This guy makes Barak's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, look like the Easter Bunny

For more on John Hagee, go here.

Also, if you missed Obama's speech on race yesterday, we've posted it after the jump.

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The Hagees

IHT has the story. Unfortunately, John Hagee is not a moderate:

The Reverend John Hagee, who founded Christians United for Israel, was informed of the letter and read most of it. He responded: "Bible-believing evangelicals will scoff at that message."

"Christians United for Israel is opposed to America pressuring Israel to give up more land to anyone for any reason," Hagee said.

"What has the policy of appeasement ever produced for Israel that was beneficial?" he added.

"God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a covenant in the Book of Genesis for the land of Israel that is eternal and unbreakable, and that covenant is still intact," he said. "The Palestinian people have never owned the land of Israel, never existed as an autonomous society. There is no Palestinian language. There is no Palestinian currency. And to say that Palestinians have a right to that land historically is an historical fraud."

Christians United for Israel held a conference with 4,500 attendees in Washington this month, and Hagee sends e-mail action alerts on Israel every Monday to 55,000 pastors and leaders.

In other John Hagee news.... dammit, we just missed the John Hagee Alaskan Rapture cruise.

Watch the MUST SEE VIDEO HERE. From the HuffPost

On July 16, I attended Christians United for Israel's annual Washington-Israel Summit. Founded by San Antonio-based megachurch pastor John Hagee, CUFI has added the grassroots muscle of the Christian right to the already potent Israel lobby. Hagee and his minions have forged close ties with the Bush White House and members of Congress from Sen. Joseph Lieberman to Sen. John McCain. In its call for a unilateral military attack on Iran and the expansion of Israeli territory, CUFI has found unwavering encouragement from traditional pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and elements of the Israeli government.

But CUFI has an ulterior agenda: its support for Israel derives from the belief of Hagee and his flock that Jesus will return to Jerusalem after the battle of Armageddon and cleanse the earth of evil. In the end, all the non-believers - Jews, Muslims, Hindus, mainline Christians, etc. - must convert or suffer the torture of eternal damnation. Over a dozen CUFI members eagerly revealed to me their excitement at the prospect of Armageddon occurring tomorrow. Among the rapture ready was Republican Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. None of this seemed to matter to Lieberman, who delivered a long sermon hailing Hagee as nothing less than a modern-day Moses. Lieberman went on to describe Hagee's flock as "even greater than the multitude Moses commanded."

Throughout CUFI's Israel Summit, videographer Thomas Shomaker and I were hounded by PR agents seeking to prevent us from interviewing attendees about the End Times. The conference, we were told, was about "one message" - evangelical Christians supporting Israel. We were instructed to only interview CUFI leaders capable of sticking to the talking point that their support for Israel has, as Hagee declared, "nothing to do with the End Times." But I was forbidden from asking Hagee about statements he made in his book, "Jerusalem Countdown," that appeared to blame Jews for their own persecution. After doing just that during a press conference, I was removed from the conference by off-duty DC cops summoned by members of Hagee's family.

I have covered the Christian right intensely for over four years. During this time, I attended dozens of Christian right conferences, regularly monitored movement publications and radio shows, and interviewed scores of its key leaders. I have never witnessed any spectacle as politically extreme, outrageous, or bizarre as the one Christians United for Israel produced last week in Washington. See for yourself.

From NY Times

As Israeli bombs fell on Lebanon for a second week last July, the Rev. John Hagee of San Antonio arrived in Washington with 3,500 evangelicals for the first annual conference of his newly founded organization, Christians United For Israel.

At a dinner addressed by the Israeli ambassador, a handful of Republican senators and the chairman of the Republican Party, Mr. Hagee read greetings from President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and dispatched the crowd with a message for their representatives in Congress. Tell them “to let Israel do their job” of destroying the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah, Mr. Hagee said.

He called the conflict “a battle between good and evil” and said support for Israel was “God’s foreign policy.”

The next day he took the same message to the White House.

Many conservative Christians say they believe that the president’s support for Israel fulfills a biblical injunction to protect the Jewish state, which some of them think will play a pivotal role in the second coming. Many on the left, in turn, fear that such theology may influence decisions the administration makes toward Israel and the Middle East.

Administration officials say that the meeting with Mr. Hagee was a courtesy for a political ally and that evangelical theology has no effect on policy making. But the alliance of Israel, its evangelical Christian supporters and President Bush has never been closer or more potent. In the wake of the summer war in southern Lebanon, reports that Hezbollah’s sponsor, Iran, may be pushing for nuclear weapons have galvanized conservative Christian support for Israel into a political force that will be hard to ignore.
READ IT ALL

Related: John Hagee: Evangelist of Doom

Gov. Rick Perry (covering his face in prayer) as pastor John Hagee prays

From Dallas Morning News

Gov. Rick Perry, after a God and country sermon attended by dozens of political candidates Sunday, said that he agreed with the minister that non-Christians will be condemned to hell.

"In my faith, that's what it says, and I'm a believer of that," the governor said.

Throughout much of the 90-minute service at Cornerstone Church, Mr. Perry sat on the red-carpeted stage next to the Rev. John Hagee. Mr. Perry was among about 60 mostly Republican candidates who accepted the invitation to be introduced to the megachurch's congregation of about 1,500, plus a radio and TV audience.

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket," Mr. Hagee said during a service interspersed with religious and patriotic videos.

Asked afterward at a political rally whether he agreed with Mr. Hagee, the governor said he didn't hear anything that he would take exception to.

Related: John Hagee Is Insane

Hagee's bestselling book, "Jerusalem Coming," endorses a preemptive military strike on Iran to hasten the Rapture

The rapture-ready head of Christians United For Israel, John Hagee, is sounding the alarm again. This time at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA. From Lynchburg News Advance

“The Third World War has begun.... Ladies and gentlemen, America is at war with radical Islam,” Hagee said [...]

“Our crisis is that half of America doesn’t know the war has started,” Hagee said. “This is a religious war.” [...]

“They hate us because we are free,” Hagee said. “They hate us because it is their religious duty to hate us. They are trained from the breast of their mother to hate us. Radical Islam is a doctrine of death. It is their desire, it is their hope, it is their ambition, it is their highest honor to die in a war against infidels. And you are ‘infidels’ and there is nothing you can do to accommodate them. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”

Related John Hagee articles

Zionists, like John Hagee think supporting Israel will hasten the Second Coming

Fresh Air has a special series on Christian Zionism, including an interview with the always maddening head of Christians United for Israel, John Hagee. Listen to them all below [hat tip TheocracyWatch]:

Listen: John Hagee on Christian Zionism [ESSENTIAL]
Listen: Gershom Gorenberg on Christian Zionism
Listen: Max Blumenthal on Christian Zionism

Also, on NPR's Morning Edition:

The House is expected to vote as soon as this week on a bill that would prevent plaintiffs in certain separation of church-and-state cases from recouping attorneys' fees. Supporters say the fees are used to unfairly coerce plaintiffs. Critics say the bill would roll back a major civil rights protection. LISTEN HERE

recently released prequel to Left Behind

As conflicts continue to multiply in the Middle East, Rapture-Ready evangelicals have begun to sound the Armageddon alarm. Many evangelicals, such as John Hagee, are beginning to lobby Capital Hill in favor of a preemptive strike on Iran. You know, since that worked so well in Iraq. The resident "prophet" on the Left Behind website, Joel Rosenberg, doesn't mince words about his stance on attacking Iran. The Jesusy neocon "prophesizes" that Iran is possibly planning an attack on August 22, implying that the United States needs to thwart this alleged attack militarily, before it transpires. [From the Left Behind website article: "Apocalypse Now? Is Iran planning an August 22 attack against Israel and/or the U.S.?"]

How much time do we have to pursue a diplomatic track with Iran? At what point do we have to conclude that negotiations are going nowhere? Are we prepared to live with a nuclear-armed Iran? If so, how? Why? If not, what is the President prepared to do to protect Americans and our allies from an Iranian nuclear-strike, or nuclear blackmail? [...]

In his famous "axis of evil" speech on January 29, 2002, President Bush made the following case: "We will work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their state sponsors the materials, technology, and expertise to make and deliver weapons of mass destruction. We will develop and deploy effective missile defenses to protect America and our allies from sudden attack. And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security. We'll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons."

Today, the country is deeply divided over whether using military force in Iraq was the right thing to do. But the Iranian nuclear threat is now far worse than the Iraqi threat of having or obtaining weapons of mass destruction was then. President Bush has a decision to make and precious little time to make it. For let's be clear: should Iran go nuclear on this President's watch, all the gains made to date in the War on Terror will be wiped out overnight. That is neither a legacy this President wants, nor this nation can afford.

Of course, this wouldn't be so troublesome, if people such as the Left Behind author Tim LaHaye and his cohorts were lacking influence. Not only have LaHaye's Left Behind books sold millions, he's also an influential political insider. And with Condi speaking in Armageddon code language and John Hagee lobbying for increased military support on Capitol Hill, who knows how much influence biblical "prophecy" is having on our Middle East policy. God help us.

Related:
— Pastor Strangelove - Promotes Invading Iran to Hasten Rapture
— Christian Zionist, John Hagee, Explains His Insanity On CNN, Scares Children
— Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey Says He (And the Prez) Believe Book Of Revelation 'Prophesies' Are Real
— Condi Uses Biblical Code Words To Speak To Her Rapture-Ready Base

Related John Hagee Articles:
— "The end of the world as we know it is rapidly approaching.... Rejoice and be exceeding glad"
— Pastor Strangelove - Promotes Invading Iran to Hasten Rapture
— 2000 Rapture Ready Evangelicals Leaders Promise To Convert Lobby For Israel...
— Rapture Ready Pastor Creating Pro-Israel Lobby To Hasten Armageddon

Those are the words of Christian Zionist John Hagee. We've been following his mounting crusade to hasten the Rapture on this site. Today the Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on the pastor's rising fame [hat tip: Kevin]

Last week, as Israel's armed forces pounded Lebanon and worries of a wider conflagration mounted, Mr. Hagee presided over what he called a "miracle of God": a gathering of 3,500 evangelical Christians packed into a Washington hotel to cheer Israel and its current military campaign.

Standing on a stage bedecked with a huge Israeli flag, Mr. Hagee drew rapturous applause and shouts of "amen" as he hailed Israel for doing God's work in a "war of good versus evil." Calls for Israel to show restraint violate "God's foreign-policy statement" toward Jews, he said, citing a verse from the Old Testament that promises to "bless those who bless you" and curse "the one who curses you."

The gathering was sponsored by Christians United for Israel, a national organization the 66-year-old preacher set up this year. The group lobbies politicians in Washington, rallies grassroots support for Israel and aims to educate Christians on what it calls the "biblical imperative" of supporting the Jewish state.

Mr. Hagee is a leading figure in the so-called Christian-Zionist movement. This evangelical political philosophy is rooted in biblical prophecies and a belief that Israel's struggles signal a prelude to Armageddon. Its followers staunchly support the Bush administration's unequivocal backing of Israel in its current battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

President Bush sent a message to the gathering praising Mr. Hagee and his supporters for "spreading the hope of God's love and the universal gift of freedom." The Israeli prime minister also sent words of thanks. Israel's ambassador, its former military chief and a host of U.S. political heavyweights, mostly Republican, attended.

At a time when Islamist groups are displacing secular nationalists as the main vehicle for political revolt across the Middle East, Mr. Hagee and like-minded evangelicals are injecting greater religious fervor into American attitudes and policy toward the region. They see, and even sometimes seem to embrace, the notion of a global conflict between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West, just as do many zealous Muslims.

"This is a religious war that Islam cannot — and must not — win," Mr. Hagee wrote in a recent book, "Jerusalem Countdown," which focuses on what he says is a coming nuclear showdown with Iran. "The end of the world as we know it is rapidly approaching.... Rejoice and be exceeding glad -- the best is yet to be." The book has sold nearly 700,000 copies since it was released in January, according to his Florida-based religious publisher, Strang Communications. [read it all here]

Related:
— Pastor Strangelove - Promotes Invading Iran to Hasten Rapture
— 2000 Rapture Ready Evangelicals Leaders Promise To Convert Lobby For Israel...
— Rapture Ready Pastor Creating Pro-Israel Lobby To Hasten Armageddon

John Hagee, a Texas pastor with a congregation of 20,000, is in Washington DC spearheading his pro-Israel Christian lobby this week. He's signed up thousands of Zionist Christians and evangelical leaders to join his crusade. Hagee hopes to "institute an annual 'Night to Honor Israel' in every major American city to assure Israel and Jews everywhere that 'you do not stand alone.'" Of course, he also believes the Rapture won't occur until Israel is a completely sovereign theocracy, this being the real impetus of his support. Even more troubling, Hagee actually has lots of fans and has written extensively about an inevitable war with Iran. [From the American Prospect]

Pastor John Hagee, the author of an incendiary new book purporting to show that the Bible predicts a military confrontation with Iran... Hagee’s book, Jerusalem Countdown, [has] sold nearly 500,000 copies. It had occupied the No. 1 position on the Wal-Mart inspirational best-seller list, showed up on Wal-Mart’s list of top 10 best sellers for seven weeks, and made the USA Today top 50 best-seller list for six weeks.

Hagee spoke with All Things Considered recently, articulating why he feels compelled to support Israel unconditionally:

"It's a direct commandment that Christians should be supportive of Israel [even though they will all burn in hell if they don't convert]," Hagee says. "It's the only nation that God ever created [and the Rapture will happen once the Jews have complete control of Israel]. It’s the only nation that Christians are told to pray for, and therefore, because the Bible is the compass of our faith, we do what it says."

Listen to the All Things Considered report here.

Related:
· 2000 Rapture Ready Evangelicals Leaders Promise To Convert Lobby For Israel...
· Pastor Strangelove - Promotes Invading Iran to Hasten Rapture

John Hagee

... Even though they believe the people they're lobbying for will all burn in hell if they don't convert. John Hagee is the man behind the lobby, known as Christians United for Israel (CUFI). He believes that Jesus will not return until the Jews control all of Israel. [From The Jewish Journal]

Some 2,000 extremely pro-Israel community and religious leaders will meet in Washington on July 19, fan out across Capitol Hill and, in effect, tell their legislators: If you want our political backing, you must support the Jewish state — no ifs or buts.

There won’t be a single Jew among the citizen lobbyists. They will all be evangelical Christians, mainly ordained and lay pastors, embarking on the first major public action of the newly formed Christians United for Israel (CUFI).

The founder and leader of the group is the Rev. John C. Hagee of the 19,000-member Cornerstone Church of San Antonio, Texas, and a televangelist whose broadcasts reach millions in the United States and 120 other countries.

In 1978, in the first of his 21 trips to Israel, “I went as a tourist and returned as a Zionist,” Hagee said.

Last week, Hagee visited Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego to enlist support for his 4-month-old organization — both among fellow evangelicals and in front of generally enthusiastic, but occasionally skeptical, Jewish audiences...

• Expand the existing “rapid response network” of 12,000 pastors, who can mobilize their congregations instantly to flood the White House and Congress with e-mails on any legislation affecting Israel’s security and well-being.

• Institute an annual “Night to Honor Israel” in every major American city to assure Israel and Jews everywhere that “you do not stand alone.” The emotional event is already a fixture in large Texas cities and in other Southern states.

Hagee and his followers have given a total of $8.5 million to Israeli causes, including an orphanage and for absorption of Russian immigrants, he said, but the major impact of CUFI is likely to be on the political scene.

The pastor didn’t spell it out, but his associates made clear that they view CUFI as a kind of super American Israel Public Affairs Committee, representing some 50 million evangelical Christians. This constituency, in sharp contrast to the Jewish community, shares the conservative social outlook of the present administration and represents its hardcore political base....

“We don’t have too many friends; we cannot prevail without them,” said Erem...

The last six words may sound vague, but they are key to the evangelicals’ deeply rooted advocacy for Israel. As unquestioning believers in the inerrant truth of Scripture, Hagee and his followers are convinced that every inch of the God-given land belongs to the Jews alone and forever.

Continue reading "2000 Rapture Ready Evangelicals Leaders Promise To Convert Lobby For Israel..." »

[From The American Prospect (reg req'd) via Theocracy Watch]

On Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the day Queen Esther saved the Jews from annihilation, Trinity Broadcasting Network’s flagship talk show, Praise the Lord, featured an appearance by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. A politically conservative Orthodox rabbi, Lapin is best known for crusading with the Christian right against “anti-religion bigotry” and, more recently, for his close association with the convicted super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But he was not invited to a nationwide telecast to discuss such topics as the trumped-up war against religion or the better nature of his fallen friend. He had been asked to explain the significance of Purim to Christians, and particularly how the Old Testament’s Book of Esther “serves as a roadmap to reality,” which pinpoints where the next world “hot spot” will be.

That soon-to-be-flaming location is where the Book of Esther was set: namely Persia, or in modern parlance, Iran.

Seated beside Lapin in the ornately gilded Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) studio was Pastor John Hagee, the author of an incendiary new book purporting to show that the Bible predicts a military confrontation with Iran. By then, Hagee’s book, Jerusalem Countdown, had sold nearly 500,000 copies. It had occupied the No. 1 position on the Wal-Mart inspirational best-seller list, showed up on Wal-Mart’s list of top 10 best sellers for seven weeks, and made the USA Today top 50 best-seller list for six weeks.