I've often wondered about the Republican party's thinking leading into the election of 2008.  It seems that, after two terms under George W., a solid C student in college, they felt a need to find someone with a worse GPA to be his successor.  Enter John McCain, third from last in his class at West Point.  But of course he couldn't have a running mate smarter than he, so apparently they searched far and wide until they found someone even less scholarly: Sarah Palin.  I don't know if this is how it actually happened, and I'll admit McCain is both brighter than his GPA would indicate and a legitimate war hero.  I respect him for that.  Furthermore, Palin, in spite of being misguided about almost everything, professes to be a fellow believer - as does McCain when he needs the evangelical vote - so I must love her as a sister.  It's just so darn hard.

Last week, at a national NRA rally before tens of thousands of members, Palin told the crowd of gun owners that water boarding is how she would baptize terrorists.  Never mind that torture has been proven not to be an effective way of getting information from prisoners.  Never mind that the NRA tries to sell itself primarily an organization for sportsmen.  Never mind that Mrs. Palin claims to build her life on the one who said "Love your enemy" and "turn the other cheek".  Never mind that this type of rhetoric makes both America and Christians look bad.  The crowd roared with approval.

Read about it here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-menachem-creditor/sarah-palin-nra_b_5235427.html

Worst, of course, is that she used the biblical rite of baptism not only lightly but blasphemously.  Baptism is to show one's identification with the burial and resurrection of the Messiah, and the first act of obedience commanded of Christians.  To liken it to torture is horrendous, and I hope she publically repents of her words.  Again I find myself wanting to say, "Not all Christians are like that." 

Read about it here:  http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/meast/syria-bodies-crucifixions/index.html

The same day I read about the NRA rally, I read an article about Muslim extremists in Syria who have started publicly crucifying those who speak out against them.  This is being carried out by a fringe group considered too radical even for al Qaida.  No doubt there are many Muslims around the world saying, "Not all Muslims are like that."  While the religious significance of a crucifixion is obvious, the article said it was not necessarily for religious reasons that they crucified victims, but rather for political reasons.  Of course, in the Middle East, religion and politics are inseparable. 

Seeing the photos of young men suffering in agony as blood ran down their pierced wrists and little children looked on, I thought again about Sarah Palin's desire to baptize these people with pain.  I've gotta say, a part of me felt the adrenaline rush that comes from vengeful fantasies as I imagined the crucifiers suffering brutally from torture.  But then I was reminded of the most famous crucifixion in history.  A sacrifice for the sins of all and any who might believe.  Why couldn't an Islamic extremist become a follower of Jesus.  Members of street gangs have; Mafia members have; Heck, Son of Sam is a pastor in his maximum security prison.  Jesus, it seems, would rather see these thugs baptized into the church, not into torment.

The real lesson for Mrs. Palin, and all of us, is that religion, particularly Christianity, but certainly all three of the Abrahamic faiths, is all about not giving in to our base desires for revenge (or greed, or ego, or etc. etc.) and take the high road when our natural instinct is not to. 

It's just so darn hard.