Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones have listened to some of the sermons given by Sarah Palin’s preachers, Mike Rose of Juneau Christian Center, and David Pepper of Church on the Rock in Wasilla.

 

The clips show why the religious right is so excited about Palin; she attends theocratic churches that extol the myth of the “Christian nation,” disparage evolution, claim that the only way to heaven is through Christ, and marvel at how we are living in the last days before Armageddon and the Second Coming.

 

Yet so far nothing has emerged showing the preachers disparaging Islam, like Rod Parsley did, or claiming that God sent Hitler for a good purpose, as did John Hagee — statements that provoked John McCain to reject their endorsements.

 

Still, McCain can run, but he can’t hide from Hagee; some of his closest friends and advisers, including Joe Lieberman, Gary Bauer, and Sam Brownback, are close with Hagee (and Parsley, in Bauer’s and Brownback’s cases). And Rose’s church, Juneau Christian Center, is hosting one of Hagee’s “Nights to Honor Israel” in Juneau in March 2009, according to the Christians United for Israel Web site. (The original Web page has been taken down, but the cache shows the Juneau church on the schedule.) Indeed, in one of the excerpts Rose refers to what can only be a Christians United for Israel gathering involving Newt Gingrich and the prime minister of Israel.

 

Nonetheless, thus far, the sermons by Rose and Pepper show nothing more than standard conservative evangelical rhetoric. From Harpers:

Mike Rose, senior pastor at Juneau Christian Center

From an April 27, 2008, sermon: “If you really want to know where you came from and happen to believe the word of God that you are not a descendant of a chimpanzee, this is what the word of God says. I believe this version.”

 

From a July 8, 2007, sermon: “Those that die without Christ have a horrible, horrible surprise.”

 

From a July 28, 2007, sermon: “Do you believe we’re in the last days? After listening to Newt Gingrich and the prime minister of Israel and a number of others at our gathering, I became convinced, and I have been convinced for some time. We are living in the last days. These are incredible times to live in.”

 

Read more here: The American Prospect