Yes, you read that right.  It really has gotten that absurd.  I just had coffee with fellow blogger and Anchorage talk radio phenom Shannyn Moore.  While we were fuming over the McCain hijacking of the Troopergate investigation, she got a call from MSNBC.  They asked if she’d come on Keith Olbermann’s show tonight to talk about ‘the witch hunter’.  The witch hunter, aka Pastor Muthee, was the guest pastor from Kenya that appeared at Palin’s church, The Wasilla Assembly of God, and “prayed over” Sarah to help her become governor. 

Muthee began his life in ministry in Africa by hunting down a local woman named Mama Jane after proclaiming her a witch. 

According to the Christian Science Monitor, six months of fervent prayer and research identified the source of the witchcraft as a local woman called Mama Jane, who ran a “divination” centre called the Emmanuel Clinic.  Her alleged involvement in fortune-telling and the fact that she lived near the site of a number of fatal car accidents led Pastor Muthee to publicly declare her a witch responsible for the town’s ills, and order her to offer up her soul for salvation or leave Kiambu.  After Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned.  Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon. 

After the witch hunting incident, Muthee founded the World Faith Church, also known as the “Prayer Cave.”  The Prayer cave has birthed more than 400 churches across Africa – in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan and Rwanda. 

While Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Muthee came to speak at her church.  Here’s what Sarah Palin has to say about the experience, captured on video taken in the church.  Keep in mind, this quote didn’t come from her long ago past.  This happened IN JUNE, 2008…three months ago. 

“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 step.  And that’s exactly what happened.” “ So, again, very very powerful, coming from this church.” 

Muthee has spoken at the Wasilla Assembly of God church no less than 10 times, including the time he prayed over then Mayor Sarah Palin, giving her the divine shortcut to governorship.  He didn’t ask questions.  He didn’t blink.  Now, he’s coming back.  He is scheduled for multiple speaking engagements in Wasilla this week. 

The official vision statement of Muthee’s church (taken directly from the website) is…are you ready?… 

Touching lives for total community transformation, thereby taking cities and nations. 

Taking cities and nations?  Most of us would like our cities and nation to stay just where they are, thankyouverymuch. 

When Shannyn was talking in a serious, businesslike way about coordinating with a major media outlet to discuss the ‘witch hunter’, it struck me how absurd this is.  We both started to laugh so hard, we couldn’t stop.  Our governor believes in the power of a guy who believes that demons live in pythons, and witches cause traffic accidents.  She believes that a Kenyan witch-hunter prayed her into office.  Ladies and Gentlemen, behold the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States of America, and tell me what that says about the Presidential candidate who nominated her. 

When you decide whether to laugh or cry, let me know. 

Meanwhile, grab a beer, or some popcorn, and tune in to Keith Olbermann’s show tonight, hear the conversation with Shannyn, and marvel at the frightening absurdity that we’ve come to know as Sarah Palin.