(CNN) -- Last Saturday, Sarah Palin stood before the huge crowd at the 2014 National Rifle Association annual meeting and condemned liberals for coddling terrorists. She loaded her speech with religious metaphors, claiming that true leaders would put "the fear of God in our enemies." She said, "They obviously have information on plots to carry out jihad. Oh, but you can't offend them, can't make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen. Well, if I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists." 

Palin's invocation of forced baptism shocked both conservatives and liberals, inspiring few defenders. Christian commentators, in particular, focused on her link between torture and baptism. 

On Wednesday, the National Religious Campaign against Torture released a powerful condemnation of the speech. To Palin, the organization's executive director wrote, "Your statements play into a false narrative conveying that somehow, the conflict between the United States and the terrorist cells is a conflict between Christianity and Islam, or Islam and 'the West.' " 

The group's letter to the NRA, signed by 17 faith leaders from many different religions and denominations, reads, "For Christians, baptism is a profoundly holy act. It is in stark contrast to the abhorrent act of waterboarding. Equating baptism to an act of torture like waterboarding is sacrilegious -- and particularly surprising coming from a person who prides herself on her Christian faith." 

But it's not actually all that surprising. Palin's public rhetoric relies on crafting existential binaries between "us" and "them," creating a kind of sacred empowered victimhood among her listeners. She draws from the language of militant Christianity to claim the status of both persecutor and persecuted. This is not an accident, and I do not believe she will repudiate her remarks. 
What shocked both parties during her speech?
What event was she speaking at?
Which year?
Who was she speaking out against?
For what?
What was her speech filled with?
What point was she trying to make?
How does she say we would baptize terrorists?
What did the Christian commentators focus on in her speech?
Did someone release a statement about the speech?
Who?
When?
What did they say her statement was a conflict of?
What group was the letter sent to?
How many people signed it?
What kind of people were they?
What word did they use to describe her comparing baptism to torture?
Were people actually surprised about what she said?
What did they say she relies on?
What language does she draw from?
Her forced baptism of terrorists by waterboarding them
(CNN) -- Last Saturday, Sarah Palin stood before the huge crowd at the 2014 National Rifle Association annual meeting and condemned liberals for coddling terrorists. She loaded her speech with religious metaphors, claiming that true leaders would put "the fear of God in our enemies." She said, "They obviously have information on plots to carry out jihad. Oh, but you can't offend them, can't make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen. Well, if I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists." 
National Rifle Association meeting
014 National Rifle Association annual meeting
2014
2014 National Rifle Association annual meeting 
Liberals
al meeting and condemned liberals for coddling terrorists
For coddling terrorists.
liberals for coddling terrorists.
Religious metaphors
tional Rifle Association annual meeting and condemned liberals for coddling terrorists. She loaded her speech with religious metaphors, c
That true leaders would put fear of God in enemies.
 claiming that true leaders would put "the fear of God in our enemies." She said, 
By waterboarding
e, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists." 
link between torture and baptism
 Christian commentators, in particular, focused on her link between torture and baptism. 

Yes
n Wednesday, the National Religious Campaign against Torture released a powerful condemnation of the speech
National Religious Campaign against Torture

On Wednesday, the National Religious Campaign against Torture released a powerful condemnation of the speech. 
Wednesdayj
On Wednesday, the National Religious Campaign against Torture released a powerful condemnation of the speech
False narrative conveying the United States and terrorists is conflict between Christianity and Islam
 false narrative conveying that somehow, the conflict between the United States and the terrorist cells is a conflict between Christianity and Islam, or Islam and 'the West.' " 
NRA
The group's letter to the NRA, signed by 17 faith leaders from many different religions and denominations, reads
17
signed by 17 faith leaders
Faith leaders
igned by 17 faith leaders from
Sacrilegious
 Equating baptism to an act of torture like waterboarding is sacrilegious
No
But it's not actually all that surprising. Palin's public rhetoric relies on crafting existential binaries between "us" and "them
Crafting existential binaries between "us" and "them,"
rafting existential binaries between "us" and "them," 
Militant Christianity
She draws from the language of militant Christianity