One Prejudiced Pastor Down, One to Go

Well hallelujah! John Hagee, the prejudiced pastor who backed McCain, is apologizing to Catholics for calling The Roman Catholic Church "the Great Whore." This is Hagee's attempt to make peace with Catholics and Evangelicals after Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, put out a statement in February entitled "McCain Embraces Bigot." Of course, we haven't seen an apology from Hagee to the LGBT community for calling Hurricane Katrina "the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."

Nor have we seen any sort of apology out the equally offensive Rev. Rod Parsley, McCain's "spiritual guide" who literally wants to destroy Islam. As David Corn reported in Mother Jones last week, Parsley referred to Islam in a 2005 sermon as "the greatest religious enemy of our civilization and the world."

Parsley draws no distinction between Muslims and violent Islamic extremists, as he blamed the entire religion for the attacks of September 11th. He referred to September 11th as "a generational call to arms" to destroy the "false religion" of Islam.

The world (and in particular the Muslim community) ought to be livid over the fact that McCain has praised and campaigned with Parsley. McCain should demand Parsley apologize to the Muslim community immediately, and he should reject Parsley's endorsement.

Of course, the latter part seems unlikely. Parsley leads the World Harvest Megachurch in Ohio, a state he helped deliver for Bush in 2004 with his army of social conservatives. So it seems unlikely McCain would drop his support. Still Hagee's apology leaves me wondering about the politics behind all of this.

If Hagee and Parsley represent McCain's attempt to cozy up to the religious right, then it's no surprise that Hagee reconciled his differences with Catholics and Evangelicals. Parsley, by contrast, hasn't criticized the Republicans' religious base. He's only denigrated the world's second largest religion, whose followers have comparatively little say in the Republican party.

Comments

[DerekRC]

Protect Islam at all costs. Islam is the "religion of peace". Christianity is the religion that is wreaking havoc thoughout the world.

blah, blah, blah...

Islam has a definitive problem. It's leaders promote violence, doom and gloom and quietly support vs. condemn violence in the name of Islam.

In Seattle an MUSLIM shoots innocent people at a Jewish Community Center.

In North Carolina, a MUSLIM drives his car though the quad a a major university running over innocent students.

In the Netherlands, an artist is killed for speaking out against Islam by a MUSLIM.

I could recite example after example after example after example.

There is a problem with Islam....ISLAM.

[BigBen]

Sorry .Still two to go.Have you forgotten Rev.Wright?

[sssteverrr]

Yes DerekRC,

You are right, there is a problem with Islam. It is 1,512,655,647. Yes DerekRC, 25% of the worlds human beings are Muslim.

Now most of those people are good, honest God fearing people like you. Granted their book espouses some violent and destructive practices. And very, very few of them use these teachings as an excuse to be violent. But most of them ignore those teachings and follow only the parts that are kind and loving.

There is a fair amount of violence and silliness in all religious books, the new and old testament being no exception. But as Muslims do, most Christians and Jews ignore the bad parts and practice the good parts, not withstanding The Crusades and war in the middle east.

So, heres the problem DerekRC. It is hard to have peace with a community of good people when you keep insulting their religion. I know there is only 1,512,655,647 of them. But it seems like a good idea to be nice to them. After all I don't hear them insulting other religions.

Jesus didn't say "Love thy Christian neighbor as thy self, did he.

So, DerekRC, tell us in your infinite wisdom how ecactly it is in Americas interest to insult the religion of peopl in other lands. Come on, speak up.

[JFB]

Perhaps McSame and Rod Parsley might be interested to know that the first nation to formally recognize the newly formed government of the United States of America was Morocco: a Muslim nation.

In New Mexico, the first trespass by Spaniards into this corner of the New World was lead by Estevanico; a non-converted Muslim mercenary in the employ of the Governor of Mexico.

As Sherman advanced upon Atlanta, burning everything in his wake, the director of the Atlanta Library road out to meet Sherman and beg for the library to be spared. Sherman"s reply was that the librarian could save but one book: and the book that he chose was the Quran.

Large numbers of African slaves brought in bondage to America were Muslim. For example, Omar ibn Said was captured in Senegal and brought to the United States in 1807. After being in North Carolina for 25 years he was commissioned by his "owner" to write his autobiography: remarkable in many respects, not the least of which is the fact that it was written in Arabic.

Although long overlooked, Muslims have been a part of the fabric of North America and the United States for a very long time. There are now over five million peaceful, law abiding, and tax paying Muslims in the United States. Despite what a very small number of extremist Salafi heretics would have us all believe, aided by the inflammatory statements of the likes of Rod Parsley, Islam is a religion of peace.

[marthlois]

Hagge apologizing to church isn't enough. He needs to apologize to the entire LGBT Community and to the Jewish community.

Jewish community?????? Yes. And to any other mainstream religion but his own.

Please watch this video at length. At the end - it becomes crystal clear that he calls for war with Iran to
further his religious belief of Armageddon.

I simply cannot believe that the media calls him out daily for being anti-Catholic & anti LGBT Comm. but doesn't bring to light WHY he's aboard the McWar train!!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html

[BLinCincinnati]

Something everyone should see about McCain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y395Tftgz0E

When you watch this, think of what Parsley is pushing for, and what McCain has said about this guy and what he's said numerous times towards Iran. If this doesn't worry you about McCain I don't know what will.

[KillTheMessenger]

ONE to go? Are you sure you didn't mean a couple hundred thousand?

[pseudoavantgarde]

Consider the facts: the Bible has 842 violent passages, the Quran only has 333 violent passages.
Which religion is more violent? Neither! Christianity is not monolithic, and neither is Islam. When Baruch Goldstein killed hundreds of innocent people did people call to eradicate judaism? No.

But in today's society, It's politically correct, almost fashionable, to slander two things: immigrants and islam.

[OtayPanky]

ZP Heller: One Prejudiced Pastor Down, One to Go

===

Actually, it's TWO down.

[Gma11]

Is there hope we can begin to hold religious leaders accountable?

[leftbehind2000]

Is there any hope that we can simply ignore these turds? If people simply recognized that the "gospel" these idiots preach is just a form of control and power grabbing, it would render them powerless.

[domdella]

you are incorrect of your assertion of this "gospel".....the gospel he preaches holds him accountable for wrong doing, and the God he serves, sees whats wrong with both of these pastors.....pastor and hagee or an example of what happens when you mix politics and church....if its not done correctly, the love for money and power is what becomes of the person....they have forgotten about fine lines.....so much to the point where control becomes apart of what they do....and there is a very fine line between control and free will.....Do not point out that God is at fault for one of his followers....the original code, that we christians are supposed to abide by....was intended for freedom, not control....you are right in saying they try and control....but it is them that controls, not God...they do not operate, when it comes to power, in a way God can see as favorable.....but just like everything else he permits it, because his love extends past ones faults.....