Posted on 01/08/2006 7:58:18 AM PST by SJackson
Imagine, Israelis are outraged with the anti-Semitic comments of their frequent ally, Christian fundamentalist Pat Robertson.
As he and other Christian fundamentalist demagogues have done in the past, Robertson has offended Jews. He said that the brain hemorrhage of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is God’s punishment for “dividing” the land of Israel and compromising with the Palestinians.
He said the same about Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by an Israeli extremist. And he continues to blast all those who urge compromise and non-violence as a basis for a Middle East peace accord.
Robertson is typical of American racists who exploit the Arab-Israeli conflict for personal gain. Their support sustains American foreign policy and conservative leaders like President Bush.
In reality, Robertson and the Christian fundamentalists are worse than the Islamic extremists that they, Bush and other American conservatives constantly attack.
Robertson is a Christian zealot. His equivalent of suicide bombing is his “suicide bombast.” I am certain that if Christian fundamentalists in America were to ever find themselves in the same situation as the Palestinians, for example, they would defend suicide bombing as a “justified” form of combat.
Israelis know that Robertson and the Christian fundamentalists are a double-edged scimitar.
I watched one Israeli spokesman on CNN hem and haw in shock when confronted with Robertson’s comments. Instead of denouncing Robertson, the spokesman diverted the issue to inflaming the hatred of Iran’s president who often spouts anti-Semitic and anti-Christian comments.
To extremist Israelis, they, too, exploit Christian fundamentalism to strengthen their own ideological goals. The dirty, ugly secret of Israel’s embrace of the Christian evangelical movement is that deep down, they know that Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists are in fact more anti-Semitic than the Iranians, and may be the most anti-Semitic people on Earth.
Christian fundamentalism is built on a latent hatred of Jews. But they are not beyond exploiting Biblical prophecy to drive their own money machines, disguised as Christian ministries. They downplay their anti-Semitism and exploit the tragedy of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Christian fundamentalists like Robertson believe Jesus cannot return to cast judgment on humanity until Israel is established and the Jewish Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem.
But the core of the evangelical movement is the belief that all non-believers, including Muslims, moderate Christians and especially Jews will be dispatched to an eternity of hellfire on that Judgment Day.
Ironically, most moderate Christians who wince at the outrageous comments of Christian fundamentalists like Robertson and others tend to ignore these anomalies and contradictions to true Christian belief.
Moderate Christians believe that all people who believe in the One God, be they Christian, Muslims or Jews, will go to Heaven. Fundamentalist Christians, however, believe that only those who embrace their interpretation of religion will go to Heaven.
It is an uncomfortable reflection of the core beliefs of extremist Muslims, too, who believe that those who do not embrace Islam will also burn in hell. That includes all Christians, all Jews and even secular Muslims.
Christians constantly criticize this Islamic view, but their silence on the ignorance of Robertson and other Christian evangelical zealots is deafening. Their silence is the real sin, the true violation of Christian belief.
While Robertson preaches his disguised hatred in the United States, Christians who are suffering in Palestine, the Holy Land, never attract his support.
As far as Robertson is concerned, Palestinian Christians are no different from the Jews, except in terms of how they may be exploited. There is no benefit to Robertson and his Christian evangelical zealots in defending the rights of Holy Land Christians. That’s why they sacrifice them on the altar of their own selfish fundamentalist cause.
The Jews, on the other hand, offer Robertson and the other high priests of the Christian fundamentalist movement a political opportunity to feed their supporters.
Christian fundamentalists need the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in order to build their flock of blind sheep. They do not want a Middle East peace. Everything they do is designed to prevent peace, including pressuring American administrations to pursue one-sided foreign policies that aggravate rather than resolve the Middle East conflict.
Although the Christian evangelists claim to pray for Judgment Day, they are the ones who should fear it most.
Like all tyrants, demagogues and dictators, Christian fundamentalists do not practice what they preach. They don’t believe God will really come down to judge mankind.
But they do know that the fear of that Judgment Day allows them to easily control their followers and, more importantly, to fill their pockets with money and accumulate power.
Regardless of which religious book they carry, the Torah, the Bible or the Qur’an, fundamentalists of all three religions threaten the future peace.
— Ray Hanania is an award winning Palestinian American columnist and former national president of the Palestinian American Congress. A Christian, Hanania can be reached at www.hanania.com.
Let's make it real simple for you;
Define "Christian Fundamentalism."
**Ray Hanania is an award winning Palestinian American**
Bless his heart, he won an award!
Start with "snake handling".
I'd speculate there's more than that at work.
Without getting into interdenominal issues, he's a Christian, living in the US where he likely has contact with numerous Christians. It's not that he's ignorant, he simply doesn't like evangelicals. As to comment was addressed regarding Sharon, not all Jews, that's of course true. And I doubt Pat speaks for all evangelicals. Condemning the many based on the actions of a few, in this case one, is taught early on in bigotry 101.
I've read his columns before, they're carried in YNet, an Israeli paper, even posted them here on occasion. They're usually political satire, with a left wing, mildly anti-Israel bias you'd expect in a left wing paper. He seems to have left his humor at home here, and let his feelings come through. Clearly evangelicals support Israel, and from the palestinian perspective the friend of my enemy is my enemy.
Knock it off.
I certainly disagree with Pat Robertson on his statement. He has the right to make it, of course, but, as we'll be seeing, his statement will be taken up by the mutual enemies of the USA and Israel and used against both.
It is a shame that Rev. Robertson cannot keep his trap closed, at least part of the time. He has done this sort of thing before. At least twice, President Bush has felt it necessary to rebuke him and make it clear that Robertson's attitudes are not those of the USA.
Let Pat preach the gospel, and leave international politics alone. He'd be better off.
I did consider the possibility that there was more at work, but since I haven't read anything of this guy's beyond this article, so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's just an idiot.
Without getting into interdenominal issues, he's a Christian, living in the US where he likely has contact with numerous Christians. It's not that he's ignorant, he simply doesn't like evangelicals.
I wonder if he really is a Christian...I don't see any evidence of it in his article...and one could argue there is evidence to the contrary.
As to comment was addressed regarding Sharon, not all Jews, that's of course true. And I doubt Pat speaks for all evangelicals. Condemning the many based on the actions of a few, in this case one, is taught early on in bigotry 101.
You are correct on both accounts. Robertson does not speak for all Evangelicals and this author's style comes straight from bigotry 101.
I've read his columns before, they're carried in YNet, an Israeli paper, even posted them here on occasion. They're usually political satire, with a left wing, mildly anti-Israel bias you'd expect in a left wing paper. He seems to have left his humor at home here, and let his feelings come through.
I think you hit the nail on the head here...he seems to have wandered too closly to writing about the object of his own bigotry and lost his humor because of that.
Clearly evangelicals support Israel, and from the palestinian perspective the friend of my enemy is my enemy.
So he's projecting his own anti-semitism upon others. Pretty typical of all bigots, regardless of political leanings...actually.
The papers that carry this guy's writings are not getting their money's worth..unless they're paying him less than a penny a word.
I disagree with him, but the actual statement struck me as in context for a sermon to a religious congregation. He didn't come out and say "G-d killed Rabin and he's going to kill Sharon". Still he's has nurtured a public personna, and should know how statements like this will be reported. He may enjoy the noteriety. As to the White House, they shouldn't be issuing statements.
"As to the White House, they shouldn't be issuing statements.
"
Actually, the White House had to make such a statement. When a US public figure, like Robertson, makes statements that run counter to US policy, the White House needs to make it clear that those statements do not represent US policy.
If no statement is made, Robertson's statements may be used as propaganda point to the idea that the US officially agrees with Roberson.
I'm sure that Bush dislikes squelching Robertson, but I don't see that he had any alternative.
Christian fundamentalism is based on the following five fundamentals:
1. The Bible is factually and literally accurate.
2. Jesus was born of a virgin and is the son of God.
3. Atonement for sins is through God's grace (made possible by Jesus' death on the cross).
4. Jesus was resurrected.
5a. Jesus performed real miracles, or
5b. Jesus is coming again (many believed it would occur before the end of the second millenium).
There is a wide variety of secondary issues that distinguish fundamentalist churches from each other. The MSM incorrectly lumps in evangelicals and Pentecostals with fundamentalists. This is inaccurate. Although there are overlapping beliefs, Pentecostals and evangelicals are not fundamentalists.
I'm through with you. If you want an education, read books on the subject.
Replied to F16 before seeing your post. Will post no more on the subject.
Now, as to Robertson - the man is going senile and his friends need to approach him about retirement and withdrawing from making public statements.
I've heard of bearing fruit and children, but bearing false witnesses must be a pretty painful process:).
I see. So being critical of a Jewish politician for not doing a good job of looking out for Jewish interests is now "anti-Semitism". Wonderful
All prudent, freedom-loving Americans will want to protect the only semblance of a democracy in the middle-east at this time, the tiny State of Israel. I certainly do.
On the other hand, you arrogantly presume to take God's powers to yourself and make the absurd claim that you have a test you use to determine the difference between the sheep and the goats; the wheat and the tares.
You, like Robertson, embarrass yourselves.
You have been taught by biblically illiterate dupes and/or grifters to believe one of the variations of what Cerinthus taught.
Fundamentals are entertaining learning games designed to help memorize concepts of learning.
That's actually pretty common on religion threads. I've seen MUCH, MUCH worse than this.
Let me rephrase that:
In my opinion, it is fundamental to Christianity to preserve Israel. Not only the state, but the extended Church as well.
As for grifters, I know one when I see/hear one.
Oops my bad.
That would be great if he didn't confuse the notes Scofield put in his bible with "the gospel".
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