Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is warning people about Pope Francis. Palin told CNN that the Pope’s statements of tolerance and accommodation have “taken her aback” but that she hopes that it is just another misrepresentation by liberal mainstream media. We have discussed how inspiring Pope Francis has proven to Catholics and non-Catholics alike by shedding the trappings of the papacy and living a simple and humble life of a priest. More importantly, he has reached out to gays, atheists and others in a way that is truly historic. In this short time as Pope, he is credited with bringing large numbers of people back to churches in the West. However, Palin is uneasy with the Pope for the very same reasons that people are rallying around him.
Palin told Jack Tapper “He’s had some statements that to me sound kind of liberal, has taken me aback, has kind of surprised me. There again, unless I really dig deep into what his messaging is, and do my own homework, I’m not going to just trust what I hear in the media. . . . I’m kinda trying to follow what his agenda is. You know he came out with a couple of things in the media but again I’m not one to trust the media’s interpretation of somebody’s message but having read through media outlets.”
Obviously, Palin would never dream of actually reading some of the Pope’s statements before warning people about his latent liberalism. Notably, Palin does not find it difficult to believe that men walked the Earth with dinosaurs or that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. However, a Pope trying to expand Christianity to reach out to gays and others “sound[s] kind of liberal” and unbelievable.
This could have something to do with Palin’s latest effort to cash in on faith-based politics. She is touring to get people to buy her latest book: “Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas.” Pope Francis clearly is not one of those good tidings when he is out washing the feet of Muslim women and talking to atheists. She might want to send him a copy of the book, which is a whole 208 pages in length? It includes the promise of sharing personal memories from Palin Christmases past. That book includes such Christian sentiments as “Yet we can’t print enough currency, or food stamps, or free Obamaphone vouchers to compensate for failing families.” Then there are those atheists that Pope Francis has reached out to. Palin writes “Atheism’s track record makes the Spanish Inquisition seem like Disneyland by comparison.” That’s right. Secular government is the equivalent to the Spanish “Water Cure.” (The other name used for the torture of waterboarding by that devout Christian George W. Bush).
Then there are these little gems:
“The logical result of atheism, a result we have seen right in front of our eyes in one of the world’s oldest and proudest nations, is severe moral decay.”
“The war on Christmas is the tip of the spear in a larger battle to secularize our culture, and make true religious freedom a thing of America’s past.”
Of course, Palin would likely find much of the New Testament something that seems to come right out of a DNC platform:
Ps. 140:12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.
Is. 25:4. For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress.
Deut. 15:7. If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.Deut. 26:12. When you have finished paying the complete tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and the widow, that they may eat in your towns, and be satisfied.
Lev. 19:19ff. Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.
Is. 58:66ff. Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Luke 12:33. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.”
Luke 3:11. And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, “Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise.”
Indeed, Palin might have some ‘splaining to do with the Good Lord if she applies the same blind faith to scripture to this warning: “Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights… Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar?” Is. 10:1-3.
Of course, that might just be those mainstream Biblical types writing the New Testament.
Source: Independent
Juliet, I like “quick” but if I had to choose one word to describe her, it would be “clever.” I mean that as “clever” in the sense of being manipulative. She was clever enough to snooker a lot of people, including a substantial number of the voters of Alaska.
Scott Lazerowitz:
The comments of Pope Francis are not some sort of radical socialist propaganda, as your note suggests. Instead, I believe he is attempting to restore traditional Catholic doctrine on social justice. There is a large body of Catholic writing on that topic. Yet for some reason, people who profess great concern over issues of social morality pretend that capitalism falls outside the scope of moral analysis.
Furthermore, I am weary of the constant misuse of the phrase “redistribution of wealth.” The central concern of economics is the manner in which wealth is created and distributed. Those who complain about “redistribution of wealth” are tacitly assuming that the manner in which wealth is currently distributed is hunky dory. The growing inequality in the distribution of wealth, however, is surely sufficient reason to question that underlying assumption.
Scott: What the world needs now is less greed. It is because of greed that politicians do the bidding of the greedy. It is the wealthy intent on restricting your freedom, crushing dissent, and ensuring all profits ultimately end up in their pockets. You won’t have to worry much about wealth confiscation much longer, the wealthy will not stop until they ensure you cannot ever accumulate any in the first place, and make sure you have no choice but to work for bare survival wages, and that your only choice is to work for them or lose even what little you have.
Blouise, you may be right, but I have yet to hear her speak an entire sentence that isn’t mangled beyond comprehension.
Blouise: I would call her “quick.” She’s obviously bright, but she’s a spectacularly (and willfully) ignorant little Philistine.
him sb he
Yeah, if Palin is a Catholic we could ask if she could be ex communicated.
SwM,
Great minds and all … 😉
This Pope was specifically brought in because the Catholic Church is losing members by the tens of thousands to the Protestant Evangelism movement in Central and South America. The dominionist wing of the republican party is well aware of that and not at all shy in standing with their Protestant evangelical brothers and sisters against this Pope and any success him might have in curbing the power of the Evangelical movement which is on the march.
Is Sarah Palin a Catholic?
Mike A,
Sarah Palin is far from stupid. You’re making the same mistake John McCain made … underestimating the intelligence behind the “dumb blond” act.
Hey Bouise, I was typing Rand Paul as you were posting about him. I think he loses to Ted Cruz with this vote and becomes marginalized like his dad. But Rand will keep trying to blow the religious and racial dog whistles.
Economically, Pope Francis has expressed socialistic sentiments, and favoring “social justice” (i.e. wealth redistribution via the State).
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/22/pope-francis-idol-money
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/is-new-pope-anti-free-market.html
But what the world needs now is freedom, not State coercion and wealth confiscation. It would be nice to hear the Pope speak out against the State’s criminal intrusions against peaceful people.
She comes from the dominionist wing of the republican party as do Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Rick Perry. Of course, the pope is too liberal for them. Even Ratzinger was too liberal for them as he believed in higher wages for the working class and did not profess to take the bible literally.
First, let me thank John McCain for launching Sarah Palin into national politics. He will be forever remembered for that act.
She is now sounding the Republican right dogwhistle for the upcoming divisive ’14 and ’16 campaigns … the War on Christianity by Atheists. It’s one of Rand Paul’s favorites too. I wonder what the campaign hats will look like now that teabags are out of favor.
Speaking of hats … this was one of my all time Republican inspired favorites … a masterpiece in “dogwhistle hate code” suitably disguised as political free speech:
http://rlv.zcache.com/anti_liberal_work_mesh_hat-r9aaccf9538974932857ceb9645f5437b_v9wfy_8byvr_512.jpg
Why anyone cares what this dimwitted twit has to say is completely beyond my understanding.
I have developed the ability to ignore most of what Ms. Palin says because she is inarticulate and, frankly, quite stupid. However, when she strays into matters of Catholic theology in general, and Jesuit spirituality in particular, she is completely out of her league.
Palin understands the Republican’s first rule of the Bible: Ignore the parts you don’t like, and just make up any parts that are missing. As Turley’s quotes show, the Bible is nothing short of an endorsement of Socialism. But that won’t do for the Republican corporate shills, they need people to think greed is good, and you will ultimately benefit by letting them be as greedy as they want. Just not in this lifetime.
Palin brings out the old time religion in me. She makes me sink to my knees and thank the good Lord that the scenario of “A Christian Nation” is only fiction. I thank the voters of the USA that displayed the wisdom of the sages in voting against a McCain/Palin ticket. That there are still seemingly intelligent people out there that continue to consider this woman as someone worth listening to, outside of simple entertainment value, is beyond me. I’m glad she is still blabbering in full view, displaying her monumental ignorance to America and the world. Ya’ know? You betcha.
Oh my….. Nuts to the left and nuts on the right….. Which squirrel is in charge today….
Finally…. The RCC has something to brag about and this is what they get….. Some don’t even deserve to be called part of the human race….
Beautiful…just beautiful 🙂
Sarah knows “Christ” and she really is a bit concerned about him too. He sounds so liberal. You know with that comment “what you do to the least of these you do to me” he really seems to have strayed…..
Sarah needs to go bag a bear but she really loves the MONEY.