Jim from Washington state asks on facebook:
“Hump- something has bothered me for a while, so of course, I turn to you. What's the damn deal with fundamentalists, especially those who are end-times prophecy-afflicted with their adoration of Israel?
Has it something to do with the book of Revelation? Something about all Jews being returned to Israel? Something to do with all Jews being converted to Xtianity? Isn't there a hint of anti-Semitism in some of this?
Any light you can shed will be greatly appreciated.”
Jim, fasten your seat belt. This is going to be a scary ride.
The fundies interpret Ezekiel and the book of Daniel to mean that the third rebuilding of the original Temple in Jerusalem is necessary before the End Times, the Apocalypse, the 2nd coming of Jesus can occur. This is why they want the Jews to build, why they support Israel so fanatically and why they say that anyone who proposes bringing peace to the Middle East is the Antichrist.
They are called “Christian Zionists.” This is a relatively new phenomenon with the Xtian right, only coming to the forefront of American politics since the 1980’s. Pat Robinson, Jerry Falwell(d.), John Hagee, many GOP congressmen and senators, Sean Hannity, “The Family” on Washington’s K Street, among many "civilian" fundie Xtians are Christian Zionists.
Don't misinterpret their support for Israel to be the elimination of the traditional Xtian rabid anti-Semitism - it's all about the prophecy of the rebuilding. They still hate “Christ Killer” Jews as much as they always have they just aren’t as open about their disdain as they used to be when they blocked them from medical schools, and “restricted” them from their country clubs, and burned crosses on their lawns.
But here’s the rub: the ruins of the old temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the suppression of the Jewish Revolt, has one of Islam's most holy sites on top of it -the Dome of the Rock- where Muhammad is believed to have beamed up to heaven hand in hand with archangel Gabriel. It’s been there since 691 AD.
So for Israel to rebuild the temple would require the destruction of the Muslim shrine provoking the worst religious war the planet has ever known, pitting all 2.2 billion Muslims on earth against Israel’s 5.7 million Jews (what is that, like 400 to 1?); potentially inciting a nuclear exchange. There’s the Apocalypse, and that’s the end game.
The Christian Zionists wouldn’t shed a tear if 90% of the population of Israel (not to mention a few million Muslims and X number of Christian bystanders) where to be exterminated as long as the temple is rebuilt. One has to be in awe of how these people can reconcile this utter madness with their religion’s founder’s supposed “Prince of Peace” persona.
How does Israel perceive all this? Israel is nothing if not pragmatic. They will take fanatical support for their nation from whomever will give it. It's a matter of survival in a region that considers them illegitimate, and a world that has historically abandoned the Jews. They have no intention of helping bring about their own destruction by fulfilling this crazy Xtian concept of prophecy.
Israel has no illusions as to what the true feelings of the Xtian fundamentalists are toward the Jewish people. But they will play along, welcome their unswerving support in Washington, and play host to Xtian congressmen and their insanity to ensure Xtian lobbying for Israel is not weakened and a 2nd Holocaust at the hands of their Muslim neighbors is not realized. It comes down to a matter of survival.
Religion infects everything: the mind, the body, the health of the planet and potentially it's very existence.
The Christian Zionists wouldn’t shed a tear if 90% of the population of Israel (not to mention a few million Muslims and X number of Christian bystanders) where to be exterminated as long as the temple is rebuilt. One has to be in awe of how these people can reconcile this utter madness with their religion’s founder’s supposed “Prince of Peace” persona.
How does Israel perceive all this? Israel is nothing if not pragmatic. They will take fanatical support for their nation from whomever will give it. It's a matter of survival in a region that considers them illegitimate, and a world that has historically abandoned the Jews. They have no intention of helping bring about their own destruction by fulfilling this crazy Xtian concept of prophecy.
Israel has no illusions as to what the true feelings of the Xtian fundamentalists are toward the Jewish people. But they will play along, welcome their unswerving support in Washington, and play host to Xtian congressmen and their insanity to ensure Xtian lobbying for Israel is not weakened and a 2nd Holocaust at the hands of their Muslim neighbors is not realized. It comes down to a matter of survival.
Religion infects everything: the mind, the body, the health of the planet and potentially it's very existence.
ya, I believe this is what Chris Hitchens was referring to when he said that there was a death cult of people who were planning your and my destruction all in the name of religion, to bring it all down, to end it all once and for all. It's very scary when asshats like Rick Santorum or Gingrich start beaking off that on the day they take office they will open an embassy in Jeruselem. What fucking madness!!!! Your post was spot on Hump.
ReplyDeleteThe ratio is 400 to 1, not 40 to 1.
ReplyDeleteThese people are some of the most ignorant among the Christian cults as well as the most violent and malicious.
DenIs..death cult is exactly what it is. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBob..yup, 400 to 1. Fixed it, thanks.
"Death cult."
ReplyDeleteBest description I've heard to date. People who wish to summon the extinction of our species.
Remember Phyllis Sclafly? She who managed to drive the Equal Rights Amendment to defeat back in the 70s?
She once described nuclear weapons as "God's great gift."
And I wonder if, when she's crushed under a collapsed building, her eyeball melted, the flames consuming her flesh, she'd say the same.
She'd be one of those hoping to summon the Apocalypse.
Apostate.. yes, Schlafly is indeed a dominionsit/ christian -zionist.
ReplyDeleteShe is prominent on the short list which includes:
"George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Attorney Generals John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton, the late Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Phyllis Schlafly, and Oliver North"
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/6829
Compelling evidence that there is no God, Schlafly is still alive.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eagleforum.org/column/
This human toxin is still . . . toxic.
If you want to know the origin of Christian Zionist, you need to know the history of its source document "The Schofield Reference Bible.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/IO6VpMYAVms
Mark,
ReplyDeleteThank you for that link.
Yes, I've seen that video.. super informative, scarier than shit... and unfortunately falling on deaf ears/blind eyes of 300 million Americans.
I have never understood why we ever supported the creation (usurping of land others were living on) of Israel in the first place. I don't say this as person who hates Jews...I don't. But when you swipe someone else's land, holy land no less, in the name of not their god but yours you know big trouble will ensue. But now I am wondering if this whole thing has been an xtian plot from the beginning to create the situation where their 'end of the world' scenario might play out, if decades later. Seems very conspiricy theoristy and I really try hard not to be that way. But Hump, or anyone else, have you seen evidence even earlier than the Falwell-Roberston crew that this kind of purposely pitting Jews against Muslims was taking place? Creating a decades long religious end times scenario even back in the late 40's and early 50's? I lay my ignorance out there to be filleted...but please do it with facts I can investigate.
ReplyDeleteflyz4,
ReplyDeleteNot so long ago, in my ignorance of the Dominionist /Christian-Zionist movement, I'd have dismissed your comments as simple Jew baiting. I will not do that now.
Is it possible that Israel's establishment in the middle east by the UN was driven by the Christian-Zionists of the time... sounds entirely plausible. I just don't know.
I would prefer to think there were other motivators if only to preserve my sanity 'cuz such a concept is so enraging.
Remember that the holy land is as holy to Jews as it is to Christians and Muslims. The 5000 year old connection of the region to the Jews cannot be denied. The fact that the partitioning of Trans Jordan into various countries under British rule included a Jewish homeland was, I think, a response to three things:
1)the collective guilt of 2000 years of Jewish persecution in the shadow of the Holocaust.
2)the concept of returning Jews to "their ancient homeland"; and
3)a way to prevent Jews from migrating into the christian predominant Americas and Europe... out right anti-Antisemitism.
That's my perspective based on accumulated information and readings over many years. But...who knows what role C-Z insanity may be part of the equation. I am open to that possibility.
Yep, it's all about the temple. Back in my fundie days we would sit around breathlessly discussing and wondering how and when that was going to happen, because surely, THEN Jesus would come back. So anything in the news that we could even remotely consider as furthering that end game was a-okay. That being said . . .
ReplyDeleteThe end times prophecy stuff really didn't have a large following in the 40's, and the C-Zers certainly weren't in positions of authority to pull this off at that time. It's been my contention for years that the creation of the state of Israel was to assuage western guilt over the Holocaust. Occam's razor.
blue...
ReplyDeletethanks for that.
I tend to agree as you see above. But I won't completely dismiss the possibility of early C-Z involvement as well.
Hump,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great write-up, and I think you nailed it spot on. Sometimes on my commute home from work I listen to a hard-core fundie radio show called "Politics and Religion with Irvin Baxter."
This guy thinks he has the book of Revelation all figured out, and every day he ties in that day's news with the "prophecies" of the end times. He has callers call in and give their take, and surprise, they all agree 100% with him. No skeptics or cynics are ever put on the air.
Anyway, I listen to it for entertainment and would find the whole thing comical if it wasn't for the fact that these people are dead serious, they vote, and there are millions of them.
If anyone is curious to listen to the nutjob ranting, you can download his daily show on iTunes by searching "end time" or "Irvin Baxter."
Anyway, I just thought I'd pass this along since every day they are obsessed with Israel and how it ties to the "end times", and they are exactly as you state in your post.
Cheers!
Hump, as you know I grew up in a fundie church. Sometimes it makes my head spin when I think about how messed up everything was that I was taught. I remember it as bluelyon does except I was more terrified than breathless. I was obsessed with news from the Middle East, and the history of Isreal. I wrote a paper in middle school on the "Six Day War" that was so thorough it won awards at the Texas State History Fair. Since there is rarely good news from the Middle East, it's very easy for preachers to point to it as "evidence" that they know something more about the Bible or are privy to enlightened prophecy. Of course the fact that this interpretation of Revelation is fairly recent is conveniently omitted, and the creation of the state of Israel is a story with just one side.
ReplyDeleteI spent too much of my early life looking for signs, not because I was looking forward to the end of the world, but because I was afraid. Back then I was pretty certain I was going to hell. Now I realize, I was just a little more sane than the idiots standing in the pulpit. It's normal to be afraid when mad men are pulling the levers.