The Real Problem With Reverend Hagee

John McCain was warmly endorsed by Rev. Hagee this past week. McCain said he was "very honored" and "very proud" of the endorsement.

Reverend Hagee is a Class A kook. Stark raving mad. He believes someone will unite the whole world together and bring peace to everyone -- and that person is the Anti-Christ. Yeah, God forbid we should have peace. So, Hagee prefers war instead.

He wants to preemptively strike Iran to start the festivities. So, will this bring peace later at least? No, exactly the opposite, it will bring Armageddon. Then nearly everyone will die -- which, of course, is a great thing because Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled and the few people who agree with John Hagee will all be saved and laughing their ass off in heaven. And the rest of us will be dead. Killed by Rev. Hagee's righteous God.

This is all very comical and patently absurd. I know it seems literally unbelievable that grown-ass men would believe something this childish and stupid. But I sat through a whole hour of the Glenn Beck show to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting what they were saying. You can watch it here (it's in seven hilarious parts, which are all next to this clip on You Tube). By the way, Beck enthusiastically agrees and supports Rev. Hagee as he lays out the ravings of his lunatic mind. Thereby proving my dad right when he says in his heavy Turkish accent, "Glenn Beck is the crazy."

As I read and watched all of Hagee's ideas about how Gog and Magog and Dumbledore were going to come out of Russia to unite the Muslims (who, of course, are the worst people on earth and the minions of Satan), I thought he looked like an overgrown kid who was really wrapped up in a great game of Dungeons and Dragons.

The only thing that separates this nonsense from D&D or Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter (which Hagee, of course, believes is the work of the devil) is that at least those non-fiction works make some degree of sense. One thought is connected to another and you have a nice, fable that you can follow along.

In Hagee's version of the Bible, Jesus comes back to suck up every believer on earth. They get vacuumed into heaven. And then the Anti-Christ comes and we eventually walk down the road to Armageddon. You don't think the rest of us would catch on when all the Christians get sucked up into the sky? We'd still walk happily into the arms of the Anti-Christ even though we just saw all these people transported into heaven.

Look, I think all of the major religions are the silliest fairytales I have ever heard, but if people start to get sucked up into the sky by Jesus, believe me, I'm listening. I guess they think the rest of us aren't very bright.

Then there is the logical inconsistency of trying to start Armageddon, as Hagee would like to do, when the tribulation is supposed to happen first (that's the vacuum moment I referred to above). Since the tribulation has to happen first, Pastor Hagee seems to be putting his cart before his Four Horses of the Apocalypse.

But like I said, this would all be an amusing joke, if it weren't for one thing. It's that these wackjobs have actual power in this country. President Bush sent a congratulatory note to one of Rev. Hagee's meetings (on Armageddon preparations well done I assume). Hagee was also invited to the White House to talk with the White House deputy national security adviser Elliott Abrams. The pastor came out of the meeting saying, "we felt we were on the right track."

The president regularly meets with Christian right zealots, like Pat Robertson, who all believe this same insanity. In fact, the president met with Robertson right before the Iraq invasion. The White House has a regular conference call with evangelical leaders every Monday. Members of the Christian right are placed in important positions throughout the government as reward for their political support. Evangelical activist Gary Bauer says, "I think we've had some impact." That's exactly what I'm worried about.

Now, they are wooing John McCain. They would like him to start this fun little Apocalypse everyone is so jazzed about. The skeptics will say that McCain is using them and doesn't really believe any of this crap. First, I have no interest in finding out. While I have faith that McCain is a liar of the first order (and he would have to be to say he is "very honored" to get this man's endorsement and then laugh at him behind his back), I would rather not take that chance.

But more importantly, I don't want McCain taking orders from these guys. A president trying to appease these lunatics by changing our foreign policy is a terribly dangerous possibility. John McCain has become the world's biggest panderer in this election cycle. Is there anything he won't stoop to in order to wrangle up a couple of more votes from the Christian Right? Would he let them influence policy in order to get their endorsement again in 2012? You'd have to be awfully naïve to think he wouldn't.

If John Hagee, Pat Robertson and Glenn Beck sat in a basement playing Armageddon while the kids next to them played Dungeons and Dragons, I wouldn't bat an eyelash. It's a free country. Somebody's gotta be stupid. Everyone's got a niche.

(By the way, I would like to pause to say that I don't mean to denigrate the honorable D&D players out there. The difference between you guys and the Hagees of the world is that at least you know you're playing a make-believe game in a make-believe world. Plus, you probably have a 100 IQ points on them.)

So, Reverend Hagee thinks the Catholic Church is the "Great Whore" and that Muslims are programmed to kill and that New Orleans had it coming because they were going to do a gay pride march and the head of the European Union will be the next Anti-Christ and that the whole world will be soaked in blood and most of the people on the planet will die if we play our cards right. So what? It's a free country. You can be as bat-shit crazy as you want to be. But I draw the line when someone takes you seriously. When you can actually effect world events to bring about the bloody conclusions you seek. When you have access to power.

Until then, it's shits and giggles. But when they have a presidential candidate in their back pocket, that's when it becomes our business to point out how absolutely crazy they truly are.

You can say that I'm overreacting. Republicans are liars who are just using these halfwits for their votes and will never actually listen to them. After all, the Christian Right had Bush in their back pocket and he didn't start a war in the Middle East for no apparent reason ... oh yeah.

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Comments

[doubleplusgood]

".., but if people start to get sucked up into the sky by Jesus, believe me, I'm listening". Hysterical!

These Christofascists know that the whole rapture/endtimes thing isn't 'real' right? That shit was just made up by some crazy Irishman century before last. I mean if you're going to believe in fairy tales then at least believe in the original ones.. The Catholics just put Revelations in there for some light relief at the end.

Hey.. did you ever realize that all the really silly religions.­. the completely animal crackers laugh out loud ones.. (Evangelicalism ,Mormons, Scientology) are all American?. Kinda weird.

Thanks for the post.

[larry278]

There are people who find those who follow Preacher Hagee & other tele-evang­elists[sp] of ithat ilk are obnoxious & ignorant. We wouldn't miss any of these fundie, Copulating Christians if they disappeared from the earth; they could be sucked into either paradise or hell or whatever. We wouldn't miss them. Fundies are pests, loud mouthed ignorant pests. John McCain would find the fundie version of paradise to be worse than the Hanoi Hilton. If there was a loving god-that creature would have silenced the fundies & disposed of the earthly remains of all fundies. But god could also be an arch-sadist who inflicts fundies & other torments upon the living on a whim. Four or more years of a POTUS John McCain could be just one more torment from a sadistic god. God is a mystery.

[Cathexis]

(whew!) Close call, Cenk. As a (former) D&D enthusiast, I was *this* close to bringing a defamation suit against you, until I read your dissociation statement! ;-)

(PS: The "Weasel Lobby" is still awaiting their apology from me for similar GOP comparison­s.)

[sparkandy]

You don't seriously think Bush started an illegal war in Iraq to pacify a small fraction of his constituency do you? Up until now most people thought it was about enriching his buddies at Haliburton, etc. Mainstream and progressive Republicans don't take Hagee and his ilk seriously. As far as they're concerned McCain IS pandering to them and when and if he wins the election, he'll turn his back on them. Pandering is a time honored political tool, and all the candidates are doing it. You can't tar McCain with that one and give Obama and Clinton a pass. And as far as more war in the ME, with Israel as our ally, we don't need to do anything to get further embroiled in that mess. All we have to do is let the Israelis drag us into it. Then AIPAC and their ilk, and the Rapturists and their ilk, will have gotten what they wanted. And the next Pres will have to try to clean up THAT mess.

[ExPatriot70]

Religion is nothing more than a insidious form of mind control and assholes like hagee are masters at it.s practice. Evidently the south and southwest are fertile fields for the collectiion of weak minds as that seems to be where they do the best at polluting the air with their batshit preaching. Texas and Oklahioma are prime examples of this. I had the misfortune of living in Ok for a number of years and saw it first hand. I was a Atheist for years before I moved there so their batshit had no effect on me what so ever, although I did enjoy running them off when they came to my door to convert

[ShawnMichel]

Hagee is a wackjob. That makes McCain one as well. That makes the vast numbers of idiots supporting him ones as well.

Fascism comes draped in a flag and carrying a cross.

Time for revolution in America.

[Lisette]

Dear Chenk,
I look foward to your columns, they are absolutely terrific.
Well done and nothing left unsaid, perfect! thanks

[ptarantino]

Well done Cenk. The really sad part is that Bush played up to the nut-balls & McCain is following.
I still can't believe Hagee was in DC with 3,500 zombies the week after Israel invaded Lebanon & got a meeting with the no#2 NSA man Elliot Abrahms

God help us all.

[robeson]

One of the foremost Hagee supporters is Sen. Joe Lieberman. How could you forget his dreadful speech praising Hagee as a new Moses.

[anfractuous]

If all of this is predestined anyway, why bother going through the whole futile exercise? If, presumably, the elect are already known to you god - then why wait, why prolong this orgy of pain, unless of course, you are a sadist? Are you redecorating Heaven for its new occupants? How long could that take, especially for you? (Yes, I know how it is with contractor­s.)
That there are millions in this country who do believe this crap, means we deserve McCain, just as we deserved and got Bush- twice. I almost feel like voting for McCain just to precipitate our best corporate approximation of the apocalypse. At least that will be more interesting to watch than the slow, lingering death promised by Obama or Hillary.

[RumiSouth]

While I get your point, Cenk, the fact is Hagee would erupt if he saw anyone playing Dungeons and Dragons. I've been playing the game for almost thirty years now, and have had to defend it from wingnut liars my entire life. It's "Satan's game" that "teaches witchcraft" and "turns innocent children into raving serial killers," etc.

Matter of fact... I'd love to have Hagee sit in on one of our game sessions. Our group includes a Baha'i, a Wiccan, a Catholic, an Episcopalian, two agnostics, and a Methodist MINISTER. Hagee would drop dead of apoplexy in five minutes flat.

[Deidroni]

The Republican Party has sold their soul to the Religious Right. They must be stopped!!!!

If McCain wins in November, we can kiss a rational society goodbye. The Fundamentalist and anti- evolutionists will be writing all the policies.

People have to wake up to the real threat to America - RELIGION.

[AlButerol]

What soul?

[MSB]

A country that continues to pander to the stupidest of folks and their irrational, moronic beliefs, is itself not worthy of really saving. We sold out to money long ago, and that corrupt heart is finally going to finish us. We are at war - go shopping.

Increasingly, I want to see this country balkanized and the portions of the country which house the highest percentages of nuts can form their own theological nations. I will take my family, and move to one of the areas that is secular. I will defend THAT country. I will be a member of a political party that doesn't pander to the dumbest 20% of its citizens.

Just follow this country's money and social issues. We are doomed unless we return to collective social policy. My family is not dying in any war to defend the wealthiest 5%, if I am to die it will be to fight those who would send my son to fight their war. I increasingly don't even relate to this country's policies at all.

Within 20 years, we will see local elected officials running on secession.

Hagee is the most idiotic of imbeciles, and he has more influence than a team of Nobel Prize winners. Then again, look who we elect our President. It took me a while to get here, but I really am thinking this nation is incapable of saving itself.

[itmaybetoolate]

I am very afraid you are correct. I am changing my username to itIStoolate.

[desertdweller]

If all that Rev. Hagee says is true, what I want to know is whether it will be broadcast commercial-free and in HD.

[desertdweller]

So Cenk, how did you feel about Rev. Hagee and his ilk when you were cheerleading for the GOP?

[austinobserver]

I say "Thank God for Reverend Hagee!" He is a gift from heaven, if Democrats know what to do with him. The Democrats need to use blogs, 527's, and every other tool in the toolkit to connect McCain with Hagee and to educate the public about Hagee's ravings. But "these things must be done delicately­." The momentum needs to build slowly so that McCain continues to dance with Hagee until it is too late.

[mommadona]

Workin' on it....

Seems McCain likes Plane Rides from "The Faithful".­..puts the concept of 'Mile High Club' in a whole new paradigm..­..

http://www.madcowprod.com/02272008.html

Who then have some 'splainin' to do about their private airlines..­.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/ingin