rinity Broadcasting Network (TBS) featured a prophesy inspired documentary about Petra as Gaza burned. Aparently they believe it has relevance to current events.
Entrance_to_Petra
Petra, they claim, will be a place of refuge for Israel when the Arabs join in a coalition with Gog and Magog to come and destroy God's chosen people. This is the war TBS and CUFI believe they are waging.
They see only through one eye and are blind to the reality on the ground where over a million people are cramped into refugee camps. And where there are Palestinian Israelis living peacefully inside Israel. It's not that the two sides cannot live peacefully together. It's that Palestinians cannot accept life in refugee camps peacefully. They want to believe that Arabs want a Holocaust of Jews. Based on this belief as a starting point, they make defense preparations. This is why they stress Israel's right to self defense.
Bill Moyers has this excellent documentary which offers a glimpse at their ideology and into the high level of access they have to policy makers in the United States.
As Gaza burned, TBS featured programs on Petra
Roots of Armageddonist Support for Israel
- "The return of the Jewish people to their homeland was prophesied in the Bible. Their return to the Land is of great importance to Christians as it heralds the Coming of the Lord"
- Christian Friends of Israel - "The founding of Israel as a nation in 1948 was ordained of God to provide a homeland for the Jewish people and to prepare for the future return of Jesus Christ."
- Jerry Falwell, Armageddonist Televangelist - "The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God's plan for both Israel and the West... a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ."
- John Hagee, Armageddonist Televangelist - "Persons of biblical faith are called to 'pray for the peace of Jerusalem' (Ps. 122). The
ideology of Christian Zionism celebrates violence and the defeat of peacemaking efforts. It blesses neither Israelis nor Palestinians."
- The Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism - Pat Robertson published The End of the Age, a book he calls his first work of fiction — although he says it is "based solidly on the Bible." In the book, Robertson paints a bleak picture of the end times he says we are about to enter. He writes about a Christian militia-type group raised up to fight a tyrannical American government, and the dropping of a neutron bomb on Israel. Then, glory be to God, Jesus comes back with a company of angels and destroys the enemy, and the saved live happily ever after
Based on this vision of current events, Robertson not only opposed Rabin's peace efforts, but claimed that God removed Rabin because he stood in the way of God's plan.
Reaction of Non-Armageddonists
- “God save us from these people... When you see what these people are encouraging Israel and the U.S. Administration to do that is, ignore the Palestinians, if not worse, if not kick them out, expand the settlements to the greatest extent possible, they are leading us into a scenario of out and out disaster.” - Yossi Alpher, who served 12 years in Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad. Later, he became Israel Director of the American Jewish Committee
- "Some Christians who I know very well, very devout people, believe a certain interpretation of Revelations, that in my opinion are quite weird, in that in the coming of Christ that the holy land has to be occupied by the Jews and not by anyone else and then in the end that all Jews will have to be killed or either converted to Christianity. This is a very seriously distorted interpretation of the Scriptures that I am very familiar with.
-Jimmy Carter -
"...as a reflection of their End Times theology, the message of the Christian Right to U.S. policymakers is ‘don’t be involved in getting the parties to the negotiating table,’ then they certainly are... an impediment to the peace process, and that isn’t helpful."
- Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Rapture Prank
This girl is scared out of her mind when she thinks she has just been left behind.
A person who believes there will be no peace till after the rapture is pessimistic about peace in the middle east. Such a person will dismiss Annapolis as a non-starter. Here's what CUFI's newsletter had to say about this confrence:
So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, and they helped—but with evil intent.” ‘Therefore thus says the LORD: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."'" Zechariah 1:14-17
As the Annapolis Summit begins let us remember what the Lord says of His beloved Jerusalem. Let us who love Zion and who have taken a stand with her in this day of trouble intercede on her behalf. May those who defend her be as bold as a lion for the Lord will sustain them and they will be exalted above all nations. May those leaders and nations who come against her with “evil intent” be brought to confusion and may they be mocked and humiliated before their peers.
Thank you for your faithful prayers for Israel, her people and especially the city of Jerusalem.
Did you catch that? Hagee calls this day of peace talks a day of trouble. If you follow his other lectures, his angle is straight from the pessimistic dispensationalist play-book. The Jews will be attacked by their neighbors. Just before things get too bad, Jesus comes back to Rapture Hagee and like minded believers. Then those left behind are to suffer; Israel's neighbors will be destroyed of course; along with two-thirds of Israel. The rest will convert to Christianity and only then will there be peace.
The other day, I overheard an Armageddonist discussing a Hamas spokesman's statement "We don't want to push Israel into the sea." Reflexively, this Armageddonist dismissed this as a joke. Might it have something to do with his skewed vision of prophesy which informs him to just wait for Armageddon so that a lasting peace can be achieved? Draw you own conclusions.
For Rapturists, the Middle East is not Foriegn; It's Personal
For 85% of the US electorate, the Middle East is a foreign issue, and therefore of secondary interest when they enter the polling booth. For 15% of the electorate, the Middle East is not just a domestic matter, it's a personal one: if the president fails to start a conflagration there, his core voters don't get to sit at the right hand of God. Bush, in other words, stands to lose fewer votes by encouraging Israeli aggression than he stands to lose by restraining it. He would be mad to listen to these people. He would also be mad not to.-The Guardian Unlimited
The Elephant in the Room Nobody Talks About
A November 2006 article in the National Catholic Reporter, titled Christian Zionists rally in San Antonio notes:
“The dangers of Christian Zionism haven’t been talked about,” said Art Preisinger, a retired Lutheran minister and history professor attending the celebration at Cornerstone Church.
Elesi Nagalu, 41, said that Israel “belongs to the Jewish people. They [Palestinians] might have property deeds, but property deeds don’t mean anything to me.”
This pretty much sums up the Support Israel to speed up the second coming movement John Hagee, Pat Robertson, and other alarmist and armageddonist sinister ministers are teaching their flock.
As of late, their latest project which I call make our weird interpretation of prophesy come true so we can tell our congregation we were right all along, involved picking a fight with Iran.
For several weeks before the vote in the senate, CUFI newsletters have been urging everyone on their mailing list to please call or write the white house urging that Iran should be designated as a terrorist nation.
And this week, they celebrated their victory. Apparently Armageddon hawks got enough senators to believe them to walk in line with their prophetic visions. Epso facto: Iran is on the way to being destroyed. Just as the preacher man predicted. Yaaaaaay.
Armageddonism and AIPAC
John Hagee's stated desire is to see Israel engage in an apocalyptic nuclear war with Iran. And before that, he was for war with Iraq for the same reasons. He is not a flip flopper. The logic to the madness is consistent.
AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby, applauds this. It appears that AIPAC members are promoted to positions of leadership due to their allegiance to this Armageddonist vision.
It is possible for individual members to dissent, as Abe Foxman once did. He quickly found himself isolated and ridiculed by the Armageddon crowd when he proclaimed that they essentially they pose the greatest existential threat to Israel.
He only redeemed himself after joining the ranks of the Armageddon crowd and singing the tune of lets attack Iran for the sake of peace.
What I am saying is that AIPAC members are victims of psychological manipulation by Armageddon hawks such as Hagee, Pat Robertson, and other talking heads who get goose-bumps just thinking of the coming of the glory of Armageddon.
Further reading:
In other news, you will see Fox News pushing the ideas of these cult-like war fantasies to "NEWS" headlines: You might say, well I've read the entire news brief and it seems to be "Fair and Balanced." I say the headline could have read "Armageddonists Hastening the Second Coming."Osama bin SHUT UP
It is amazing how bin Laden and/or fake Laden manages to pop up around election time to play the role of political pundit. I think the entire world pretty much needs to hear nothing from Osama and company.
I looked up Osama bin SHUT UP and found the article below of interest:
[Armageddonism?] Spying? Torture? Illegal airstrikes? SHUT UP and hate Bin Laden. This was the theme on prison planet.
Many are Ashamed of Hagee and CUFI
"I just don't like playing Christians/Jew vs the Arab world, it's racist and I'm ashamed that John Hagee would do this stuff" said a critic of HAGEE.
Watch the video to find out why
In the video Hagee attempts to brainwash his audience: "They want to die, they don't want to live... They want to die, the don't want to live."
It appears that for Hagee, if Armageddon comes tomorrow, that's one day too late.
Time and again, as I listen to Hagee, he reminds me of Jim Carry - the karate instruction as in this video:
He draws up a picture of Muslims who should behave according to the specific formula he imagines. Hagee is unable to imagine that a Muslim can be non-violent, just as Jim Carrey is unable to imagine an attacker who bends his elbows.
Armageddonism's Effect on Mass Media
The Iranian response to the wild myth that Ahmadinejad said he wants to wipe Israel off the map have been ignored by the media.
Here's why I think that happened:
- The belief system of Armageddonists is vindicated only if Israel has an enemy bent on destroying it.
- The media wants to give people what they want to hear and therefore ignores what challenges popular opinion because it will be perceived as propaganda.
Netanyahu's Pack of Wolves Example
As I sat there listening to Netanyahu speaking on the same platform as John Hagee, the Armageddonist extremist, I began reflecting on Netanyahu's pack of wolves example. It goes something like this:
Palestinians are like a pack of wolves chasing a pick up truck with sheep on it. Everytime Israel makes a concession, it's like the shepherd throwing a sheep to the wolves. As soon as they eat it up , they start chasing the truck again. What the shepherd needs to do is take that shot gun and get rid of the wolves.From the context you can read all sorts of things including the following:
- The Palestinians are the pack of wolves: there is nothing you can do to satisfy them except kill them.
- The sheep represent Israel: The innocent party in need of protection.
- The driver is Israel's shepherd: A role proudly adopted by Armageddonists.
Book About Christian Zionism
I was looking at the comments on the book, "Christian Zionism: Road-Map to Armageddon?, wherein a reviewer writes:
"In fact, as Sizer (the author) shows, the existence of the state of Israel today would be unthinkable without the inspiration and support of Christian Zionists in Britain and America."Here's an excerpt from Chapter 4 (The Political Implications of Christian Zionism):
- The Chosen People: Supporting Israeli Colonialism
- Restorationism: Facilitating Aliyah from Russia and Eastern Europe
- Eretz Israel: Sustaining the West Bank Settlements
- Jerusalem: Lobbying for International Recognition
- The Temple: Identifying with Religious Zionism
- The Future: Opposing Peace and Hastening Armageddon
- The Political Implications of Christian Zionism: Conclusions
Christopher Hitchens
I started reading up on Hitchens after viewing his commentary on the legacy of Jerry Falwell. Somehow he manages to both hate Falwell and support the Iraq war. Any ideas why? From watching the video below, you make your own conclusion:
My conclusions from watching this video:
- Hitchen's world-view although purportedly secular, picks up where Armageddonists leave off especialy about the motives of Israel's neighbors.
- Adopts the "Conflict of Civilizations" world-view, which itself is a darling book of the Armageddonists. Example "The fascist side of Islam wants to export the fight o where we are so they could win it." He does not consider the ramifications of the Armageddonist agitation as the source of the problem, rather the reaction to it is what he considers the source of the Islamic threat.
- Supports a two state solutions; ie separate but equal rather than a one shared state for all.
Winograd Report, Jewish Zionism, & Armageddonism
The Winograd Reort exposes a stark difference between the Jewish Zionist vision for Israel and the "Christian Zionist" (Armageddonist) vision for Israel.
The Jewish desire is summed up by the Winograd report which notes "Foreign Ministry not sufficiently included during war in Lebanon." This shows that Israelis would very much like to settle differences without having to unleash the arsenal of weapons Armageddonists have so generously put into their hands.
On the other hand, if you look at what Armageddonist preachers and cheerleaders on the Right Wing are saying, the only problem with the destruction of Lebanon is that it does not go far enough. See this fox news video for how the Armageddonists think:
Overcoming Zionism: A book Armageddonists dare not touch
This is a book which Armageddonists would never in a million years endorse because they are not interested in peace, reconciliation, or progress. Rather, they are entirely motivated by their desire to see the world end as soon as possible in a war which should wipe out large parts of the Jewish and Arab worlds followed by the second coming of the "Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," as they say.
Joel Kovel, being a conscious Jew - one who knows the desires of Armageddonists and how they set up Israel to be their Jesus bait - in writing this book which in essence short circuits all the investment of armament and ill-will Armageddonists have spent so far by promoting a paradigm shift from an Armageddon based peace plan to a democratic and unity peace plan. It is indeed a bold thing to say, there are not two sides to this conflict, only one.
Joel Kovel argues that the inner contradictions of Zionism have led Israel to a 'state-sponsored racism' fully as incorrigible as that of apartheid South Africa and deserving of the same resolution. Only a path toward a single-state secular democracy can provide the justice essential to healing the wounds of the Middle East [more...].
GodAssault: Armageddonism's Ultimate Aim
An up and coming journalist to watch out for is Lisa Lambert, who wrote a piece entitled GodAssault: Morality as the Ultimate Game which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle's Insight section. In it, she mentions the following about that the Armageddonists' end-game being a blood-bath:
If you read the Book of Revelation as the physical, material truth, then you come to see God's game as one played in a swirling, planet-devouring vortex of blood and violence.and before this she writes that the same people who believed in such things were also responsible for electing the delivering the presidency to Bush:
As it happened, those "nuts" won the election for the president. Ill-prepared newscasters promptly relabeled them "moral voters," showing how little they understood about the new religion practiced in Calvary Chapel.And she argues that these people are only interested in Bush because he was a candidates "who laced his speeches with secret signals to fellow worshipers and considered praying his most important action before starting an unjust war." As a group, the one word which accurately describes their belief system is Armageddonism. Their ultimate hope is for Armageddon to happen within their life-time.
Problem: Why Evangelicals Invent 101 Reasons to Hate Muslims
The reason is simple: They think that they have figured out God's plan. They think that after an Armageddon battle in which Muslims are destroyed that Jesus will return. As such, God would not have destroyed Muslims if they aren't evil. So they invent 101 reasons to hate Muslims; and by so doing, attempt to justify why all the secular armament of the United States should be aimed toward Muslims. Robertson states that "the goal of Islam, ladies and gentleman, whether you like it or not, is world domination … And by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace." [more...]
Problem: Apocalyptic Minister's Warmongering to Bring About Armageddon
Christians United for Israel's (CUFI)'s advice to the Bush Administration reflects the Armageddon-based foreign-policy views of its founder, John Hagee. Hagee is a fire-and-brimstone preacher from San Antonio who commands the nearly 18,000-member Cornerstone Church and hosts a major TV ministry where he explains to millions of viewers how the end times will unfold. He is also the author of numerous bestselling pulp-prophecy books, like his recent Jerusalem Countdown, in which he cites various unnamed Israeli intelligence sources to claim that Iran is producing nuclear "suitcase bombs." The only way to defeat the Iranian evildoers, he says, is a full-scale military assault. [read on...]
Sean Hanity & Rush Limbaugh: Distorted world-views
Religious dogma fogging up prospect for peace. Sean Hanity, a right wing radio talk show host, interviewed the Jeff Rosenberg, about his new book, the Ezekiel Option. To the mainstream, this book is marketed as just a harmless fiction. In reality it is about giving prophetic support to the idea that
- It's God's plan to create the state of Israel.
- Those who support a different type of Israel (than the present gerrymandered 'democracy') are in fact anti-God, and therefore evil.
- The evil anti-Israel countries will be destroyed according to prophesy.
- Jesus Christ will return after that destruction.
- Our foreign policy must be crafted so that we are against evil, hence we should support the destruction of the countries prophesy says will be destroyed..
Wake up people. These people have a distorted vision of the world. They dictate policy based on it. If they are not countered, they will certainly deliver the rest of us to hell in a hand basket.
Rosenberg says to Sean Hanity about the purpose of the Ezekiel Option:
"Anyone listening to your show today I think will resonate with the Ezekiel Option; because it's a political thriller, but it certainly comes from a Christian and a Jewish perspective on world events... Really at the heart of these books is the fear that if you don't understand the nature and threat of evil, a person risks being blind-sided by it. That's what happened on 9/11. And we cannot afford to be blind-sided again by Iran, by Russia, by Syria, or honestly by those in Washington who have a modern secular liberal perspective who may not see evil until it hits them."
US News calls him: "A modern Nostradamus."
And Sean Hannity of course just adores this guy and treats him as a prophet, not just an author saying
And citing his previous fictional books, Joel Rosenberg gloats about his predictions in those books (suggesting he has an uncanny ability to look into the future in his fictional writings so the audience better treat his writings are prophetic):
"I rightly predicted the death of Yasser Arafat and Saddam is gone."
- Interview with Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh gives an enthusiastic two thumbs up for this book on the back cover, saying "If you only read one book this year, let it be this one." This is printed on the back cover of this armageddonist book. By a major right-wing talking-head. Think what that means to all the ditto-heads.
You may be interested to hear the interview Rush did with Rosenberg. Rush practically gloats that Rosenberg once worked at his headquarters - rather than being embarassed that such a strang ideology flourished in his own backyard.
Problem: The hinderance to peace
A Jewish Rabbi observes that Apocalyptic Right is a hindrance to peace:
"...as a reflection of their End Times theology, the message of the Christian Right to U.S. policymakers is ‘don’t be involved in getting the parties to the negotiating table,’ then they certainly are... an impediment to the peace process, and that isn’t helpful." [Source: "Culture, Religion, Apocalypse, and Middle East Foreign Policy"]