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This piece is on our two favorite topics in this country, politics and religion.
I bring this up because of the overwhelming influence that some religious leaders have on the White house and our U.S. policy towards the middle east, especially when it comes to Israel.
You have people like John Hagee and Rod Parsley, to name a few, who would like to see the 'end times' come upon us as soon as possible. Especially Hagee!
Hagee is one who totally supports Israel and has giving much money to various groups such as the United Jewish Appeal . He raised over $1 million to help Soviet Jews resettle in Israel. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself.
Hagee believes that the resettlement of Soviet Jewry is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. It must be pretty heady to think and project that you are one of the major instruments for the fulfillment of the prophetic Word. No wonder his followers are impressed and even mesmerized.
Hagee and many other preachers have gone political in their support of Israel, especially with the way things are being played out at the present time. They see the war in Iraq and our future attack on Iran as the beginning of the end so far as biblical prophecy is concerned.
From BBC News
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
That final battle between East and West - at Armageddon, as the actual Israeli location of Meggido is known in English - will precipitate the second coming of Christ, he concludes.
And what they see in the news only reinforces their faith, according to Timothy Shah, a scholar at the Pew Forum.
"When they see what's going on in the Middle East, a whole range of enemies arrayed against God's people, they see God's word being played out on their television sets," he said.
Said Nancy Roman, the director of the Council on Foreign Relations:
"Part of what is happening is that the evangelical community in the US is becoming more engaged in the political process," she said.
"Whereas the church used to counsel people not to engage in politics, many churches are now counseling the opposite.
"It's important and it will have a huge influence on foreign policy over time," she added. Entire Article
Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism: " Christian Zionism is responsible for American support for some of the most irredentist Israeli positions."
"The influence of Hagee is to make the American public support the government's completely one-sided, hawkishly pro-Israel stance. These groups have much more influence than Aipac or the so-called Israel lobby."
Being a Christian myself, I find it appalling that we have so-called preachers who are vigorously pushing for war and for what would become almost total annihilation of this planet.
I guess that Hagee and the rest haven't studied the Book of Revelation to thoroughly as of late. No matter how you try to interpret it, the United States is really not mentioned in it. Some will say that it is because the U.S. did not exist at the time of the writings. This may be true, but since it is a book dealing with the future, I would think that we would be included in God's foreknowledge. Maybe the U.S. is in such bad shape by this time that we cannot do anything with the events surrounding us so we did not warrant any mention?
Go here,here,and here for more reading on the Christian Zionist movement and the repercussions that they will have on the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Evangelical Right for a view on Hagee's White House visit.
1 Comment:
A New Perspective for Religion-Based Foreign Policy: Former Talk Show Host Challenges Evangelicals’ Politics in New Book
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A New Perspective for Religion-Based Foreign Policy: Former Talk Show Host Challenges Evangelicals’ Politics in New Book
REDLANDS, Calif. – With religious turmoil in the Middle East at the top of international news and religious disputes prominent, religion is at the forefront of discussion in the nation. Author Joe Ortiz presents a study of the Bible based on etymology and disproves many of the principles previously believed by Christians in his book, The End Times Passover: Etymological Challenges to Millenarian Doctrines (now available through AuthorHouse).
Many Christians are anticipating the end of the world, never more than now with the outbreak of Holy Wars and religious terrorism in the Middle East and throughout the world. They are also anticipating the Rapture, or the return of Jesus Christ to Earth to rescue the righteous before Armageddon.
By deciphering etymological clues in the Bible, Ortiz reveals proof that Christians cannot count on the Rapture for their salvation. He also argues against a number of recognized Christian principles, including the idea that the Promised Land is located in the Middle East, the belief that human souls go directly to heaven or hell after death and the promise that God’s only children are ethnic Jews.
These truths are particularly important now, as America intervenes in the Holy Wars taking place in the Middle East. “Right wing evangelicals who promote the ‘Left Behind’ doctrine such as Tim LaHaye, John Hagee, Hal Lindsey and others arguably believe that the state of Israel is key to Bible prophecy,’ Ortiz says. “The proponents of this erroneous doctrine have unwittingly been pounding the theological hammers on U.S. foreign policy for over a century, only to drive a bigger wedge between Jews and Arabs who want peace in the Middle East.”
Ortiz argues that Christians should act as peacemakers instead of supporting a military solution to a centuries-old feud. “It took over 20 years of research and writing to provide conclusive answers to the premillennial, dispensational debate,” Ortiz says. “When those preachers and teachers of Bible prophecy read this book, they will soon realize they are promoting a militant and destructive doctrine instead of a genuine gospel of peace.”
A former talk show host, Ortiz was the first Mexican-American in the United States to host a talk show on an English-speaking commercial radio station. He has more than 30 years of experience in social services and communications, most recently as the director of public relations and fund raising for Catholic Charities of San Bernardino/Riverside, Calif., and also managed the organization’s homeless family shelter in Palm Springs, Calif. His media experience includes more than 20 years reporting and hosting programs on TV and radio, as well as writing for a syndicated publisher in California. He currently owns his own public relations consulting company, Joe Ortiz and Associates. His first book, Saved? What Do You Mean Saved? was published in 1983.
AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For more information, please visit www.authorhouse.com.
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