Update [2008-9-3 10:56:19 by Steven D]: Update below the fold.

Sarah Palin believes that the Iraq War and the $30 billion construction of a gas pipeline that she supports is all part of God’s plan, which she asks her (now technically former since she moved to Juneau) church’s congregation to pray for back in June of this year. Here she is in her own words and voice spelling out the details:

(Part 2 of the video is cont. below the fold.)

But that’s not all. According to The Huffington Post her pastor is even a wackier “end times” believer who has expressly and publicly stated that he believes the following:

A review of recorded sermons by Ed Kalnins, the senior pastor of Wasilla Assembly of God since 1999, offers a provocative and, for some, eyebrow-raising sketch of Palin’s longtime spiritual home.

. . . Pastor Kalnins has also preached that critics of President Bush will be banished to hell; questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted to heaven; charged that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and war in Iraq were part of a war “contending for your faith;” and said that Jesus “operated from that position of war mode.” […]

During the 2004 election season, he praised President Bush’s performance during a debate with Sen. John Kerry, then offered a not-so-subtle message about his personal candidate preferences. “I’m not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I’m sorry.” Kalnins added: “If every Christian will vote righteously, it would be a landslide every time.”

Months after hinting at possible damnation for Kerry supporters, Kalnins bristled at the treatment President Bush was receiving over the federal government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina. “I hate criticisms towards the President,” he said, “because it’s like criticisms towards the pastor — it’s almost like, it’s not going to get you anywhere, you know, except for hell. That’s what it’ll get you.”

As for his former congregant and current vice presidential candidate, Kalnins has asserted that Palin’s election as governor was the result of a “prophetic call” by another pastor at the church who prayed for her victory. “[He made] a prophetic declaration and then unfolds the kingdom of God, you know.” […]

Pastor Kalnins’ also said this during a sermon:

What you see in a terrorist — that’s called the invisible enemy. There has always been an invisible enemy. What you see in Iraq, basically, is a manifestation of what’s going on in this unseen world called the spirit world. … We need to think like Jesus thinks. We are in a time and a season of war, and we need to think like that. We need to develop that instinct. We need to develop as believers the instinct that we are at war, and that war is contending for your faith. … Jesus called us to die. You’re worried about getting hurt? He’s called us to die. Listen, you know we can’t even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. … I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say “war mode.” Now you say, wait a minute Ed, he’s like the good shepherd, he’s loving all the time and he’s kind all the time. Oh yes he is — but I also believe that he had a part of his thoughts that knew that he was in a war.

That’s right. You voted for Kerry you;re going to burn for all eternity. You oppose George Bush, ditto. And Jesus is a War God, not a Prince of Peace. This is the church in which Sarah Palin grew up and was baptized at the age of 12. Her connection with it far exceeds Barack Obama’s connection with his former church in Chicago, and by her own verbal, public witnessing at her church this year account, she believes her political views are all part of God’s plan. And her Pastor seems to believe that Jesus wants us to kill people in Iraq, and that 9/11 was part of the war between Christianity and Islam of which Jesus approves, and which he wants you to sacrifice your life for if called upon to do so.

So, will she get lambasted by the media for all this like Obama was for the comments of Rev. Wright? Will she be forced to renounce her pastor? Will she be asked why she thinks the Iraq war is a war Jesus wants America to wage, and does she believe Americans are required to sacrifice their lives in Iraq because Jesus wants us to? Does she agree that her victory as Governor was the realization of a modern prophetic call ordained by God? Inquiring minds want to know.

Update: Via The Politico, Palin sat and listened to a sermon on August 17, 2008, by a Pastor Brickner at her church in Juneau, that blamed Jews’ “unbelief” in Jesus for the 9/11 terrorist attacks:

Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s website.

“He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,” Kroon said.

Brickner then explained that Jesus and his disciples were themselves Jewish.

“The Jewish community, in particular, has a difficult time understanding this reality,” he said.
Brickner’s mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of “targeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception.”

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God’s “judgment of unbelief” of Jews who haven’t embraced Christianity.

“Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It’s very real. When [Brickner’s son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment — you can’t miss it.”

Maybe someone ought to ask Palin why she didn’t stand up and walk out of that sermon. Or is she, like Mel Gibson, an anti-semite at heart?