On Sarah Palin and wild mushrooms

Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Governor of the great state of Alaska, and mother of five children, Sarah Palin, has been slipping in popularity ever since she burst onto the scenes of the Republican National Convention in September and rallied the conservative base with a speech full of reformist imagery, pro-family values, and stinging anti-Obama rhetoric. In three successive interviews, Palin has come off as potentially unprepared for the duties of the White House, or, as one radio interviewee—who didn’t know how she could say it without sounding like an elitist—said, “substantially less intelligent” than she needs to be. Going into tonight’s vice-Presidential debate, however, people in the Democratic camp are insisting that Palin is a strong candidate and a formidable debater, who’s folksy, hockey-mom tricks and pit-bull aggressiveness could easily embarrass their high-sounding and verbose candidate, Senator Joe Biden.

Meanwhile rumors circulating among the Obama for Jesus campaign have suggested that Governor Palin is something much more dangerous than a pit-bull with lipstick. There is now speculation that in fact Joe Biden will tonight be face to face with the Great Whore of Babylon herself, as depicted in the book of Revelation. Though it is my opinion that these rumors are based on questionable reasoning, it is still worth a quick look.

Revelation 17 says, “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.”

Proponents of the “Palin as the Great Whore” theory point to the RNC where they watched many multitudes become intoxicated “with the wine of her adulteries,” cheering and applauding as she ridiculed Barack Obama’s record and experience. They also have uncovered a little known legend in the southwest, in which a rancher searching for an unbranded cow, which had escaped from the herd (a Maverick), returned deranged and terrified, saying he had encountered a cow with seven heads and ten horns, thus suggesting that John McCain (the Maverick of the Senate) is the beast on which Sarah Palin rides. Finally, it is noted that Governor Palin has made public appearances at different times wearing scarlet, purple, and precious jewelry.

Personally, I consider these comparisons to be little more than a few people’s imaginations working a little too rapidly. The argument is interesting but far from convincing. In any case, for those who may be afraid, hear what I have to say. This weekend I attended a spiritual retreat in the coastal rainforests. While wandering in the woods alone, I sampled some purplish mushrooms growing naturally from a decomposing stump, then sat down and had this vision:

I saw a new world and a new America, for the old ones had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Washington, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with women and men, and God will live among them. They will be God’s people, and God will be with them, wiping every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the George Bush order of things has passed away.” He who was seated in the Oval Office said to me: “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who overcome will inherit all this, and I will be their President and they my loyal constituency. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, those who would allow greedy CEO’s to take home millions of dollars in severance pay after running their corporation to the ground, while cutting social programs for the lower class, those who would send their people to die in wars to secure their personal financial stake in oil resources, and those who would promote hate and intolerance in their societies—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Guess who's eloquent voice it was that I was hearing?

Blessings to you all and remember never to eat wild mushrooms unless you are with a trained biologist.