The story:
SAN ANTONIO — Senator John McCain got support on Wednesday from an important corner of evangelical Texas when the pastor of a San Antonio mega-church, Rev. John C. Hagee, endorsed Mr. McCain for president. Mr. Hagee, who argues that the United States must join Israel in a preemptive, biblically prophesized military strike against Iran that will lead to the second coming of Christ, praised Mr. McCain for his pro-Israel views.
The response:
Yesterday, Senator John McCain said he was “very honored by Pastor John Hagee’s endorsement.” The Republican presidential hopeful also called Hagee “the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement,” citing the minister’s pro-Israel stance.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this today:
“There are plenty of staunch evangelical leaders who are pro-Israel, but are not anti-Catholic. John Hagee is not one of them. Indeed, for the past few decades, he has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example, he likes calling it ‘The Great Whore,’ an ‘apostate church,’ the ‘anti-Christ,’ and a ‘false cult system.’
Hagee, to put it mildly, is an unpleasant fellow – I went over to McCain’s website to see if there was more on this, and so far I haven’t even found it mentioned. I hope that Senator McCain will address this issue – but I am also quite confident, due to McCain’s past actions vis a vis Catholicism, that he doesn’t in any way, shape or form agree with Hagee’s views of the Catholic Church. My bet is that McCain was aware of Hagee’s staunchly pro-Israel stance, and that is what McCain was thinking of in obtaining this endorsement.
In general terms, I never engage in a fight with my brothers and sisters in Christ – and even though I view Hagee as terribly wrong, I won’t even fight him on this. I’ll pray he’ll allow God to enlighten him on the truth of these matters, but I see no profit in fighting a fellow Christian – however erring – when the whole of religion is under attack in our nation. I understand, and respect, Mr. Donohue’s position and agree that such things need to be brought up, and condemned, but in my view there is a need, also, for a careful understanding of the real stakes in 2008; Hagee’s influence is relatively small, and no matter how destructive he might be, he won’t do nearly the damage that a President Obama or a President Hillary will do.
UPDATE: Given that our lefties are trying very hard to pick a fight between McCain and Catholics over this, I think it worthwhile to bring up Catholics for McCain; there are quite a lot of my fellow Catholics who are enthusiastic backers of John McCain and this is a much stronger indicator of McCain’s views about Catholicism than the fact that the anti-Catholic Hagee endorsed him.
UPDATE: John McCain responds to the firestorm:
Yesterday, Pastor John Hagee endorsed my candidacy for president in San Antonio, Texas. However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee’s views, which I obviously do not.
I am hopeful that Catholics, Protestants and all people of faith who share my vision for the future of America will respond to our message of defending innocent life, traditional marriage, and compassion for the most vulnerable in our society.
Of course, it would have been better if the endorsement had never happened – but it did happen, and one can’t undo the past; meanwhile, we don’t want to alienate those followers of Hagee who are sincere, if misguided, Christians who do want what is best for America and the world. This is the best way around it all – making lemonade out of the lemons, as it were.
Blogs For Victory 
I think it’s amusing that the liberals here, many of whom are not Christian, and who have mocked Mark and other Christians on this site are all of a sudden
concerned and upset …..
That McCain accepted an endorsement by someone who is anti-Catholic. They call Hagee a “religious bigot” when many of them are just that as well.
It’s the hypocrisy you know! (this like is sarcasm)
(This does not mean I support everything Hagee says and does.)
Mark,
So, the fact that Senator McCain gave a speech in 2000 that explicitly and vigorously condemned people like John Hagee, saying that they bring “shame” on the Republican Party, but in 2008 actively courts them is of no moment? Did you ever use the term flip-flop in reference to Senator Kerry?
As to the almost 100 million homes figure, I’m sure that’s the number of homes that the networks and cable operators that carry any of John Hagee’s broadcasts connect to. I’m sure the number of viewers is orders of magnitude smaller. However, the breadth and reach of this Catholic-hater’s views are far less of note than the fact that allegedly people at Blogs For Victo(r)y prefer to stand on principle but will give the presumptive Republican nominee lots of leeway to violate his own stated principles.
So far, that’s John McCain’s pattern. He told the San Francisco Chronicle in 1999 that he wouldn’t support the repeal of Roe v. Wade then reversed himself within days. He was grotesquely smeared in 2000 in South Carolina with the “black daughter born out of wedlock” story and came to embrace the group that was, at minimum, the inspiration for the smear. He’s said, with more moral authority than anyone in Congress, about waterboarding that “it is torture” and yet voted against decisively preventing its future use. Now, he’s very proud to be endorsed by someone that he implicitly denounced in 2000.
Senator John McCain, personally ambitious and constant in his inconstancy. However, I will take him on his words in 2000. His actions reference to John Hagee have brought shame on his faith, his party and his nation.
The courts have determined that a fetus is indeed a person. Look at the cases in which a criminal has been charged with murder when a pregnant mother has lost her baby because of his crime!
The Peterson case comes to mind.
Liberals love passing laws protecting the breeding grounds and nesting areas of animals. Based on their logic, they should not be afforded the protection because they are not animals until they are hatched.
Liberals want to live freely from responsibility. They want all the joys of life free from bad choices and irresponsible behavior.
When a politician runs for office, he/she must past the abortion litmus test before he/she is even considered by Democrats.
Truly sad that the most innocent must pay the price for their lack of judgement.
Kahn,
I am opposed to the murder of babies. I reject your insinuation that I support such barbarism.
Are we going to let McCain in the Whitehouse? McCain, who listens to the advice of a fanatically suicidal fundamentalist. A man who has openly said that he wants to hasten the end of the world.
Is this the type of person who McCain will be taking advice from?
So, just to clarify. Do you think that Armageddon is “what’s best for American and the world”, Mark? Cause that is what Hagee and his supporters want. But hey, as long as McCain distances himself from Hagee’s rampant anti-Catholicism (without actually, ya know, refusing the endorsement), then everyting is fine with you.
What hoops you are jumping through these days Mark.
Hey JD – well Amanda just wrote “Quite obviously, that would be on the day day that the baby is BORN, being, you know, that we celebrate a person’s BIRTHday”. So as far as she’s concerned you could abort a baby on the way to the hospital.
Did you not realize that this was the view of some people on your side?
Her test is pretty basic. Not like the consciousness argument or the able-to-survive-on-its-own argument. Just about the most ruthless and cold hearted view you can have actually. But it is a valid view as are all others. Its just that her view can’t be proven – just as none of the others can.
But if YOU support people who support abortion, then yah, you support baby murders. Sorry. But you do.
Armageddon is not even in MY bible.
Southerner, do you actually have a copy of the Bible? Which one? The Catholic Bible doesn’t have Revelations…
NOT can you look it up on the Internet, do YOU have a bible?
Diana,
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds – life isn’t consistent. Get used to the rough and tumble.
What this boils down to is my conviction, based on the past, that John McCain is a good friend of Catholics and ardently supports the Judeo-Christian worldview – given this, it seems certain to me that McCain simply must not have known about Hagee’s more screwy and/or bigoted views. I don’t work from the assumption that a person is dishonorable – in fact, I can’t do so – I’m a Christian.
Kahn,
Oh dear, oh dear.
Kahn,
Well, actually, Revelation is in the Catholic bible.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/#revelation
If we wish to get into the theology of Hagee and what its all about – some of our Protestant brothers and sisters spend, in my view, an inordinant amount of time concerned about the End Times – to me, other than a general desire to have already gone home before it happens, its just not that important in the day to day of life. If Our Lord returns this evening, it is my job to be ready for it – not worry about when, exactly, it might happen.
As for why Hagee and others choose to concentrate on such things – the difference is that between “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt 22:36-39) and He cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, (a cage for every unclean) and disgusting (beast). For all the nations have drunk the wine of her licentious passion. The kings of the earth had intercourse with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her drive for luxury.” (Rev 18:2-3) – which is the same reason a newspaper will prefer “We’re All Gonna Die!” to “Everything’s Hunkey-Dorey”…there’s just more fascination for the foolhardy in the macabre. Teaching people to love is sometimes a lot harder than scaring them.
Deleted – point already made by commenter without insults.
southerner,
Hoops? Perhaps – but in contrast to you, when someone on my side makes a mistake, I call it such – McCain made a msitake in accepting Hagee’s endorsement; he should have researched a bit more before accepting. Meanwhile, Obama is hip deep in Rezko and you on the left can’t find one thing wrong with it…
Mark,
Blah, blah, blah. The fact is you’re happy to go along with a candidate who had Hagee introduce him at campaign events:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Multimedia/Player.aspx?guid=5ca47a36-c7d8-4cf4-8451-0390c4581916
McCain is “honored” and “proud” of this wacko’s endorsement and has even breakfasted with him to discuss foreign policy. What sort of conversation was that? Should we bomb Iran first or maybe smite all the Palestinians into the sea?
Hagee is a complete jerk, he takes home over $1 million per year from his ministry tax free and makes his money from preaching hate and Armageddon.
Honestly, if Obama had accepted an endorsement from this guy you would be posting videos right and left to show what a wingnut he is instead of censoring the ones I posted yesterday. Your double standards are amazing, as is Kahn’s knowledge of the religion he claims to follow.
And about Kahn’s rather spectacular mistake above, I pointed out that The Book of Revelation is in ALL versions of the Bible which contain the New Testament, not just the Cathlic Bible as you mentioned. Don’t you think its reasonable to say that someone who goes on and on about their religion as much as he does and yet doesn’t have a basic knowledge of the New Testament is a hypocrite?
southerner,
And as I said before – that video is from September, and at that point I wouldn’t have known Hagee from Adam, and listening to the intro you get absolutely ZERO indication of Hagee’s views on Catholics or Revelations.
You’re an extraordinarily mean spirited person, southerner.
What the hell has the fact that the video comes from September to do with this? Did these revelations about Hagee’s bigotry only surface since September? Was John McCain not a presidential candidate in September?
You might not have known Hagee from Adam at this point but the fact is Hagee is one of the best known televangelists in America. He is CEO of John Hagee Ministries which telecasts his national radio and television ministry on 160 TV stations, fifty radio stations and eight networks including The Inspiration Network (INSP) and Trinity Broadcasting Network.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that, in 2001 alone, John Hagee had received over 1.25 million dollars in total compensation for his position as CEO at his non-profit corporation, Global Evangelism Television (GETV). This made him one of the highest-paid televangelists in 2001.
Yet you wouldn’t ‘know him from Adam’? Fine, so that makes his bigotry and John McCain’s acceptance of his support A-okay?
And somehow pointing all this out to you makes me “an incredibly mean spirited person”.
Oy ve.
southerner,
The meaness in you is in not being generous to your fellow human beings.
That aside – I know of a quite a few Evangelical leaders, some of whom I hold in very high regard as to the moral message they preach and their great learning vis a vis the Bible – some of whom I have far less respect for. Such as I know, good, bad and indifferent, are:
Billy Graham, Charles Colson, Chuck Swindoll, James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, Pat Robertson, Rick Warren, Luis Palau, Ann Graham Lotts, Max Lucado, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes…
There are probably others which just don’t come to mind…but amongst this list there isn’t Hagee – if he’s really one of the best known Evangelicals, then he’s somehow managed to escape my notice, even though I pay a great deal of attention to the Evangelical community…
Mark,
For someone who is so prompt about deleting messages from posters you don’t like for being ‘off topic’, you really seem to be having a hard time sticking to the subject in question.
I have raised, repeatedly, in posts above concerns about John McCain taking foreign policy advice from a man who is intent upon hastening Armageddon. And you have repeatedly ignored that concern, instead you’ve decided to go off on a little homily about how much you admire certain Evangelicals. Honestly, who cares? Why can’t you address the serious points raised above. I guess you just don’t want to.
Deleted – off topic.
Southerner,
Your last comment was all about how big a person Hagee is – with the implication that I, or McCain, must have known about him and his views. I advised you that claims of Hagee being well known are likely exaggerated. You, boxed into a corner, have chosen to pretend you didn’t go on about how big a person Hagee is, and are now insultingly saying that I’m not sticking to the subject at hand.
As I said, you are a very mean spirited person.
That aside…
I doubt that McCain has received any advice on foreign policy from Hagee…
Well, hey, I posted this days ago and it was promptly deleted. I’m impressed that you chose to face this dragon, and spin it a best as possible.
McCain says he doesn’t agree with EVERYTHING Hagee says, which is akin to claiming Kim Jong Il likes Bugs Bunny, so he’s not all bad.
Even I don’t consider the Catholic Church “a whore” or “the anti-Christ.” Hagee doesn’t leave any room for doubt that he find Catholics vile and disgusting, though, and McCain doesn’t need that kind of “support.”
Or does he?
Kudo’s, though, for not hiding from this one.
Mark. Do you know Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch and Archbishop of Jerusalem? He was selected by Pope John Paul II as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land.
Do you think his views, as Roman Catholic Archbishop, have some merits regarding the Israel-Palestine situation, as a Christian, a Catholic, and as an inhabitant of the Holy Land?
Then please read his “Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism“
Willem,
A correct statement, as far as it goes, but it does fail to address the very real fact that it is mostly from Hamas where we get an intransigent insistence upon continued warfare. The Christian Zionists, so-called, aren’t helpful, but Hamas is downright harmful – Christian Zionists aren’t lobbing missiles into Gaza, Hamas is lobbing missiles from Gaza into Israel.
The Church in the Palestinian Authority has to tread a very fine line – keeping in mind that the Hamas types have shown themselves more than willing to murder Christians who get out of line, as well as being more than willing to desecrate Christian holy places. Under the gun of the terrorists the Church in the Palestinian Authority has to carefully craft its statements in order to get the truth out with the least chance of harming the Christian community.
But you will note that the crux of the matter is thusly stated:
Suffering under militarism – as Israel isn’t occupied, then what the Israelis are suffering form is militarism…read between the lines, this is Israelis suffering under the militarism of Hamas and other terrorist groups. We are to pray that both the occuption and the militarism come to an end – and, indeed, this is the only way for peace to be established.
Also, it should be noted that the statement very clearly explains why groups concerned with the End Times are off the mark – because we Christians are called by God, today, to do what needs to be done…not to worry about an event which, when it comes, will come when God wills it, so no sense concerning ourselves as to precisely when it will arrive.
Nope, I demonstrated above that Hagee is one of the best known Evangelicls in the US, why do you think McCain is so eager to have his support? You just outright ignored all the information I gave you and started spouting about how fine a different bunch of Evangelicals that you know about are. What does that have to do with anything? It doesn’t take away from the fact that McCain has met with this guy REPEATEDLY and refuses to repudiate his wacko support. I wouldn’t say you have me ‘boxed in to a corner’ by a long stretch Mark. I’d say that YOU are jumping through increasingly ridiculous hoops instead.
Also, still no response to the idea that McCain is discussing foreign policy with a guy who is intent upon ushering in Armageddon at the first possible instant, I note.