McCain Rejects Endorsements From Hagee, Parsley

CNN reported today:

In the face of mounting controversy over headline-grabbing statements from Pastor John Hagee, CNN has learned presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has decided to reject his endorsement.

The Huffington Post had published a recording of Hagee saying that Adolf Hitler had been fulfilling God's will by hastening the desire of Jews to return to Israel in accordance with biblical prophecy.

Later, around 10PM ET, McCain rejected the endorsement of another right-wing religious figure, Pastor Rod Parsley, "an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent."

[I]n an interview with The Associated Press, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too.

"I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn't endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement," McCain told the AP. ...

[Parsley] has described Islam as an "anti-Christ religion" and the Muslim prophet Muhammad as "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil," according to ABC News.

Watch this video of Parsley produced by Brave New Films:

Here's the full AP report:

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.

McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."

He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.

McCain issued a statement Thursday afternoon announcing his decision about Hagee.

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well," he said.

Later, in Stockton, he told reporters: "I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable."

Then in an interview with The Associated Press, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too.

"I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn't endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement," McCain told the AP.

Hagee had sparked controversy since the San Antonio pastor endorsed McCain on Feb. 27 shortly before the Texas presidential primary. Parsley's views were aired Thursday in an ABC News report.

McCain actively courted Hagee, who leads a megachurch with a congregation in the tens of thousands and has an even wider television audience. Former GOP presidential rivals also sought Hagee's backing.

Hagee has referred to the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore" and called it a "false cult system." He also has linked Hitler to the Catholic church, suggesting it helped shape his anti-Semitism. And Hagee said Hurricane Katrina was God's retribution for homosexual sin.

McCain has faced a barrage of criticism over Hagee, with some comparing the situation to the controversy Democrat Barack Obama faced over the views of his longtime and now former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

McCain tried Thursday to draw a distinction between the Obama-Wright connection and his own relationships with Parsley and Hagee, saying Hagee was not his pastor.

"My church I attend is North Phoenix Baptist Church; my pastor and spiritual guide is Pastor Dan Yeary," McCain said. "I've never been to Pastor Hagee's church or Pastor Parsley's church. I didn't attend their church for 20 years. I'm not a member of their church."

Obama, who was campaigning in Florida, said that in national politics it's easy to find people who have said or done offensive things.

"John McCain has to deal with Hagee, who said something that is mind-boggling. I don't attribute those statements to John McCain. Nobody thinks McCain believes that stuff," Obama said. "And for McCain to then suggest that every single statement that was made by somebody is somehow attributable to me is just wrong. It is just not accurate."

Until now, McCain had tried to distance himself from Hagee's views but had not rejected the endorsement.

"I'm glad to have his endorsement," he said on ABC's "This Week" in April. "I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything."

The Arizona senator has said he sought Hagee's support because the pastor, like himself, is a strong supporter of Israel.

The formation of Israel was at the heart of the remarks that prompted McCain to reject Hagee's support. The comments came in a sermon Hagee gave in the late 1990s, an audio recording of which was posted last week on the liberal blog Talk to Action and reported by The Huffington Post, another liberal blog.

In the sermon, Hagee said, "Then God sent a hunter. A hunter is someone with a gun, and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter. ... 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.'"

Hagee tried to repair the damage by apologizing to Catholics in a letter released just last week. Saying he had emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relationships with Jews, Hagee wrote, "I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful."

On Thursday, Hagee issued a new statement saying he was weary of the controversy and was withdrawing his endorsement.

Hagee said critics are "grossly misrepresenting my position on issues most near and dear to my heart."

"I am tired of these baseless attacks and fear that they have become a distraction in what should be a national debate about important issues," Hagee said. "I have therefore decided to withdraw my endorsement of Senator McCain for president effective today, and to remove myself from any active role in the 2008 campaign."

The other pastor, Parsley, has described Islam as an "anti-Christ religion" and the Muslim prophet Muhammad as "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil," according to ABC News.

___

AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski in Denver contributed to this report.

Comments

[Venise Alstergren]

07:03 AM on 05/24/2008

Fat Joe's comments were spot on.
Christianity/Judaism began when ignorant and illiterate shepherds, started speculating about the nature of life. Being ignorant they had no ability to think outside the 'square'. How did life begin? How did the stars get up there? So profound were the questions being raised that it was easier to ascribe everything as magic. It had to be the work of a divine being. Thus was God created. Over the centuries organized religion got into the act, and everything was downhill thereafter.
The greatest mystery is how how these lunatic, far, right wing leaders of Christian(?) sects; creatures masquerading as human beings such as John Hagee solemnly get adherents.
What ails Americans that they believe these oafs? Are you all so lacking in faith in yourselves?
Take a step forward, out of the chicanery and grotesque superstitious thinking of the medieval mysticism of the fifteenth century.Total heresy, try thinking
If there was a God he wouldn't want a bunch of brain dead zombies as adherents. He would like people to use their brains.
Incidentally, with friends like the John Hagee's of this world; God, certainly, doesn't need any enemies.
Conversely: Name as few great artists who were as rabidly right wing as your astonishing preachers? Literature: Hitler.? Great music? The artists concerned may have believed in God but they didn't weigh Him down with the tawdry ravings of the mediocre masses.

[sytgrl]

01:00 AM on 05/24/2008

Here's my issue with Hagee. McCain has been ACTIVELY PURSUING the endorsement of this guy at least since late 2007. He finally received his endorsement Feb 27, 2008, the same day Russert grilled Obama over Farakhan. He's know about these statements and has been asked about them for a while.

What about his distasteful slavery comments?

"To help students seeking odd jobs, his church newsletter, The Cluster, advertised a "slave" sale. "Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone," it said. "Make plans to come and go home with a slave."

AND FOR THOSE WOMEN WHO WANT TO VOTE FOR MCCAIN AS REVENGE, how about what Hagee has the nerve to PUBLISH in his book:

"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."

There is more hate for everyone!
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280018

[maureen32578]

02:23 PM on 05/25/2008

Sorry but this will be iin 3 parts:
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." these are clearly jokes, similar to comedy central or snl type stuff. you love and laugh at those same statements if they came out of David Letterman's top ten. don't even try and tell me you wouldn't. I think they are both hilarious, something Larry the Cable guy would say (heck, he will probably rip them off) the Hagee guy is noted for telling a lot of jokes, I can't remember them but a lot dealt with the "give and take" between man and woman and most of the times he was giving grief to the husband.
.
I am a woman and think they are hilarious, grow up. Use actual fact and don't soundbite a sentence or too out of whole book. If that is all you could find in a whole book on him then I have no problem with the above as a woman.

[maureen32578]

02:27 PM on 05/25/2008

Sorry but this will be iin 3 parts:
part 2
we have to work with facts, word truly said and meant and an avalanche of supporting data because you know they will be fighting us with better evidence that this.

Hagee has biracial marriage and caught grief for it too so he isn't as bad as the monster that you think he is. Think how "progressive" he was 50 years ago when they got married.

the other guy in Ohio, seems to be loose cannon, don't know anything about him, seems angry a lot of the times when I see him flipping through the stations

your mediamatter link Hagee says:

I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the SIN of the city of New Orleans.

He does not say N.O. was destroyed b/c of gays, but "sin". a lot of folks, maybe hagee included, don't realize that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah b/c of the sin of being rich and wealthy, and not taking care of the poor, homeless, widows, and the orphans. something we could be held to account for ourselves under current administration. don't believe me? just read it. They were rich and didn't care for the poor so God punished them.

[bobo209]

10:38 PM on 05/23/2008

Historically speaking, Christian fundamentalists were classic Jew haters on the grounds, they said, that the Jews were the “Christ killers”. So what explains Christian fundamentalism’s support for Israel right or wrong - support which today includes much of the money to fund Zionism’s on-going colonisation of the occupied West Bank?

Christian fundamentalism and Zionism


Time To Terminate This Unholy Alliance?
It could also that there was a financial consideration in Zionsm’s decision to use and be used by Christian fundamentalism. At some point in the future it’s not impossible that the more American and European Jews realise that Zionism is their enemy, the less they will be willing to pump money into the Zionist state.. In that event, Zionism may have calculated, it will need Christian fundamentalist money more than ever.



I’ve never believed that enough Americans would be stupid enough to put Senator John McCain in the White House, and hopefully his better-late-than-never rejection of Hagee’s endorsement will guarantee his defeat.



The only “end of times” I wish for is the termination of the unholy alliance between Christian fundamentalism and Zionism. Amen.

[maureen32578]

03:22 PM on 05/25/2008

"Historically speaking, Christian fundamentalists were classic Jew hater"

No, historically, Christian fundamentalists WERE Jews. they had to have a council on whether non-Jews could even be Christian and if so, would they have to convert to Judaism and only then accept Christ as Messiah.

Later, as Christianity became more non-Jewish did it succomb to anti-semitism. Turned in on itself in many ways.

"So what explains Christian fundamentalism"s support for Israel right or wrong "

in the last 100 or so years Protestant branches began to study the origin of their faith and put aside anti-semitism. Recently, a lot of "End Times" prophetic study made them realize that Messiah could not return until the Jews were back in their homeland and had rebuilt the 3rd Temple. Both, therefore, became pro-Zionist and fought for a Jewish homeland in Israel and continue to support it, even paying to fly Jews from the former USSR to Israel to hasten the fulfilling of prophecy.

I am sure many, if not most, Jews still see these actions with suspicion, having gone through hell at the hands of the churches now claiming to love them. But they are glad for the help, both financially and the political power in Washington. Without our protection, munitions, technology, and support they may have lost one of the wars over the last 60 years. They can't afford to lose even one war, they will "be swept into the sea" as Arafat, Syria, Iran etc. claim

[maureen32578]

03:43 PM on 05/25/2008

"support which today includes much of the money to fund Zionism"s on-going colonisation of the occupied West Bank?"

elections have consequences, wars even more so. In the many wars since 1948 Israel has prevailed each time yet always gives back the land in won. If they had started the war without cause I can see this, but if attacked by suprise in pure naked aggression as in 1967 Yom Kippur war when they won the west bank and Eastern Jerusalem, why should they have to give it back? If there are no consequences for losing doesn't that foster further war? If Israel lost and was "pushed into the sea" and destroyed,, would we make the Arabs give it back?

when germany became repeat offender world gave Alsace region of germany to France to serve as buffer zone and what is much of Poland today to establish Pole homeland from what used to be called "Prussia".

do the australians give it back to the aborigines? do americans get on boats and go back to europe and africa and asia? do we all go back to true origin, somewhere in africa or mesoptamia?

help me out with your reasoning please.

[IamPhenom]

09:55 PM on 05/23/2008

My random speculation about McCain's double kook-pastor rejection is that he has decided to make Mike Huckabee his VP.

Maybe he feels he can afford to drop two evangelicals with baggage and try to pick up the evangelical votes through Huckabee.

hmmm

[NABNYC]

08:51 PM on 05/23/2008

What am I missing here? Hagee publicly preaches hatred of gays and Catholics, and believes that the holocaust was part of God's plan for the Jews. And the gay and Catholic part passes without notice, but the Jewish part brings the curtain down and McCain denounces Hagee.

Here's the problem: Aipac, the biggest Israel front group in the U.S., just had Hagee as one of their featured speakers at their convention. The Anti-Defamation League, the normally rabid group that goes after anyone who so much as whispers criticism of anyone Jewish -- they don't mind Hagee, no problem.

Why would these major Jewish organizations in the U.S. love this guy Hagee given that he preaches all Jews will be killed on the judgment day? Well, could it be the $1.0 billion per year that Christians in the U.S. have been conned into giving to Israel by these mouth-breathing idiots like Hagee? I guess $1.0 billion/year can buy lots of friends.

And that $1.0 billion/year is tax free, so Americans are yet again having their money stolen by religion cons. These people truly deserve each other.

I cannot see criticizing McCain because Hagee is an anti-Semite when Aipac and the Anti-Defamation League think he's just fine with them.

[BlackWidowPilot]

09:22 PM on 05/23/2008

"I cannot see criticizing McCain because Hagee is an anti-Semite when Aipac and the Anti-Defamation League think he's just fine with them."

Actually I can. Just like I can criticize the jihadist mullahs in Iran who met with other anti-semitic groups including IIRC some extremist orthodox jews who oppose the existence of the state of Israel on *religious grounds.*

Religious fanatic vultures of a feather, circling together.

Bleah.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[IamPhenom]

10:05 PM on 05/23/2008

Max Blumenthal has a great expose' on John Hagee's "Citizens United for Israel" lobbying group.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html

[glaze]

08:13 PM on 05/23/2008

After hearing and reading about this controversy for the past few days..., hey, you gotta admit maybe there was something GOOD about the old commie practice of outlawing religion across the board... keeping the pressure on their mental state... even denying those poor peasants their mental opium...
although those poor peasants also didn't have much else to take away from them, like enough food, clothing, hope for a better life...Gee, if they just had religion, imagine how DIFFERENT their lives would have been!

[RichLiberal]

08:00 PM on 05/23/2008

Actually, to put these problems in perspective, I think the following would be a more appropriate comparison:

Obama's "Farrakhan problem" = McCain's "Hagge problem".

Obama's "pastor problem" = "Hillary's "Bill problem"".

Given the depth and breadth of the various relationships these comparisons seem much more appropriate than conflating the fact the McCain has a disreputable supporter who happens to be a pastor, with Obama's actual 20 year pastor.

And similarly, given the problems that Bill has caused Hillary by speaking out on a variety of issues and the media jumping all over that, is much more akin to the problems that Rev Wright caused Obama by speaking out on a variety of issues and the media similarly jumping all over that.

It is the distinction between a trusted confidante and an incidental influential current "supporter".

It would be nice if the MSM were to clarify this for the public rather than conflating the otherwise dissimilar "pastors".

[shockmagog]

08:36 PM on 05/23/2008

Your illogical and incongruous analogies notwithstanding (and not worth the least amount of consideration), the Clintons' problems are a non-issue and are irrelevant at this point. You are about 3 months too late for this conversation.

[RedWolverine]

08:00 PM on 05/23/2008

Many religious Jews around the world believe the following:

1) That God used the Jew's enemies to throw them out of Israel for their sins;
2) That God used the holocaust to use the Jews as the Canary in the Mine against evil.

This is exactly what Hagee believes and what he has said in the past.

John Hagee as a Christian has done more to fight anti-semitism than most people in the World, and to call him an anti-semite is just about the saddest thing I've seen in a while. You can call him a religious nut, but he's certainly not an anti-semite.

When you call people who aren't anti-semite, anti-semites, what are you going call the people who really hate the jews?

[shockmagog]

09:30 PM on 05/23/2008

Your lame attempt to defend Reverend Hagee is despicable at best. Using twisted logic to prove your point of reasoned departure does not stand you in good stead.

'Hagee, who leads the evangelical group Christians United for Israel, is a proponent of U.S. aid and support for Israel, and he is a major ally of Israeli conservatives who reject any “land for peace” formula in dealing with the Palestinians. But Hagee is viewed with distrust by some Jews and Israelis because his brand of Christian Zionism closely links support for Israel to the end of the world and the conversion of the Jews to Christianity.'
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10375.html

'Using geographical calculations based on the Book of Revelation, he writes that Israel will be covered in “a sea of human blood” in the final battle.
The Jews, however, will survive the battle, Hagee says, long enough to have “the opportunity to receive Messiah, who is a rabbi known to the world as Jesus of Nazareth.”'
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/15565.html

How Hagee views Jews and Israel may not be strictly classified as anti-semitic (since you brought it up here), but he simply views Jews as mere potted plants--as soulless tools--for his child-like fantasy of Christian Armageddon and Rapture. With "a religious nut" like Hagee, who needs an anti-semite?

[Guynemer]

11:38 PM on 05/23/2008

"Your lame attempt to defend Reverend Hagee is despicable at best. Using twisted logic to prove your point of reasoned departure does not stand you in good stead."

Obviously, you know nothing of Jewish or Christian eschatology. What RedWolverine says is exactly true. Any religious Jew who has read the Old Testament passages that Hagee has infamously quoted is well aware of their similarities to the NAZI Holocaust. Likewise, many modern Jews, like many Christians, are awaiting the imminent arrival of the Messiah. Whether or not there are practical reasons for feigned camaraderie between Orthodox Jews and Fundementalist Christians is open for debate. What is fact is that they both share a deep belief in a common destiny for the city of Jerusalem and the salvation of the Jewish people.

[HermioneGranger]

10:38 PM on 05/23/2008

Hagee said the Jews are the Canary in the gold mine? I believe he said God killed the ones who were not fast enough to relocate to Israel.

That is a deviation from Christian faith, because then the Holocaust was seen as punishment for the Jews because they supposedly killed Jesus Christ.

[RichLiberal]

07:49 PM on 05/23/2008

I thought Obama was the one with the pastor problem. This so-called "pastor problem" of McCain's sounds a lot more like Obama's "Farrakhan problem":

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-farrakhan25feb25,0,6391391.story

Similar to McCain's incidental association w Hagee, it would seem the appropriate analogy would be to Obama's incidental association w Farrakhan.

We should call McCain's problem, his "Hagee problem" and not confuse it with Obama's "pastor problem".

[shockmagog]

08:31 PM on 05/23/2008

Obama's "problem" is not the issue here, PseudoLiberal. YOUR story:

'"Senator Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.'
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-farrakhan25feb25,0,6391391.story

In spite of you lamely trying to change the subject away from McCain and his assorted array of Christo-Fascist pastor suppositories, your soon-to-be 3rd party and its Christian cult minions are frantically scurrying from the light of mainstream public exposure. Get that SPF and those sunglasses ready, because ya'll are as good as toast.

[gintheb]

07:08 PM on 05/23/2008

How can anybody, in their right mind, take this guy seriously. Hagee and is ilk are as scary as any islamic fundamentalist..... and they're home grown!

[Pyrrhus]

08:00 PM on 05/23/2008

Unfortunately at least 10,000 families in San Antonio take him seriously- that's what he claims is the size of his "church".

Truly frightening.

[Pyrrhus]

06:40 PM on 05/23/2008

Honestly the guy looks like a tick ready to pop.

Who has a pin?

[Mack20]

05:57 PM on 05/23/2008

Reverend Hagee is neither his pastor nor his mentor. And JM is not a member of his church. Get it? Got it? GOOD! How about Hamas endorsing Obama? Wait, can't discuss that can we? Nor can we discuss HIS preacher (for 20 years), his terrorist neighbor/friend, his mobster friend, his big mouth overpaid wife, his lack of experience (hey, he was a community organizer, right?), his wimpy demeanor, his big ears, his stupid comments (57 states), mom, dad, grandma, and on and on. Obama, the Messiah, is untouchable so don't say anything about him if you please.

[landoffools]

06:14 PM on 05/23/2008

Cute little hissy-fit, Elmer !!!

But, you really are boring all of us !!!

Dismissed !!!!

[BlackWidowPilot]

06:24 PM on 05/23/2008

Mack,

compared to "Hundred years War" McCain and his fetish for lobbyists from K Street starting with Charles Keating, his slavish support for Cheney's war for oil and empire based upon over 900+ *documented* lies about WMDs and debunked claims of connections between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, his silence on the runaway sexual abuse of children by GOP elected officials and party movers and shakers (over 70 at last count), his slavishly chasing after the endorsement of Hagee, Parsley, and other televangelical Pharisee hacks like an insecure chid seeking his daddy's public approval, and his continuing failure to actually do anything to improve the sufferings of our troops at the hands of the VA, his continuing opposition to the new GI Bill, ad mounting nauseum, and his inability to tell a Sunni from a Shiite even after he's been told over four times, well, all things in the universe are relative, and "Hundred Years War" McCain by comparison to the Senator from Illinois is a mere intellectual and moral dwarf standing in the shadow of a titan.

END PART I

[RedWolverine]

08:02 PM on 05/23/2008

So you must be suggesting that the Teacher's Unions and the Trial Lawyers Associations are not lobbyist.

I'll take McCain's lobbyists over Obama's 7 days out of 7.

[huffpostcomreader]

05:42 PM on 05/23/2008

Is Islam an Anti-Christ religion? Far from it, read the following from the Quran and you decide. Here is a funny clip on youtube with John Hagee quoting this verse. Notice where he stops (45 secs into the clip)but conveniently leaves out the rest of the verse. youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ibvGt7nNg.

005.82
Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.
005.83
And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: "Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses.

[DesertLight]

06:26 PM on 05/23/2008

NO, I disagree, very far from it. The real question is, who is Jesus. Is He a prophet or is He God.

Islam: Jesus = Prophet
Christianity: Jesus = God

Huge difference as in all cults.

[BlackWidowPilot]

06:32 PM on 05/23/2008

Which one is the "cult?'

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[ObamaLover]

05:17 PM on 05/23/2008

Obama: "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community"

[ObamaLover]

05:13 PM on 05/23/2008

2. Jeremiah Wright, April 16, 2008
Non-truth: During a March 14 interview with FOX News, Obama said he was never in church when his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made the now infamous sermons during which he proclaimed “God damn America” and asserted that the U.S. brought on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with its own “terrorism.”

“None of these statements were ones I had heard myself personally in the pews,” Obama said, calling the sermons “unacceptable and inexcusable.”

Truth: During a March 18 speech Obama said, “Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes.” He added, “The remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial … they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country.”

Nearly one month later, on April 16, Obama told a group of Jewish leaders in Philadelphia that he “did not become aware of [Wright’s statements] until I started running for president,” implying that he did not hear the remarks while he “sat in church.”