Some evangelicals counter Hagee view
Web Posted: 08/11/2007 10:31 PM CDT
Not long after Christians United for Israel made a lobbying trip to Washington, other Christians were lining up to oppose CUFI's agenda and letting President Bush know it.
CUFI, founded by San Antonio megachurch pastor John Hagee nearly two years ago to promote a stronger U.S.-Israel alliance, is seeking the support of the more than 50 million evangelicals nationwide. It claims to have 50,000-plus members who hail from churches representing about 2 million.
Evangelicals have customarily been seen as siding with Israel in the Middle East crisis.
But at least a slice of that evangelical community has a different point of view, one that takes up the Palestinian cause along with Israel's.
In a July 29 letter sent to Bush, 34 evangelical leaders, including the presidents of major seminaries, megachurches and nonprofit ministries and organizations, said they support statehood for Israelis and Palestinians and believe a two-state solution matches their Christian faith's teachings on compassion and justice.
"I'm tired of being asked, 'Are you a Christian like (Jerry) Falwell or (John) Hagee or (Pat) Robertson who think Palestinians shouldn't have rights?'" said Bob Roberts Jr., pastor of Northwood Church in Dallas and one of the letter signers. "The whole concept of Christian charity and caring for the underdog is based on God's love for the Palestinians. He loves the Jews, but he loves all of us."
While the letter doesn't cite CUFI directly, it was sent the week after CUFI's Washington trip. Some of the letter's authors said they felt compelled to act because of Hagee's statements that Christians must support Israel to be on God's side of world politics and apocalyptic prophecy.
Hagee could not be reached for comment, but CUFI's president, David Brog, said the letter is a sign of CUFI's influence on evangelicals.
"I think they felt they needed to act and speak up to show (CUFI) doesn't represent every last evangelical," Brog said. "We don't represent every last evangelical. We just represent the majority of evangelicals."
CUFI also sent a letter to the president, dated July 26 and penned by Hagee, urging him not to pressure Israel to give up land for peace because it would only lead to another attack by terrorist organizations bent on Israel's destruction. Bush has announced a plan for a two-state solution in the Holy Land that CUFI warns won't likely work under the current conditions.
CUFI, which asserts only Israel has the historic right to that region, says it hasn't technically ruled out a two-state solution but would support it only if conditions were to drastically change where Palestinian and Muslim leaders could be trusted not to use concessions of land for another round of attacks.
Roberts, the Dallas pastor, was one of three evangelical leaders who attended a conference in the small Muslim country of Qatar in the Middle East. The conference, called the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, drew Western and Muslim leaders for dialogue. There, they discovered Muslim leaders widely believe all evangelicals oppose a Palestinian state, which contributed to the crafting of their letter to the president last month.
"It's not that we're saying we're right and they're wrong," said Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland Church near Orlando, Fla., who signed the letter and also is on the board of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. "It's that we don't want it to be represented that the evangelicals have only one point of view on this."
Outside of the evangelical community, CUFI's trip to Washington generated some criticism from people drawn to an online video made by left-leaning journalist Max Blumenthal, a self-described liberal Jew who writes for the Nation, a weekly liberal magazine, and has produced several online videos aimed at exposing hypocrisy among conservative groups.
The video criticizes Hagee's contention that his well-publicized end-time views don't factor into his political lobbying. Blumenthal and a reporter from AlterNet, a left-oriented news site, were escorted off the hotel property after a news conference by CUFI leaders a day before they lobbied at the Capitol.
The Michael Moore-like video depicts CUFI members, most notably former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and interviews with rank-and-file CUFI members, looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ.
Blumenthal said the experience solidified his claim that CUFI seeks to attract evangelicals with end-time prophetic messages but then denies those beliefs publicly and during political lobbying trips. He sees this as troubling, particularly to Jews, who, according to this theology, are foretold to gather in Israel as the end nears where most are killed during an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. Those remaining are said to convert to Christianity.
"There's an obvious disparity between Hagee and his lieutenants and his grass-roots members," he said. "It's embarrassing for Hagee because his professed support for Israel is really an insidious attempt to fatten up the Jews like a Thanksgiving turkey before sticking them in the oven."
Such statements misconstrue CUFI's mission, Brog said, adding that Blumenthal came with an agenda to create a conspiracy and not to craft a balanced piece.
He said if CUFI members wanted to see the end times come about, they wouldn't work to protect Israel but instead would want the country to be under attack to hasten this prophetic scenario. Brog also noted that Blumenthal did not include footage of more competent CUFI members and didn't follow the rules announced to him by CUFI's public relations team that he get approval from them before conducting interviews.
While members may have "beliefs" in biblical prophecy, their motives are separate and stem from concern about the threat of radical Islamic groups and the recurring theme in the Bible to honor the Jewish people.
"Christian Zionism is based on the promises of Genesis and not the prophecies of Revelation," Brog said. "(Blumenthal) showed two or three people who I think are off-base, and you're going to find that in any group of people. He knew from Day One where he was going, and it was not a search for the truth."
alevy@express-news.net
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1 comment:
As a Reform Jew who participated at the CUFI Conference; I feel inclined to comment here. I attended CUFI Conference out of curiosity; I have always been fascinated by cults & sects. I expected to meet some pretty eccentric folks here.
Instead, I met some of the brightest, nicest people I've seen in a "convention-type" setting. The workshops & speeches were tasteful and sensative. Many of the Christians here had Jewish links through inter-marriage. Many of them had traveled to Israel where they participated in Kibbutz type programs as college students. Most of the people I met were not clergy; just nice people who were in a wonderful faith community(ies). College educated; held good jobs; some very good jobs!
I also heard Sen. Lieberman, Newt Gingrich, two ambassadors from Israel; John McCain et al. The speakers were eloquent and passionate. I have been pretty tolerant in regards to compassion for Palestinians; but lately very disturbed by anti-semitisim being promoted by likes of Jimmy Carter.
I have to admit, it felt wonderful to be accepted as a Jew, respected as a Jew, and not feeling I needed to apologise for Israel!
There may be end-times theology embeded in some of this, but I think most of the CUFI members love Israel and have sincere desire to bridge w/Jewish people. I salute Rev. Hagee for not bowing to evangelical pressure to convert Jews (I don't believe your blog brought that up, Hagee does not feel Jews need to convert). I have not agreed with all of Hagees positions but I feel he is moving in a good direction.
If Israel is to be saved, it will only be because of Pastor Hagee's influence. Sorry to those of you uncomfortable w/Christians; but Jews can no longer fight the entire world. We are truly on edge of extinction and I don't think anyone would argue against that.
I think people need to get to know their evangelical neighbors better. I know I sure had misconceptions and preconceptions. You don't have to buy into it; but at least keep an open mind about why this movement is so powerful right now. I think it basically has to do with creating faith communities; they take very good care of their people. These folks love going to church and making it part of their lives. Nobody tried to convert me, but I walked away from CUFI with enormous sense of gratititude!
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