THE RADICAL CENTER
…So It’s Time to Rid Ourselves of Extremists!
The Rise or Fall of American Empire
Chapter XIV
By
Doug Krieger
After telling the Catholics they were the Great Whore of Revelation 17 riding on the Beast; after Hagee told the Jews Hitler was used to bring the Diaspora back to their ancient homeland, Israel; and, after Hagee declared “Islam in general…those who live by the Koran have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews” – well, THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT! So ended the turbulent endorsement of evangelical Hagee on behalf of GOP candidate John McCain. Of course, the frosting on the cake included blasting Sodom and Witchcraft: “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that (Katrina) . . . As millions of people anticipate the release of the latest Harry Potter books is to desensitize readers and introduce them to the occult.” (The New Republic, Feb. 2008)
Evangelist Hagee clarified his position on Catholics and got that off his back (McCain hung in there with Hagee) . . . and the anti-Islamic remarks, well, grief, even the Rev. Franklin Graham says Islam is “wicked and violent”; but when “Hitler was used” to HUNT the European Jews and bring them back to Israel in accordance with Jeremiah 16:14-16; Ezekiel 34:13; 36:25; 37:21-22, that was enough for McCain!
“Then
God sent a hunter. A hunter is someone with a gun and he forces you. Hitler
was a hunter. And the Bible says -- Jeremiah writing – ‘They shall hunt them
from every mountain and from every hill and from the holes of the rocks,’
meaning there’s no place to hide. And that might be offensive to some people
but don’t let your 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.” (McCain
Backer Hagee Says Hitler Was Fulfilling God’s Will, Sam Stein, The
Huffington Post, May 21, 2008)
Conservative American Jews instantly came to Hagee’s defense:
“‘John Hagee is one of the Jewish people's best friends,’ Los Angeles talk show host Dennis Prager said on the air yesterday morning. ‘Identifying John Hagee with anti-Semitism would be like identifying Raoul Wallenberg, the great Swede who saved thousands of Jews in the Holocaust, with anti-Semitism.’
“Orthodox Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg, of Congregation Rodfei Sholom in San Antonio, appeared at an afternoon press conference yesterday to say Mr. Hagee's ‘words were twisted and used to attack him for being anti-Semitic.’
“In actuality, Mr. Hagee ‘interpreted a biblical verse in a way not very different from several legitimate Jewish authorities,’ the rabbi said.
“‘Viewing
Hitler as acting completely outside of God’s plan is to suggest that God was
powerless to stop the Holocaust, a position quite unacceptable to any
religious Jew or Christian,’ the rabbi said.
Notwithstanding the superlative defense of Hagee by Jews – these comments were interpreted by the absolute ignorance of the America media—a media that has utterly no idea what goes on in the heads of either evangelicals or religious Jews! I delight in using this purposefully wide brush stroke in castigating a press that is so isolated from the evangelical community that their interpolations of evangelical brain waves is akin to a kindergarten six-year old figuring out what’s going on in Jaime Escalante’s calculus class (Garfield High in East Los Angeles - where I did my student teaching).
Never mind, now’s no time to mess with a distraction like John Hagee, or, for that matter, the overtly anti-Islamic remarks of the Rev. Ron Parsley, who’s just as contentious as Hagee—so say the McCain advisors . . . but let’s hear how McCain, who courted these evangelical leaders, now disassociates from their extremist views:
“WASHINGTON -- After winning the backing of an influential Texas televangelist, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain today abruptly rejected the pastor's endorsement after more of his controversial remarks became public -- including a sermon in which he says the Nazis ‘operated on God's behalf’ to drive Jews from Europe to Israel.’
“McCain had distanced himself from the Rev. John Hagee's anti-Catholic remarks describing the church as a ‘great whore,’ a statement for which Hagee apologized earlier this month. But the Arizona senator, who wanted Hagee's support to shore up his uncertain standing among evangelical conservatives, had not repudiated the endorsement until today.
“‘Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them,’ McCain said in a statement today. ‘I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well.’” (McCain Rebukes Controversial Pastor, Joseph Williams, Political Intelligence, political.com, May 22, 2008)
On the other hand, McCain’s remarks sound remarkably like those of Democrat candidate Barack Obama who disked the Rev. Jeremiah Wright for Wright’s left-leaning evangelical bravado:
“‘I
am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that
we saw yesterday,’ Obama told reporters at a news conference.
“‘What became clear to me is that he (Wright) was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for,’ Obama said.’ ‘And what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I’m about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people.’” (Obama strongly denounces former pastor, MSNBC, AP, April 29, 2008)
When the whole flap about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright went down, scores of socio-religio pundits declared that the average mainstream media elites, let alone the rest of Americana who aren’t black, simply don’t understand the black community and their outspoken African-American rhetoric against social injustice for nigh 500-years! Well, guess what, that same media elite who don’t understand the black American church which is primarily evangelical, nor the mainstream evangelical community like Hagee, Parsley, Graham (both of them), and in sum, the evangelical community in general—around 90+ million people out there—call in their talking head experts or the McCain-Obama political advisors, and then call in fire on Charlie Evangelicalism . . . of course, such “friendly fire” wipes out scores of friendlies. Oh well, bound to have collateral damage when religion tries to mix it up with politics—but that’s the name of the game that both the politicos and the patriotic pastors are all about, isn’t it?
Besides – McCain has declared that we must “win the hearts and minds” of the Islamic world, right? In order to do this, the diversified American melting pot which has embraced all things “relative” and nothing “absolute” – must develop this massively enormous BIG TENT mindset? After all, isn’t the most open-minded site in this metropolis the garbage dump? Open to anything and everything?
DID SOMEONE SAY EXTREME?
The
American Empire is very tolerable about some things – intolerable about other
matters (as in, your oil is my oil or else). It’s a mixed bag indeed. If
Catholics were to toe the line of
Pope Benedict the XVI, who declares that Rome is the only true path to
salvation, then everyone outside of Rome is going straight to hell in a hand
basket? (No wonder Evangelicals think Rome is the Great Whore!) Even so,
according to evangelicals, Jews without Jesus are doing the same – and, as far
as both Catholics and Evangelicals are concerned, Islam is in hell already;
whereas Jews wish they (Moslems) were in the hot spot (at least a good many of
them).
Somehow or another, American evangelicals and Catholics – let alone Jews – have put up with this absolutist business since the founding of the nation—just the way we are. At least we’re not killing one another over these irreversible postures like they did in Europe (although we had a Civil War wrought primarily by evangelical abolitionists). Are we, therefore, a nation of hypocrites? Of course not – we’ve always figured out that the “common good” allows us these rhetorical liberties without sacrificing our religious convictions and then marched on together to fight the next war or social injustice.
However, the days of such absolutist intolerance have ended – big time. Speaking out on homosexuality (a.k.a. “the gay lifestyle”) or denouncing social injustice a la the black church rhetoric (as heard from Rev. Wright’s pulpit) is now verboten in the “new American century.” Now, according to President Bush’s conflicted soul – “You’re either for us or against us” is now mixed up with Bush’s generic universalisms:
“According to President George
W. Bush, Christians and Muslims worship the same god. In fact, President Bush
believes that EVERYONE worships the same god, whether they be Christians,
Muslims, or people of any other religion. Don't take my word for it: Mr. Bush
made these statements himself. I reported President Bush's remarks in
this column just
recently, and
this one.
“For
the sake of those who missed it, ABC’s Charles Gibson recently interviewed
President George W. Bush. Here is a verbatim transcript from that interview:
Q. ‘Do we all worship the same God, Christian and Muslim?’
A. ‘I think we do. We have different routes of getting to the Almighty.’
Q. ‘Do Christians and non-Christians and Muslims go to heaven in your mind?’
A. ‘Yes they do. We have different routes of getting there.’
“Then, just a few days ago, President Bush, in an interview with Al Arabiya
television, said, ‘I believe in an almighty God, and I believe that all the
world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the
same God.’ In the same interview he said, ‘I believe there is a universal God.
I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to.
After all, we all came from Abraham. I believe in that universality.’” (Do
Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? Chuck Baldwin, The
Covenant News, Oct. 23, 2007).
Perhaps the greatest extremist of all times was Jesus Christ. I mean, have you read some of His statements – or do we pick and choose what we like and overlook what does not “unite?” Take a gander and then tell me who is and isn’t extreme here?
“‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
“... in vain they do worship me ...” (Matt. 15:7-9)
“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt. 23:32-33)
“Woe unto you … hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within you are full of extortion and excess.
“Woe unto you … hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matt. 23:25-27).
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
But let’s get radical here:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:34-39).
Jesus would have made an awful politician – He sounded uncompromisingly pro-war, anti-family and really had it in for hypocrites – hardly religiously tolerant. I could go on with a HOST of other Jesus-style indiscretions, but suffice it to say, He wasn’t out to win a popularity contest, and hardly sought after key endorsements and, in sum, probably despised lobbyists! In point of fact – the religion of His day conspired with the politicos and got rid of the pesky prophet, once and for all (so they thought).
LET’S APPLAUD THE EGYPTIAN COPTIC CHURCH
Unlike the American Church – and I include virtually all of mainstream Christianity (Catholic and Protestant, as well as Mormons) – the vast majority engage in political intrigue and approbation, as well as direct and indirect influence upon America’s legislative, judicial and executive process. That’s to be expected—we’ve done it for so long, it’s just part of Americana. But it’s that persistent flirtation between religion and politics in America which ultimately spells the Church’s demise and the Beast’s despite.
I know, you think me outrageous to extrapolate to such a violent conclusion. Well, like Hagee, let me project you to Revelation 17 once more and quote it with all its veracity and vitriolic:
“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled” (Revelation 17:16-17).
Imagine? The final picture is that woman Jezebel – and make no doubt about it; this is the metaphor used – seen as the religious “Apostate Church” of the end-of-days riding atop the Beast, giving the Beast “moral covering” to complete his despicable goals (Ref. I Kings 21:23-24; II Kings 9). She may revel in her own eyes how her gilded efforts appear as godly conditioning upon the political landscape; but, her compromise, concupiscence and cunning are despised by her compatriot who uses and abuses her at will.
Long
ago the brethren of Egypt – who incurred the wrath of the Western Church, with
all her coziness with Roman politicos – renounced such religio-politico
fraternization and held uncompromisingly to the Lord’s edict: “Render unto
the Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto the God the things that
belong to God.”
“Despite persecution, the Coptic Church as a religious institution has never been controlled or allowed itself to control the governments in Egypt. This long-held position of the Church concerning the separation between State and Religion stems from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, when he asked his followers to submit to their rulers: ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ [Mathew 22:21]. The Coptic Church has never forcefully resisted authorities or invaders and was never allied with any powers, for the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are clear: ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’ (Mathew 26:52). The miraculous survival of the Coptic Church till this day and age is a living proof of the validity and wisdom of these teachings.” (The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, Encyclopedia Coptica)
Say what you will about the Copts, but in point of glaring fact they are an eternity ahead of the Western Church in so far as the disastrous bout we have had with “the powers that be.”
McCain and Obama realized the political liability of these “religious crackpots” and decided: Better to disk than to be disked by the media. Better to be held in esteem by moderate mainstream Americana than to embrace the political liabilities of these evangelicals who are so strident in their uncompromised convictions. Dare we find ourselves aligned with such extreme affirmations? My, what will the country club Republican set think? Or, what will all the liberal masses conjecture if we don’t disassociate from these anti-American projectiles? Let’s hold to the center and dispense with these characters once and for all – they’re useful only as far as we can take them. Better to have a religiously disinfected race for the White House – embrace something akin to the “American religion” (whatever that is) – and commit ourselves to the high ideals of universalism where all is “love and oneness” – where, as it turns out, we can all just get along.