-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: June 10, 2007 1:16:29 PM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Fwd: Christian Zionist John Hagee's Cornerstone Church (of
Which God?)
See what's free at AOL.com.
From: "Jim S." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: June 9, 2007 4:53:45 PM PDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: An Observer at Christian Zionist Leader John Hagee's
Cornerstone Church
PHARISEE WATCH
From Religious Rant to Political Bombast to Spiritual Emptiness and
Deception
By Reverend Art Preisinger
If John Hagee's "Night to Honor Israel" extravaganza is any
indication, Christian Zionism is a misnomer. From happy-clappy
Jewish praise music, to love songs crooned to and about Israel, to
a kitschy Hava Nagila; from invocations and benedictions that turn
out to be sermons; from Muslim-bashing to Israel lauding; from
dramatic processions to keynote addresses; from offerings taken and
offerings given -- there was not a shred, a trace, a scintilla of
Christianity in the proceedings. It could well have been sponsored
by the P.T.A. or the Rotary Club.
Of course, if Hagee wants to honor Israel and give it gobs of non-
governmental funds that is certainly his privilege. But to promote
this under the aegis of "Christian" is, frankly, fraudulent.
But the "Night to Honor Israel" was worse than a fraud -- it was
idolatrous, and this in two ways.
First, what was worshiped was the state of Israel, and more
particularly, Jerusalem. Select passages culled from the Hebrew
Bible, referring to Israel's "right" to the land -- all of
Palestine -- and an undivided Jewish Jerusalem were repeated again
and again ad nauseam. What was not quoted were those passages that
speak of the obligation to do justice and practice mercy.
Part of the problem is in the word "prophecy." Christian Zionists,
as well as most fundamentalists and millennialists, use that word
almost exclusively as a means to understand present, and predict
future, events. [Jewish understanding of "prophecy" also differ
from Christian Zionists.] Contemporary events, seen through the
spectacles of "prophecy," lead to "Rapture" and "Tribulations" and
"Second Comings" and "Armageddon." Biblical passages are
interpreted to coincide with that scenario.
On the other hand, prophecy in its initial sense is a human agent
(the prophet) who speaks [']God's['] word for a particular
existential situation. Christian Zionists would be well-advised,
for example, to read the book of the prophet Amos as a corrective
to these skewed interpretations of various passages often quoted
from Ezekiel. Daniel, and Revelation.
Second, the adulation of John Hagee, as one who is becoming the
most important leader of contemporary Christian Zionism, if not
idolatry, comes awfully close to it. This cult of the personality
was most striking at the "Night." David Brog, Executive Director
of C.U.F.I. [Christians United for Israel] extolled the virtues of
Hagee in the words, "Pastor John Hagee is not an important man.
Pastor John Hagee is a great man!" With the cheering and clapping
and whistling and stomping of feet and raised arms of the 3000
disciples at this announcement, I was reminded of Leni
Riefenstahl's film, "Triumph of the Will," about the Nuremberg
rallies in Nazi Germany. Hitler had his Goebbels; Hagee has his Brog.
Interspersed with religious rant from misinterpreted Hebrew
Scriptures (the New Testament was not mentioned once, nor was
Jesus; God got a tip of the hat only occasionally) was political
bombast. This was supplied by Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice
President of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish
Organizations.
Two things were most disturbing: the advocation of violence and the
racism of the Christian Zionist movement. Time and again Hoenlein,
as well as Hagee, called for the bombing and possible invasion of
Iran. Diplomacy is not an option since it simply conveys weakness
to the 300 million (count 'em) Muslim terrorists who "hate
freedom" (that old canard) and who, if not stopped in Iran, will
eventually come to our shores with suitcases full of nuclear bombs.
What is inherent in this scenario is the racism that declares the
superiority of the West and western culture over against the East
(read Middle East). And that racism is Manichaean -- in stark
terms "they" are evil, "we" are good (so Hoenlein). The good must
not only defend itself against the evil, it must wipe it out; it
must obliterate it.
Finally, I am struck by the fact that throughout the speeches and
the hoopla the centuries-old complaint of Jewish victimhood was
juxtaposed with Israeli military triumph (also of the will), which
(God?) will grant Israel. Victim or conqueror: You can't have it
both ways.
Hagee closed his speech with "God bless Israel and God bless the
United States of America." Implied is "and God damn all those who
are not us."
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------------
Our Guest Author on Pharisee Watch is Reverend Arthur A.
Preisinger, formerly a Lutheran pastor with long experiences in
Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East. He is now associated
with the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism.
http://www.christianzionism.org
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