Rod Parsley: McCain's Other Pastor Problem

The Huffington Post:

UPDATE: Around 10PM ET, McCain rejected the endorsement of another right-wing 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 video of Parsley produced by Brave New Films:

Read the whole story: The Huffington Post

Comments

[StephieL]

Fascism is already here, wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross and going on national television in order to make itself palatable to an American population which see themselves as "virtuous victims" of a mean world, and who are eager to see the Almighty exact "payback" against America's percieved "enemies".

[yathink]

If more people knew what this belief system really involves, it could be stopped. But we can't even stop the corrupt funding to Iraq or make any progress on global warming.

These people believe that Israel must be destroyed to start Armageddon. Anyone who doesn't follow their beliefs will be destroyed. They want this to happen and believe the wars in the Middle East will bring it on. Anyone in the U.S. who doesn't believe should also perish. Hate for money. That is their game. None of them want peace in any form.

[kellygrrrl]

word

[scornflakes]

The Rod of god gives Columbus a bad name. Especially since everyone here knows this guy is a megalomaniacal lunatic, a con-artist, and a joke. How shameful is it that people like this are still allowed to get away with seducing retirees social security checks from them while maintaining tax exempt status for their criminal enterprises . . . er . . . I mean . . . their "megachurches". Disgusting.

[harriscrl3]

RELIGION HAS NO PLACE in the 21st Century.

Atheism is Growing STRONG.

Carol

[craneman]

Amen & Hallaluiah !!!

[Grrr]

CAROL / CRANEMAN '08

[Indedave]

Praise Cheezits! And pass the dip, please.

[thankulord13]

Ignorance is bliss and you just proved it with your mindless statement.­.. As an African American faith in God is what got my people through the Hundreds of years of oppression at the hands of the White man. So if you make a statement like that then I will go one further RELIGION has no place in the 21st century if the White man would disappear also!

[UncleSquinky]

And if it weren't for a half million or so killed or maimed white men, "your" people might still be enslaved. And I believe it was other Africans that captured and sold other Africans to American and European slavers. I'll leave it as an exercise for you to apply your logic to this last fact to arrive at a conclusion­...

Christianity may have gotten African Americans through slavery, but it's high time to join the Enlightenment.

[kellygrrrl]

you said it Carol!

"that's me in the corner, losing my religion." - REM

[ntf1]

It may be growing strong, but I am afraid it is growing much too slowly.

However, it is a beautiful day for American Atheists and secularists when leading candidates of both major parties are pressured to renounce their pastors. A hopeful metaphor of American Politics shedding the leech that goes by the name of religion.

Just my two cents.

[UncleSquinky]

Good point

[ThePoundcake]

If Muhammad is the anti-christ and Islam what is Christianity?

Christianity found this nation and Enslaved Africans, denied women the right to vote, slaughtered North American Indians, set dogs loose on black people, put japanese-I­talians-ge­rmans in concentration camps. Gave syphilis to 12 black men in an experiment at Tuskegee university. It was also the republican party that condemned roman cahtolics in the 1800's as the bastard religion which then catholics joined the democrat party.

You have Christians that swear on a bible and take office, then when the swearing in session is over they raise all kinds of hell. Sex scandals, Bribes, Payoffs, money laundering, destroying the monetary system.

Oh yeah, and we have United States Corporations in EVERY oil rich Muslim nation willing to provide services in exchange for payment. Dubai and other muslim countries have assets purchased in this country..s­o where is the problem with Islam if we allow them to invest here and provide service aborad willingly? NYU is establishing a satelite university in the middle east.

If islam is the anti christ then CHRISTIANITY is the Father...T­HE DEVIL HIMSELF...­AMEN!

[Chillinout]

Whoa, whoa. That is only one person's opinion. There is no reason to slam a whole religion because one delusional man with a big mouth and a microphone to put it in front of it says something like that. His statements can be so easily repudiated as to be ludicrous.

[kasinca]

I am a Christian but the men who run these churches and do their interpretations are the reason we have so many denominations and religions. They are commercialized and hypocritical. Jesus Christ would have spoken, and did, of them as lost. Read what he said to the Pharisees.

[thankulord13]

Christianity did not enslave the Africans the White man did! Take some responsibility and stop putting the blame off on some one or something else!

[Marcl]

There lunatics in all faiths. There Christian Right, some "Muslim" harebrained, and the militant Jews. There is no difference in mentality of these people, they're all CRAZY fanatics. The sad part : They are puppets utilized by Right-Wing politicians in their respective countries for their evil purpose !

[ntf1]

I think that is open for debate. It is thought that Christianity was used as an excuse for enslavement as is sometimes discussed in the, "Mark of Cain." I am sure you have heard of this absurdity - that black skin was a symbol of this "Mark", therefore, Africans and people of black skin were inferior. Such allowed whites to justify slavery of Africans.

P.S. I do not find it anyone's place to take responsibility for an action they did not commit - I do not believe ThePoundcake owns a slave or ever owned a slave. The more appropriate call to action would be to fight to end racial discrimination, a lasting result of slavery.

[shades3]

PoundCake, I must take exception to one of the statements you made about the Tuskeegee Experiment, which ran, Federally Funded, from 1932 to 1972.
The so-called "experiment" was heinous, but it did not involve infecting 12 black men with syphilis. It actually involved 399 indigent black men, already suffering from syphilis, who remained untreated although midway through the "study" penicillan was shown to cure syphilis. These men were denied the medication, deliberately.
The object of the "study" turned out to be not to observe the progression of the disease, but to study the 399 autopsies to see if the damage to black men's organs was different than was the damage to white men's organs suffering from syphilis.
The men were brought into the study with an offer of free medicine, a roof over their heads and a paid funeral.
So, it's no wonder that even now there are some black people who are willing to believe that AIDS is a government-spread infection.

[AndreaDoria]

Poundcake:

The Tuskegee experiment did not inject anyone with syphilis. The men had contracted it the old-fashioned way. The "experiment" was not to treat the men, which, of course, is horrible.

As for Catholics and the Democratic Party, Boss Tweed and other corrupt Democratic political machines in the large cities had much to do with the affiliation. I am unaware of the Republican Party condemning Catholicism as "the bastard religion." Perhaps you are confusing the G.O.P. with the Know Nothing Party.

I guess you forgot about the role of Islam in slavery (the Arabic word for black African is the same for the Arabic word for slave.) Seriously, your ignorance is breathtaking.

[farseer]

Your post shows that you are not well-informed. It was muslim traders who brought Africans to America and sold them into slavery. It's a flat-out lie to say that "Christianity" did all the things you mention. The faith itself did none of those things. people using the name of that faith - often falsely - did some of those things But in many of the cases, they were done by people who either were not christians at all, or whose relationship to Christianity was dubious or non-existent. OTOH it was Christians who spearheaded the abolitionist movement (which sought to end slavery), it was often Christians tried to protect the North American Indians, Christians who walked in solidarity with blacks at Selma Alabama. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King himself was a Christian clergyman. It was Christians who built many of the schools and colleges in America, including the most prestigious ones (Ivy League and others). Christians built many of the hospitals. There are plenty of people in America who never attend church, you know (or maybe you didn't know). There are plenty of people who attend church only 3 times - when they are baptized, married, and buried - but use the name and label of Christianty, while not practicing the precepts of the religion. Get some information before you spout off.

[Barky]

Do I detect something of an imbalance in reaction to intolerant statements about religious minorities?

Hagee says something intolerant about Catholics. Reaction: shrug.

Parsley says something intolerant about Muslims: Reaction: shrug.

Hagee says something intolerant about Jews: Reaction: All hell breaks loose.

Is it just a political thing?

[kdogg]

pretty much. i mean on offensive to jews but politically they are much more active as a demographic so they are given a lot more consideration when it comes to possibly offending them.

[happyblackman]

Hit the nail on the head!

[dsmyre]

The reaction comes from the organized voice of the group. Catholics and Muslims as a group may not have an organized voice to express outrage. But the Jewish community sure does. As well as the African-American community. Anti-semitic or anti-AA remarks seldom go unchallenged, which is a good thing.

[LITU]

The only people who can't seem to see McCain for what he is are the same people who continue to support Bush. There is no hope for them. They are the low standard of our society.

[FCBarca]

The irony, of course, is that if McCain's pastor or anyone else came out critical of Islam rather than Judaism no one would even blink an eye

[JR49]

It is easy because most of newspapers and medias generally are in hands of Jews so any teleevangelist or some church guy is not going to the MSM with something against Judaism.
It is cheap shot for such an idiots like Hagee or Parsley come out and speak on TV against Islam or other religions because it is allowed.

[bikerdude]

All of this in the name of "god"????
What about the basic golden rule and 10 commandments? If you have to go to religion, just keep it in perspective, a highly personal belief.
What the hell, if we go back in history, the most damaging, devastating wars were fought in the name of religion.

[LITU]

Why is it Christians can't say something like, the Golden Rule and the Beatitudes? Christians have always struggled with the Jewish element of their belief, yet almost to the person, they continue to spout the Ten Commandments and not the sentiments of compassion - the Beatitudes.

I'm not a Christian, but I cherish the Beatitudes for their own sake. It's one of the few elements of Christianity that works for ALL people.

I know, bikerdude, that's not what you were saying, I was just using your comment as a springboard.

[ceti]

These Christians really aren't Christians. They have completely subverted Jesus' message to mean the opposite -- judge others harshly, punish the guilty, hate your enemies, and scorn the poor.

[AndreaDoria]

Actually, no. World War I and World War II were certainly not fought in the name of religion.

And no, the fact the Wehrmacht had "Gott Mit Uns" on their belt buckles didn't make W.W. II a war about religion.

[Modok]

I guess the Crusades and the Inquisition are too long ago to be worried about? McCain would have been a private about then I'd say.

[tjwdraws]

Check this freak out:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZFr59VC50tY

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tViqufbk7I8

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oh503w_YLe4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8-9AGGsQw

McCain sought this guy out as well and called him a 'spiritual guide'

SCARY!

[dadw5boys]

" When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." -Sinclair Lewis

[harriscrl3]

I'm glad he was smart enough to say WHEN. The when is already here. We are in the midst of it let see if this election Americans will stand up against it because this may be their last chance.

Carol

[lisakaz2]

Indeed, though not if it's McCain v. Hillary. Two Bu$hies of slightly different stripes.

[sdskelton03]

ergo, everyone who believes in Jesus and respects the flag is a fascist!

[tjwdraws]

No. But Most who fall in lockstep behind every flag waving crucifix clutching politician or preacher are the ideal and complacent targets for those fascists.

[bluesman49]

no, but that's why fascism will be so easily embraced

[shades3]

Sinclair Lewis was a wise man whose words were certainly prophetic.

Separation of Church and State is not just a good idea. It's essential, especially now.

[JRGris]

McCain is going to have a lot of these problems because the country is filled with wingnut pastors that are going to be saying the most outrageous things from now on.

[MissingAmerica]

The religious fanatics never cease to amaze. Muslim is a religion, just as Christianity. Allah is another name for God. The fear and hatred these religions are spreading have nothing to do with either the word of God or Allah. They have to do with the ignorance of man. I never thought I would see this enlightened nation slip so far. I don't hear God's voice; I hear the voices of the Christian Right and the madmen such as Bin Laden. We need to reinstate government and education in this country before we become just a Middle East with skyscrapers.

[AxelDC]

Republicans don`t care if you insult Muslims. They only care if you insult "real Americans", aka "white people".

[conniedogs]

Axe--you mean "hard working white people"

[amanda85]

By Hillary's definition, white people living in the Pacific Northwest (i.e. 95% of the population) are lazy bums...

[DrJimmy]

Well he is half right.....