posted as Palin's Demon Haunted Churches

Video Clips
(Note that all video clips are taken from original  sources or sources promoting and supporting the Third Wave/New Apostolic Reformation.)

Bishop Thomas Muthee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBvxWl7jXr0
Transformations I,  Trailer
George Otis, Sentinel Group

Morningstar Ministries clips including cellphone anointing, portal to Jesus
http://www.prophetic.tv/morningstar/
Holy Spirit Breakout Day # 1 and 2, Day #9, and Week #15
On Prophetic TV, Morningstar Ministries full Breakout series

Wasilla Master's Commission
http://www.mcwasillaalaska.com/
Main website with links to Master's Commission, Master's Commission videos and photos

Wasilla AoG bulletin graphics, Wasilla AoG sermons, Wasilla AoG videos
http://www.wasillaag.org/
Wasilla Assembly of God main site clips used:

Music repeated in video and sermon with chants of `Jesus, Jesus'
Wasilla AoG sermon by Pastor Todd Stafford, "In Desperate Times", January 15, 2007.  

Master's Commission Graduation Ceremony, June 8, 2008
Sarah Palin giving Master's Commission speech
Posted on the Wasilla AoG site on June 8, 2008

Anointing of Leaders from auxiliary site
http://app.razorplanet.com/acct/40149-8554/tmpl/index.php?s=gl&am p;nid=53521&preview=true
From Wasilla AoG links to site

Quote about demonic strongholds and generational curses
Ed Kalnins, sermon, September 26, 2004
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:gF16SYYnXC0J:www.wasillaag.n et/2004.html+Kalnins,Canaanite&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1& ;gl=us

Lou Engle, Rick Joyner from Underground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7sSZ7Ux3Hg
Underground by www.underthethreshold
Production of Brian Wages, Music/Art Director, Oakleaf Christian Fellowship

Photos at Our Hand at Youth Conference 2008
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile& amp;friendID=49580719
Photos posted on site of Wasilla AoG staff member, Buster Barlow

`One Lord Sunday'
http://gov.state.ak.us/large_photo.php?id=153
Event photos from Wasilla AoG posted on Alaska State Government website

____

Supplemental Documentation
(Hundreds of sources have been used in this research.  Following is list of websites of featured organizations and a selection of previously published articles and books used as sources.)

Bishop Thomas Muthee

http://www.wofchurchke.org/
Word of Faith Church, Muthee's ministry in Kenya

http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:3z9krIjeCUcJ:www.charismamag. com/display.php%3Fid%3D786+Thomas+Muthee+witch&hl=en&ct=c lnk&cd=5&gl=us
Charisma Magazine, January 2001, Strang Publishing

http://www.csmonitor.com/1999/0923/p15s1.html
Muthee's  story in Christian Science Monitor,
Also includes information on George Otis, Sentinel Group and Transformations videos

"C. Peter Wagner, head of Global Harvest Ministries in Colorado Springs, Colo., is in the vanguard of the movement. He defines three levels of spiritual warfare: "Ground-level" involves casting demons out of individuals; "occult-level warfare" involves more organized "powers of darkness" [They target here New Age thought, Tibetan Buddhism, Freemasonry, etc.]; and "strategic-level warfare" directly "confronts 'territorial spirits' assigned by Satan to coordinate activities over a geographical area."

Transformations Videos, George Otis, Sentinel Group

http://www.sentinelgroup.org/
Sentinel Group website

http://www.sentinelgroup.org/vsg2001.asp
Transformations video marketing

http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/15_4_PDFs/ijfm_15_4.pdf
George Otis article, Recognizing and Defeating the Powers of Darkness
International Journal of Frontier Missions, Vol. 15:4, Oct - Dec. 98
Pp 183 - 192

Morningstar Ministries

http://www.morningstarministries.org/
Morningstar Ministries website

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Group/Group.aspx?ID=10000296 27
Holy Spirit Breakout site with links

http://www.prophetic.tv/morningstar/
Holy Spirit Breakout links for all sessions

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Groups/1000012510/MorningSta r_Ministries/Councils
link to ministries including CSCL

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=10000125 10#CSCL
Link to Comenius School of Creative Learning

http://www.prophetic.tv/morningstar/index.php?p=2
Access to Holy Spirit Breakout videos

http://www.morningstarministries.org/PaymentGroup/Registration.as px?payment_group_id=1000000639
Worship and Warfare Conference, September 22 - 24, 2008

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Groups/1000017258/MorningSta r_Ministries/MSU.aspx
Morningstar University, Releasing a Supernatural Army to Transform the World

Lou Engle, The Call

http://www.louengle.com/
Lou Engle ministries site including The Call and Justice House of Prayer

http://www.thecall.com/
The Call

http://www.thecall.com/Groups/1000029166/TheCall/About/Advisory_T eam.aspx
The Call advisory board and promo video for upcoming event

http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/
Jesus Camp, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, Magnolia, 2007

New Apostolic Reformation
C. Peter Wagner, Global Harvest Ministries, World Prayer Center

http://jeffsharlet.com/articles/soldiers_of_christ.pdf
Soldiers of Christ, Harpers, May 2005

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/may/2.36.html
Prayer Warriors, Christianity Today, May 2003

http://www.globalharvest.org/index.asp?action=newapostolic
C. Peter Wagner's Global Harvest Ministry, ministry website archive
Summary of  book Churchquake explaining the purpose of New Apostolic Reformation
Wagner describes how he named the movement and how they will change the church.

"The majority of the new apostolic churches not only believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, but they also regularly invite Him to come into their midst to bring supernatural power. It is commonplace, therefore, to observe active ministries of healing, demonic deliverance, spiritual warfare, prophecy, falling in the Spirit, spiritual mapping, prophetic acts, fervent intercession and travail, and so on in new apostolic churches".

https://kidsinministry.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=93 Website for ministry of Becky Fischer, minister featured in the movie, Jesus Camp
Kids in Ministry International

http://www.generals.org/
Generals of Intercession, ministry of Cindy Jacobs
General Council of Assemblies of God

http://www.ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/pp_endtime_revival.cfm

Response to Resolution 16, Adopted by General Presbyter, August 11, 2000

Spiritual Warfare, Spiritual Mapping

-C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1996)

-C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Queen of Heaven ( Colorado Springs, Colorado, Wagner Publication, 1998, 2001

-C, Peter Wagner, editor, Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window (Seattle, WA, YWAM Publishing, 1994)

-Cindy Jacobs, Possessing the Gates of the Enemy:  A Training Manual for Militant Intercession (Grand Rapids, MI Chosen Publishers, , 1994)

-Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds (Arrow Publishers, Division of Frangipane, Inc., 1996)

-Steve Thompson, You May All Prophecy (Shippensburg, PA , Destiny Image Publishers, , 2003)

-Rick Joyner, The Final Quest (, New Kensington, PA ,Whitaker House, 1997)

-Rick Joyner, The Torch and the Sword (Charlotte NC, Morningstar Publications and Ministries, 2006)

http://www.lausanne.org/nairobi-2000/overview.html
Deliver Us From Evil Consultation
The Lausanne Movement, Consultation on Spiritual Warfare

http://www.lausanne.org/nairobi-2000/documents.html
documents from Deliver Us from Evil,Lausanne Consultation

http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1997i/Hart.html
The Gospel and Spiritual Warfare:  A Review of Peter Wagner's "Confronting the Powers"Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Spring 1997 -- Volume 10:18

http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2008-0710-20070 6/holvast.pdf
Spiritual Mapping:  The Turbulent Career of a Contested American Missionary Paradigm, 1989 - 2005
De Turbulente Carriere van een Omstreden Americkaans Zendingsparadigma, 1989 - 2005
Rene Holvast
Universeit Utrecht
Doctoral Thesis , July 11, 1008

http://books.google.com/books?id=ulsXtyX7JY4C&dq=occult-level +warfare&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Discerning the Spirit(s): A Pentecostal-charismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions
By Amos Yong
Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000
ISBN 1841271330, 9781841271330
392 pages

http://books.google.com/books?id=rixQ7tW0ZBQC&dq=%22covering+ theology%22&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Spiritual Warfare: A Struggle for Truth
By Russell Sharrock
Published by Lulu.com, 2007
ISBN 184753094X, 9781847530943
408 pages

http://blogs.salon.com/0003494/stories/2004/10/31/christianitySpi ritualWarfareAndSatanicPanic.html
Bartholomew's Notes on Religion
Compilation of articles on Spiritual Warfare and Satanic Panic

Master's Commission and Curriculum

http://www.mcin.org/modules.php?name=MC_Info

http://www.transformingmelbourne.org/au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122:the-ana-mendez-story&catid=54:testimonies&Itemid=74 Master's Commission International

http://icitc.org/
France Frangipane, In Christ Image Training materials

http://app.razorplanet.com/acct/40149-8554/tmpl/index.php?s=au&am p;nid=3731&news_id=759&null=0
Frangipane teaching notes on Wasilla site

http://frangipane.org/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pag ename=FaithHighway/Globals/DisplayTextMessage&PROJECTPATH=100 00/1000/728&sermonid=textsermon_1218730599145&customerTyp eLabel=Weekly&sermontitle=Elijah,%20Jehu,%20and%20the%20War%2 0Against%20Jezebel
Frances Frangipane Articles
We must stop living for comfort as long as her harlotries and witchcrafts are so many in our land. We must refuse to settle for a false peace based on compromise and fear, especially when the Spirit of God is calling for war!

General History

http://books.google.com/books?id=QYpD4CEqgrUC&dq=george+warno ck+latter+rain&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Spirit of the Last Days: Pentecostal Eschatology in Conversation with Jürgen Moltmann
By Peter Althouse
Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003
ISBN 0826466850, 9780826466853

http://books.google.com/books?id=syUupeVJOz4C&dq=george+warno ck+latter+rain&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Encyclopedia of evangelicalism
By Randall Herbert Balmer
Published by Westminster John Knox Press, 2002
ISBN 0664224091, 9780664224097
654 pages
Assemblies of God and Pentecostal Holiness Church expelled Latter Rain leaders from the Church




Display:
The video is fantastic, and I think you've really done a great job in explaining who these groups are, and how they're connected, in a way that the average person who's not familiar with them will get.

by Chris Rodda on Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 12:09:11 PM EST

Good work Bruce. I particularly liked the Southern Poverty Law Center story about Bentley kicking the elderly women  in the face with his biker boots to touch her for God.  I haven't tried that form of pastoral ministry as of yet!

by wilkyjr on Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 02:52:50 PM EST

Glad to see others writing on it, finally--this is pretty much the exact movement I am a walkaway from, and I can state it's been going on in the Assemblies in some form or another almost continuously since the 30's at least (despite official condemnations when there's too much press in apologetics circles, it is astonishingly rare for churches to ever be booted out for promoting this, many of the Assemblies churches that are the foremost promoters (including some of the largest Assemblies churches in the US) are promoted extensively in Assemblies official magazines, and typically the movements tend to be tolerated under redone names between official CYA condemnations--"Joshua Generation" and "Gideon's Army" and "Elijah's Army" tend to be much more common names for "Joel's Army" now).

And no, I don't take very much stock in the Assemblies' supposed official condemnation of "Joel's Army", seeing as the actual originator of "Third Wave" theology, Paul Yonggi Cho, ran the denomination's World Council for most of the 1990s and is still very much the "man behind the curtain" with Assemblies "third wave" outbreaks.  (And yes, this would specifically include the church I am a walkaway from--which promoted "Brownsville" craziness a goodly twenty years before Brownsville--and which also includes the "Third Wave" outbreak at Wasilla A/G.)

And unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely that "Ground Zero" of the "Third Wave" is going to ever be eliminated from the Assemblies--they'd have to literally excommunicate pretty much the entire church body membership in South Korea, as Cho's monstrous megachurch (with a claimed 800,000+ members and multiple satellite congregations throughout the country, as well as some in Korean expatriate communities in other countries) effectively is the Assemblies of God in that country.  And Cho's been pretty much pulling this stuff since at least the 1960's, with the earliest attempts outside of South Korea being the church I am a walkaway from and an influential Assemblies megachurch in Argentina usually regarded as one of the earliest documented churches (besides Cho's) promoting abusive "discipling and shepherding" movements.

I can also safely state this is a CYA measure, seeing as the Assemblies has officially endorsed "Third Wave" stuff as a "genuine move of the Spirit" in past (and it doesn't get more official than endorsement by Thomas Trask, general superintendent of the denomination; this again points to the specific "Joel's Army" branding being officially "condemned" whilst its core "God Warrior" theology is tolerated by other names).

As has been usual, most of the activity has tended to be concentrated in frontgroups--FGBMFI as well as an Assemblies "teen ministry" called Youth Alive active in most Assemblies churches.

by dogemperor on Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 03:50:45 PM EST


I recommended Bruce and Ruth's work today on WWRL, a New York radio station. It is the most penetrating reporting on Palin I've seen so far. I think we need to devote just as much energy to researching and reporting on Third Wave/Joel's Army theology as we have on Reconstructionism.

by Max Blumenthal on Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 07:40:51 PM EST

Considering how convinced these people are that they are literally struggling with demonic powers, I'm surprised that the name of Rick Joyner's ministry hasn't sent alarm bells ringing in some of their heads. The morning star (Venus) is traditionally equated with Lucifer.

by gkruz on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 11:05:04 AM EST

on one page! All we need is Mr. Clarkson to comment! Really great job, Bruce. I'm getting everyone I can to DIGG this story because it's so important to get the word out.

by trog69 on Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 11:59:34 AM EST
Might as well join the chorus with a tip o' the hat to Bruce's fine work here.... and also to your smart activism in getting people do Digg the story. This is exactly the way that internet activism works best.

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 03:38:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]



WWW Talk To Action


Ah, True Remonstrance!
In previous posts I have called for mainstream Catholics to offer remonstrance - an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance against the......
By Frank Cocozzelli (4 comments)
Congressman Wants Citizens of ALL Religions to Reflect on the Ten Commandments
Well, spring is in the air, and that can mean only one thing. It's time for a member of Congress to introduce a resolution......
By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Happy Birthday, Pat!: Virginia Legislature Lauds Extremist TV Preacher Robertson
TV evangelist Pat Robertson's 80th birthday is on Monday, and to mark that momentous occasion, the Virginia legislature decided to pass a resolution lauding......
By Rob Boston (1 comment)
Netanyahu and Hagee, Serial Obstructionists
Last week I wrote about Prime Minister Netanyahu's participation at John Hagee's CUFI rally held in Jerusalem on the evening of Joe Biden's arrival......
By Rachel Tabachnick (0 comments)
Bill Donohue: Defender of Glenn Beck.
Glenn Beck's recent admonition that people who attend a church that teaches social justice should leave -- was anti-Catholicism. This was obvious from a......
By Frank Cocozzelli (5 comments)
Blog Against Theocracy!
It's that time of year again.  It's time for the annual Blog Against Theocracy, April 2-4, 2010.   The prime mover of this blogtacular......
By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)
Creeping Religious Rightism in the Democratic Party, Cont.
  Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State has an op-ed today at AOL News discussing how, campaign......
By Frederick Clarkson (6 comments)
Invoking Intolerance: Religious Right Throws Fit Over Islamic Prayer In Virginia
Today an imam delivered the opening prayer before the Virginia House of Delegates - and once again the Religious Right is having kittens. Three......
By Rob Boston (1 comment)
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and John Hagee Share Stage as Biden Arrives in Israel
Yesterday (Monday) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to hundreds of Christian Zionists in Jerusalem at an event organized by John Hagee and Christians......
By Rachel Tabachnick (6 comments)
When the Truth Is Shown to Be Lies
It's been a year since President Obama lifted the Bush administration's restrictions on the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  Nevertheless, religious opponents......
By Frank Cocozzelli (7 comments)
Repent Amarillo's Spiritual Mapping and Vigilantism
Repent Amarillo, a Texas ministry which refers to itself as an "Army of God,"  is making news for its spiritual warfare and vigilante tactics.......
By Rachel Tabachnick (17 comments)
Whale Tale: AFA Staffer Says Bible Mandates Death For SeaWorld Orca
On Feb. 24, a tragedy occurred at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. A six-ton killer whale known as Tillikum pulled trainer Dawn Brancheau underwater to......
By Rob Boston (5 comments)
A Call to Censor the Religion Blogosphere
Some time ago, I filled out a survey from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in connection with an academic study they were doing......
By Frederick Clarkson (8 comments)
Prayer Warriors of the New Apostolic Reformation Getting Some Exposure
Yesterday Alternet published an article by Bill Berkowitz including an interview with me about the New Apostolic Reformation, or the "largest religious movement you......
By Rachel Tabachnick (8 comments)
Role Models of Remonstrance
I recently called for mainstream Catholics to offer remonstrance -- an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance against the reactionaries now fomenting......
By Frank Cocozzelli (8 comments)

Publicizing the existence of the NAR -- some suggestions
Some regular columnists here on Talk to Action have complained about difficulties in getting the mass media to notice the existence of a new but rapidly growing - and already highly influential - religious......
Diane Vera (2 comments)
School Board, State and school prayer
Now both the Polk County School Board and the state of Florida are trying to push prayers in the schools! ......
ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
City in trouble for sectarian prayers
The city of Lakeland, Florida has been challenged by Atheists of Florida and the local synagogue for having sectarian prayers before public meetings. ......
ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
The Blind Side's Blind Spot
The hit movie, The Blind Side, is all about the Christian values of being your "brother's keeper." Or is it? ......
John Sheirer (3 comments)
When Christianity is Un-American
Just thought readers might be interested in linking to this article at The Yurica Report: ......
TMurray (1 comment)
Violence increasing
I think people should read this article- and realize that the dominionists are becoming more and more violent.  If something isn't done to counter their hate, this country is in deep trouble! ......
ArchaeoBob (3 comments)
His "Freedom" Means Denying Yours - With Your Own Taxes
Referring to recent political skirmishes over the rights of gays and lesbians to marry, Cardinal Francis George called five rocks thrown at empty buildings and the theft of a few lawn signs "quasi-fascism."  He......
bettyclermont (0 comments)
Rome has spoken....Man the lifeboats!
When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, it was widely reported that he preferred a smaller, more obedient flock in his Church. Once again, he is proving those reports to......
bettyclermont (0 comments)
Your children will be forced to shower with gays! (says the AFA)
I've just received the following American Family Association email, which claims that the Obama administration has a nefarious plan to force gays and straights in the US military to shower together ! Donald Wildmon......
Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Pope John Paul II's Penitential Practices: The Opus Dei Connection
We are pleased to once again welcome theologian William Lindsey as a guest front pager. This piece is crossposted from the new progressive Catholic group blog, The Open Tabernacle: Here Comes Everybody. -- FC......
William Lindsey (0 comments)
WallBuilders, Inc., Promoting a dominionist "Christian Nation"
Cherry Hill Seminary Supports Patrick McCollum in 9th Circuit Case Against California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation http://snipurl.com/u8kcj ......
Dragonzmajick (2 comments)
Roeder verdict sparks fears of more anti-abortion violence
cross-posted at dKos Scott Roeder is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of George Tiller.  At the very least, he'll by 75 years old before he can......
Christian Dem in NC (0 comments)
The dark underside of the Latter Rain--a walkaway's view
cross-posted at dKos I read Bruce Wilson's posts on dKos and Talk To Action regarding the "Pray For Newark" initiative with particular alarm.  While Pray for Newark appears to espouse an admirable goal--community empowerment--it's......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Bishops as Provocateurs
In a thinly-veiled reference to the campaign of President Barack Obama, Archbishop Emeritus of St. Louis, Raymond Burke, charged that Americans are "embracing a totalitarianism which masks itself as the 'hope,' the 'future' of......
bettyclermont (0 comments)
The Vatican v. Children
Yesterday was not a good day for children seeking justice from the Roman Catholic Church. The internet brought the following news: ......
bettyclermont (0 comments)
Religious bigots control supermarket chain
Well, they've won again.  The religious bigots have forced Publix Supermarkets into bowing to their wishes. ......
ArchaeoBob (11 comments)
Manhattan Declaration is to Theology what Fox is to Journalism
The December 20, 2009, New York Times ran a lengthy article by David D. Kirkpatrick about Robert P. George, "The Conservative-Christian Big Thinker." The occasion was release of George's "Manhattan Declaration" signed by the......
bettyclermont (2 comments)
Merry Freakin' Christmas: I'm Taking Your Stuff, and you Can't Stop Me!
A humorous look at the larger implications of a seemingly harmless holiday tradition. ......
John Sheirer (1 comment)
Lou Engle, September 25, 2007, Los Angeles: "Holywood"
[This is a partial transcription of a sermon/speech Lou Engle, Founder of TheCall gave on September 25, 2007, in Los Angeles. The full sermon is slightly over 63 minutes. This partial transcript is of......
Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Rick Warren Tweet complains my videos of his "Hitler/Lenin/Mao" speech are unfair
It's gratifying to know "America's most powerful pastor" seems to have taken notice of my videos, showcasing Rick Warren's 2005 speech at California's Anaheim Angels Stadium, during which Warren outlined a "stealth" program to......
Bruce Wilson (4 comments)
Blurring Reproductive Rights and the Religious Right
The principle of the Hyde Amendment, which restricted federal funds from paying for abortion back in 1976 -- is now seen as an acceptable, "abortion neutral" position for the prochoice Democratic Party. How did......
Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Rick Warren Calls on Followers To Be Dedicated as Followers of Lenin and Mao
[note: for more recent news on Rick Warren, see Rick Warren's Dissertation Advisor Leads Network Promoting Uganda Anti-Gay Bill] Video, below contains audio recording, photos, and transcript from Rick Warren's April 17, 2005 speech......
Bruce Wilson (6 comments)
Julius Oyet Touts The College of Prayer
A new Talk To Action story identifies Apostle and bishop Julius Oyet as a major player in the recent effort in the Ugandan parliament to pass a draconian anti-gay bill. In this video [transcript......
Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Mark Silk on the Hagee / Rodriguez Entente
Mark Silk, at Spiritual Politics has picked up on my notice of the Hagee-Rodriguez embrace and zeroes in on what's certainly one of the most notable aspects: "The key thing to understand about the......
Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Inscribing Christian Values in our Children Before Birth?
Following the evolution of evangelical discourse as it re-defines homosexuality as evidence of "fallen creation", Terri Murray looks at how the Christian right have shifted their rhetoric to adapt to empirical research showing that......
TMurray (1 comment)
US News & World Report Showcases Creationist Ray Comfort
US News and World Report's Dan Gilgoff has charitably provided evangelist Ray Comfort a media platform in the form of a US News & World "exclusive" through which Comfort defends his efforts to distribute,......
Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Atheist billboard in Central Florida
The organization "Atheists of Florida" sponsored a billboard promoting atheism in Lakeland, Florida.  I, however, have some concerns. ......
ArchaeoBob (4 comments)
Transcript: Billy Graham and Richard Nixon, February 21, 1973
The following is my own transcript of a 20 minute phone conversation between Richard Nixon and Billy Graham, on February 23, 1973. As far as I am aware this is the only publicly available,......
Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Rifqa Bary being sent back to Ohio now
Well, there's a change in this case.  After the judge gets immigration documents and so on from the parents, he will send her back. ......
ArchaeoBob (2 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC. Powered by Scoop