Faithful America is the largest and fastest growing online community of Christians, putting faith into action for social justice. They have watched the right-wing political agendas highjack the true messages of Jesus, and this faith-based organization will no longer be silent.
In her ever smug and sarcastic way, Sarah Palin, made an incredibly hateful, bizarre, and insensitive statement during the annual NRA/NRAAM event. Speaking to a cheering NRA crowd, Sarah Palin spouted:
"…Water-boarding is how we baptize terrorists."
In disgust, and to distance themselves as Christians, from the pseudo-Christian Palin claims to be, Faithful America started a petition against her, and began the petition with these words:
"This is what we've come to in America: A former candidate for vice-president can equate torture and Holy Baptism, and one of the nation's most powerful political lobbies erupts into cheers and applause.
As usual, Palin's remarks are already making international headlines, once again portraying Christianity as a religion of hatred and violence. But this time, let's show just how many Christians are appalled by Palin's twisted misrepresentation of our faith."
Sarah Palin Petition
Here is the statement they released to the media:
"For Christians, torture is not a joke or a political punchline, but a ghastly reminder of the suffering of Jesus upon the cross. By equating it with Holy Baptism -- the act by which we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection -- Sarah Palin is blasphemously twisting our faith into a weapon of hatred and violence. No media outlet should cover her remarks without reporting on how sincere Christians of all theological and political persuasions are appalled."
This isn't the first time Faithful America has entered into the political arena. They have many campaigns running simultaneously including:
*Let The Church Reopen Its Doors To The Homeless
*Anti-Gay Hate Isn't Religious Freedom
*Stand With The Sisters Against A Dangerous Fracking Pipeline
*Don't Take The Koch Brothers Money
There's even one about Rush Limbaugh:
*Do The Bishops Side With Rush Limbaugh or Pope Francis
Being a left-wing Christian, with a splash of Buddhism, I am elated to see more and more people of faith, speak out against the religious extremists. Last week, Dan Haseltine, the lead singer of the popular Christian rock band, Jars of Clay, tweeted in support of same-sex/equal marriage. It was a courageous move, as he risked losing friends, family, fans, and his livelihood in order to stand up for what he believed. Needless to say the band is experiencing backlash. At the same time they are also receiving new fans and support. Perhaps Faithful America will get involved. Here's to all the good work this Christian online community is accomplishing - and heres to their perfect axiom:
Love they neighbor. No exceptions.
Faithful America: Sarah Palin Petition