Iraq war- task from God?

I think you are taking this too literally Zoo. I am a catholic who currently attends mass at a Baptist church (a bit complicated to explain). It is my understanding (and soemwhat belief) that everything that happens in life is Gods will. everything happens for a reason. And it is my belief that this is what Palin meant when she said those things. The difference is people don't always say this for the world to hear and when it comes to politics, any mention of God is automatically connected to some kind of holy war or attack or control. So she believe God wanted this to happen, that is what religious people believe. If you are worried about a religious person following their faith in what they do on a daily basis as a politician then I don't see how you can ever vote for any candidate ever unless he is atheist or even live in this country for that matter. It's just a bit confusing for me that some take people so literaly and feel like they could somehow have the power to bring back The Crusades.

Don't.  At least someone else on this site sees Palin for the nutjob she is.  Now you're starting to understand why she scares me so bad, right?

Did you hear her explanation when Charlie Gibson asked out this?  Or does it really matter to you anyway?

There's a black helicopter waiting for you.

I hate it when my ride gets rerouted before it can pick me up! :~D

I can only hope that I am.

Oh, I see it, SanCho...hopefully once the glamour passes we'll all take a closer look at what she really is and what she really believes.

No, been a tad busy. :P  What was it?

If you mean 'matter' as in it will get me to vote for her, then no.  If 'matter' as in see her as somewhat less of a nutjob, then possibly.

Does it have GOP on the side? 

~Zoo

Whatever you want it to say.

No different than any chaplain praying for the safety of the troops.  Get over it.  BO has said and prayed practically the same thing.  Mountain out of a molehill if there every was one.  Sorry, guys, the Joan d'Arc thing just doesn't wash.

Actually in full context, she was borrowing an idea from Abraham Lincoln in this statement.  The idea is not to pray that God is on our side, but that rather we are on God's side.  It's just a different way of saying that we are praying for the wisdom to make the right decisions.  "Let's pray that our national leaders are..."  Somehow everybody keeps forgetting those first three words "let's pray that".  This totally changes the meaning.  Using quotes out of context is a dirty trick that both sides are guilty of.

A sad truth that has been illustrated throughout history time and again;

Whenever someone tells you to kill or give your life for God, it usually has nothing to do with God and everything to do with politics.

The proof is in the pudding. If the person who is telling you to die for God puts their money where their mouth is and does that very thing, then there is a good chance they actually believe that the cause truly is mandated by God, however bloody and contrary to scriptures it may be...... "love your neighbour as yourself?" psshaw, they REALLY meant to say "go into other countries, take what we want, and stomp the fuck out of anyone who gets in our way!"

If, however, they tell you to die for God or kill for God yet remain out of the line of danger, the truth is exposed. Time and again we hear the same old line:

"I believe in this cause but my contribution is to stay back and support our troops here at home. Oh, and my family and kids can also better contribute by staying back here. Now go and give your life because God wants you to"

We see this replicated throughout history in most religions and cultural groups. Very rarely will you see a suicide bomber who is part of  leadership in a resistance or insurgent group go out and blow themselves up. Although from time to time there is a true believer who does this, more often than not the ones blowing themselves up are poor, uneducated folks who were embraced by one of a multitude of groups, given inclusion and a host of other perks that someone in their lot has never encountered before (a sense of belonging, purpose, etc) then the very leadership that they look up to as near-deities tell them that God wants them to do actions x,y and z. It could be killing someone, or blowing yourself up, or kidnapping and torturing someone. The act doesn't matter. The fact that someone who is looked to as a parental-type authority figure has told them God wills it is all that is needed.

And the kicker?

We do exactly the same thing. Only our version is more sanitized, more palatable and a pill that is much easier to swallow thanks to modern media wizardry and psychology. We also like to smooth things out by dressing up the reality of a situation with fancy words:

Torture becomes "coercive interrogation techniques"

Civillians murdered become "collateral damage"

Note I use the word murder. Generally speaking, the term "killing" is used when someone who is endangering you or has the capacity to fight back is killed. Murder is when you kill someone who has no capacity to harm you or fight back.

I understand this woman scares the shit out of you, SanCho, but Jesus you're reaching.

Holy War? Now that's a stretch.

Is it what she (and many others) feel is the right thing to do, based on that inner voice some call God, some call conscience, some call a higher power ... basically whatever passes for for a moral compass in each individual ..., in a given situation?

Most probably.

To amplify one group's (or person's) belief system into a diabolical mountain of a plot is at best disingenuous or at worst biased and inflammatory.

ahh the sweet wounds of blind justification after the fact.

She is terrifying to those who do not have strong beliefs, or fear that which they cannot control.  I was one of the first ones to decry the claim of misogynist about the democrats during the primaries.  However Sarah has shown that most of them are.  As long as they are "kept in their place" democrats love them,  But allow one to have a mind of their own, and the fear is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

She is woman, hear her roar!

Oh, shit! She roared that?  Kill her quick, before she breeds again, and neuter her children pronto.

only if republicans appoint the next few justices, if we can stop that then this shouldnt happen.

Uh, no.  Democrats are the ones in bed with Eugenics.  Forget about Margaret Sangar already?

I agree entirely