Book Review
Name of the Book: Forcing Gods Hand: Why Millions
Pray for a Quick Rapture and Destruction of Planet
Earth
Author: Grace Halsell
Pages: 176
Publisher: Amana Publications ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/issuesonline/message/10788
Although rarely talked about in the media, Christian
fundamentalism has witnessed a frightening expansion
in recent years. Christian fundamentalism is based on
the belief that Christianity alone represents the
truth. All other religions are alleged to be false and
even Satanic and their followers are said to be
destined for hell. Today, Christian fundamentalism is
a major power to reckon with in America. President
Bush is himself a fervent Christian fundamentalist as
are several of his top advisors and a large number of
Republican Party members. Numerous Christian
fundamentalist mega-missionary agencies based in
America and Europe are working in poverty-stricken
countries of the world spreading their literalist,
hate-driven version of Christianity and have made
considerable headway in gaining converts.
Because of the vast resources at its disposal and its
close links with Western, particularly American,
officialdom, Christian fundamentalism is a far more
menacing form of religious fundamentalism, so this
remarkable book argues. Halsell, a noted American
author, an expert on Christian cults and speech writer
for the former American President Lyndon Johnson,
insists that Christian evangelist fundamentalists are
a major threat to humanity because they actively and
aggressively promote a global war that would engulf
the entire world and drive it to total destruction. As
their version of Christianity would have it, Jesus is
returning soon, but before that terrible events will
take place, the like of which the world has never seen
seek to destroy Israel. This will be accompanied by
massive bloodshed all over the world, followed by the
final global war of Armageddon. Then, Jesus will
descend to earth, slay the Anti-Christ and all those
who do not believe in Jesus and the monopolistic
claims of Christianity, and will sit on a throne in
Jerusalem to rule the world forever. In some versions
of the story, just before the global war begins all
righteous Christians will be miraculously lifted up to
heaven, leaving the rest of humanity to be killed and
then to suffer eternal damnation in hell. Halsell
insists that Christian fundamentalism is a call to and
appeal for global war. She also talks of the fiercely
pro-capitalist thrust of Christian fundamentalists and
the racist underpinnings of their theology.
Halsell tells us that advocates of what she calls
Armageddon theology are a major section of the
American population. More than a quarter of American
adults are Christian evangelist fundamentalists, she
claims. These are not simply the crazies one often
associates with various American cults. Several
American Presidents, including the present one, have
been sympathizers or passionate supporters of
aggressive Christian fundamentalism. A central pillar
of Christian fundamentalism is the defence of Israel,
and Halsell devotes much of her book to this. She
argues that consistent American support to Israel and
Israeli aggression has much to do with the enormous
clout of the Christian right-wing in American
policy-making circles. The US Treasury, she says, is
the largest source of funding to extremist Jewish
groups like the Gush Emunim and to organizations
engaged in the building of illegal Jewish settlements
in the Occupied Territories. From 1949 to 1995, US
taxpayers gave a total of 62.5 billion dollars to
Israel as foreign aid. Israel, one of the worlds
",1] ); //--> before. The Anti-Christ will rule the world and will
seek to destroy Israel. This will be accompanied by
massive bloodshed all over the world, followed by the
final global war of Armageddon. Then, Jesus will
descend to earth, slay the Anti-Christ and all those
who do not believe in Jesus and the monopolistic
claims of Christianity, and will sit on a throne in
Jerusalem to rule the world forever. In some versions
of the story, just before the global war begins all
righteous Christians will be miraculously lifted up to
heaven, leaving the rest of humanity to be killed and
then to suffer eternal damnation in hell. Halsell
insists that Christian fundamentalism is a call to and
appeal for global war. She also talks of the fiercely
pro-capitalist thrust of Christian fundamentalists and
the racist underpinnings of their theology.
Halsell tells us that advocates of what she calls
Armageddon theology are a major section of the
American population. More than a quarter of American
adults are Christian evangelist fundamentalists, she
claims. These are not simply the crazies one often
associates with various American cults. Several
American Presidents, including the present one, have
been sympathizers or passionate supporters of
aggressive Christian fundamentalism. A central pillar
of Christian fundamentalism is the defence of Israel,
and Halsell devotes much of her book to this. She
argues that consistent American support to Israel and
Israeli aggression has much to do with the enormous
clout of the Christian right-wing in American
policy-making circles. The US Treasury, she says, is
the largest source of funding to extremist Jewish
groups like the Gush Emunim and to organizations
engaged in the building of illegal Jewish settlements
in the Occupied Territories. From 1949 to 1995, US
taxpayers gave a total of 62.5 billion dollars to
Israel as foreign aid. Israel, one of the worlds
of Hong Kong, receives as much American foreign aid as
all the countries of the Caribbean, Latin America and
Sub-Saharan Africa combined, working out to an average
of more than 14000 dollars per Israeli.
American Christian Zionist fundamentalists, Halsell
tells us, have established very close links with
American and Israeli Jewish organizations and with
Israeli leaders. This support to Israel and the
Zionist agenda has, however, nothing to do with any
genuine love for the Jews and does not represent a
marked departure from the Churchs historical
opposition to the Jews. Rather, it all has to do with
the bizarre Christian fundamentalist theory of the end
of the world. According to this thesis, the end of the
world is drawing near, and Jesus second coming is
round the corner. But for this to happen, Jews living
elsewhere in the world must be settled in Israel, and
the dream of Greater Israel, stretching from Egypt to
Iraq be made real. The Jews must rebuild their temple,
which allegedly stood on the spot presently occupied
by the al-Aqsa mosque. Hence, numerous Christian
fundamentalist organizations are generously funding
Jewish efforts to settle Jews in Palestine, clearing
Palestine of the Arabs, egging on Western governments
to attack and destroy Arab countries opposed to Israel
and assisting extremist Jewish organizations who
advocate the destruction of the Al-Qasa mosque, even
though if that were to happen the chances of a Third
World War would be immeasurably closer than ever in
the past. Rather than this representing any sort of
sincere support for the Jews, Halsell says, it
represents a new form of anti-Semitism, because
Christian fundamentalists believe that once Jesus
returns to the world all Jews, along with all other
non-Christians who do not agree to believe in
Christianity, would be slain and then sent off to
",1] ); //--> smallest countries, with a population less than that
of Hong Kong, receives as much American foreign aid as
all the countries of the Caribbean, Latin America and
Sub-Saharan Africa combined, working out to an average
of more than 14000 dollars per Israeli.
American Christian Zionist fundamentalists, Halsell
tells us, have established very close links with
American and Israeli Jewish organizations and with
Israeli leaders. This support to Israel and the
Zionist agenda has, however, nothing to do with any
genuine love for the Jews and does not represent a
marked departure from the Churchs historical
opposition to the Jews. Rather, it all has to do with
the bizarre Christian fundamentalist theory of the end
of the world. According to this thesis, the end of the
world is drawing near, and Jesus second coming is
round the corner. But for this to happen, Jews living
elsewhere in the world must be settled in Israel, and
the dream of Greater Israel, stretching from Egypt to
Iraq be made real. The Jews must rebuild their temple,
which allegedly stood on the spot presently occupied
by the al-Aqsa mosque. Hence, numerous Christian
fundamentalist organizations are generously funding
Jewish efforts to settle Jews in Palestine, clearing
Palestine of the Arabs, egging on Western governments
to attack and destroy Arab countries opposed to Israel
and assisting extremist Jewish organizations who
advocate the destruction of the Al-Qasa mosque, even
though if that were to happen the chances of a Third
World War would be immeasurably closer than ever in
the past. Rather than this representing any sort of
sincere support for the Jews, Halsell says, it
represents a new form of anti-Semitism, because
Christian fundamentalists believe that once Jesus
returns to the world all Jews, along with all other
non-Christians who do not agree to believe in
Christianity, would be slain and then sent off to
Haslell concludes this remarkable book with a warning
that Christian fundamentalism, in league with the
American establishment, poses the gravest danger to
world peace and even to Christianity itself. Given the
enormous clout of the Christian fundamentalist lobby
in America and elsewhere the medias silence on the
global threat that it poses needs to be interrogated
as implicit complicity and reflecting a long tradition
of Western Christian racism that continues to thrive
today in different guises.
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",1] ); //--> eternal damnation in Hell.
Haslell concludes this remarkable book with a warning
that Christian fundamentalism, in league with the
American establishment, poses the gravest danger to
world peace and even to Christianity itself. Given the
enormous clout of the Christian fundamentalist lobby
in America and elsewhere the medias silence on the
global threat that it poses needs to be interrogated
as implicit complicity and reflecting a long tradition
of Western Christian racism that continues to thrive
today in different guises.
---------------------------------
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