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

[Dachozen1]

Hagee and Parsely have been preaching hatred for over 20 years. Their crazy views both have been well documented through t.v. and audio. McCain have accepted these 2 pastors doctrine knowing the hatred they preached. I dont have a quarter of the resources McCain has at his disposal and I knew about these Pastors. It is highly unlikely John McCain wasnt aware of their rhetoric. Does McCain share the same values? At the bare minimum it has shown poor judgement which is the same thing that he criticizes Barack for. This is worthy of the same scrutiny.

[realpolitic]

All these pastor problems McCain has may be the makings of Pastor-Gate. I want to know what did McCain know and when did he know it.

[tjwdraws]

WOW! McCain would be a GREAT prez. He makes silly decisions and then tenaciously stands by them as the right thing to have done then when the heat gets too high he simply says didn't have the right information when he made those poor decisions - never apologizing but constantly backing away. What a maverick!

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

McCain was for Hagee's and Parsley's endorsement before he was against it.

[Groobiecat]

What's *really* ironic is this guy's view that Islam is inherently violent. It seems that this Judeo/Christian democracy--which is directly responsible for for 600,000 - 1,000,000 deaths in Iraq (depending on which figures you believe) -- is inherently violent. I wonder what the tally of deaths would be at the hands, of say, Islamic extremists over the past 40 years vs. US-involved or led actions (including Vietnam). I wonder what that side-by-side comparison would look like . . .

[gorgol]

Are we seeing the "Real McCain"? Panderer to anyone that will support him, begs for the support of fanatical right wing evangelicals, fills his "campaign staff" with lobbyists..and the worst kind...those that worked for thugs and murderers around the world...and then, for the icing in the cake...doesn't come back to Washington to vote in the Veterans Bill...the Bill he says is too extravagant for soldiers....if they all get scholarships for a decent education, they'll leave the service. And is prepared to keep these soldiers in Iraq for decades. If the democrats can't beat this guy it seems we were meant to be doomed.

[richcpl]

Such a maverick. He only asserts that there's "no place" for this bigotry when it works against him for too long. My friends, McCain is a phony.

[CocteausTwin]

Can someone tell me what these two "pastors" did for their community? What does it say about McCain when he sought the endorsements of these two people when their records were pretty clear and researchable? McCain didn't help these churches to improve their communities; assuming they even did anything for their community besides build bigger and bigger meeting places. I think it is much worse to simply ask the praise of this kind of charlatans as opposed to being involved in something that helps to build up people and communities.

[AlphaDoc]

>What does it say about McCain when he sought the endorsements of these two people when their records were pretty clear and researchable?<

To me, it says he has the same vetting process as George Bush, to go along with the matching policies. As long as he gets what he wants, it doesn't matter who gets (or has gotten) trashed in the process. McCain was so eager to curry favor with the religious right, he'd have taken an endorsement from Jim Jones, if one was available.

[MajorKong]

I live in Columbus, Ohio. As far as I can tell, all Rod Parsley has done for the community is line his own pockets.

[lewes17266]

If you confront them with their abuses, they say you are in opposition to God.

[partyofone]

Enough on coverage of pastor problems for McCain and Obama. Can we please focus on substance, ideas, policy, tangible issues that affect the lives of citizans, the nation and the world?

I am very uncomfortable with guilt by association politicl attacks, irrespective of who is mounting them against whom.

[allwrite]

The characters attracted to a political party define the party. I don't suggest the Dems are perfect, but I do personally believe that the current version of the Republican Party is much more attractive to bigots and zealots. I don't have a problem with exposing it to the light of day.

I believe further that in a presidential election, most voters are looking at philosophical orientation for the most part. I doubt there are many who have absorbed the distinctions between Obama's and Clinton's health plans, but there are plenty who understand that the Dems favor universal coverage and the Repubs do not.

[AlphaDoc]

A lot of folks are uncomfortable with the guilt-by-association business, Party. But I see this as more of an attack on McCain's hypocrisy. He was ready and willing to use Obama's associations against him, even though his own were far more objectionable.

[TheKnownTruth]

I am not surprised by these events. Having to "denounce" not one but TWO (2) religious leaders whose endorsements you sought out is a BIG problem. This is the second major JUDGEMENT problem in a week ...not counting the lack of knowledge of Iraq sects.

Add this to the lobbyist purge and America we have a winner....NOT. This guy has got to be the most incompetent candidate I've seen in a long time.

Sad ...very very sad.....

[spec4F]

Even more incompetent than shrub???

[kfdan]

Most of these preachers are ignorant people who know nothing about Islam. As a matter of fact, Islam believes Christ was a prophet and they believe in the virgin birth as well. It's amazing that Americans of any stripe, but the most blatantly stupid and ignorant, would have anything to do with these fine examples of Elmer Gantry type religious scammers! For heavens sake, get some education people!

[HarkaDahl]

In my experience of Islam, Jesus' teachings are embraced, he is seen as a prophet. He is also seen as a man, a historical figure, not unlike Muhammed. To Islam, he was not the son of God. He was human. To call Islam anti-Christ is just ignorant. But you really can tell Americans anything and they suck it down uncritically, hence the current malaise. I am reminded of a time when i was 17 hanging around in Amsterdam. I met a college educated professional American guy about 26 or 27. He inquired about the Van Gogh museum and i told him its great and if he hurries he can see Vincent's famous ear on show! Only this week! With that he thanked me for the tip and off he went. I couldn't believe that he believed me. I only said it as a joke...

[bazokbros]

The ones that are offended by this are moderates and Dems. Republicans immediate defense -- as McCain demonstrated -- is to say "at least he wasn't a spiritual advisor...or did I sit in the pews for 20 years." There's a little bit of a Rev Wright burnout so this won't get covered in their media outlets more than a few days. Those people who are using Manchurian candidate references may need to stop listening to Ann Coulter so much as it more closely resembles McCain than Obama.

Personally I'm far more disturbed by a candidate that sought and embraced these guys and praised them as leaders of the community. Statements like that explicitly imply that this is what McCain thinks and believes.

I think if the Arab world really wanted to jump on these statements as propoganda saying these are the beliefs of a potential US president, then this could make John McCain one of the greatest threats to American security.

[lungfish]

From the Koran:

Be they Muslims, Jews
Christians, or Sabians,
those who believe in God and the Last Day
and who do good
have their reward with their Lord,
They have nothing to fear,
and they will not sorrow.

Worship nothing but God,
be good to your parents and relatives
and to the orphan and the poor.
Speak nicely to people
and give charity.

From "The Family of Imraan"

And the angels said,
"O Mary! God has chosen you
and purified you,
chosen you over the women
of all nations.

"O Mary! Obey your Lord,
humble yourself,
and bow down in prayer
along with the prayerful."

Behold, the angels said,
"O Mary, God announces good news to you
by a Word from God
named the Messiah. Jesus son of Mary,
honored in the world
and the hereafter,
and among the Intimates"

"And God will teach him
the Book and wisdom,
the Torah and the Gospel."
.

Say, "We believe in God
and what God revealed to us,
and what God revealed to Abraham and Ishmael
and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes,
and what was given
to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets
from their Lord.
We do not discriminate between
individuals among them;
we surrender to God."

[tathagat]

But people blinded by hatred are deaf dumb and blind with their prejudices and refuse to listen... and btw duality of good and evil the world and the cinema dwells around has to have a villain... Soviet Union disappeared so a new enemy had to be there... remember Orwell 1984... Emanuel Goldstein the most wanted terrorist likes of Osaama, didn't even exist...

[glaze]

Thank you for your post. Even if one is an aethist, these should be seen as wise words. What's tragic and frustrating is the disconnection between all the good intentions of the words and the human inclination to twist and corrupt them to feel and act superior to others.

[thisoldbroad]

These men weren't McCain's long time preachers that had gotten a little more radical in their beliefs as they got older..

He knew they were snakes when he picked them up. Knowing what he knew at the beginning, he still sought them out & thought enough of them to arrange photo ops & a press announcement to let the world know he had their endorsements.

Long after the rest of us knew they were snakes, he tried to have it both ways by letting us know he didn't agree with all their views - but still valued their endorsements.

Now, months later, when we wouldn't let our disappointment at his choices drop - suddenly they are both unacceptable.

With all the experience Senator McCain professes to have.. you'd think he would have seen this one coming. In the real world we call this "jail house religion". Makes me wonder if he's more remorseful that we didn't let it drop or that he did it in the first place.

Either way.. even though these 2 are now out of favor, they still cast a large shadow over this mans campaign.

There is no comparison to a long time pastor & parishioner growing apart over philosophical differences. These men have always been snakes.

[Philly4Obama]

You are assuming he knew their teachings. I don't view McCain as religious at all. The guy doesn't strike me as one who would sit for more than five minutes in Church. He sought them out because it was convenient to get his fundamentalist base. It was pure pandering. Later it exploded in his face... He didn't think he needed to vett these people, because usually Republicans don't have to. It is because of what they did to Obama that this backlash happened.

[Kremfresch]

um, unlike Obama's pastor, both of these pastors have more than one best selling book in which these same Ideas are put forth

[qdog112]

YOU ARE 100% CORRECT.

Funny how things work out.

On the other hand it's hard to believe McCain didn't know exactly WHO HE SOUGHT FOR SUPPORT to court the EVANGELICALS.

[Abycat]

They say that breaking up is hard to do.