What do Sarah Palin and Osama bin Laden have in common? Jihad!

Today's New York Times, finally catching up to YouTube, wrote about Sarah Palin's church and their belief in "Spiritual warfare:"

"Palin has had long associations with religious leaders who practice a particularly assertive and urgent brand of Pentecostalism known as “spiritual warfare.” Its adherents believe that demonic forces can colonize specific geographic areas and individuals, and that “spiritual warriors” must “battle” them to assert God’s control, using prayer and evangelism."

And just what is the definition of Jihad?

The word jihad is a noun meaning 'inner struggle' Jihad appears frequently in the Qu'ran and common usage as the idiomatic expression 'striving in the way of Allah (al-jihad fi sabil Allah).'

 Of course, there are those fundamentalists who turn jihad outward and see their enemies everywhere but within. Seems like Sarah Palin and Osama Bin Laden have a lot in common.

The interesting thing to note about the phrase "striving in the way of Allah (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)," is that it is rather congruent with with meaning of the word "yisrael," or for English speakers, israel, which means "one who struggles with G!d" and in some ways less the name of a nation or group of tribes than a spiritual state of being within a particular tradition.

Unfortunately, I don't believe Governor Palin understands or cares about the inner struggle. Her comments about the "real Amerca" suggests she believe there are those of us who live in a geographic area controlled by demonic forces  — New York is nice as a backdrop for using the Trade Center attack to publicize one's shallow definition of patriotism but for Palin, all those who live here, including those who died in the attack, are simply Satan's little helpers. And of course that certainly includes queer jewish buddhists.

So, we have basically established that Osama bin Laden is an Islamic terrorist, and since Palin, as one who clearly won't brand those who bomb abortion clinics as terrorists, is obviously a Christian terrorist or at least a sympathizer.

So let's take a brief pause for a moment of wisdom:

"We are each different. Yet we each have the opportunity to become free from egoistic thinking. There is no separate so-called Buddhism. There is no separate so-called Christianity. There is no separate so-called Judaism. It doesn't matter what you call yourself. When you walk in the rain you get wet. When you walk in the snow, you get cold. This is true for all people whether they call themselves Buddhist, Christian, Jew or Muslim.

People get into all kinds of arguments concerning religions. Sometimes there are even wars over religions. In these situations, all religions are like a finger pointing to the beauty of the moon. In all religions we need to look beyond the finger and see the beauty of the moon. Then we can live in harmony and help each other. We can share our wisdom and compassion."

-Sense Koshin Ogui
in his book of essays
Zen Shin Talks

Not very Buddhist to say so, but I have a finger for Governor Palin. And a moon.