Sister Sarah and Forced Baptism

Sarah Palin choose to wear a virginal white frock for her speech to the NRA.

Reminding me of the notorious Roaring Twenties preacher Amiee Semple McPherson, but that's a story for another time.

Sister Sarah's biggest applause line was when she said she would use torture to forcibly convert Muslims to Christianity.

If I were in charge they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists. ~ Sarah Palin, 2014

Lots of people, even Republicans, have written about it mostly shuddering in horror at how close we came to having that crazy bitch as Vice-President. I share the sentiment. Sister Sarah is one of the leaders of the Shove-Christianity-Down-Our-Throats wing of the Republican Party so her bringing up one of the darker practices of the Christian faith is a little chilling.

Forced Baptism

Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne would have defeated non-Christian prisoners of war (above: defeated Saxons) brought before him to be forcibly baptized. Those who refused the gift of baptism were put to death. This same practice was used by the Spanish Inquisition against Jews and Muslims. They would be giving the opportunity to be baptized. Many were tortured first to convince them to accept conversion.

The Portuguese in their India possessions used torture to forcibly convert Hindus to the Catholic faith into the 19th century. The forcible conversion of Native American children into Christians continued into the 20th century in government sponsored boarding schools' children who refused baptism were beaten.

I shudder to think if Sister Sarah, or anyone like her, were ever to be in charge.