Posted on 05/13/2008 11:45:37 AM PDT by big'ol_freeper
Pastor John Hagee sent a letter today [Copy Here] to Catholic League president Bill Donohue that effectively ends the dispute the two men have had. Donohue comments as follows:
“After weeks of meeting with various Catholic leaders, and accessing scholarly literature on Catholic-Jewish relations, Pastor John Hagee has demonstrated an improved understanding of the Catholic Church and its history. In his letter to me, Hagee says, ‘I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.’ He specifically cites his emphasis of ‘the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews,’ and has pledged to provide a more complete and balanced portrayal going forward that will not reinforce mischaracterizations of the Catholic Church. And while he stresses that his invocation of terms like ‘apostate church’ and the ‘great whore’ were never meant by him to describe the Catholic Church, he acknowledges that anti-Catholics have long employed such language.
“The tone of Hagee’s letter is sincere. He wants reconciliation and he has achieved it. Indeed, the Catholic League welcomes his apology. What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns. But he has done just that. Now Catholics, along with Jews, can work with Pastor Hagee in making interfaith relations stronger than ever. Whatever problems we had before are now history. This case is closed.”
Good question.
I wonder how he came to decide that he had so seriously misread scripture, but is on the right path now.
As it is, it looks like he (suddenly & conveniently) feel the need to back away from what he previously thought was true. Wonder why?
If he were my pastor, I'd surely ask him.
The movie was Unforgiven, and I think you have your scenes mixed up. At one point the kid refers to man he just killed and says "he had it coming" to which Clint replies, "We've all got it coming, kid". In another scene Gene Hackman has just been shot by Clint and is dying. He looks at Clint and says "I'm building a house, I don't deserve to die like this", Clint replies, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
That's not how to apologize. It puts the blame on the target rather than the shooter. A true apology admits the wrong and then asks or does what he can do to right the wrong.
He needs to point out his offensive words and say why they are wrong. Unless, of course, he doesn't think they are wrong. Anyone can say they are "sorry for anything offensive they said." That's a piece of cake.
Hagee didn’t say anything that hasn’t been standard Protestant dogma for almost 500 years.
LOL!!! Probably about the same time the "great tribulation" happens. ;O)
He had it comin’ can mean he deserves it. But we do all die, so the last remark puts a more fatalistic spin on it. Have you forgotten the critics judgements that the pciture had an almost religious tone? Eastwood himself was puzzled, as he probably does not have a relgious bone in his body.
The religious undertones to the movie were pointed out by the title of the film. Just like the movie he made before that, "Pale Rider", a clear reference to Revelation 6:8 (KJV)
Tone matters. His conclusions are common currency in the Ivy league, but they don’t say it so crudely, and they don’t even pretend to apologize. T them the Church is their Bete Noir.
Nonetheless, Eastwood distanced himself from that during a long interview I saw. To be religious in Hollywood is to be beyond the pale, so even bg shots have to be careful.
In fact, I don't even recognize your handle. I know nothing about the cut of your jib. I don't have a clue as to what your post was.
Ya know! I went back and checked your post. I have posted to you. I thought that we were just having a great conservation about the cost of wedding flowers. I can’t believe that you thought that I was knocking you around!
Harold Lamb “Of Iron Men and Saints” and “The Flame of Islam”, usually combined into one book “The Crusades”.
Also one of the best ever is “The Knights Templar” by Stephen Howarth. Best one chapter summary of the first crusade ever.
Why would I be joking?? Not getting that.
I have never been comfortable calling Hagee an “anti-catholic” in the first place, at least not in the way this term is generally used. The meaning usually intended seems to be that of bigotry, which certainly explains why apologies are needed. Hagee, and many like him, seem to have a theological or exigetical position contrary to the Catholic Church. That, in my view, is no more anti-catholic bigotry than is our denial of their positions. We in the Church should be more careful. I fear that the Catholic League is beginning to look too much like the ADL.
You wrote:
“Rev. Hagee’s eyes have been opened through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have to give him credit for opening his heart and his change of heart. Bigotry of any kind wounds the soul.”
Amen to that! What Hagee did took a lot of courage and circumspection. I have a new found respect for him.
On the contrary. Hagee is not so much interested in the historical theological differences between Protestants and Catholics. Just read his "apology" letter. Not one word of the gospel, and the distinctively RC take on the nature of salvation as formulated by Trent and beyond.
No, Hagee's shtick is purely "anti-semitism" as he defines it. Which means that anyone who disagrees with his odd dispensational take on end times events as they relate to Israel is, by definition, an anti-semite. This includes most Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox.
John Hagee once called the Roman church "the great whore." He also called the Roman church "apostate." But now that he's endorsed John McCain, Hagee is retracting all the mean things he said about the Roman church. The first and greatest evangelical political commandment is this: "Use your influence to get the right man elected." And the second is like it. "If it will help, apologize for all of the offensive things you said beforehand, even if those offensive things are truths deeply held." (Riddleblog)
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