The problem comes down to the the fact that, whomever we are, we like to think that we are right. Some of us believe that we are in fact the Keepers of the Truth. For example, John C. Hagee. He was the one who said to Terry Gross on NPR that Hurricane Katrina was visited on The Big Easy by an angry God because they were going to have a homosexual parade.

According to John, it would have made the ancient Greeks and Romans and the horses that they rode in on pale in comparison, because it was going to be very, very, gay. Hagee's God told 'em off alright.

For those of you not familiar with Hagee, let me give you a little background. He is a proud owner of an evangelical church in Texas called the Cornerstone Church, which boasts a membership of around 19,000 folks. His fundamental beliefs in the bible are used to rationalize his views on many groups of people including: Catholics, homosexuals, women, "blacks" and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He also believes that the Rapture is imminent.

For those of you not up to date with Christian terminology, this means the End of the World. In Revelations, Israel has been returned to her former State. At some point, Christ returns and the believers rise from the dead and ascend to Heaven. The rest of us are left to a boatload of nastiness. Seas of blood. Plagues and wars. The atom bombs we dropped on Japan will look like a picnic, and the Nazi concentration camps will seem like summer camp. Never mind the problems that we're used to, like Bush, animal cruelty, the price of rice in third world countries, spam and telemarketers.

What y'all may find interesting is that John C. Hagee has a group called "Christians for a United Israel". Now, doesn't that just sound loverly and caring? God knows, Israel needs all the help they can get. When the Jewish people created a State of Israel sixty years ago, it was the beginning of a safe haven for a people without a country. Embattled, Israel is now looking at her options, such as including Palestinians and others. The problem is, that would mess with the agenda of CUI, whose purpose is to work toward fulfilling the Rapture prophesy.

So, CUI is involved in the maintenance of the Jewish Israel. They do not wish people to get involved in any talk that might lead to, say, an integrated Israel. This would mess with their time-line. (Oh, and did ya know that John C. Hagee is the same televangelist that backed Republican presumtive president-elect John McCain? I credit you with knowing that Bush is slightly right of Genghis-Khan. Have you noticed how similar Bush and McCain's voices sound? Creepy.) When Obama made overtures to have talks in the Middle East, he was slammed by the Religious Right, Bush and McCain.

John C. Hagee has also stated that it is a fact that those who follow the path of Islam are decreed to commit violence under the writ of Ji-haad. His belief is that Muslims are by definition, an enemy. I do suppose at this point he has forgotten that there were a couple of battles and crusades over the centuries, by those keen on Christianity.

I'm not much for organized religion, but I'm going to make a little plug here, because I have learned a thing or two. There are actually evangelicals out there who are just, you know, kind of into their religion. They believe basically two things. One, that the bible is the supreme book, and two, that Jesus Christ is the savior for our sins. They just wish to "witness" for their faith, (fair enough), a theme that is not uncommon with many of the various Christian denominations.

But their problems started back in the '80s with the "Moral Majority" leading a political agenda and ideology. Suddenly, evangelism became associated with Falwell and Robertson. (Can you imagine their horror?!) It became all about abortion, same sex issues and all evangelicals ended up being labeled as narrow-minded, mean-spirited and bigoted. In fact, they believe in loving thy neighbour, tending to the sick and needy and other heart warming stuff. So now the "Evangelical Manifesto" has been written by those NOT in the political arena.

And in regard to the groups maligned by John C. Hagee:


I like Catholics because they burn incense, and have a deep and abiding faith in a dying church that I will never understand. And the Pope has a styling sense of dress.

I respect Islam because their prophet Mohammed was an unwilling man who lead many to a righteous path. And they include prophets from other religions, which is very sociable.

I love homosexuals and lesbians, because they are so fantastic, as are we. Before Rosie O'Donall got all sorts of Hollywood-scary nipped and tucked, she said it best, "If it weren't for all those gay guys, who would us fat gals have to dance with?"
I love women, because without them all life would cease. It is ironic that the Christian Right and extreme Islamists would both not foster the wonderful strength of women, but fear and abject them.

As to "blacks", Doctor Martin Luther King said it best, to judge not by the colour skin, but by the content of a person's character .


Hurricane Katrina. I believe that this was not God punishing New Orleans. It was Bush. Systemic ignorance and failure at best. Organized political racist action at worst.