>After all, while many Pentecostals reject superficial “end times”
>millenarianism, others — including many affiliated with AG, a
>denomination to which my third wife belonged and with which I am very
>familiar — are anxiously awaiting the Rapture and the various stages
>of Tribulation.

How is it that you were unlucky enough to find two fantastic women to marry who were taken away from you way too early? I’m sorry you had those losses. Marriage is “until death do us part”

I still haven’t found “the one girl” for me, so I am jealous of you being able to find 3, 2 of which who have died. Dude, that sucks. You must be unlucky.

Not finding someone is much worse than having to say goodbye to a partner after 42 years, like my mother had to do last year for my father.

I really hope the latest woman you found lives with you are both 99 or more. That’s because I couldn’t see someone like you ever divorcing a good woman.

Cheers,
John

Isn’t that really a moot point, though? There’s no way any national pro-gay marriage legislation will have a chance in hell within four years, and probably not eight, either.

Seems like focusing on individual states would be the better, more politically feasible option. After all, the biggest gun in the right’s armory is portraying gays as an Other, making the “gay marriage will destroy civilization” crap more likely to take root. More states that haven’t collapsed into amoral anarchy would wreck that argument pretty quickly.

Barack Obama, alas, is anti-gay marriage. He is pro domestic partnerships, a key distinction that has disappointed many progressives.

Since we’re examining the theological views of our candidates, it is not unfair to consider Rev. Wright. Rev. Wright exhulted in 9/11 as God’s righteous judgment on America for her sins. So perhaps Obama might be less than vigilant in protecting America, because after all, we’re only getting what we deserve!

I don’t believe that for a minute, but I find your analysis a bit ridiculous. If she was a staunch Roe. Vs. Wade supporter, rabidly anti-war, impeccably hostile to Bush, and pro gay-marriage you would have totally discounted even the most extreme theological views.

Palin, born a Catholic, left a denomination that denied pastoral authority to women in order to join one that embraced women as leaders — while still holding to traditional social views on issues like “life” and sexuality. (My emphasis, your words)
We have no idea what her motivations were, so your conclusion is pure speculation, isn’t it? Since she switched denominations at a young age, and likely did so with her family, I think we’re being quite presumptuous.

Someone who anticipates the imminent end of the world is, I think we can agree, a dangerous person to have one heartbeat from the presidency.
If reports indicate that she only occasionally attends an AoG church, aren’t we taking these speculative statements too far?

Now, I just bring this up because I think we might be jumping a little too quickly to say things that we don’t have any strong support for. Although I’m Canadian, If I could have any say, I’d be voting Obama/Biden in a heartbeat. Talking about heartbeats, I have huge reservations about putting someone so inexperienced so close to the Presidency. But, at the same time, let’s be fair and not jump to religious conclusions about Gov. Palin. There are better ways to critique her than by raising fears of what her Christianity might be.