Lieberman: Out of Touch and Out of His Mind
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Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) is scheduled to give the keynote address at Pastor John Hagee’s ‘Christians United for Israel’ Summit on July 22nd. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Hagee, he is the founder and pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Cornerstone is a non-denominational, charismatic church with 19,000 members. He is also CEO of his non-profit corporation, Global Evangelism Television (GETV) as well as President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts his national television and radio ministries on 160 TV stations, 50 radio stations and eight networks. On February 7, 2006, Hagee found Christians United for Israel, which calls itself “a national grassroots movement focused on the support of Israel.”
It was after McCain sought and received Hagee’s endorsement that the controversy began. Hagee’s radical view about Catholicism, Islam, the holocaust and the link between homosexuality and Hurricane Katrina came to the forefront. Then it was revealed Hagee preached to his throng that Hitler was doing God’s bidding as “the force and fear of Hitler’s Nazis drove the Jewish people back to the only home that God ever intended the Jews to have - Israel.” McCain had been steadfast in sticking with Hagee up until that point, and I assure you that McCain would not have renounced his association with Hagee had he not been pressured. On the contrary, Joseph Lieberman, himself a Jew married to the daughter of Holocaust survivors, must be in some type of fundamentalist trance.
Many progressive Jews, like Rabbi Jonathan Biatch of Temple Beth El in Madison, Wisconsin, believe that Hagee would like to exacerbate the tensions in the Middle East in order to bring about Armageddon. Peace is not in the best interest of the Rapture. At the 2006 CUFI event, Hagee stated that “The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God’s plan for both Israel and the West…a biblically prophesized, end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ.” Today we’re closer than we’ve ever been to that scenario and it’s frightening to those who can see Hagee’s ulterior motives. Joseph Lieberman can never be accused of having vision, even though he knew of Hagee’s controversial view on the holocaust before McCain renounced his endorsement.
To Hagee, the Jews are nothing more than a means to an end. He supports a pre-emptive military strike on Iran in order to create Armageddon. After the battle, Jesus will return to Jerusalem and cleanse the earth of evil. But here’s the catch that seems to be eluding Lieberman’s rumored supply of gray matter: The non-believers, which include none other than the Jews, along with Muslims, Hindus and mainline Christians, must convert in order to be spared eternal damnation. One would think Lieberman would get it, but he doesn’t. Here’s what he had to say at the 2007 CUFI event:
I begin by thanking your founder, Pastor John Hagee. I would describe Pastor Hagee with the words the Torah uses to describe Moses, he is an “Ish Elochim,” a man of God because those words fit him; and, like Moses he has become the leader of a mighty multitude in pursuit of and defense of Israel.”
Unlike Lieberman, others are separating themselves from Hagee. Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN) declined to attend an April 29 ‘Night to Honor Israel’ scheduled for Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, citing “Hagee’s extremism, bigotry and intolerance.
“To get in bed with the hard Christian right on Israel is a dangerous path,” said Daniel Sokatch, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Progressive Jewish Alliance. “This is a hard-driving, extremely smart and successful movement to essentially recast the U.S. as a Christian nation, and if Jews don’t think that empowering that group in American foreign policy isn’t part and parcel of empowering that group on domestic policy, they’re wrong.”
Comment by Richard Cochrane on 21 July 2008:
Senator Lieberman is crazy enough to have been the Democrat VP Nominee, only to be abandoned and saveged by Democrat partisans to become an “independent” Democrat determined to follow his faith and ethics, and not blindly harsh ideologues.
Comment by Deb Della Piana on 21 July 2008:
Richard, I have no problem with Lieberman following his faith. The problem I have is that faith and religion do not belong in government. There is separation between church and state for a reason. And, contrary to popular belief, his orthodox Judaism and Hagee’s fundamentalism are not the way of the world. There are plenty of tax-paying athiests in this country, as well as people of other faiths. I am catholic by birth and Buddhist by choice. My children are being raised Buddhist and I do not want them forced into school prayer. If he’s not blindly following idealogues, what is he doing hanging around John Hagee? Give me a break.
Deb Della Pianas last blog post..Nine Republicans choose America over Bush!
Comment by Richard Cochrane on 22 July 2008:
Deb: What does your opinion of separation of church and state have to do with Joe Lieberman? Also I recommend you read the FEDERALISTS PAPERS.
Comment by Deb Della Piana on 24 July 2008:
Richard, I have acquaintances all over Europe from my Millipore days who cannot believe how closely tied religion and government is in this country. I do not believe that politicians should be giving speeches from the pulpit, and I’m including Barack Obama in that equation. I’m a Democrat but I don’t mind telling you that my biggest concern with him is the fact that he can’t keep his faith out of his politics.
By the same token, I do not think members of the religious community — regardless of the denomination — should be endorsing candidates. I also don’t believe that politicians should seek endorsements by the clergy. By definition, priests and ministers are supposed to be tending their flocks. It’s about spirituality, not politics, not endorsing candidates from the pulpit and not looking for 15 minutes of television fame being interviewed by CNN.
As for Joe Lieberman, I think he’s short on brains. The fact is that Reverend Hagee doesn’t give a damn about the Jews and is not interested in the Jews peacefully co-existing with their neighbors. Hagee supports a pre-emptive strike on Iran by Israel and the United States for one reason only — to bring about Armageddon. Can’t have a second coming of Christ without it. The good Reverend isn’t interested in peace. He’s interested in bringing about what we’ve supposedly been pre-destined to: The Rapture, The Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure this out. All you have to do is listen to him speak.
Joe Lieberman isn’t following his faith when he speaks at CUFI. He’s following the money. He’s an Orthodox Jew, not a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian. Reverend Hagee literally pours millions of dollars into the Jewish cause, to keep Israel strong. But, again, it isn’t so that the Jews can live peacefully. It’s so they’ll be ready for war when the time comes.
At some point, this starts to affect foreign policy. That’s when the mix of religion and politics becomes deadly.
Oh, by the way, I’ve read the Federalist Papers as well as the entire Constitution and Bill of Rights. In fact, I carry a pocket Constitution around with me.
Deb Della Pianas last blog post..Nine Republicans choose America over Bush!
Comment by Richard Cochrane on 24 July 2008:
Deb - As I recall the debate was freedom of religion not freedom from religion.
Comment by Deb Della Piana on 24 July 2008:
Richard, you’re playing with words. For all people who want to participate in the spiritual process, it’s about freedom of religion. For some, however, it is indeed freedom from religion. There’s no law that says people have to believe in God, nor should there be. And because of that, religion and ideology should not be reflected in government. Regardless of where we are on the spiritual spectrum, we are all citizens of this country.
However, do not tell me that Joe Lieberman is speaking at CUFI because he’s exercising freedom of religion. I’m not buying that one.
Comment by richard cochrane on 24 July 2008:
Deb- So, you argue for the absurd.
Comment by Deb Della Piana on 24 July 2008:
If you say so, Richard. If you say so.
Deb Della Pianas last blog post..Nine Republicans choose America over Bush!