DOCSLIB.ORG

Our Hagee Problem Has Yet to Be Addressed

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Our Hagee Problem Has Yet to Be Addressed June 6th, 2008 Our Hagee Problem Has Yet To Be Addressed By Leonard Fein By now, Pastor John Hagee has been revealed as a theological boor and John McCain has deftly, if belatedly, stepped away from the Hagee embrace he had earlier so assiduously sought and so gratefully welcomed. “Boor” is a rough word, I know. So let Hagee speak for himself: “It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God’s chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day. How utterly repulsive, insulting, and heartbreaking to God for His chosen people to credit idols with bringing blessings He had showered upon the chosen people. Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come…. it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people.” What led to the McCain crisis was the discovery by Bruce Wilson and Talk to Action of a recording of a Hagee sermon from the late 1990s in which the pastor claims that the Holocaust was prophesied in the Bible: How will God bring the Jews back to Israel? “The answer is given in Jeremiah 16, verse 15 and following. God says in Jeremiah 16: ‘Behold I will bring them the Jewish people again unto their land that I gave unto their fathers’ — that would be Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — ‘Behold I will send for many fishers and after will I send for many hunters.’ The fishers were the Zionists, men like Theodore Herzl who called for the Jews of Europe and the world to come to Palestine and establish the Jewish state. The Jews were encouraged to escape while there was still time.” 1 And the hunters? “A hunter is someone who comes with a gun and forces you. Hitler was a hunter. That will be offensive to some people. Well, dear heart, be offended: I didn’t write it. Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth. How did it happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said, ‘My top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the Land of Israel.’” So this self-proclaimed philosemite believes we brought all the centuries of persecution, culminating in the Holocaust, on ourselves. Or he believes that God created Hitler to inflict divine punishment upon us. That was the occasion for McCain’s “I am shocked, shocked” repudiation of Hagee’s endorsement. End of story? Hardly. What happens to Hagee now? Christians United for Israel, an organization founded by Hagee, is planning to hold its third annual “Washington-Israel Summit” toward the end of July. Among the currently scheduled speakers are not only Hagee and Gary Bauer, but also Daniel Pipes, former senator Rick Santorum, Charles Jacobs of the David Project, Dennis Prager, William Kristol, Senator Joe Lieberman and Sallai Meridor, Israel’s ambassador to the United States. How many of these will now, in light of the new information about Hagee’s beliefs, cancel out? Or will they twist and turn to rationalize their continuing support for this false witness? And: What if anything will the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where Hagee was just last year a featured speaker at its annual Washington conference, say about the pastor? Talk about rapture: The assembled Aipac delegates last year responded to Hagee’s provocative rhetoric with nine standing ovations, as if they’d been on the brink of starvation until he tossed them his red meat. My favorite? Hagee: “It is 1938. Iran is Germany. And Ahmadinejad is the new Hitler.” Audience: Standing ovation. “It is 1938” as an applause line? Go figure. And: For 26 years now, Hagee has been sponsoring, in cities across the country, an event entitled “A Night to Stand for Israel.” Between January 8, 2007, and May 15, 2008, there have been 39 such evenings, typically attended by more than 1,000 Evangelical Christians and almost 2 always a few Jewish jingoes, usually including the local federation executive and a nonplussed rabbi. Think of it: Phoenix and Philadelphia, Madison and Miami and Minneapolis, Toronto and Tulsa, Anchorage, Des Moines and Charlotte and 29 more. And at every one, a check handed over from Christians United for Israel to the local Jewish federation for one form or another of welfare work in Israel. What more than we now have before us is required in order for us to refuse this walk-on part in another’s noxious melodrama? “Jewish jingoes?” you might ask. Jingo, according to the American Heritage Dictionary: “One who vociferously supports one’s country, especially one who supports a belligerent foreign policy.” Hagee, at the opening Christians United for Israel conference in 2006: “The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God’s plan for both Israel and the West… a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation… and [the] Second Coming of Christ.” For that matter, when will Israel stop rolling out the red carpet for Hagee and his followers? Other pastors have resigned their ministries in disgrace over lesser offenses — say, for example, for engaging the services of a male prostitute. Yet here is Hagee, busy making cheap whores out of as many Jews as he can snare — after all, we need all the friends we can get, right? — and so far, at least, only John McCain has pushed him away. McCain’s Hagee problem has been resolved, even if there’s a sour aftertaste. Our Hagee problem has yet to be addressed, let alone resolved. For in addition to, and perhaps even prior to, “standing for Israel,” there is also, or ought to be, something called self-respect. Oh yes: And when will his followers abandon him? 3.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Minister Apologizes to Catholics; Some Question If Politics Behind It
    Minister apologizes to Catholics; some question if politics behind it WASHINGTON – After the Rev. John Hagee, a San Antonio televangelist, sent a letter to the head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights apologizing for any comments he made “that Catholics have found hurtful,” the league’s president, William Donohue, said that “the case is closed.” Other Catholic leaders said the gesture toward reconciliation should be graciously accepted but that there was a ring of partisan political maneuvering to the publicity about Rev. Hagee’s anti-Catholic rhetoric and the apology. The words of the minister, the pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, became an issue because of his endorsement of a presidential candidate. Richard R. Gaillardetz, professor of Catholic studies at the University of Toledo in Ohio, said while Rev. Hagee’s May 12 letter “goes beyond the garden variety ‘I’m sorry if someone was offended’ apology,” the way the controversy has played out seems to have political motivations in addition to concern for decrying anti- Catholicism. When presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain received a highly publicized endorsement by Rev. Hagee, Mr. Donohue blasted the Arizona senator for seeking the support of someone who “has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church.” “For example, he likes calling it ‘the great whore,’ an ‘apostate church,’ the ‘Antichrist,’ and a ‘false cult system,’“ said Mr. Donohue in a Feb. 28 press release. Video of Rev. Hagee using such terms in his televised preaching is available on several Internet sites. Sen. McCain has said he does not agree with Rev.
    [Show full text]
  • Jerusalem, Trump and the San Antonio Connection
    Jerusalem, Trump and the San Antonio Connection Nadine Saliba On December 6, 2017, US president Donald Trump announced East Jerusalem fell under Jordanian control. During the 1967 that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital war, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and later annexed it. This of Israel and move the US embassy there. Like several Demo- annexation however was deemed null and void by the United cratic and Republican presidential candidates before him, Nations because it was in violation of international law. Trump had made this a major campaign promise. After all, a Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is pro-Israel US foreign policy has always enjoyed bipartisan sup- considered a break from what is seen as a more balanced, long- port. For example, the democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck held US position that the status of Jerusalem should be deter- LA VOZ Schumer, endorsed the move. Even liberal comedian, Trump mined through negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. critic and known Islamophobe, Bill Maher announced his sup- But it’s important to remember that it was under this decades- port for the Jerusalem decision premising his position with the old US policy that Israel continued to occupy and colonize de disclaimer: “I hate to agree with Donald Trump, but...”. East Jerusalem with impunity. It was under this so-called more 2 31 Issue • March 2018 Vol. ESPERANZA The US congress had already passed, with strong biparti- balanced US position that Israel worked diligently to change san support, a law in 1995 called the Jerusalem Embassy Act, the city’s demographic character, creating a Jewish majority which declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel and required the through policies that constitute a clear violation of interna- US to move its embassy there by 1999.
    [Show full text]
  • {FREE} in Defense of Israel Ebook
    IN DEFENSE OF ISRAEL PDF, EPUB, EBOOK John Hagee | 224 pages | 02 Oct 2007 | Strang Communications Company | 9781599792101 | English | Florida, United States John Hagee - In Defense of Israel - Apologetics Index Read this shocking expose, In Defense of Israel emphasis added. If this volume lives up to the promotion, namely that Jesus did not claim to be , and was not , the promised Messiah of Old Testament literature, it is heresy at its worst. If the promo is some sort of theological subterfuge designed to accelerate sales, it is duplicity in its vilest manifestation. Most commonly it was employed of an act anointing or consecrating a man for a special office—such as a prophet 1 Kings , priest Exodus , or king 1 Samuel Each of these three sacred offices was combined uniquely in the person of Jesus Acts ; Hebrews ; Revelation In the New Testament the term Christos times , i. The fact is, the promotional blurb cited above contains an egregious contradiction. The New Testament demonstrates this psalm to be fulfilled in Christ Acts ; ; Hebrews ; Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God has made both Lord and Christ [Messiah] this Jesus whom you crucified Acts It is theological insanity to make the claims John Hagee has done. It hardly is necessary to pile evidence on top of evidence for the messianic role of Jesus of Nazareth. Words have meanings and Mr. If one cannot express his ideas honestly and lucidly, he needs to cease his journalistic endeavors until he can. The problem, however, is with his new book "In Defense of Israel" where Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • John Hagee, Christian Zionism, Us Foreign Policy and the State of Israel
    JOHN HAGEE, CHRISTIAN ZIONISM, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL: AN INTERTWINED RELATIONSHIP Master’s Thesis Presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Brandeis University S. Ilan Troen, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Michael Kupferberg May 2009 Copyright by Michael Kupferberg May, 2009 ABSTRACT John Hagee, Christian Zionism, U.S. Foreign Policy and the State of Israel: An Intertwined Relationship A thesis presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, MA By Michael Kupferberg Christian Zionism while originating in England over two centuries ago is currently experiencing a reinvigoration, especially in the political world. Christian Zionists are using politics as a way to fulfill Biblical prophecy, by influencing powerful politicians in all levels of government to support Israel. The most vocal, and prominent leader within the Christian Zionist movement is Pastor John Hagee. Through the establishment of his organization Christians United for Israel, Hagee has localized and given a tangible center for Christian Zionist activists. Additionally, the movement has gained membership as it was established in the model of a grassroots organization. Hagee has become a well known figure in the political community, and garners national media attention. While it has become fashionable in recent times to criticize Jewish organizations such as AIPAC, it is the Christian Zionist organizations which yield a large portion of power in Washington. However, it is crucial to realize that while CUFI and groups like it may yield some power in Washington, and account for some of the decision making that goes into U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Though General Election Focused on Economy, Religion-Related Storylines Were a Key Element in the Campaign
    How the News Media Covered Religion in the General Election Obama Gets Most Coverage, Much of It on False Rumor He Is a Muslim Nov. 20, 2008 Religion played a much more significant role in the media coverage of President-elect Barack Obama than it did in the press treatment of Republican nominee John McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign, but much of the coverage related to false yet persistent rumors that Obama is a Muslim. Meanwhile, there was little attempt by the news media during the campaign to comprehensively examine the role of faith in the political values and policies of the candidates, save for those of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. And when religion-focused campaign stories were covered by the mainstream press, often the context was negative, controversial or focused on a perceived political problem. In all, religion was a significant but not overriding storyline in the media coverage of the 2008 campaign. But in a campaign in which an Obama victory would give the U.S. its first black president, religion received as much coverage in the media as race. These are some of the findings of a new study of the coverage of religion in the campaign conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The study examined religion-focused election coverage in 48 different news outlets between June 1 and Oct. 15, 2008. 1 The “culture war” issues that have been prominent in past elections, such as abortion and gay marriage, received minimal attention in 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Journal December 2015
    Happy Hanukkah! Let the celebration begin at sundown December 6, 2015. The Jewish Journalof san antonio KISLEV – TEVET 5776 Published by The Jewish Federation of San Antonio DECEMBER 2015 PJ Library Goes to School unifies San Antonio How can we WINTER BREAK FUN! Jewish preschools collectively Missing summer friends bring light and fun? Sign-up for a San Antonio’s three Jewish early childhood winter camp! centers the Barshop Jewish Community Center’s into the world Block and Dreeben School for Young Children, PAGE 26-27 in 2016? Gan Gani Preschool of Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning, and Heintz Preschool at Agudas Join Federation's Achim gathered on November 11 for a collaborative, campaign to serve enriching day of learning for their faculty. those in need See PJ LIBRARY, page 12 near and far. (l to r) Celina Geideshman, Heintz Preschool director; Lauren Abraham, Details on PJ Library San Antonio Coordinator; Lisa Litman, National PJ Library pages 5 & 7 Goes To School director; Rivkie Block, Gan Gani director; and Alissa WHAT’S HAPPENING As a community, we Levey Baugh JCC Block and Dreeben School director. are stronger together. See what everyone’s been up to! PAGE 18-19 Updated Chanukah Torahs rescued following on the River schedule the Holocaust on display The Chanukah on the River minimize the amount of walking This Hanukkah Cruise on Sunday, Dec. 13 between venues and will shorten Congregation Rodfei will leave from the Arneson the duration of the program. Sholom will celebrate the River Theatre landing at 1 p.m. This will allow families to make miracle of the small cruse NOT at 3 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Lincoln Park Jewish Center Deeply Mourns Torah Theft by STEPHEN E
    WESTCHESTER October 2020 -- Tishrei- Cheshvan 5781, Volume 26, Issue 10 1994-2019 JewishWESTCHESTER COUNTY’S ONLY MONTHLY JEWISHLife NEWSPAPER Lincoln Park Jewish Center Deeply Mourns Torah Theft BY STEPHEN E. LIPKEN the robber was wear- of the building. ing a Harvard Univer- “The Torah had a white cover, Lincoln Park Jewish Center, sity tee shirt, had a commemorating Board Member Sid- Yonkers (LPJC) suffered the loss of a beard and appeared to ney Goldman’s 90th birthday,” Sch- precious Torah prior to the Yom Kip- be Caucasian. weizer continued. “The scroll’s fad- pur Holiday, according to LPJC Presi- “On the day of the ing lettering was recently repaired. dent Jack Schweizer. theft, he first came in Our Torah is approximately 100 years “The incident happened on at 12:50 p.m. then left old. The Universal Torah Registry was Friday afternoon, September 25th, the building. The sur- queried and the missing Torah was about 4:50 p.m.,” Schweizer noted. veillance shows that not recorded. “The perpetrator took the Torah and he went around to the “It is an ongoing investigation. a Tallit in addition to a laptop com- door to the left of the The Yonkers Police are looking into puter, guitar, and articles of clothing property and walked the case aggressively and the LPJC belonging to a LPJC member. around. He probably community is hopeful that the Torah “The alleged thief changed into scoped out the build- will be recovered and the perpetra- the clothing, dumped his initial out- ing for a means of tor apprehended. Of course, the Con- fit into a trash bin and left approxi- access into the syna- gregation was very upset, especially mately an hour later in which we have gogue and found a since it was just before Yom Kippur video surveillance, at 5:50 p.m., short- weak point.
    [Show full text]
  • Christian Zionism and Its Religious Influence in American Politics Patrick Q
    No. 1 Spring 2009 Christian Zionism and its Religious Influence in American Politics Patrick Q. Mason and Khadiga Omar One of the distinctive elements of the United States’ foreign policy is its close alli- ance with Israel. Numerous reasons can be given for this warm relationship: Is- rael’s political and economic orientation toward the West; America’s desire to main- tain a strategic partner in the Middle East; the democratic polities of both nations; the residual effects of post-Holocaust guilt in the West; and the disproportionate lobbying weight of the American Jewish community, to name a few. An additional factor that helps explain the strength of the bond between the United States and Israel is the influence of an often ignored or misunderstood movement called Chris- tian Zionism. Christian Zionists have enjoyed easy access to the halls of power in recent years because of the importance of religious conservatives to the Republican base, as well as the personal evangelical Christian faith of former president George W. Bush. From this platform Christian Zionism has exerted significant influence on American policy toward Israel and the Middle East more broadly. Even with the relative decline of conservative power and the ascendance of President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, Christian Zionism remains a potent force that will affect the policy decisions of the new administration. Understanding Christian Zionism ArabIssues ArabIssues ArabIssues Christian Zionism is the belief among some Christians that the return of Jews to Is- - - - rael is a providential fulfillment of biblical prophecy and represents a necessary step toward the Second Coming of Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Masculinity and Obama's Feminine Side
    Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law Scholarly Works Faculty Scholarship 2009 Our First Unisex President?: Black Masculinity and Obama's Feminine Side Frank Rudy Cooper University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub Part of the Law and Gender Commons, Law and Race Commons, and the President/Executive Department Commons Recommended Citation Cooper, Frank Rudy, "Our First Unisex President?: Black Masculinity and Obama's Feminine Side" (2009). Scholarly Works. 1124. https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/facpub/1124 This Article is brought to you by the Scholarly Commons @ UNLV Boyd Law, an institutional repository administered by the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OUR FIRST UNISEX PRESIDENT?: BLACK MASCULINITY AND OBAMA'S FEMININE SIDE FRANK RUDY COOPERt ABSTRACT People often talk about the significance of Barack Obama's status as our first black President. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, however, a newspaper columnist declared, "If Bill Clinton was once con- sidered America's first black president, Obama may one day be viewed as our first woman president." That statement epitomized a large media discourse on Obama's femininity. In this essay, I thus ask how Obama will influence people's understandings of the implications of both race and gender. To do so, I explicate and apply insights from the fields of identity performance theory, critical race theory, and masculinities studies. With respect to race, the essay confirms my prior theory of "bipolar black masculinity." That is, the media tends to represent black men as either the completely threatening and race-affirming Bad Black Man or the completely comforting and assimilationist Good Black Man.
    [Show full text]
  • FROM ANTI-SEMITISM to ISRAELMANIA an Honors Thesis
    FROM ANTI-SEMITISM TO ISRAELMANIA An Honors Thesis (HONR 499) by Garett Cates Thesis Advisor Dr. Jason Powell Ball State University Muncie, Indiana Apri12016 Expected Date of Graduation May 2016 ..5pCo) J Ll nder3rod I he.= J5~ L1 ~'I '1ft .ZJ-j d-.,0)6 .c.3R ABSTRACT This thesis examines the 19th century theological developments by John Nelson Darby and C.I. Scofield and the transition from historical Christianity's belief about the Jews to the modern Evangelical view of the Jews and the modern nation of Israel. I demonstrate how the doctrines of Darby and Scofield have influenced American politicians, and by extension, America's foreign policy and how these doctrines have shaped mainstream Christianity's public opinion of Israel. I then analyze, through a Biblical framework, one of the most controversial questions of all time: Who are God's chosen people? ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Jason Powell for serving as my thesis advisor and also for serving as a mentor throughout my entire progression in the Honors College - for fostering a fun and academic environment, challenging his students to be independent thinkers and pioneers of our own ideas. I would also like to thank my dad and mom for raising me, loving me unconditionally, and always holding me to high standards. I would like to thank Hayley for her godly friendship, inspiring me to be a better person, and being my best friend at this stage of life. Also I would like to thank Pastor Steven Anderson for presenting me with the gospel and giving me a love of God's Word.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Blood Moons John Hagee
    Four Blood Moons John Hagee [[Worthy logo]] Contents 1. Signs in the Heavens 2. The Star in the East 3. Warning Comes before Judgment 4. The Spine of Prophecy 5. When Will These Things Be? 6. Let No Man Deceive You 7. God’s Mission Impossible 8. Has the Rapture Happened? 9. Land of Promise, Land of Strife 10. Wars and Rumors of War 11. The Coming Famine 12. Anarchy in America 13. The Gospel of the Kingdom 14. The Coming Antichrist 15. The Mystery Verse 16. The Second Coming 17. The Four Blood Moons of 1493–94 18. The Four Blood Moons of 1949–50 19. The Four Blood Moons of 1967–68 20. The Prophetic Bull’s-Eye Notes Chapter 1 Signs in the Heavens There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars . then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. —Luke 21:25, 27–28 As the plane circled over the majestic beauty of Nantucket Sound, I looked out the window at the tall spruce trees that surrounded a series of glassy smooth lakes. On the shoreline were elegant homes with boat ramps and fishing docks extended into the lakes. It was the American paradise that is the gorgeous state of Washington. The wheels of the jet touched down on the runway with their familiar screech, which is always music to my ears.
    [Show full text]
  • American Christian Zionism and U.S. Policy on Settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories
    Lauer American Christian Zionism and U.S. Policy on Settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories Erin Lauer American University School of International Service Honors in International Studies Senior Capstone Advisor: Boaz Atzili Spring 2009 - 1 - Lauer “If America forces Israel to give up the Golan Heights or the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), it will clearly violate scripture. We are giving the enemies of Israel the high ground in the coming war for Israel’s survival. It’s time for our national leaders in Washington to stop this madness.” Reverend John Hagee President, Christians United for Israel In Defense of Israel , 2007 - 2 - Lauer Foreword This research is the culmination of spending nearly 2 years living and working in different aspects of the Arab- Israeli conflict. Living with the Mhassan family, who fled from Ramallah to Amman, Jordan during the 1967 war, shaped my passion for the conflict, as I saw several aspects of the Palestinian Diaspora experience in my time abroad from September 2007-June 2008. The past academic year has been focused on the American political connection to the conflict, experienced through my time interning at the American Task Force on Palestine and the Foundation for Middle East Peace. These experiences have been critical to my development as a student and as a researcher, and I can say certainly that without these experiences, this research would not have happened. In the course of this research, I have received great help from people on all sides of this issue, and without them, this paper would not be the piece it is today.
    [Show full text]