John Hagee's McCain Endorsement Sparks Uproar

NEW UPDATE MARCH 21, 2008: According to a New York Times magazine interview this week, John McCain sought out the endorsement of Hagee:

"It's true that [John] McCain's campaign sought my endorsement."

NEW UPDATE MARCH 11, 2008: John McCain defended Pastor Hagee's comments today, saying he believe Hagee's claims that his statements were taken out of context:

I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position. I hope that maybe you'd give him a chance to respond. He says he has never been anti-Catholic, but I repudiate the words that create that impression.

NEW UPDATE MARCH 6, 2008: John McCain, in response to condemnation by Nancy Pelosi yesterday, has made a stronger denunciation of Hagee's anti-Catholic statements:

"We've had a dignified campaign, and I repudiate any comments that are made, including Pastor Hagee's, if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics," McCain said.

However, McCain has still not rejected the support of Hagee himself, and has said nothing about Hagee's claims that American foreign policy towards Palestine is causing God to attack the United States with terrorists.

NEW UPDATE MARCH 3, 2008:
John Hagee has released a statement defending his comments:

Throughout my career I have been a strong critic of Christian anti-Semitism. But any fair review of my record will demonstrate that I have consistently criticized all Christians - Protestant and Catholic alike - for the sin of anti-Semitism. In fact I rarely address this topic without castigating the founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther, for the horrendous anti-Semitism he spouted towards the end of his career. It is a bitter irony that in my zeal to hold my fellow Christians accountable for our past anti-Semitism, I now find myself compared to an anti-Semite.

To call me "anti-Catholic" makes about as much sense as calling me "anti-Protestant." I am, most assuredly, neither.

Meanwhile, Catholic League president Bill Donahue has answered back:

"Did we also mischaracterize Hagee when he called my religion 'The Great Whore,' the 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ' and a 'false cult system'? McCain cannot ignore Hagee's lies any more than he can tolerate his bigotry. This is getting out of control."

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ABC reports:

Calling Pastor John Hagee a "bigot," the conservative Catholic League is calling for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to denounce/renounce/reject his endorsement Wednesday.

With a Youtube link to prove his point, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said Hagee "has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example, he likes calling it 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system.' ..."Senator Obama has repudiated the endorsement of Louis Farrakhan, another bigot. McCain should follow suit and retract his embrace of Hagee." ...

McCain spox Jill Hazelbaker says, "Hagee endorsed John McCain. While we welcome his support, it shouldn't be seen as a wholesale endorsement of all of Mr. Hagee's views."

Donohue's full statement is here, and Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald has a fascinating interview with him here. Watch Hagee compare Catholicism to a cult below:

The progressive group Catholics United has also written a letter to McCain asking him to "publicly distance himself" from Hagee's views.

TPM's Greg Sargent notes the lack of mainstream media coverage of Hagee compared to Farrakhan (whose support Obama has rejected):

Very much like Farrakhan, Hagee has regularly made remarks about current events and other religions that many would find alarming. But unlike Farrakhan, he has never truly faced the scrutiny of the mainstream press, and major politicians like Joe Lieberman and John McCain have freely associated with him.

In 2006, Hagee laid out his views on eschatology in a book called Jerusalem Countdown, in which he claimed that sources had told him a year earlier about world events to come -- and amazingly enough, all those predictions had come true over the past year. Next on the agenda, according to his March 2006 interview in Human Events: Israel would go to war with Iran before May 2006. And from there, Hagee eagerly anticipated an all-out world war against Iran and Russia, followed by the Second Coming.

Watch McCain explain how proud he is of Hagee's endorsement:

UPDATE: McCain refused to reject Hagee's support during a press availability today:

"Well I think it's important to note that pastor John Hagee who has supported and endorsed my candidacy supports what I stand for and believe in. When he endorses me, it does not mean that I embrace everything that he stands for and believes. And I am very proud of the Pastor John Hagee's spiritual leadership to thousands of people and I am proud of his commitment to the independence and the freedom of the state of Israel. That does not mean that I support or endorse or agree with some of the things that Pastor John Hagee might have said or positions that he may have taken on other issues. I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy. They are supporting my candidacy. I am not endorsing some of their positions."

McCain's campaign released this statement later on Friday:

"Yesterday, Pastor John Hagee endorsed my candidacy for president in San Antonio, Texas. However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not.

"I am hopeful that Catholics, Protestants and all people of faith who share my vision for the future of America will respond to our message of defending innocent life, traditional marriage, and compassion for the most vulnerable in our society."

But criticism of the endorsement is not letting up. The Democratic National Committee has released the following round-up of Hagee's statements:

Hagee on Hurricane Katrina "All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens. 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." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Islamic Beliefs
Fresh Air host Terry Gross asked if Hagee believed that "all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews," to which Hagee replied, "Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on African-Americans
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to "meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a 'slave sale,' an East Side minister said Wednesday." The Express-News reported:

"Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a 'slave sale' to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, 'The Cluster.'

"The item was introduced with the sentence 'Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." [San Antonio Express-News 3/7/96]

Hagee on Catholicism
"Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." [Jerusalem Countdown by John Hagee]

Hagee on Women
"Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist." [God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, Sarah Posner]

"[T]he feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family." ["Bible Positions on Political Issues," John Hagee]

Hagee on LGBT Americans
"The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06]

Hagee on Iran
"The coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty," Hagee wrote [in 2006] in the Pentecostal magazine Charisma. "Israel and America must confront Iran's nuclear ability and willingness to destroy Israel with nuclear weapons. For Israel to wait is to risk committing national suicide." [The Nation, 8/8/2006]

Comments

[Klip]

"Man will never be free until the Last King is strangled with the entrails of the Last Priest"
Diderot in the 18th Century

Truer words were never spoken

[GenXer]

Case and point for separation of church and state.

[Klip]

"Man will never be free until the Last King is strangled with the entrails of the Last Priest"
Diderot

Truer words were never spoken!

[hoodrat]

Were it so that the esteemed philosopher, would let my unworthy hands hold the ends of said intestines:)

[batgirlevi]

No wonder he can't wait for 'the rapture'. He's such a hateful and miserable POS he knows he has no reason to live.

.

[Tankan]

Religion, the root cause of all wars and conflicts!
"God" is always on the all the warring factions side!

What need has an Almighty God of puny mankind to do the fighting for Him?
Matthew 15: 8, 9 sums the lot of them up!

[roald]

Religion can be good or bad. It all depends on who wields it.

[wiseapple]

It can be sometimes good or sometimes bad, but it is always irrelevant and unnecessary

[beachykeen02]

Christ says "blessed are the peacemakers"....don't blame REAL Christians for the FALSE right wing pharisees who call themselves Christians.

[HatingTheGame]

Then when will the "real" Christians stand up and throw the fuckers out?

My guess, never. Because it keeps Christianity with a stranglehold on our minds, lives, and freedoms. And that's fine with both the real ones and the fake ones.

[mrdontplay]

"religion "has solved exactly what problem any society in the history of mankind?

What can we thank religion for doing exactly?

[Mike169]

Thanksgiving Day? - 2 days off
Easter - maybe one day off
Sunday - 52 days off (or an equivalent of other weekdays)
No alternate side parking in NYC for 40 or so days
Screw religion - take a dayoff and relax!

[niikeb]

Actually my highschool had a slave sale, I was saddened by it then and still am now. Its what happens when you got to a 99% white Baptist Highschool. 4 years of my life I wish I had back. But not to Defend everything he says, but people like Bin Ladin claim the Quran gives them the right to exterminate Christians Jews etc... Mostly It seems to be a lack of awareness on his part with the jokes on women etc... and the rest are his interpretation.

[mrdontplay]

the point is they are all the same.

all these religious nuts are crazy.

The crazier you get the more they start talking about and acting out elimination of life.

its sad we allow it.

One second they will tell you how much GOD loves you the next second they'll say why someone else should be bombed?

[roald]

Unfortunately, the true believers are not leading the movements and the true believers are, for some reason, letting them. Thus, they appear to be crazy and are killing people. It is time for the true followers to take back their religions and for the true conservatives and the true progressives to take back their political parties.

[roald]

The Qua'ran, like other mystical books, is full of contradictions and allusions. Followers choose to interpret and follow the parts they want. As an example, the Qua'ran "tells" its readers both to accept and kill followers of other religions.

[unclebucky]

Yes.

And John Hagee is a follower of Jesus. Mmm-hmm:

PATER noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Without going any further, compare the words of Hagee above with these, and then tell me if Hagee himself is not the opposite, if not actually the so-called Anti-Christ.

Personally, I like Jesus, but I don't need to hear people go on and on about Christ as do fools like Hagee.

J E S U S !
(Save me from your followers)

Ugh.

--UB.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Uncle Buck,

our Lord and Savior had a comment for such as Hagee:

"Be thou not as the hypocrites who love to pray on the street corners and in the synagogues, that they may be seen by men, for I say unto you, they have their reward!"

Hagee will sooner or later be joining his good buddy Jerry Fawell in a very dark place, arriving to a very warm welcome indeed.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[JSquercia]

Looking at Hagee it sure looks like HE never fasted . What is it with Televangelists that they seem to become enormous .Falwell looked like a beached whale when he accepted John McCain's kissing his ring .
I am sadened to see McCain getting into bed with the same people he correctly called agents of intolerence . First Falwell , then the bigots at Bob Jones and now this clown who is so anxious for the rapture .

[BARRISTER]

What do you mean by "Anti-Semitism"?

"Semite" is a racal Grouping, like Caucasian, Aryan etc. It is not a Religious Grouping like Christian, Muslim,Hindu and Judaism (the practitioners of which are called"Jews").

Arabs are Semites. Most practioners of Judaism,"Jews",' are of the Caucasian Race, being of European and Asian ( Russia etc.) descent.


It s difficult to understand why people perpetuate that falsehood of "Anti-semitism" as being against a Religious Group. The "Anti" is not for their Religion, and cannot be for their Caucasian (in the main) race, but is for their Politics of Land grabbing, oppression, torture, inhumanity and theft..

[BlackWidowPilot]

Disbarred,

you wrote:

"The "Anti" is not for their Religion, and cannot be for their Caucasian (in the main) race, but is for their Politics of Land grabbing, oppression, torture, inhumanity and theft.."

So let me get this straight, you're asserting that the Jews are all about land grabbing, oppression, torture, inhumanity, and theft?

I happen to be a Military Historian. Among other people I've known in my lifetime besides an uncle who proudly served *in combat* as part of General George S. Patton Jr.'s 3rd Army in the German Campaign, a classmate whose grandmother had a number tattooed on her forearm courtesy of the Allgeimene SS.

Kindly clarify your assertion, as so far all you're doing is coming off as another quack Holocaust denier.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[roald]

Mr. Erickson - Thank you. Let me add that trying to argue a concept parsing a term to its roots is not the same as its current use. Compassionate Conservative, for example.

[hoodrat]

Just another lawyer, sounds like my ignorant, Black brothers, who don't understand history. He forgot smart, intuitive, and very forgiving - considering what they went through. As an Army brat, living in Germany in the early 60's visited Dachau, and Nordhausen - no amount of paint coats can wash the feel of those places away. My father, who also served during WWII, couldn't force himself to reenter one of the places he originally helped "liberate". Parcing is used to justify-not clarify, good analogy by roald below. African-American comes to mind, though myself and the three generations before were around to fight for this country - and I was born in New York:)

[Macready]

mccain is dangerous . . he will pander to anyone gives him money and votes . . . he is as dangerous as hagee . . .and the catholic league well they helped ensure the chimp's victory . . . they urged catholics not to vote for Kerry because he was pro-choice . .. they are all narrow minded bigots some seemingly less dangerous than others . . . don't forget religious fundamentalism began in the US

[iburl]

Don't worry, it may take 100 years, but John McCain is the maverick to bring Hagee under control.

[aristippe]

Is that an actual liger?

[outnow]

Wow! Christians finally admitting that there are cults within the main body of Christianity. Who would ever have thought such a thing? The Catholics and the Protestants spent many centuries killing each other. The Mormons are cultish. They all have different versions of the "Bible."

Maybe "none of the above" are the "true religion." Maybe God has yet to show himself - or he already has - and these fools missed his/her coming and going.

I really love it when the hypocrisy reveals itself so clearly. Why don't they content themselves to be spiritual, ethical and moral - is it because judging others gives them power?

John McCain kissed the ring of Jerry Falwell but Jerry met his maker. Now whose ring must he kiss? He kissed Bush's a--. Now what? How can McCain reconcile the warring sects of the Christianity crowd? The holier-than-thou crowd will bring him down. They can never be satisfied with their own righteousness. They have something to prove. Ha, ha, ha!

[GeoLee]

Sometimes I wonder how secure in his religion Bill Donahue really is. People who are really secure, don't get apoplexy at every thing they view as slights. This poor man in going to stroke out some day. People may say whatever they want about my faith. What they say merely reflects on them...not on my faith. It is stronger than words uttered by people who don't understand it. As for Mr Donahue, I think his reactions are out of the box. Maybe he needs to reframe his own thoughts and save his blood pressure spikes.

[Stirner]

I understand that the Christian, Donahue, whose religion is slighted, should not get "apoplexy". Well, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Let's take Judaism...

I wonder how secure in his religion is Abe Foxman? His vicious attack upon two distinguished scholars for their study on THE ISRAELI LOBBY was disgusting. "Anti-Semitism" was the least of his angry and insulting "out of the box" responses. Yes, he nearly "stroked out". Even the fine Jewish scholar Norman Finkelstein was called an "Anti-Semite" by that posturing Dershowitz -- who managed to have Finkelstein fired from DePaul. What about security in their religion of those who reject any criticism of the actions of the Israeli government (which is a Theocracy") -- such as it continued occupation of Palestinian lands? So, If you wonder about "how secure in his religion Bill Donahue really is" check out the reactions of Jewish "leaders" to any criticism of the Israeli (Jewish) treatment of (Islamic) Palestinians. Or watch the reaction to the unmentionable fact that the founders of the "Neo-conservative" political theory were Jewish -- Irving Kristol and N. Pohoretz created the term, and their followers, such as Wolfowitz, Pearle, Fathe, Libby, Krauthammer, and young Billy Kristol have constantly worked to draw us into that bloody cesspool in and about Israel. But this fact is NOT TO BE SPOKEN. Anti-Semitism? It is understandable that Jewish folk would support Israel, and look upon any slight directed to Judaism as unacceptable. Well then, why can't Christians do the same? Is there perhaps a double standard here? It seems its O.K. to criticize Christians for reacting to "slights", but to criticize Jewish reactions to "slights" is a No-No. If they are accorded the right to apply the insulting "Anti-Semitic" label to any criticism, what then can the Christians apply?

[roald]

I will agree that slights should not provoke a response from a secure person. If the slight may lead to problems following your religion, action is needed. Note the problems Islam has recently experienced and the long-term "slights" like not being able to get zoning for a mosque.

Many people must not be secure, however. Notice the reactions on the part of many Christians each December to the so-called attack on Christmas.

[researcher]

hagee from texas that explains it. maybe there is something in the water that is doing this to these people. are cousins allowed to marry cousins in texas? well they gave us the bush crime family why not hagee.

and to think jesus taught love and compassion. guess hagee missed that part of what jesus stated.

and to think the evangels are the worst of the worst war mongers. jesus would be so proud.

the insanity of the world. well at least it is a haven for developing souls. kinda of. looks like hagee's took a wrong turn somewhere. it is called the male ego and it is alive and well in most societies.

why is it the southern states are such war mongers? that cousins marrying cousins thing for over 200 years warps the mind.

[Shanti]

Not only war mongers but church fascists! They do not deserve to be called christians but bible thumping terrorists. Sinclair Lewis has it right: "WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE CARRYING A CROSS AND WRAPPED IN THE FLAG". What is really egregious is that they have so many stupid acolytes. The blind leading the blind.

[wiseapple]

I just can't understand why they don't just accept reality and make the most of it. It doesn't have to be as hard as most make it out to be. Do good and be good. Why go through life oblivious to reality and beholden to 'make believe'?

[sparkandy]

Bush is a transplanted Yankee, remember? Therefore we need to blame Yankees, not Texans, for his very existence. And ask ourselves what the Yankees will do to atone for the sin they committed by allowing this man to be educated in one of their colleges before he went to Texas to run for office. The next thing we need to consider is whether the inbred and ignorant are only in the South. If you deal with people from all over the country on a daily basis, you'd probably think the most ignorant ones come from New York City. Not Boston or Philly or Chicago or Dallas or Los Angeles. New York City. It's probably from living in such close proximity to each other in tiny little apartments with no yards. And Hagee is an abomination.

[unclebucky]

Gosh.

Aren't YOU a tribalist? Us against them. North against South. And the Bushies literally played into that divisiveness, by adopting that Texan drawl for their own mean ends.

No. It is not the Texans rednecks alone nor the Eastern wingtips. It is all of those people following arrogant liars, who literally winked at us while they are lying, and we let them do it all along. All the way from Prescott, who collaborated with murderers to Bush who became the quintessential murderer in a way that our Founders suspected was possible but perhaps never dreamed could be done in such a short time.

Ugh.

--UB.

[UncleJimbo]

I love it when so called christians go after each other! The fact is all religions are bigoted! They ALL believe they are right and everyone else is wrong about the truth of the universe and all that is in it! All the ecumenical stuff is just political baloney when they need each others votes...otherwise they each think the others are going to Hell!

[unclebucky]

Hey, there! I AM the only legitimate Uncle here, hehe. ;-)

Well, anyway, brother, all organized religions are maintained by people, who often make it a more tribal than ethical practice. Right? Us against them? Heretics vs us orthodox people. A sacred book, rather than a sacred Earth. Holy Land rather than the Holy Planet.

I think many founders were out to do something personal, blessed and unique. They had a message. Then their followers literally shred the original intent, rephrase and destroy the original founder's messages and advice.

I am not worried so much about the ecumenical stuff, because again, there is a hint at diversity in community rather than tribal divisions.

No one is going to Hell. That hell that we speak of will be felt in the moments before the final consciousness is ebbing and you realize what you did was wrong wrong wrong and you have not a jot of a chance to correct it. That, haha, may be so, IF you are sane. If you are insane, then all bets are off what your personal hell is.

Nice mornng. Listening to a show on TV about musical instruments tambour and how world instruments are different, the same, and all can be combined to make heavenly music. Not exactly Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road group, but some thing similar. Ahhhhh.... That and a good cuppa coffee, soothing music and the rosy fingers of dawn (Vergil).

Ugh.

--UB.

[unclebucky]

Edit.

Not tambour, TIMBRE. ;-)

Ugh.

--UB.

[dax49]

the fact that mc cain should still stand by hagee is proof that he has no respect for the catholic church or for catholics. i wonder what mc cains reaction would have been if hagee had said that garbage about one of these televangelists. i also noticed that tucker carlson, chris matthews, tim russert, and all of the sub-humans on fox are still ranting about louis farrakhan, but have not said a word of condemnation about that weasel hagee.

[GeoLee]

Interesting observatiosn since Russert and Matthews are Catholic....Tucker is Episcopalian.

[wiseapple]

Hagee a weasel? Damn, that's the biggest weasel I ever seen! He needs to lay of the twinkies!