American Prospect Religious Right expert Sarah Posner (who writes the weekly FundamentaList column) contacted God-o-Meter to say that the supposedly controversial video of John Hagee that GOM linked to this morning won’t be much of a liability for Hagee endorsee John McCain. Why? Because a huge number of Americans agree with Hagee’s theological views. Posner wrote about this in February:
A 2002 Time magazine poll found that fully 59% [of Americans] say they believe the events in Revelation are going to come true, and nearly one-quarter think the Bible predicted the Sept. 11 attack. A 2007 AP/Ipsos poll found that one quarter of Americans believed that Jesus Christ would return in 2007 and 46% of evangelicals believed that it was somewhat likely. A comprehensive study of Pentecostals and charismatic evangelical Christians conducted by the Pew Center on Religion and Public Life in 2006 found that Pentecostals have particularly strong views on ‘the rapture of the church,’ the teaching that before the world comes to an end the faithful will be saved and taken up to heaven. According to the survey, 90% of American Pentecostals held that belief, while 69% of charismatics and 59% of other Christians did.
But does that mean that most Americans believe Harry Potter (which did manage to sell a few copies here) is nothing but a precursor of witchcraft, as Hagee says? Or that we’re a pagan nation where we’re rebirthing Sodom and Gomorrah? Would be interesting to see the polling on that. Maybe they’re more mainstream views that God-o-Meter supposed.
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posted May 2, 2008 at 5:49 pm
He’s only mainstream in Texas. I think the poll respondents are just having fun with the pollsters for asking them what to them are probably ridiculous questions.
posted May 3, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I think that Hagee represents the ugly side of Christianity. He is a warmonger and has made bigoted & inflamatory statements about Catholics, Muslims and Secular Humanists. I consider him to be a modern day Pharisee and I think it is appalling that he has so large a following. But then, Jesus did warn about “wolves in sheep’s clothing” deceiving Christians. The love of Christ is not in this man.
posted May 3, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Hagee is far worse than Wright on a bad day. This man spouts hatred, foments violence, and justifies all sorts of divisive behavior and attitudes. He is a poor reflection of even conservative Christianity. The only mainstream he represents is the babbling brook in his own imagination. If McCain does accept Hagee’s endorsement he is opening himself to a wide and rushing stream of criticism.
posted May 4, 2008 at 12:55 am
John Hagee is not main stream but far far to the left. Recently he preached that GOD made a mistake when he first created man and had to start over. Any canidate trying to get his endorsement is trying to attract what people call evangelicals.
posted May 4, 2008 at 10:08 am
Greg, Hagee is “far.far to the left”?? You can’t be serious. He is as right-wing as they come! He’s militaristic, he demonizes gays, he is a Bush supporter, he constantly bashes Muslims, etc. What views of his could possibly be considered left-wing?
posted May 4, 2008 at 10:43 am
Jestrfyl,
“The only mainstream he represents is the babbling brook in his own imagination.”
How can you say that when you see those poll numbers that show widespread support for Hagee’s theological views? To wit:
Conservative Christians often claim that they’re in the mainstream while the mainstream media is out of touch. Don’t these kind of numbers suggest that they–and Hagee–are right?
posted May 5, 2008 at 1:16 pm
“The only mainstream he represents is the babbling brook in his own imagination.” – jesterfyl
“How can you say that when you see those poll numbers that show widespread support for Hagee’s theological views? To wit:
A 2002 Time magazine poll found that fully 59% [of Americans] say they believe the events in Revelation are going to come true…
Conservative Christians often claim that they’re in the mainstream while the mainstream media is out of touch. Don’t these kind of numbers suggest that they–and Hagee–are right?”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! “We’re in the majority now. THAT makes us “RIGHT.” – Sally, 3rd Rock From The Sun.
Of course it doesn’t mean “they” are (let alone Hagee is) “right”. Popular hardly EVER means correct, especially when it comes to ‘religious’ ideas. 59% of Americans can be seriously deluded.
posted May 5, 2008 at 3:08 pm
recovering ex-Pentecostal,
Weems to me that the question at hand is not whether Hagee/most Americans are right in their theological views. It’s whether they’re mainstream.
posted May 6, 2008 at 3:36 pm
When you stand on the right edge of the road, everybody else is left of you. While those who stand on the left edge sees everybody else as on the right.
Mainstream means to be in the middle and neither the Right nor the Left can understand this concept. The problem with being extreme Right or Left is that you are in very great danger of falling into a ditch. I would rather be in the middle of the road and on safer ground, thank you very much!
posted May 6, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Dear God-o-ramalicious,
You say “the question at hand is not whether Hagee/most Americans are right in their theological views. It’s whether they’re mainstream.”
I thought I had addressed that with my 3rd Rock quote. Mainstream simply means popular by a ‘majority’ of people.
Frankly, imo, “the teaching that before the world comes to an end the faithful will be saved and taken up to heaven” is kinda whacky and apart from the popularity of the belief, I don’t consider it to be “mainstream”, theologically, especially in the “middle of the road” terms Paul Shiras lays out above.
I wonder though, of those standing on the left and right sides of the road, will God’s ‘aim’ be so wonky that neither will be “taken up” and only those MOR believers will get “saved”?
Frankly, the more I read here on B’net, the more religion seems to be about exclusion – quite the opposite of Christ’s message.