Rick Santorum IS a Christian Zionist (?) Why should you care?
When the "fig tree (Israel) is once again in bloom" we can expect the war of Revelations and the return of the Messiah. When this happens, the Israelites will recognize him as their true saviour, and will convert to Christianity. True Christian believers will immediately ascend into heaven, in an event referred to as the "Rapture". Those who fail to see the truth will be forever doomed, along with any nation that had encouraged the separation of Israel. Non-believers will live on Earth during the trials of Armageddon, during which period God will unleash plagues, pestilence and war.
To many living today in the US, this tale of end times is not an allegory. There are approximately 20 million Christian Zionists currently living in the United States, and their biblical views lead them to encourage a radical destabilization of the Middle East. In their account Jews must occupy the lands between the Euphrates and Nile Rivers, return to occupy the entirety of Jerusalem, destroy the Islamic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and replace it with a rebuilt Holy Temple. Only then will the Second Coming of Christ occur. Of course there must then be a showdown between the reborn Christ and the forces of the Anti-Christ. Who do you suppose might comprise that army... that "axis of evil"?
These "true-believers" proclaim that anyone who supports land-for-peace in the Middle East will be punished eternally by God. Israel must be restored to its biblical borders before the Rapture can occur. Thus Christian Zionists have cast their lot with the furthest reaches of the political right in Israel (such as the Likud Party). They have raised funds for the immigration of Russian and Ethiopian Jews to Israel, and for the increased settlement of Jews in the West Bank.
The government of Israel has participated in this alliance. Despite the implicit notion that Jews are mistaken in their rejection of Christ as the Messiah, many are willing to form a tentative alliance with any group that openly espouses pro-Israeli sentiments. Eminently practical, they can cross the bridge of conversion when they come to it. After all, British Prime Minister David LLoyd George and Lord Arthur Balfour, who penned the 1917 Balfour Declaration, were Christian Zionists (or "premillenial dispensationalists", as they called them at the time). This document was the first to officially promise a Jewish Homeland in the Middle East, and was effectively responsible for the modern day partition of the region.
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are notable leaders of this movement. Terry LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have written the "Left Behind" books, a series of populist novels foretelling this particular set of apocalyptic events. Republican strategist Ralph Reed has been active in trying to muster Christian Zionist resources for party goals. But infinitely more threatening is the support this movement is gaining from federal elected officials. Tom Delay and Senator James Inhofe view the Isreali occupation of disputed lands as a "biblical mandate".
Particularly problematic to a resident of Pennsylvania... senatorial incumbent and candidate Rick Santorum is a Christian Zionist(?) This past July, Christians United for Israel held a summit and rally in Washington. Sen. Sam Brownback and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman were notable supporters present. But Rick Santorum was a keynote speaker, and made his case to end the "War on Terror" and substitute it with the "War on Islamo-Fascists". He thus became the most influential political officeholder to call unequivocally for Holy War. He was specifically calling for the end to diplomacy and negotiations with Iran, a nation he sees as the center of his so-called "Islamo-Fascism".
Sources include:
Christian Science Monitor- July 7, 2004.
NPR- Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 19, 2006
and further reading: anti-war.com
To many living today in the US, this tale of end times is not an allegory. There are approximately 20 million Christian Zionists currently living in the United States, and their biblical views lead them to encourage a radical destabilization of the Middle East. In their account Jews must occupy the lands between the Euphrates and Nile Rivers, return to occupy the entirety of Jerusalem, destroy the Islamic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and replace it with a rebuilt Holy Temple. Only then will the Second Coming of Christ occur. Of course there must then be a showdown between the reborn Christ and the forces of the Anti-Christ. Who do you suppose might comprise that army... that "axis of evil"?
These "true-believers" proclaim that anyone who supports land-for-peace in the Middle East will be punished eternally by God. Israel must be restored to its biblical borders before the Rapture can occur. Thus Christian Zionists have cast their lot with the furthest reaches of the political right in Israel (such as the Likud Party). They have raised funds for the immigration of Russian and Ethiopian Jews to Israel, and for the increased settlement of Jews in the West Bank.
The government of Israel has participated in this alliance. Despite the implicit notion that Jews are mistaken in their rejection of Christ as the Messiah, many are willing to form a tentative alliance with any group that openly espouses pro-Israeli sentiments. Eminently practical, they can cross the bridge of conversion when they come to it. After all, British Prime Minister David LLoyd George and Lord Arthur Balfour, who penned the 1917 Balfour Declaration, were Christian Zionists (or "premillenial dispensationalists", as they called them at the time). This document was the first to officially promise a Jewish Homeland in the Middle East, and was effectively responsible for the modern day partition of the region.
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are notable leaders of this movement. Terry LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have written the "Left Behind" books, a series of populist novels foretelling this particular set of apocalyptic events. Republican strategist Ralph Reed has been active in trying to muster Christian Zionist resources for party goals. But infinitely more threatening is the support this movement is gaining from federal elected officials. Tom Delay and Senator James Inhofe view the Isreali occupation of disputed lands as a "biblical mandate".
Particularly problematic to a resident of Pennsylvania... senatorial incumbent and candidate Rick Santorum is a Christian Zionist(?) This past July, Christians United for Israel held a summit and rally in Washington. Sen. Sam Brownback and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman were notable supporters present. But Rick Santorum was a keynote speaker, and made his case to end the "War on Terror" and substitute it with the "War on Islamo-Fascists". He thus became the most influential political officeholder to call unequivocally for Holy War. He was specifically calling for the end to diplomacy and negotiations with Iran, a nation he sees as the center of his so-called "Islamo-Fascism".
Sources include:
Christian Science Monitor- July 7, 2004.
NPR- Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 19, 2006
and further reading: anti-war.com
posted by Merge Divide at 3:55 PM
1 Comments:
That's scary as fuck!
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