I am certainly not a Biblical scholar, but having many Christian friends and neighbors, I try to understand some of the scriptures that drive their beliefs so I can have an "intelligent" conversation with them. Much of our political discourse today is influenced by organized religion, whether it be Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. Beyond the social issues of when life begins, abortion, gay rights and such, the expectation of the Second Coming of Christ seems to be of paramount importance in how many Christians view the world, in particular conflicts and wars in the Middle East, but those beliefs don't capture the headlines that the social issues do. Brimicke has provided several Biblical references to the Second Coming in his posting, but like many Christians he has passed over many of the more gruesome details in the book of Revelation .
I understand that Revelation as well as verses in Ezekiel are controversial within the Christian and Jewish communities, and that there are multiple interpretations. Nevertheless, a significant number of Christians, the so called premillennial dispensationalists, or more accurately the Christian Zionists, subscribe to the notion that the State of Israel needs to be defended and preserved for the Second Coming of Christ. Some journalists, most notably Gary North, have called them Armageddonites, after the place in Israel where the rapture will supposedly occur. Some of the leading Christian figures of our time such as Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, and the late Jerry Falwell, were all strong advocates of Israel and opposed to any two state solution. Political figures like George W. Bush and Sarah Palin are also, by their words and actions, Christian Zionists.
The government of Israel, of course, has its own lobbies in Washington D.C., most notably AIPAC, but in sheer numbers and purpose, they would not be as powerful without the loyal support of millions of Christian Zionists. The Israeli government has capitalized on these Christian beliefs by nurturing a relationship with Christian leaders, despite the fact that, as Gary North put it so brutally, "The survival of the State of Israel is mandatory for its role as national sacrifice for Christianity, as fundamentalists perceive Christianity. Millions of Jews must die in horror in order that Christians may avoid death."
Ordinarily I wouldn't challenge what my Christian friends believed about the events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ. However, as the attitudes of the more militant members of the Christian community have permeated into our government policies, it should be an issue of concern for every citizen of this country. I am a strong believer in the separation of church and state, but with respect to our policies on Israel and Palestine, it would appear to me that they are driven more by Biblical prophecy rather than strategic need.
General Patraeus highlighted his dilemma for American troops when he told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the area of responsibility. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the region]."
If we expect our Presidential candidates and members of Congress to be honest in their stated positions on Israel, it is time that they came out of the closet and openly discussed their views on the Second Coming of Christ and how those views would influence their foreign policy decisions in the Middle East. I personally don't believe that American troops should die for a Biblical prophecy.
Comments are invited. It's a controversial subject that needs to come out of the closet.
Trying to understand the interrelationship of the Rapture, Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, Judgment, Apocalypse, and Armageddon (a place in Israel where this all supposedly occurs) as described in the Book of Revelation is a challenging exercise. Articles by theologians on this subject have often left me confused, mainly because there are multiple interpretations (translations?) and some of the jargon just leaves me hanging. Perhaps because of the politics of this sensitive subject it is a topic that is best avoided. In a Lew Rockwell article by Gary North entitled, The Foreign Policy of 20 Million Would-Be Immortals, I found this: "What is rarely discussed publicly by Jews or fundamentalists is the fundamentalists' view of the looming cost to Israelis for their return to Palestine. Fundamentalists believe that the Great Tribulation will wipe out two-thirds of the Jews in Israel. Hence, to encourage their return to the State of Israel is to encourage their destruction. "Nothing will be done by Christians to save Israel's Jews from this disaster, for all of the Christians will have been removed from this world three and a half years prior to the beginning of this 42-month period of tribulation. The only Christians present at that time will be recent converts to the faith, who had been left behind as non-believers at the time of the Rapture."
There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:
“Are you searching for a path that focuses on this Earth rather than some imaginary beyond, that makes saving the planet its focus not saving your eternal soul, that respects individual choice rather than pushing prejudice down people's throats, that values reason rather than fanaticism?
“Do you find it impossible to believe in supernatural beings, and difficult to conceive of anything more worthy of reverence than the beauty of Nature or the power of the Universe?
“Do you feel a deep sense of peace and belonging and wonder in the midst of Nature, in a forest, by the ocean, or on a mountain top? Are you speechless with awe when you look up at the sky on a clear moonless night and see the Milky Way strewn with stars as thick as sand on a beach? When you see breakers crashing on a rocky shore, or hear wind rustling in a poplar's leaves, are you uplifted by the energy and creativity of existence?
“If you answered yes to these questions, then you will feel thoroughly at home in the World Pantheist Movement.”
When Katie Couric asked Sarah Palin what periodicals she read that helped shape her worldview, she replied “all of them”. While the media thought she was ducking the question or showed ignorance, she may in fact have interpreted the question quite differently, a “world view” shaped by her Assembly of God church instead of the mainstream media. The Assembly of God website has an abundance of church newspapers, brochures and books that define her church’s doctrine and indeed their world view and perhaps her world view. I am not one to question anyone’s faith, but since she is aspiring to run for President in 2012, we need to better understand her church inspired world views and how they might affect Presidential decisions.
Here are just a few views extracted from the AG website that could influence her policies and decisions:
The priority reason for being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world, and to be a corporate body in which man may worship God…
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years, which will bring the salvation of national Israel.
All believers should avoid the Satanic tool of alcohol which destroys lives, damns souls and blights society.
The creation account is factual and historical.
Homosexuality is both a sin against God and mankind. Christians should do all they can to assist the person who has struggled with homosexual behaviors to find deliverance.
The Assemblies of God is unashamedly pro-life. Christians should actively support candidates who support the sanctity of life.
The use of chemically induced or surgical abortion as a means of birth control is flatly rejected. The Assemblies of God has an official position opposing abortion. Any birth control method that functions to destroy a fertilized egg, rather than actually preventing conception, is considered unacceptable.
The Assemblies of God does not endorse the radical feminist political/social agenda which claims to defend the best interests of all women. The goals of these groups are deceptive: a woman’s right to choice is twisted to support the atrocity of abortion; lifestyles outside of traditional family structures become a warped emphasis on lesbian rights; a woman’s right to a career becomes an aggressive degradation to women and mothers who do not choose a job outside their homes. Radical feminists cite religion as a tool of oppressors. These agendas become an organized platform to degrade, bash, and hate men. The Bible teaches mutual Christian submission and respect.