Not fit to print: articles my EDITOR hesitated to publish
Christian Zionism
One point I gather from listening to experienced diplomats like Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who served in the American State Department with Colin Powell, or academics like international relations specialist John Mearsheimer from the University of Chicago and economist Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University, is that they view those currently serving in Joe Biden’s State Department as incompetent amateurs.
This can be seen by their failure to effectively negotiate peace settlements for any current conflicts or even come to mutually beneficial financial agreements. We are seeing other countries negotiating their own agreements, leaving America and its allies, including Canada, in the dust. One decision that was largely unreported yet will have a significant impact on our future, was Saudi Arabia’s choice not to renew the Petrodollar agreement with the United States.
If they ignore experienced diplomats and academics, who are American policymakers listening to?
John Hagee is one of several very influential Christian Zionist preachers and the founder of Christians United for Israel (CUFI). He is a frequent speaker at events in Washington, DC and he is an advisor to many high-ranking politicians.
Hagee’s sermons are posted on YouTube. I watched several, and I was amazed by how clearly his views are reflected in current American foreign policy - and the foreign affairs platform of the Conservative Party of Canada. It’s not a pleasant experience to watch Hagee, but it is enlightening. I would encourage those who question the parallels I’ve drawn in this column to do the same. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c3aKtzGhWk&t=1014s )
What I noticed most is that there is no message of love or compassion in Hagee’s sermons. He speaks emphatically and draws bizarre conclusions. Generally, he will quote the Bible and then express a nonsensical interpretation of the scripture verse. For example, he draws parallels between the United Nations and Hitler’s Nazi regime. He insists that Iran and Russia are Gog and Magog, the enemies of God mentioned in the Bible. He says that huge opposing armies will march on Israel/Palestine and that those supported by Iran and Russia will be swallowed up by a timely earthquake. Hagee’s son Matt chimes in saying, “While the State of Israel has many enemies, there is a God up in heaven who diligently watches over the nation. We must unite in our support until the day of victory comes.”
Hagee has an extremely colonial mindset, completely ignoring the genocide of Indigenous peoples in the United States, and apparently supporting genocide in the Middle East and elsewhere. His devotion to the Israeli government is unwavering, stating, “The day America stops defending Israel will be the day God stops defending the United States of America.” Yet, Hagee expresses little concern for all the Semitic people, including Jews, who will die as a result of his warmongering.
While many seem convinced of the legitimacy of John Hagee’s prophecy, one needs to question whether this is solid ground upon which to build the foreign policy of the country with the most powerful military in the world. One also needs to look at the record of congregations and even political leaders who have placed unquestioning trust in the message of a charismatic preacher. While he was not uniquely responsible for the downfall of Tsarist Russia, spiritual advisor Grigori Rasputin certainly contributed to the collapse of the Romanov Empire.
Even though the United Nations is not a perfect institution, it has thus far kept us out of World War III. According to John Hagee, World War III has already begun, and his unwavering support of arms shipments to Israel would imply that he sees the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents in Gaza as somehow being the will of God.
I am a Middle Eastern Christian. My family members were among the earliest followers to embrace the teachings of Jesus recognizing the sacredness of every human life. To me, any other message, including the Christian Zionist prophecy, is absolute heresy.