Posted by
Always To The Right on Saturday, September 06, 2008 2:50:12 PM
The New York Times
debunks that particular myth today in a look at Palin and the role
religion plays in her life. Deep into the article, readers find this
factoid that the Miami Herald somehow missed:
One of the musical directors at the church, Adele
Morgan, who has known Ms. Palin since the third grade, said the Palins
moved to the nondenominational Wasilla Bible Church in 2002, in part
because its ministry is less “extreme” than Pentecostal churches like
the Assemblies of God, which practice speaking in tongues and
miraculous healings.
“A lot of churches are about music and media and having a big
profile,” Ms. Morgan said. “We are against that. That is why it is so
attractive to politicians because they can just sit there and be safe.”
“We’ve gotten a lot of their people when the other churches get too
extreme,” Ms. Morgan continued. However, she added, “If you lift your
hands when we’re singing, we’re not going to shoot you down.”
So much for the Palin-as-religious-extremist theme. Even if one was
inclined to think of Pentacostalists in such terms — and I’d recommend
Matt’s post for an exploration of why it’s not extremism but merely
enthusiastic expression — Palin clearly wanted a quieter form of
worship. The Herald didn’t make the significance of their move clear,
and wanted to leave the impression that Palin’s religious beliefs
somehow made her part of a fringe movement.
Still waiting for the Palin-as-extraterrestrial story to appear on MS-NBC ….