I went to see John "Pause for the Applause" Hagee speak at Crossroads Cathedral in OKC Sunday night. He was appearing on behalf of his organization Christians United for Israel, CUFI for the acronym set. I've covered this group the past two years for a local paper, and I went Sunday night hoping that Hagee would say something as inflammatory as his comments about the Holocaust that led to McCain rejecting his endorsement. Alas...he has already learned what the media will do with statements like that, so I endured an entire sermon of good ol' boy jokes, thinly veiled misogyny, pandering to the Jewish members of the audience, self-congratulations, and absolutely no substance. He didn't rail about homosexuals, liberals, or feminists. No promises of impending doom for Oklahoma City because of our gay politicians. No King James words like sodomites, concupiscence, or lasciviousness. Nothing.
The purpose of CUFI's events is to raise awareness for the plight of the Jewish people, not, you'll note, Israelis, although the organization raises money for causes in Israel: body armor, defense forces, bunkers, etc. This may be something I'm supposed to know, but does one have to be Jewish by faith or heritage to be an Israeli, or do the westerners, Africans, Arabs, and others living in Israel qualify as well? Hagee has no time for such nuance. The Jews are the people of God; Palestinians are the enemies of the people of God; and the task of the Church is to unflinchingly and unquestioningly support Israel. This would be news to the Hebrew prophets, of course, who believed that the people of God were defined by their willingness to reflect the character and shalom of God.
I don't pretend to be an expert on the status of Israel as a besieged nation, but I do watch enough news and have lived long enough to believe the story is more complex than Hagee wants us to believe. I also understand his theological convictions lead him to this point—just another indicator that theology should rarely, if ever, influence foreign policy.
Two things stood out that night: a defanged Hagee pretending he's being cutting edge and rebellious for supporting Israel (is he aware of our nation's foreign policy history vis-a-vis Israel?) and the four body guards on the platform. Yes, four body guards. So much for all that "to live is Christ, to die is gain" talk that Christians ostensibly believe. Apparently the God who orchestrated His chosen peoples' re-emergence as a nation is incapable of orchestrating a peaceful night in south Oklahoma City.
Greg,
I told you I was waiting for this post. I wonder what "significant" voice will be marginalized next for publicly declaring opinions that do not hold up under the embodied ethic of Jesus.
Posted by: Account Deleted | July 01, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Greg, if you are interested more in the dynamics of Israel, let me suggest a site: http://hannahinpalestine.blogspot.com. I've known this woman since I was 10- she is an American Jew working with Palestinians to resist the occupation. She lives on the West Bank about half the year, Boston and Philly the other half.
It is my understanding that Israeli IDs are marked- most people who are not ethnically Jewish are not allowed to be citizens, but those who are, have marked IDs or something. Not sure of all teh facts but I remember being very struck by how race-centric the whole thing is.
Posted by: april | July 01, 2008 at 06:08 PM
Greg
A few thoughts: 1. If you took Louis Farrakhan, sent him to Michael Jackson's dermatologist, rolled him up in one of those Stretch Armstrong-esque sumo wrestler suits and then gave him some sweet Van Impe preacher hair, you'd have John Hagee. Either that or Hagee is really "The Grimace" unmasked. Can that cat's waistline get any bigger or higher?
2. My company does a significant amount of business in the ME (Jordan, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) and I have been there many times and have several very sound contacts and friends there, i.e. people in whose opinion I implicitly trust. I have had hours of conversation about ethics, ethnicity, beliefs, history, etc., related to the region--I can tell you unequivocally that to a person, no one in the ME even argues the top source of strife, racism (yes, racism) and unrest is Israel and her supporters. Peace in the ME? My ass. Only when Israel decides it to be peaceful and only upon Israel's terms. It's more like indentured peace.
Btw, I never realized this until I went there, but the most "looked-down" upon types in the ME are the Egyptians. Interesting.
3. Another very interesting tidbit of information not many people know: if you have been to Israel and your passport is stamped as such, you will not be allowed entrance in to most, if not all other ME countries.
Politically, it pisses me off to hear our politicians banter on about how abused, neglected and endangered Israel is. I toss the bullsh*t flag on that one. Israel being endangered is like Jesse "The Body" Ventura complaining that a concert pianist keeps stealing his milk money.
Posted by: dr dobson | July 02, 2008 at 08:18 AM
Since I'm currently reading Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship), Nazi Germany is kind of on the forefront of my mind.If I imagined Hitler in a modern day context, I don't think he would look too much different from any of the slew of untra-fundamentalist TV preachers we have paraded before us on TBN week after week, Hagee in particular.
Just seeing him spin his web of control over his audience is sad, frustrating, and scary all at the same time. To see the look on the eyes of his faithful as they lap up the drivel he spews out makes me want to sneak into his church someday with a bullhorn and call him out...
And the Christians United for Israel organization seems to me to be little more than a front for Hagee's end times prophecy fulfillment strategy. Of course some good comes out of it, but it's a bit disingenuous to on one hand say that the Jews will be going to hell since they don't believe in Jesus (at least the propositions about Jesus that Hagee posits), and on the other hand support them because "It's the church's responsibility"... Theological schizophrenia if you asked me.
Posted by: Yater | July 03, 2008 at 09:33 PM
My friend took this photo in Palestine. It's a checkpoint to enter the Jewish town of Bethlehem. Notice how the welcome sign is facing Palestine, but is only printed in English and Hebrew, not Arabic.
Posted by: Antje | July 06, 2008 at 02:19 AM
Yater
You won't have "to sneak into his church someday with a bullhorn and call him out..." You can do it by walking right through the front door to buy a Ram's Horn (no kidding) because they sell them there.
I hear their Kool-Aid is pretty freaking good, too.
Posted by: dr dobson | July 07, 2008 at 07:23 AM
totally unrelated or i wish this was a joke...
http://wittenburgdoor.com/driscoll-kicks-own-ass
Posted by: emergentninja | July 08, 2008 at 02:05 PM
the fact that this does not seem like too much of a stretch is sad, yet still a bit funny.
Posted by: emergentninja | July 08, 2008 at 02:10 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDxcyqeRc-4
I am so very, very afraid that this guy is for real.
Posted by: Antje | July 08, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Antje
There was plenty of good wall there left completely devoid of piss.
Posted by: dr dobson | July 09, 2008 at 07:23 AM
This isn't completely related to this post, but I decided to comment here as this post is political.
And all I want to write is, "Ouch."
Posted by: Zossima | August 14, 2008 at 12:46 PM