McCain welcomes support of anti-Catholic bigot

[Alonzo]

AN ANTONIO (Reuters) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain won the endorsement of Texas evangelical leader John Hagee on Wednesday, which could boost his standing among religious conservatives who have been reluctant to embrace the likely nominee.

Hagee, who heads a 19,000-member church in San Antonio, is best known for his outspoken support of Israel and writings on the Middle East, where he envisions a blood-soaked clash between East and West leading to the return of Jesus Christ.

"I'm very honored by Pastor John Hagee's endorsement today," McCain said at a news conference. "He has been the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement in many areas, but especially, most especially, his close ties and advocacy for the freedom and independence of the state of Israel."

Hagee, standing beside the candidate, said he admired McCain's pro-Israel stance, commitment to nominate conservative judges and opposition to abortion.

"Victory is within our grasp because John McCain knows it's never wrong to do the right thing," Hagee said.

Christian conservatives are an important part of the Republican base, but many have so far been reluctant to support the Arizona senator.

Coast-to-coast primary victories on February 5 made McCain the all-but-certain Republican nominee, but many evangelicals continue to support rival Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and former Arkansas governor. Several conservative Christian leaders have said they will not vote for McCain in November if he is the nominee.

McCain's support for the Iraq war and fierce criticism of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won praise from Hagee, who has brought thousands of evangelical Christians to Washington to lobby on Israel's behalf. . . .

http://johnmccain.com/Informing/News/NewsReleases/9e22596a-63ba-464e-a870-4b8099a3f32c.htm

(CBS) Today, it was Republican frontrunner John McCain's turn to answer mounting questions about one of his supporters, Rev. John Hagee, a San Antonio pastor with a worldwide broadcast ministry, reports CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield.

Hagee has offered some highly provocative views on a variety of subjects.

For instance, he linked Hurricane Katrina to the gay rights movement: " … All of the city was punished because of the sin that happened there in that city."

He has also denounced the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore of Babylon" and "a cult." He blames it for the Holocaust and predicts its imminent demise.

"This is the apostate church," Hagee said. " … this false religious system is going to be totally devoured by the anti-Christ."

In a statement, Catholics United said: "We hope Senator McCain will take the principled position of publicly and unequivocally distancing himself from Pastor Hagee's anti-Catholic comments."

And Bill Donahue of the Catholic League offered a tougher view: "I do want a clear-cut statement from McCain saying that he knows Catholics have been offended, when this man hagee calls my religon the great whore and a false cult system."

Today, Sen. McCain offered carefully measured words: "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy," he said. "They are supporting my candidacy. I am not endorsing some of their positions."

The question is whether Pastor Hagee's view on the Catholic Church constitutes "a position" or a view that the presumptive Republican nominee has to address head on.

This dust-up may also make it a lot tougher for Republicans to criticize Barack Obama for some of his more controversial supporters.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/29/eveningnews/main3894660.shtml?source=mostpop_story

[Elrathin]

Kiss your election goodbye Republicans. The majority of the country does not want the evangelists in power.

[Buck Laser]

Kiss your election goodbye Republicans. The majority of the country does not want the evangelists in power.

I agree, but it really may be dicier than that. Last time I looked, Protestants had only a very tiny majority over Catholics. On the other hand, some Catholics will certainly ignore Hagee's rather stupid stance. I hate to see a national election devolve into something about religious bigotry. But I don't think it actually will go that way.

The electorate have shown us so far that they don't take the traditional divides--race, gender, religion, or whatever--anywhere nearly as seriously as the punditocracy wishes they would. The pundits IMO are the ones to blame for this: nice neat divisions along traditional lines would make their job SO much easier. They could just continue not thinking or analyzing as they've been not doing for the last many years.

As a committed democrat, part of me welcomes anything that diminishes my opponent's chances. But as someone who's trying to be a conscientious citizen, I really HATE to see religious red herrings dragged across the trail.

[ECW]

Tub-thumpers have sway with a more limited number of voters these days. Hagee is on the far right, the very crowd McCain is aiming for. He scores with them but loses independents by taking him under wing.

[4Reaganomics]

McCain welcomes the support of Hagee

Obama is "friendly" with a terrorist in William Ayers

big difference in my book

[Elrathin]

Obama is "friendly" with a terrorist in William Ayers


Care to show how?

[4Reaganomics]

An Obama campaign official said "Yes, they're friendly"

why would his own campaign lie?

[Alonzo]

Ex terrorist, now he's distinguished professor who said he was embarrassed over who he was.

[4Reaganomics]

He is quoted as recently as 2001 in the New York Times of all papers, as saying “I didn’t regret setting bombs..I didn’t feel we did enough.”

[Alonzo]

Didn't and don't hold very different meanings in this case. What's the context?

[4Reaganomics]

September 11, 2001 NYT asked him if he regretted what he had done in the past and he responded as I quoted above.

[Alonzo]

If that is correct, and I'm not saying your quote is as I don't know, then it's just as likely he's referring to his opinion at a particular point in time but not now.

I wouldn't use the phrase "I didn't" to describe my current feelings on an issue, I'd say "I don't" instead.

[4Reaganomics]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B 63

The quote is accurate

As for his current stance, I have not heard a quote since that article. Would you care to provide one for me?

[Alonzo]

Actually it says:

''I don't regret setting bombs,'' Bill Ayers said. ''I feel we didn't do enough.''

not "I didn't regret". "Don't" gives it an entirely different meaning.

[4Reaganomics]

correct, I previously missed that I did not write "don't"

now in reference to the quote, can we prove that he no longer has these feelings

[Jade Rat]

I'm sick people people misquoting, and just plain lying about my pastes, John Hagee does not "Support" a 'bloodsoked war in the middle east- he quoted the Bible from whence it told of the great battle called Armageddon, in how Magog Shattered, yet deadly (Russia) will lead a attack on Israel from a leadership position- along with the Arabics.

I highly doubt 1 in 10 of you even knew who he was before 3 weeks ago,




He has also denounced the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore of Babylon" and "a cult." He blames it for the Holocaust and predicts its imminent demise.

This after historical evens had Pope Urban II forgiving the sins of the crusaders for all sins they would commit when marching to Jerusalem?

Tell me, under what Biblical authority does anyone (Save the Father) have to forgive sins?

Or about how Hitler had the support of the Catholic church http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm

The majority religion of the German army (not the Nazis)was Catholic- and Catholics consider the Pope, their leader, hence forth the Pope had the authority and the ability to hamper Hitler's plans as he massacred 5.8 million Jews


"This is the apostate church," Hagee said. " … this false religious system is going to be totally devoured by the anti-Christ."

Interesting, because when i watcher him i remember him calling false churches- churches that support abortions, gay marriage- 'They are neither cold nor hot, and i will spew them from my mouth' in one of his 'end times sermons'

What was he referring to? The simple fact that God never gave any individual the authority to do the things Catholics give the pope the authority to do- such as forgive sins.

My Grandfather was Catholic, and so was his parents and he agreed with Hagee, in fact he watches him every Sunday. The comments Hagee said was not "Anti-Catholic" but Anti-Catholic system.


This is a small clip i found- of what he said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uViQ0hVV57Q

Now you will have to put it in context of course.