The Notion

McCain's Pastor Hagee on Hitler and the Jews

posted by Jon Wiener on 05/21/2008 @ 11:58pm

John Hagee, the controversial pastor who has endorsed John McCain, argued in a late 1990s sermon that God sent Hitler to help the Jews get to the promised land (Israel, not Auschwitz).

Why did God allow the Holocaust to happen? According to a report in the Huffington Post by Sam Stein, Hagee's answer was: "Because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel."

The report raises several questions. Did God have to be so rough in his methods? Instead of putting the Jews on trains to Auschwitz, couldn't he have gotten them bus tickets to Tel Aviv?

Hagee made the news earlier when he told Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air" that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for the people of New Orleans who allowed a Gay Pride parade to be scheduled. According to that theory, the Holocaust should be seen as God's punishment for the Jews allowing those Gay Pride parades in Warsaw, Odessa and Lodz.

Alternatively, Hurricane Katrina could be viewed as God's method of getting the people of New Orleans to move to Houston.

Hagee got in trouble earlier for a sermon in which he called the Catholic church "the Great Whore." He would never say that about Golda Meier.

Hagee is one of the organizers of Christians United for Israel, which lobbies Congress on behalf of the Jewish state. He has received many awards from right-wing Jewish organizations, incudling the Israel Award of the Zionist Organization of America, presented in a ceremony in Dallas by former UN Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick.

Hagee's sermon on Hitler as God's agent, delivered in the late 1990s, was first posted by Bruce Wilson on his site, Talk To Action.

Next question: why does John McCain think God sent us Hitler?

Comments (59)

  1. better question:

    why does god make so many crazy people?

    Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:23:16 AM

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 12:16am

  2. people need neither god to make them crazy nor the devil to tempt them to evil.

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/22/2008 @ 01:36am

  3. Plenty of Orthodox rabbis say the same thing or even worse--that the Holocaust was G-d's punishment for the Jews' apostasy (that is, their perfidious abandonment of those selfsame Orthodox rabbis). It's absurd horse hockey no matter what religious tradition the particular buffoon comes from.

    Posted by feinfein at 05/22/2008 @ 05:09am

  4. Hagee's 'support' for Israel is more nefarious than is being reported; he is among those whose eschatology asserts that in order for the End Times to be realized and Jesus to return, the state of Israel must physically exist. In other words, his support of Israel is merely tacit, so that the Second Coming can be fulfilled.

    Moreover, the lackeys of the MSM fail to report what happens to the Jewish people once Jesus returns. Hagee's particular beliefs have not been reported, at least not that I have seen; however, if his beliefs are akin to others (LaHaye, et al) of this persuasion, the choice that the Jewish people will be given is more or less choose Jesus or be destroyed and burn in Hell.

    Posted by skeletonman at 05/22/2008 @ 06:29am

  5. Rapture Index 170

    Net Change unch

    Updated May 19, 2008

    I guess the US giving African Americans a rough time is just more outlandish than flying horseys coming to Earth, G-d ravishing the place, wiping out 1/2 the Jews, the EU being the work of SATAN etc...

    Just look at the Satanic rantings, channeled through one of his minions:

    ["…Every major religion of the world has similar ideals of love, the same goal of benefiting humanity through spiritual practice…The most important thing is to look at details of theology or metaphysics…I believe that all the major religions of the world can contribute to world peace and work together for the benefit of humanity if we put aside subtle metaphysical differences, which are really the internal business of each religion…The undying faith in religion clearly demonstrates the potency of religion as such. This spiritual energy and power can be purposefully used to bring about the spiritual conditions necessary for world peace." (Dalai Lama.)]

    Armageddon is specifically mentioned once in the Bible, homosexuality once. Caring for the poor, sick and elderly dozens of times, if not hundreds.

    But, what have been the subjects most worked upon by the religious right in the public domain ?

    Hagee and his ilk are as much nutters as Koresh or Jones, far worse than poor 'Ol Rev Wright, but they are "mainstream".

    Scary.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 08:33am

  6. Posted by JOMAMMA at 05/22/2008

    Well, then I guess it is ok.

    Maybe if those you write of gave Jews the choice to convert to Islam or be blown up you could forgive them?

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 08:37am

  7. Again, what if G-ds Plan is the Caliphate?

    oooohh, She is gonna be pissed at some of you, if it is!

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 08:38am

  8. I have a post card from the Rapture folks. It shows, among other things, airplanes flying into skyscrapers during this here "Rapture".

    A conclusion could be that Atta was in fact doing g-ds work.

    If one was a nutter and bought this hooey.

    I sure would be interested to read about the differences between those that want a war to bring about the Caliphate, and those that wanted war in Iraq to speed up the Tribulation. Both sound pretty darn wacky to this loonie toon. Or, am I just being a bigot?

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 08:43am

  9. Well, obviously LVLIBERTY will eventually show up here and curious to see where he goes....two theories-

    1. "He stays SANE" and says something half-way apologetic about Hagee ("He speaks for himself, no all ministers agree with him, McCain didn't spend 20 years in his pews", etc.) Thus indicating that even Rev. Larry thinks the Dominionalist Dumpling is out there.

    2. "He goes just as nutty as Hagee"....and says he's right.

    I lean towards #2 for the simple fact that LVLIB has admitted that push-to-shove....Israel and its security (which means more than just its existance, but it maintaining the post-1967 borders)...is more important than ANYTHING...including AMERICA's security or even existance.

    On the political end, I've never felt the "McCain-Hagee link" was much "meat" to work with. It simply doesn't rise to the same level as "Obama-Wright" and McCain has some CYA built-in, in that he said (back in 2000) of Hagee and his type (Falwell, Robertson, et al) that they are "agents of intolerance" and no better than Farrakhan.

    The Religious Right chooses to ignore that about Maverick John...he of course acts like he never said it....but EVERYBODY knows what he really thinks of them in his heart of hearts.

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008 @ 08:53am

  10. [After The Rapture, God will begin executing judgments against unbelievers, during a period called the Tribulation. At the end of the Tribulation all nations will attack Israel, and Jesus Christ will physically return, leading the armies of heaven. At the Battle of Armeggedon they will destroy everyone who is not a believer. Then Satan will be bound, and Jesus will set up the Millennial Kingdom, headquartered in Jerusalem. Jesus and the saints will rule over the nations of the Earth for a thousand years. During this period there will be people born who are not loyal to Christ. However, it usually will not be obvious. Therefore, at the end of the thousand-year period, God will release Satan and let him tempt those who inhabit the Earth. A large group will take up arms against the Lord and be defeated. Then, Christ will judge all who have ever lived, giving rewards to some and punishment to others. Those who were "destroyed" will be cast into the Lake of Fire, i.e., Hell. After that, God will destroy heaven and Earth because they have been polluted by sin. He will create a new heaven and a new Earth, put those who were saved on the new Earth, and rule it forever.]- ( The Jehovah's Witnesses have a slightly different take, them being "really wacky". They think that The Kingdom of Heaven will be on Earth, which sounds pretty cool, cuz I like the Earth. )

    Whereas a Caliphate is one ruler for the Muslims, bringing Sharia Law to Believers. Evidently, to accomplish this, bin Laden and crew need to do some killin'.

    Both sound pretty outrageous to me, but the wholesale wipeout of those that don't accept Jesus sounds a little more extreme, to me.

    Open to comments...

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 09:02am

  11. MAsk, I actually agree with you (mostly) about Hagee/MCain connection.

    But... in order to get elected McCain will HAVE to turn out the RR in droves. To do that he will have to do some more flippin and-a floppin'. He will have to appear with some of the guiding lights of the RR, take their cash, pat them on the back and say " Just kiddin' about the 'agents of intolerance' thing." He has already made nice with the Bob Jones crew.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 09:09am

  12. I'm not religious but I'm so sick and tired of these pastors blaming bad stuff that happen on God. Didnt the bible that there is also evil. Katrina God because they were having a gay parade. The holocaust God because he wants the jews to move to Isarel. Why would you worship someone who does evil things like this. Stop blaming an imaginary figure and blame who did it it wasnt the Hurricane that created that diasaster in NO it was the FAILURE Of the govermnent. Hurricanes are not earthquakes that come out of the blue you know they strike and you know where they will strike and you prepared they knew that there was a possiblity that those levee's would break how the heck is that God's fault. WRONG its INCOMPETENENCE and a government that doesnt care. But the blame where it should be.

    As far as the holocuast thats HITLERS doing and a world that stood by and let it happen. Government and rulers need to take responsibility for their actions reprehensible it might be. Its like a freaking child blaming an imaginary friend. I'm SICK of it

    Carol

    Posted by harriscrl3 at 05/22/2008 @ 09:11am

  13. (which means more than just its existance, but it maintaining the post-1967 borders)

    mask

    whatta mean?

    israel shall conquer the universe!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:11am

  14. you

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:11am

  15. harriscrl3

    the cubans prepare quite well for hurricanes....

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:15am

  16. Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008

    The deal breaker would be Romney as Veep.

    LVLIB has said point-blank, if McCain nominates that "Temple Mormon who hates Christians"....he's staying home Election Day.

    Go Mitt Go!!!

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008 @ 09:15am

  17. god,

    are you really the asshole all these lunatics tell me you are?

    say it ain't so.

    please.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:16am

  18. mask

    whatta mean?

    israel shall conquer the universe!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008

    Basicallly...yes.

    Their dogma (Hagee's and LVLIB's) require that Israel return to its "Biblical" borders...i.e. just about 1967, even the West Bank and Gaza (maybe more). Anything less reduces the possibility of the End Times/Rapture/etc. of "Biblical prophecy".

    See, to them, Israel isn't just a "nation-state"...it's religious dogma and real-world politics, even the chance for peace, is not as important as making sure that "anything that was Israel in 200 BCE" (or "BC"...heheh) is "Israel today".

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008 @ 09:19am

  19. Aww man, I gotta go to work!

    Have fun with this one boys and girls.

    ----

    Realistically...

    Librool flip flopping McCain/Tax Hike Mike Huckabee.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 09:24am

  20. the cubans prepare quite well for hurricanes....

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008

    What about the Finnish Cubans?

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 09:25am

  21. hey!

    no more going back to the homepage!

    now,

    html?

    Thursday, May 22, 2008 9:34:33 AM

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:27am

  22. Next question: why does John McCain think God sent us Hitler?

    Oh better yet....Hussein & Ahmahdinejad?

    Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 @ 09:34am

  23. Now is the time for Republicans and Democrats to end the politics of fear.....

    george w bush, philadelphia, 2000

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 09:37am

  24. Posted by JOMAMMA at 05/22/2008

    I'll remind you that there is a difference between Muslims and God.

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008

    I disagree. The fact that McCain is chumming around with these folks and has this in his heart of hearts leaves me wondering what he will not do to satisfy his ambition to be President - and what his ambitions are once he does have that power.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008

    It's a repeat of the problems of the Jews during Jesus's time who were looking for an actual king. Jesus stated that his kingdom was not of this earth, "the kingdom of heaven" - and it is within you. I always think of the Chinese saying that says:

    Hell is a place where there is six foot chopsticks and no one can feed themselves. Heaven is a place where there is six foot chopsticks and everyone is feeding everyone else.

    Posted by harriscrl3 at 05/22/2008

    Rev. Wright actually has a good point on this issue. God takes what had evil intent and turns it into something good. He used his own controversy as a point and said that Obama's speech on race is one result from it that may ultimately be for good and advancing the dialogue. But evil doesn't come from God, it comes from being disconnected from God and from each other.

    Posted by srjenkins at 05/22/2008 @ 10:17am

  25. Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008

    no no no

    Imadidajob

    testing 'warnit'

    Posted by Benchrest at 05/22/2008 @ 10:22am

  26. Posted by JOMAMMA at 05/22/2008

    What choice, exactly, were the Palestians given?

    Posted by skeletonman at 05/22/2008 @ 10:43am

  27. ....two theories-

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008

    Or, which in my mind is the most likely of all, he combines the two and ends up contradicting himself.

    Posted by skeletonman at 05/22/2008 @ 10:52am

  28. Posted by skeletonman at 05/22/2008

    True, that is a possibility.

    LL says something like "John Hagee may have been a bit 'impolite' in his comments....BUT....it is essentially true that...blah,blah,blah!"

    Then we press and press LVLIB to either support or defend the idea that Hitler was "doing God's work"....he refutes the idea, but can't lay out specifically why...and we go 3-5 posts deep until finally he says...

    "Okay, yes, maybe God WAS using Hitler and the Holocaust to get to the founding of Israel...which is vital to the completion of his Will for that country and the world!"

    And he kind of hopes we all miss (at 6:35pm this evening) that he just contradicted what he posted at 2:57pm this afternoon!

    heheh

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008 @ 11:08am

  29. Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008

    no no no

    Imadidajob

    testing 'warnit'

    Posted by Benchrest at 05/22/2008

    Lets focus on underlying principals and principles who got us into the current mess we are in. What Hagee and McCain think are not a threat to the story of holocaust. There is lots of biblical groupthink behind Operation Chaos, and I would sure like to know McCain's view of this. If Bush has a direct pipeline to the All Mighty, and McCain sure looks like he is on board, lets hear from Mr. Flipflop on what whether he thinks Hussein and Ahmahdinejad are products of divine intervention meant to push us ever closer to judgment day and ultimate victory of judeo-christian rationalized biblical and political ideology.

    Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 @ 11:15am

  30. Headline: "McCain's Pastor Hagee on Hitler and the Jews"

    First Sentence: "John Hagee, the controversial pastor who has endorsed John McCain"

    The First Sentence contradicts the Headline. An endorsement by a pastor does not make the pastor yours. McCain's pastor is undoubtedly some other guy.

    McCain didn't choose Hagee, Hagee chose McCain. That's a big difference.

    Jon Weiner is lying.

    Posted by abcloven at 05/22/2008 @ 11:26am

  31. Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008

    Do I have to?

    I'm sorta just here for the jokes and the banter.

    I'll leave the serious stuff for you guys to dissect.

    Posted by Benchrest at 05/22/2008 @ 11:49am

  32. FYI: Matt Taibbi's new book "The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire," discloses his 5 month undercover penetration of Pastor John Hagee's religious cult down in San Antonio, Texas. One of the highlights was when Matt, who speaks Russian, charmed Hagee's followers who were trying to teach him how to speak in "Tongues" as he sang old Ukranean folk songs to the Czar . . . "Hey you really can speak to God." For a real first-hand insight into the world of Pastor John Hagee, you must read Matt's newest book.

    Posted by Jamaal at 05/22/2008 @ 12:00pm

  33. Why would you worship someone who does evil things like this?

    Posted by harriscrl3 at 05/22/2008

    Ask Job.

    Posted by skeletonman at 05/22/2008 @ 12:23pm

  34. [Hell is a place where there is six foot chopsticks and no one can feed themselves. Heaven is a place where there is six foot chopsticks and everyone is feeding everyone else.

    ]

    Damn commies!

    So, Hagee is not McCains pastor. He is just a "bundler". Yes, much better. He shouldn't have any influence, as opposed to Wright, who is persona-non-grata around the Obama Cult nowadays, right? Hagee will be seen with his arm up McCains back often, methinks.

    I find it really, really funny that Happy will refer to O's "cult" but not Hagees. Why is that Happy? Why is the desire to see a change in politics in DC a "cult", but believing that flying horseys will come smite me, and that G-d was working the Jews during the Holocaust... is not a "cult"?

    Is this more pages from the Repulican dictionary? Up is left, black is mauve and paying Saddam is not appeasement.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 12:28pm

  35. Jon Weiner is lying.

    Posted by abcloven at 05/22/2008

    You sure?

    Lets give McCain till the end of the day to unequivocally dump Pastor Hagee. At the end of the day, if he hasn't, lets call Hagee "McCain's Pastor Hagee." Fair enough?

    Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 @ 12:30pm

  36. Posted by Jamaal at 05/22/2008

    thanks, I will look it up. I have space next to my copy of "Under the Banner of Heaven"

    But, they are not cults! Nope.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/22/2008 @ 12:31pm

  37. i wonder if pastor larry has a "compound"........

    Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:42:21 PM

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 12:35pm

  38. "McCain's dog walker, who endorses him, doesn't pick up the poo"

    Kinda like Hamas endorsing Obama. Doesn't mean a thing, does it?

    Posted by Balrog at 05/22/2008 @ 1:05pm

  39. <i>Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 </i>

    Your claim here relies on a false dichotomy. It assumes that there are only two choices; either:

    1) McCain must have no association with Hagee, or

    2) Hagee can be considered McCain's pastor.

    Unfortunately for your argument, there is a third:

    (3) Hagee is someone whose endorsement and base support McCain wants, but with whom he strongly disagrees on many things.

    I think the phrase "McCain's Pastor Hagee" seems to quietly dismiss this possibility. It posits that McCain and Hagee are tied to one another in the same way that Wright and Obama are (or, perhaps now, were?). On any level, this comparison is manifestly false, so the article's title is indeed deceptive.

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/22/2008 @ 1:33pm

  40. Cool, LVLIB...but answer the question--

    Was Hagee BIBLICALLY CORRECT when he said (in response to "Why did God allow the Holocaust to happen?")

    "Because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel." ????

    BTW, didn't accuse you? The phrase was about Israel and its borders. YES, I know you're not a "this must happen for Rapture" type....

    but YOU ARE a "Israel should keep all the lands that The Bible says they had 'back when' and screw the Palestinians or any chance for peace that gets in the way of that" type.

    Posted by Mask at 05/22/2008 @ 2:13pm

  41. Wonder why we can't get the mainstream press to play these clips of Hagee "over and over again" like they did with Rev. Wright?

    Posted by Metteyya at 05/22/2008 @ 2:19pm

  42. Posted by lvliberty1 at 05/22/2008

    If you believe this is "orthodox" Christianity to say that it was GOOD that the Jews were slaughtered in the Holocaust because it brought them back to Israel, then we probably should hear more of this "orthodox" view in the mainstream press by those who endorse McCain and learn what the American voter thinks about this orthodoxy, right?

    Also, interested in whether McCain thinks "the Holocaust was good for the Jews", whether he believes this is "orthodox" Christianity, and whether he would sit in a pew and listen to a sermon on it!

    Posted by Metteyya at 05/22/2008 @ 2:46pm

  43. I think the phrase "McCain's Pastor Hagee" seems to quietly dismiss this possibility. It posits that McCain and Hagee are tied to one another in the same way that Wright and Obama are (or, perhaps now, were?). On any level, this comparison is manifestly false, so the article's title is indeed deceptive.

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/22/2008

    Well Thrawn I can't argue that the title is deceptive, but I thought the accusation that the author was lying was one-sided. 'McCain's Pastor Hagee' could imply only that Pastor Hagee is in McCain's camp could it not?

    Further, I think we should consider the big picture. Are you claiming the McCain has had no association with Pastor Hagee, and that Hagee's endorsement is out of the blue? I just say yesterday a filmclip wherein the two men warmly embraced each other while on stage, for the whole world to see. It would seem that McCain has closer ties to Hagee than is implied by the bloggers who claim deception. If guilt by association is standard of evidence, then I think McCain's past (and current) relationship with Hagee is fair game.

    Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 @ 3:06pm

  44. "and other Bible believing segments of the Church"

    lvliberty

    so which segments of "the Church" don't believe in the bible?

    Thursday, May 22, 2008 3:30:36 PM

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 3:23pm

  45. the Word of God

    •••••••••••••••••

    wait a second.

    why did god write the quran if "the word of god" is already in the bible?

    and why did god write the new testament if the old testament......

    and why did god write all them other books?

    wtf, god?

    get your story straight!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/22/2008 @ 3:27pm

  46. Frosty,

    God also edited himself at the Council of Nicea and the meetings at Alexandria. Apparently, god did not like his original versions and needed to spice them up a bit by adding the controversial, even at the Council of Nicea, book of Revelation and removing the gnostic gospels that spoke more of love, peace and the equality of all (hu)mankind. Interesting that god would prefer to limit the "love and peace" thing to the first four books of the NT.

    Posted by BizarroRio at 05/22/2008 @ 5:38pm

  47. OneVote:

    "Well Thrawn I can't argue that the title is deceptive"

    Exactly. And that deception remains lo these many hours later. By now it is knowing deception. Thus, a purposeful lie by now. Not an innocent mistake.

    Is every supporter of Obama's his "X?"

    Can we look at Tony Rezko and say "Obama's Slumlord?"

    No. Obama didn't place himself in Rezko's hands for the purpose of slumming. Unlike the possibly not so Reverend Wright, in whose kind graces Obama suckled for 20+ years.

    Wright IS Obama's pastor. Hagee is a SUPPORTER of McCain. Like Hamas is a supporter of Obama.

    Posted by abcloven at 05/22/2008 @ 6:00pm

  48. <i>Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008</i>

    I actually don't think that "McCain's Pastor Hagee" could imply merely that Hagee was a supporter of McCain anymore than "Obama's Pastor Wright" would be read as anything other than a statement that Wright was Obama's pastor. Intuitively, "X's Pastor Y" seems to suggest that Y is indeed X's pastor. In the statement "X's Pastor Y," the word Pastor seems to serve two functions. It both designates the "rank" (to use a very rough term) of Y AND Y's relationship to X (in large part due to the possessive "X's").

    That said, I don't want to dismiss the concerns that people have expressed regarding Hagee's connections to McCain. I'm inclined to be somewhat doubtful of them due to the apparent political motivations behind them, but I do think nonetheless that they should be given careful attention.

    Also, though I can understand the reticence of many on these boards to directly engage Hagee's views, I think that their significance in political dialogue requires that they be met head-on, on their own terms. So, that said, I want to tackle Liberty's analysis.

    He aims to provide four independent warrants for the Rapture, none of them compelling. As a broad overview (and I can go into further depth if Liberty chooses to engage me), none of these can clearly be said to refer to our own time or anything close to it. Much of Revelation for instance, was written to comfort Christians living under the oppression of the Roman Empire, and to assure them that this empire would not last forever. Similarly, many of the OT passages (the Daniel passage especially) refer to regimes that existed AT THAT TIME (i.e. the "king of the north" and "king of the south").

    The Gospel passages aren't any more helpful for Liberty, for at least two reasons. First, Jesus explicitly says that he cannot tell the disciples when he will return, meaning that any "end times" prophecies should immediately be regarded as suspect at best. Second, the positive warrants in the Gospels are virtually nonexistent; all that's said in there is that they will be persecuted, but their redemption (heaven, perhaps?) will come.

    In fact, you have a pretty huge problem if you try to read this as an end-times prediction: we're still here. Jesus explicitly said that this generation would not pass away before the changes he talked about took place, and if you actually contend that those changes were the end-times, then you have a real problem on your hands.

    This is why I always get frustrated with end-times predictions. People always, and they've done this for thousands of years now, yank verses or even chapters out of their particular historical and theological contexts to construct detailed analyses of exactly what the end-times would look like (and, often, when it would happen). Though their repeated failures should speak to the wisdom of end-times speculation, it unfortunately still exists, and should be confronted.

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/22/2008 @ 6:38pm

  49. Wright IS Obama's pastor. Hagee is a SUPPORTER of McCain. Like Hamas is a supporter of Obama.

    Posted by abcloven at 05/22/2008

    By now you should know that even MCain disagrees with you. Hagee has been dumped. Not only did McCain reject endorsrement but instructed Hagee to withdraw his endorsement. Pretty much this association is considered by McCain's political handlers to be poison. Can't wait to find out more details on the special interest groups that are fronting the McCain candidacy. Hmmmm....wonder if the Saudi's have pitched in knowing McCain will willingly protect their sorry asses with our defense budget while they refuse to increase production of oil....my...my....my....should be interesting.

    By the way, Obama spoke in Boca Raton today in a synagogue. Seems to me that informed Jewish voters aren't buying the Hamas spin, and they warmly welcomed and cheered him on. He will be friend of Israel, and Jewish voters are going to increasingly come to him once Clinton drops out the race. While security of Israel is important, Jewish voters in this Country want a change big time too and the Jewish community is plenty pissed that the Republicans have strengthened Iran, weakened our military, made Iraq a powderkeg, and squandered our resources. Intelligent voters will vote Obama -- and South Florida will be no exception. Extremists like Hagee represent nothing other than the nutjobs who attend his church. Interfaith Alliance was going to bring him down if McCain didn't pull the trigger himself today. A good day for both faith and reason I would say!!|

    Posted by OneVote at 05/22/2008 @ 6:42pm

  50. You only affirm what I charged earlier today. Many on the left want to use these issues to try and dictate what we can believe as Christians and Jews.

    Posted by lvliberty1

    this is very ironic.

    i bet you're afraid the commie obama is going to order solely the teaching of "abstinence only religion" in schools.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/23/2008 @ 04:31am

  51. the evils of islam......

    eeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/23/2008 @ 04:31am

  52. As I remarked to a number of other Christians today, the warnings I have been giving for over a year are beginning to come to the surface. The anti-Christian, and anti G-d in general crowd is feeling emboldened to begin attacking Christianity on a level this country has never witnessed.

    •••••••••••••••••

    i think you better lay of the peyote.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/23/2008 @ 04:44am

  53. off

    Posted by frosty zoom at 05/23/2008 @ 05:02am

  54. HAHAHAHAHA

    oh man! even when they try to explain themselves, it just gets weirder and weirder.

    The Flying Spaghetti Monster says...

    Zeus said...

    Thor told us in the Eddas...

    Well said here by Carol [" Its like a freaking child blaming an imaginary friend."]

    Who is your imaginary friend?

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/23/2008 @ 10:40am

  55. LvLiberty-Claiming that Christians are under attack and hated is just one more thing that you people have made up in order to pretend that the teaching is true.You are not being persecuted nor are you hated.In fact,you guys are the ones who spew the most hate and do the judging and condemning.Jesus told you to seek the truth and did not say that you should make things up in order to pretend it's true.Christianity is the worlds largest religion and you are not persecuted,but you do persecute others that disagree with you.You are doing what your kind likes to do and that is, point the finger at others.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 05/23/2008 @ 10:48am

  56. Oh man...so three things worth noting.

    1) Liberty hasn't touched any of the end-times stuff, which is actually a little surprising.

    2) I think Nobody is partially right here. I'd be careful, because it IS true that Christians are persecuted in many countries where they are the majority religion. This is certainly not exclusive to Christianity, granted, and sometimes it's Christians persecuting other Christians or Christians persecuting other religions, but persecution still remains a fact in many countries.

    That said, though, the idea that Christians are being systematically persecuted in the US is pretty out there. Seriously? As Jon Stewart pointed out, how many Presidents have been Christian, again? All of them. Frankly, I don't think ANY religion in the status quo US can honestly claim true persecution, much less Christianity. Granted, Christians have too often been voices of intolerance rather than of love for neighbor, and that's something that needs to be addressed.

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/23/2008 @ 11:27am

  57. Sorry; when I said three, I meant two. I promise I can do math...

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/23/2008 @ 11:28am

  58. Granted, Christians have too often been voices of intolerance rather than of love for neighbor, and that's something that needs to be addressed.

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/23/2008

    I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. I think everyone wants to play the victim, everyone wants to play like they are being persecuted because no one can open there eyes and see that things are worse for other people.

    I think it is a very American thing to want to play the victim because America is all about rooting for the underdog, which is funny because America is THE superpower.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 05/23/2008 @ 11:47am

  59. "Also, though I can understand the reticence of many on these boards to directly engage Hagee's views, I think that their significance in political dialogue requires that they be met head-on, on their own terms. So, that said, I want to tackle Liberty's analysis."

    Posted by Thrawn at 05/22/2008 | ignore this person | warn this person

    Whatever happened to separation of church and state? I don't need to or want to hear any Sunday school crap from Elmer Gantrys who are here to push their political agenda. Saw Jesse Ventura last night on the boob tube. He thinks all these so called religious leaders who are pushing their political agenda under the guise of being religious leaders should have their tax exemptions revoked. I would include LivLib in that category. He spends more time here than he does attending to god's and charitable work. LivLib supports a war that other should pay for, not him. What hypocrisy! If you want to humor him...fine. Nothing you say or do will ever change a fanatic's mind.

    Posted by OneVote at 05/23/2008 @ 1:32pm

Advertisement
Advertisement

Blogs

» The Beat

Jobless Figures Pose Social, Political Threat for Obama, Dems | The president and his aides are failing to focus enough attention on the most serious economic issue. Democrats could pay the penalty in 2010.
John Nichols
28 Comments
Posted at 1:27 PM ET

» Act Now!

Defining Patriotism | What do you value in the traditions of your country?
Peter Rothberg
50 Comments

» Editor's Cut

Rediscovering Secular America | This Fourth of July those who identify themselves as non-believers have much cause for celebration.
Katrina vanden Heuvel
73 Comments

» The Notion

Celebrating the Fourth by Remembering the Fifth | On Independence Day, the forgotten and imperiled Fifth Amendment bears honoring.
Eyal Press
39 Comments

» Altercation

Mikey 'n' Me | I got closer to Michael Jackson than almost anyone, or at least closer than most people of the age of consent.
Eric Alterman

» Capitolism

Washington: Even More Corrupt Than You Thought! | Washington Post sells access to lobbyists.
Christopher Hayes
69 Comments

» The Dreyfuss Report

Whisky Tango Foxtrot? | General Jones tells the generals in Kabul: don't bother asking for more troops.
Robert Dreyfuss
65 Comments