Are politicians like prostitutes and pimps?
In an earlier article, I have compared politicians as prostitutes and pimps. I have also mentioned that fortunately there are some exceptions to this rule, where I mentioned amongst others the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
As to why I sounded so negative about the politicians, just remind yourself with what John McCain and Joe Lieberman had said during the 2008 primary election. When McCain was endorsed by John Hagee, McCain said he was "very honored" to receive this endorsement and, when asked about some of Hagee's more twisted views, responded: "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support."
McCain's sainted supporter, Joe Lieberman, spoke to Hagee's group in 2007 and lavished him with such obsequious praise that Lieberman actually compared Hagee, favorably, to Moses.
Now who is this John Hagee? He is, of course, the white evangelical who is the pastor of a sprawling "mega-church" in Texas. He is the President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts his national radio and television ministry carried in the United States on 160 TV stations, 50 radio stations, and eight networks, including The Inspiration Network (INSP), Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and Inspiration Now TV. He is also the founder and National Chairman of the Christian-Zionist organization Christians United for Israel, incorporated on February 7, 2006. As I noted elsewhere that many of these evangelists are not only parasites they actually live immoral lives. Ted Haggard, Jim Schwartz are well known examples. Hagee is no different either. Published reports suggest that he contradicts himself time and again in his personal life. In 1975 he was the leader of the charismatic Trinity Church and was the father of two children. He had an adulterous affair with a woman and admitted to immorality in front of his church. Pastor John Hagee then divorced the mother of his two children and married a younger woman (Diana Castro, now Diana Hagee) from that same congregation. Pastor John Hagee willfully abused his position of trust and power to take advantage of a younger gullible woman and cheat on his wife. Now he is the pastor of another congregation- the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio Texas.
Many would call him a hateful bastard, a bigot, a religious crusader who does not know right from wrong. His offensive remarks against Muslims and gay and lesbians are well known (e.g., right after Katrina hurricane, Hagee said, "God caused Hurricane Katrina to wipe out New Orleans because it had a gay pride parade the week before and was filled with sexual sin.").
Because of his pro-Israel views these days, Hagee is a darling amongst the Likudniks and many Christian Zionists. But do people know about what he had said about the Jews?
Hagee has made statements that are antisemitic, including blaming the Holocaust on Jews, stating that Adolf Hitler carried out a divine plan to lead Jews to form the modern state of Israel, calling liberal Jews "poisoned" and "spiritually blind," and stating that the preemptive nuclear attack on Iran that he favors will lead to the deaths of most Jews in Israel.
"It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people."
In another sermon, Hagee blamed American economic problems on the fact that the Federal Reserve System is controlled by "a group of Class A stockholders, including the Rothschilds." In the same series, Hagee further asserted that the Rothschilds, who are Jewish, were part of a wide-ranging conspiracy of "international power brokers based in Europe."
How about the Catholics? John Hagee calls the Catholic Church 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system' . . . .
In Hagee's book, Jerusalem Countdown, he calls Hitler a Catholic who murdered Jews while the Catholic Church did nothing. 'The sell-out of Catholicism to Hitler began not with the people but with the Vatican itself,' he writes. He also states that the Roman Catholic Church "plunged the world into the Dark Ages," allowed for the Crusaders to rape and murder with impunity, and called for Jews to be treated as "Christ killers". (p. 73)
How about McCain supporter Rudy Giuliani? Just a few months into the 2008 primary election, Rudy stood on the same stage and gushed with gratitude over the endorsement by Rev. Pat Robertson of his presidential bid. That's the same Rev. Robertson who, among so many things, said that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for giving up Gaza and the 9/11 attack was divine retribution against America -- America's fault -- for tolerating gays, feminists and the ACLU.
And yet these evil people promoting hatred and xenophobia are the most coveted items for political endorsement, especially so amongst the GOP, the Republicans. It is not difficult to understand why America is becoming increasingly intolerant of minorities. A church in Gainesville, Florida wants to burn the Qur'an on 9/11/2010 to show their hatred of Islam. Just a few hours ago, building materials at a Tennessee site for a proposed mosque were set on fire. Where will such bigotry end?
These white evangelical Ministers are free to advocate American wars based on Biblical mandates, rant hatefully against Islam, and argue that natural disasters occur because God hates gay people. They are slick marketers who play upon people's fears and hatreds to make money and push their insane policy ideas. As noted two years ago by Greenwald in a salon.com article, sadly, these hateful ministers "are still fit for good company, an important and cherished part of our mainstream American political system. The entire GOP establishment is permitted actively to lavish them with praise and court their support without the slightest backlash or controversy. Both George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent formal greetings to the 2006 gathering of Hagee's group."
It is not difficult to understand why I said what I said about such politicians.
[Interested readers may like to read Billy Graham's views on Jews by clicking here.]
As to why I sounded so negative about the politicians, just remind yourself with what John McCain and Joe Lieberman had said during the 2008 primary election. When McCain was endorsed by John Hagee, McCain said he was "very honored" to receive this endorsement and, when asked about some of Hagee's more twisted views, responded: "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support."
McCain's sainted supporter, Joe Lieberman, spoke to Hagee's group in 2007 and lavished him with such obsequious praise that Lieberman actually compared Hagee, favorably, to Moses.
Now who is this John Hagee? He is, of course, the white evangelical who is the pastor of a sprawling "mega-church" in Texas. He is the President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts his national radio and television ministry carried in the United States on 160 TV stations, 50 radio stations, and eight networks, including The Inspiration Network (INSP), Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and Inspiration Now TV. He is also the founder and National Chairman of the Christian-Zionist organization Christians United for Israel, incorporated on February 7, 2006. As I noted elsewhere that many of these evangelists are not only parasites they actually live immoral lives. Ted Haggard, Jim Schwartz are well known examples. Hagee is no different either. Published reports suggest that he contradicts himself time and again in his personal life. In 1975 he was the leader of the charismatic Trinity Church and was the father of two children. He had an adulterous affair with a woman and admitted to immorality in front of his church. Pastor John Hagee then divorced the mother of his two children and married a younger woman (Diana Castro, now Diana Hagee) from that same congregation. Pastor John Hagee willfully abused his position of trust and power to take advantage of a younger gullible woman and cheat on his wife. Now he is the pastor of another congregation- the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio Texas.
Many would call him a hateful bastard, a bigot, a religious crusader who does not know right from wrong. His offensive remarks against Muslims and gay and lesbians are well known (e.g., right after Katrina hurricane, Hagee said, "God caused Hurricane Katrina to wipe out New Orleans because it had a gay pride parade the week before and was filled with sexual sin.").
Because of his pro-Israel views these days, Hagee is a darling amongst the Likudniks and many Christian Zionists. But do people know about what he had said about the Jews?
Hagee has made statements that are antisemitic, including blaming the Holocaust on Jews, stating that Adolf Hitler carried out a divine plan to lead Jews to form the modern state of Israel, calling liberal Jews "poisoned" and "spiritually blind," and stating that the preemptive nuclear attack on Iran that he favors will lead to the deaths of most Jews in Israel.
"It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people."
In another sermon, Hagee blamed American economic problems on the fact that the Federal Reserve System is controlled by "a group of Class A stockholders, including the Rothschilds." In the same series, Hagee further asserted that the Rothschilds, who are Jewish, were part of a wide-ranging conspiracy of "international power brokers based in Europe."
How about the Catholics? John Hagee calls the Catholic Church 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system' . . . .
In Hagee's book, Jerusalem Countdown, he calls Hitler a Catholic who murdered Jews while the Catholic Church did nothing. 'The sell-out of Catholicism to Hitler began not with the people but with the Vatican itself,' he writes. He also states that the Roman Catholic Church "plunged the world into the Dark Ages," allowed for the Crusaders to rape and murder with impunity, and called for Jews to be treated as "Christ killers". (p. 73)
How about McCain supporter Rudy Giuliani? Just a few months into the 2008 primary election, Rudy stood on the same stage and gushed with gratitude over the endorsement by Rev. Pat Robertson of his presidential bid. That's the same Rev. Robertson who, among so many things, said that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for giving up Gaza and the 9/11 attack was divine retribution against America -- America's fault -- for tolerating gays, feminists and the ACLU.
And yet these evil people promoting hatred and xenophobia are the most coveted items for political endorsement, especially so amongst the GOP, the Republicans. It is not difficult to understand why America is becoming increasingly intolerant of minorities. A church in Gainesville, Florida wants to burn the Qur'an on 9/11/2010 to show their hatred of Islam. Just a few hours ago, building materials at a Tennessee site for a proposed mosque were set on fire. Where will such bigotry end?
These white evangelical Ministers are free to advocate American wars based on Biblical mandates, rant hatefully against Islam, and argue that natural disasters occur because God hates gay people. They are slick marketers who play upon people's fears and hatreds to make money and push their insane policy ideas. As noted two years ago by Greenwald in a salon.com article, sadly, these hateful ministers "are still fit for good company, an important and cherished part of our mainstream American political system. The entire GOP establishment is permitted actively to lavish them with praise and court their support without the slightest backlash or controversy. Both George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent formal greetings to the 2006 gathering of Hagee's group."
It is not difficult to understand why I said what I said about such politicians.
[Interested readers may like to read Billy Graham's views on Jews by clicking here.]
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