Max Blumenthal heads deep into the land of Sarah Palin , reporting from inside her longtime church, interviewing her friends and enemies, and putting her spokespeople on the defensive about the theology behind her extreme conservatism. Related articles by Zemanta Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals Palin's Pals: Talking about those Alaska fringe alliances on CNN

"Conservatives for Change" is a documentary project featuring Republicans and Conservatives voting for Obama. These are real people, speaking in their own words. Pass it on. www.conservativesforchange.com

"I know at the end of the day putting this in God's hands, the right thing for America will be done, at the end of the day on Nov. 4." "I can feel the power of prayer, and that strength that is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation. And I so appreciate it." "When we hear along the rope lines that people are interceding for us and praying for us, it's our reminder to do the same, to put this all in God's hands, to seek his perfect will for this nation, and to of course seek his wisdom and guidance in putting this nation back on the right track." -- Sarah Palin speaking with James Dobson on Focus with the Family earlier this week. Sarah Palin 's 20-minute conversation with Christian Right leader James Dobson shed little light on the campaign, but it did remove any doubts about how Dobson's God will be voting on Election Day. ...

Suggested by Valerie Tarico A clip from " Now on PBS ". A right wing religiholic woman and her reasons for disliking Barack Obama . The kind of smug, self-righteous ignorance and bigotry this woman displays is frighteningly common. A related video:

Bendy-buses with the slogan "There's probably no God" could soon be running on the streets of London. The atheist posters are the idea of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and have been supported by prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins . The BHA planned only to raise £5,500, which was to be matched by Professor Dawkins, but it has now raised more than £36,000 of its own accord. It aims to have two sets of 30 buses carrying the signs for four weeks. The complete slogan reads: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." As the campaign has raised more than anticipated, it will also have posters on the inside of buses as well. The BHA is also considering extending the campaign to cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. Professor Dawkins said: "Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride - automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children. This campaig...

A Moberly principal and pastor has been charged with second-degree child molestation after allegedly taking a 16-year-old female student to a Columbia motel and fondling her in May. The misdemeanor charge against James M. Wilson, 42, was filed Oct. 9 in Boone County Circuit Court. Wilson is the principal of Terrill Road Christian Academy and also a pastor, according to probable cause statement prepared by Columbia police Detective Latisha Stroer. The 16-year-old girl reported on Sept. 10 that in May, her mother dropped her off at a gas station down the street from the school, where Wilson picked her up. Wilson brought her to Motel 6 at 1800 I-70 Drive S.W. in Columbia, the court documents says. The girl said Wilson checked into a motel room and he and the girl stayed in the room watching cartoons, according to the probable cause statement. Wilson allegedly threw the girl down on the bed, unbuttoned her shirt, kissed her and touched her breasts. The victim then told Wilson to stop b...

The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witch hunt against a Kenyan woman whom he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells. At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid. In video footage of the speech , she is seen saying: "As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he's so bold. And he was praying "Lord make a way, Lord make a way." "And I'm thinking, this guy's really bold, he doesn't even know what I'm going to do, he doesn't know what my plans are. And he's praying not "Oh Lord, if it be your will may she become governor," no, he just prayed for it. He said, "Lord make a way and let her do this next...

Rev. Arnold Conrad , in delivering an invocation at a rally recently for John McCain in Davenport, Iowa , apparently didn't get the word from the candidate about elevating the tone at such gatherings. Conrad, who appeared before the crowd before McCain had arrived, offered a prayer that seemed to urge divine intervention to prevent Barack Obama from winning the presidential election -- and cast the outcome as a referendum on differing religions. The Times' Maeve Reston was at the event, and she passed along the key passage from Conrad's words: I would also pray Lord that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their God -- whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah -- that his [McCain’s] opponent wins for a variety of reasons. And Lord I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. S...

The camera closes in on Sarah Palin speaking to young missionaries, vowing from the pulpit to do her part to implement God's will from the governor's office. What she didn't tell worshipers gathered at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown was that her appearance that day came courtesy of Alaskan taxpayers, who picked up the $639.50 tab for her airplane tickets and per diem fees. An Associated Press review of the Republican vice presidential candidate's record as mayor and governor reveals her use of elected office to promote religious causes, sometimes at taxpayer expense and in ways that blur the line between church and state. Since she took state office in late 2006, the governor and her family have spent more than $13,000 in taxpayer funds to attend at least 10 religious events and meetings with Christian pastors, including Franklin Graham, the son of evangelical preacher Billy Graham, records show. Palin was baptized Roman Catholic as a newborn an...

By Be-Asia McKerracher who writes for the Kansas City Star When I was an 11-year-old girl with frizzy hair and oak-brown skin, I got on bended knees by my bed and told God that I never wanted to speak to him again. And then I panicked. “Wait!” I said. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! It’s just that I’m confused. I’m a good girl. I do well in school. I never cuss. I read all the time. I pray every night at home and every Sunday in church. So why does Grandma still drink all the time? And why do I have to live with my aunt instead of my mom and dad?” By college I had become an agnostic. Though no longer certain that my Baptist upbringing provided the answer to life’s mysteries, I wasn’t willing to completely forget about God. But something happened in college. First, there was my philosophy of religion class — who knew that the Buddha had said the same things Jesus did, only hundreds of years before Jesus was born — what does that mean? Next came mythology class — can you believe that many...

A CATHOLIC priest accused of sexually abusing boys aged as young as 11 in the New South Wales Hunter region will face 37 additional charges. John Sidney Denham, 66, now faces a total of 67 child sex-related charges, relating to alleged offences dating from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, after police today added to his alleged crimes. He appeared today in Newcastle Local Court via videolink before Magistrate Michael Morahan. Mr Denham was first charged in August with 28 counts of indecent assault of a male, a charge of buggery and one charge of attempted indecent assault of a male, relating to 18 boys at various Catholic parishes in the region. The new charges allegedly involve 13 other boys, and include sexual assault, indecent assault and solicit male or incite male to commit an indecent act. The white-haired Mr Denham, who has been in custody since his arrest, expressed no emotion during his brief court appearance. He did not apply for bail and Mr Morahan adjourned the matter u...