Countdown to Armageddon

	Americans mistaken biblical view of Israel Palestine-Israel-USA, Politics, 9/5/2006 In order to shed some light on the phenomena of why some US Christians support Israel, despite it being a brutal occupier and oppressor, we thought that one of our reader's submissions serves to shed some light on this issue, and we are publishing his article. Babu Ranganathan, an evangelical Christian with B.A. with academic concentrations in Bible and Biology (his website is www.religionscience.com) writes: The best way for Israel to stop terrorist attacks in its territory is by first ceasing its occupation of all Arab land it captured in the 1967 War which, admittedly, Israel did out of self-defense. Israel was correct in defending itself. However, the issue now is no longer so much self-defense. The problem is that Israel will not pull back to its pre-1967 borders so long as many Israelis and most evangelical Christians in America continue to believe that present day Jews have a biblical right to all of Arab territory in Palestine. For this reason a biblical examination of the issue is necessary. As an evangelical Christian, of Indian origin, I wish to set the biblical issue in proper perspective. Although the modern state of Israel now has every right to exist as any other nation (as long as it honors the UN resolutions upholding Palestinian rights) this does not mean that Zionism ( the belief that Jews have a biblical right to all of Palestine ) is correct. And it is Zionism that is primarily fueling the building and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on Arab land. From a purely biblical perspective Zionism has enormous problems. The fact is that almost none of the Jews in modern Israel today are descendants of the original Jews of Palestine thousands of years ago. Most of the Jews in Israel today are descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages (known as Khazar or Ashkenazi Jews). The last time that God had promised in Scripture to bring the Jews back to their ancestral homeland was already fulfilled centuries ago when He brought them back from their Babylonian captivity. Thus, the Jews in present day modern Israel are not a fulfillment of that ancient promise. Furthermore, God's promises concerning the land to the Jews in the Old Testament were conditional - only so long as they continued to obey Him were those promises concerning the land binding. In any case, God had already fulfilled centuries ago His promise concerning the land to the Jews. We read in the Book of Joshua 21:43, 45 "And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass." Thus, there is no promise concerning the land that still awaits any fulfillment. Most evangelical Christians today are looking forward to the seven year tribulation period of Israel which would require for the Jews to be in the land. But this period had already occurred in history during 63 A.D. to 70 A.D. (seven years) when the Roman army besieged and destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple. It was this destruction that Jesus said would mark the end of the age (the Jewish Age, that is). Evangelical Christians who are dispensationalists are still seeking for an Israel that the New Testament says is the spiritual body of Christ made up of both Jew and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ and who together inherit the same promises. The problem with most evangelical Christians today is that they interpret the Book of Revelation literally. Revelation is a book of symbolism and not to be interpreted literally. The Book itself tells us not to interpret it literally. In the very first verse of the very first chapter we read, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God (the Father) gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John" (Revelation 1:1, KJV). The word "signified" in the passage comes from a Greek word meaning "signs" or "symbols." Thus, Revelation was meant by Christ to be interpreted symbolically, not literally! The Book of Revelation, like the rest of the New Testament, was originally written in Greek so sometimes we must go to the Greek language to have a more precise understanding of certain words. The modern state of Israel, now that it has been established, has every right to exist, but Israel should also be made to uphold the UN resolutions concerning Palestinian inalienable rights. Unlike before, almost all Arabs, including Palestinians, now will recognize Israel's right to exist or, at least, will not wage war with Israel if Israel completely withdraws to its pre-1967 borders. But, what Palestinians and other Arabs cannot live with is Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and Israel's continued building of settlements there. Most Palestinians will stop their resistance and even go after the terrorists themselves if Israel simply gets out of their way (the West Bank) and that is the best way for Israel to stop the resistance and preserve its security and peace - not to mention the security and peace of others. It is important, however, to have some basic background knowledge of how the modern state of Israel was founded. As one writer points out: "Israel was created (in the beginning) not by force of arms or military invasion, but terrorist activity advocated by Jewish immigrants, in an effort to get rid of the British Administration (the lawful government of the day, as sanctioned by the predecessor to the U.N). Britain abandoned its mandate and Israel was created by the UN" Any solution to the present crisis must also involve monetary or financial compensation being made by Israel to Palestinian families who have had their homes and lands seized and taken away during the formation of the modern state of Israel in the 1940's. (According to the UN resolution 194, Palestinian refugees have the right for compensation and repatriation). During that time Palestinian families suffered huge atrocities at the hands of Jewish immigrants including many pregnant Palestinian Arab women having their wombs ripped open alive and their babies slaughtered before their very eyes. This was one of the many horrible crimes committed against Palestinians by even by such notable political figures as former Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, and the Palestinians should be compensated by the modern state of Israel for these crimes. That is only right. The terrorism committed by Jewish immigrants against Palestinian Arabs in the late 1940's is a major reason for why many Palestinian Arabs fled their homes and land and became refugees. However, as long as most evangelical Christians in America believe modern Zionism is biblical they will continue to exert one-sided pressure in Washington D.C. in support of Israel's status quo in the region and prevent any pressure on Israel to pull back to its pre-1967 borders and discontinue building settlements on Arab land. That is why the information contained in this article is very important so that others, especially evangelical Christians, may see that there is no biblical basis for modern Zionism. If America does right by insisting Israel be fair with Palestinians it will not only help towards peace in the Middle East but reduce Muslim extremism, and even terrorism, against the United States. For those interested in a biblical study of the historic Christian preterist view and interpretation of the Book of Revelation and Bible prophecy concerning the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ an excellent site to visit is www.preteristarchive.com where various links and resources are available on the subject. (End of article)

Which Came First - Faith or Reason?

"Reason" seems to be a common thread in many reactions to the so-called faithful. Those on the far Right are inclined to invoke faith as proprietary to their own beliefs; those on the far Left invoke "reason" as proprietary to their political agendas. This makes no sense. It is one thing to be a non-believer; it is quite another to rationalize non-belief on the grounds of human reason.

Some say that the far Right and the far Left are the same people – control through Bibliolatry (worship of the Bible) and through government, but nevertheless control.

Historically, the track record of human reason is abysmal. In fact, human reason has consistently undermined the faith of believers by encouraging the thinking that anyone who refuses to believe is unreasonable. Reason is the fly-in-the-ointment that leads to bad religion.

Assuming there is no middle ground between faith and reason, is it more rational to believe in reason than in the supernatural? More to the point, if one fails to believe in the supernatural, is it necessary to believe in anything, let alone human reason? The notion that one must have faith in something is irrational if you reject faith as unreasonable.

Condemning the faithful on the grounds of reason is an exercise in futility. The one thing on which believers are in agreement is that faith is the antidote to reason. One believes because reason has failed to bring hope or comfort. Faith is by its nature irrational and unreasonable. That is why it is called faith.

The Christian Right, predominately Republican, has a lot to say about taking God out of public life. The problem is, however, that the carving of the Ten Commandments over the courthouse portico or prayer in public schools has nothing to do with any god in which you would want to place your faith. It even fails the test of reason that anyone would believe because of a carving. Believe in what? The Ten Commandments or the courthouse?

McChurch, the drive-through, fast-food temple of the Christian Right, has lost its bearings. The trappings of faith, rather than its living, breathing reality, is biblically condemned as a form of religion without the spirit thereof.

Because one is a believer, however, does not mean that one has to take leave of one's reason. The notion that Christian phrases underscore a nation as Christian not only defies the nature of faith but destroys faith as the basis for belief.

It takes no faith to insist that the Ten Commandments be carved over the courthouse door, nor does it take reason to insist that it be removed. Faith should care less about public prayers and slogans; reason should care less about the slogans of the faithful.

As for the destiny of unbelievers, how could anyone who has reasoned God out of existence care less about a Hell that, in his reason, does not exist? Unless, of course, human reason becomes something of a faith, in which case destiny on such thin ice is a far worse bet than belief in a supreme being.

Stan Moody, Christian Policy Institute, author of "McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry."

"Oh, McChurch, you've done it again!"

THE CHRISTIAN ZIONIST FANTASYLAND

They say a picture paints a thousand words. If so what picture is being painted by John Hagee and his Christian Zionist lobby, CUFI (Christian United for Israel ) with a new logo they've developed for their webpage? You can check it out here: http://www.cufi.org/. Its at the top of the page to the left of the gold seal.

What you'll see is a photograph of the Wailing Wall topped by what appears to be a garden. No Dome of the Rock. No al Aqsa. They're gone. Vanished. No more.

The thousand words painted by this picture is an essay on fundamentalist Christian Zionist fantasies, which is the world many of them inhabit (Christian Zionists of the dispensationalist variety) –a fantasy land in which there are no Palestinians, either Muslim or Christian. In this fantasy world, Palestine doesn't exist as anything more than an historical oddity found on ancient Roman maps. There is no annoying demand for justice, no sense that anyone other than the world's Jewish community has a right to stake a claim to the land currently under dispute.

Those who may have lived in the land before the state of Israel was created (whose existence is also questionable, as this was a "land without a people for a people without a land" ) have gone to live elsewhere – in one of any number of surrounding states where their kind of people live. This is a purely Jewish state bathed in the light of God's benevolent gaze awaiting the day when the Warrior Prince Jesus returns to kill off any and all who may oppose her policies and don't become born again Christians (including Jews who refuse to convert). At this point the streets of the fantasy land will flow with rivers of blood.

The last part of this fantasy is, of course, a well hidden element of Hagee's ideology. He knows it. The Israelis who court his patronage know it. Everyone knows it, but no one talks about it. It can be easily dismissed, as the truth cannot be known until the End, and who knows when that will come.

But the other part of the fantasy cannot be so easily dismissed. To treat Palestinians as though they didn't exist; to ignore the reality of two peoples laying claim to the same piece of real estate is a dangerous fantasy which adds fuel to the flames of conflict and encourages the violence which the real people who inhabit the real land of Israel and Palestine must deal with for there ever to be any hope of peace.

Even more frightening is the possibility that those who live with this illusion will take steps to make the fantasy come true – to destroy the two mosques which are absent in the CUFI photo. Then the End will surely come, but not by any means the kind of End Hagee and his ideological bedfellows envision. The rivers of blood will flow, but the Prince of Peace will be noticeably absent, as He is absent now in Hagee's fantasyland.

John Hubers

Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism

What Happened to the "Red Letter Christians?"

Last spring, evangelist Tony Compolo announced the formation of a Speaker's Bureau of so-called “Red Letter Christians.” The objective was to assemble a distinguished number of writers and speakers who have become alarmed over the “merger” of the Christian Right with the Republican Party.

Red Letter Christians (RLC's) are Christians who focus on the words of Jesus to promote social and economic justice, distancing themselves from wedge issues that tend to consume enormous time and energy and detract from the true mission of the church. By the appearance of the Speaker's Bureau, the members are decidedly progressive in their politics.

On the way to the Forum, an eerie silence ensued from the myriad of RLC Internet blog sites that sprung up, the last postings occurring around September, 2006. With the election of the Democratic majority in Congress, RLC's seem to be regrouping.

Key Democratic presidential hopefuls do have religious gurus on staff to recapture what they call the “ground of faith,” a deflective phrase to regain lost Catholic and evangelical voters. However, RLC's have been more reactive to the drubbing of thoughtful Americans by the Christian Right than they have been to reforming the church.

I have written extensively on the unholy alliance between the Christian Right and the American Dream ethic of prosperity and success ( McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry and Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship). I am not, however, a Red Letter Christian. Having recently repented of owning and operating for twenty-five years a small New England chain of pop-Christian bookstores, and having served in the Maine House of Representatives both as a Republican and a Democrat, I do not claim to be a progressive Christian in the RLC sense.

Here's why:

The difference hinges on the authority of Scripture. Both the Christian Right and the Christian Left are making the same interpretive error of legalism, one tending toward the Old Testament law and the other toward New Testament ethics. Whether it is the Old or the New, you cannot extract Scripture or portions of Scripture without doing violence to the whole.

The overarching theme of the Bible is the tendency of humans to cling to the letter, rather than the spirit, of Scripture. The very essence of the Christ event was the clear and unmistakable message that the prophets and the law were being fulfilled. Christians are said to believe that the spirit of the law has been restored in the person and work of Christ, to be lived out by citizens of the announced Kingdom of God.

The red lettered words of Christ, therefore, are meaningless without the Old Testament history of the law. Likewise, the mandates of the Old Testament law are meaningless to a Christian without the example of its overarching spirit demonstrated by Christ. The linking text happens to be red lettered – the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus explained to his disciples the difference between the letter and the spirit of the law. He said it in terms of, “You have heard it said...but I say...”

Under both the Old and New Covenants, the message is the same - “Love God and want for your neighbor the best of what you want for yourself, especially if that neighbor is your enemy.” That stands as a warning against wanting for ourselves what our neighbor has. Cars, houses, oil, money and power, these all are examples of the effects of desiring what our neighbor has, both as individuals and as nations.

The Christian Right has given definition to the Republican Party's worship of money and power as evidence of God's blessing. The Christian Left, however, cannot do likewise with the Democratic agenda of social welfare, an affirmation of Christian principles minus religious zeal. As such, the Republicans ultimately will evict the Christian Right, while the Democrats will simply use the RLC's.

As an Evangelical pastor and theologian, I believe that the church needs a good shakeup in order to become a voice of truth in our culture. As the church has surrendered its soul to politics, America finds itself adrift both politically and spiritually.

Marginalizing certain behaviors or legislating certain social benefits has nothing to do with love, either of God or of neighbor. A red letter definition of love is, “No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life (or his desires) for a friend.”

Christians, both Right and Left, would do well to remember that.

McChurched ...
In McChurched, Stan Moody tells us of the "Thousand Points of Light," a vision that could be bursting from candles of faith flickering from the church for all to see. Moody reflects how little light and how much darkness is being displayed in the influence of this new moralistic wave. Nevertheless, Moody has long believed in a Church in Exile-a community of faithful believers no longer at home in McChurch. Moody calls us to dis-arm-from arms of fear, defense and destruction-to arms of faith. Moody's message is that in every community in today's America there are "A Thousand Tongues of Praise." He offers this for their encouragement. Author Stan Moody of Manchester, Maine, is an ordained Baptist minister with a Ph.D. in Theology. Beginning his career with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maine, Moody has an extensive background as a successful small business entrepreneur. He currently serves the North Manchester Meeting House Church and has been an elected Representative to the Maine House of Representatives. Halfway through his first term in the legislature, Moody revoked his Republican Party membership. Moody is the author of several books, including: No Turning Back: Journal of an All-American Sinner and Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship: A New Look at the Second Coming of Christ and recently co-authored with his now deceased wife, Jo-Ann Moody, I Will Walk Again.

Customer Review: Finally a voice for others

Dr. Moody's book is thought provoking, insightful and not afraid to call out the right on how they get it wrong. 'McChurched' gives a voice to the silent majority of somber, Sunday, church goers who are reluctant to confront their vocal ideologue counterparts. Kudos to Dr./Rev. Moody for being a rational, calming, voice in an irrational debate!

Click here to learn more about the McChurch phenomenon

What the Heck is McChurch?

by Stan Moody

The short answer to that question is that McChurch is the drive-through, fast-food temple of the Christian Right. Grace is cheap at McChurch, and the walls are bulging with seekers of a user-friendly Jesus who can wash your sins away one moment and enroll you in the Republican Party the next.

It is estimated that there may be as many as thirty-million members of McChurch – ten percent of the American public. Out of an estimated ninety-million Evangelicals, that leaves sixty-million, more or less, who are standing on the sidelines in shock.

Take heart if you have been “McChurched,” or eased out of this great model of the dumbing down of God into Caesar. My book, McChurched: 300 Million Served and Still Hungry, is targeted toward your new ecclesiastical hope – the Church in Exile. Not an official church, the Church in Exile is where all of us end up who know there is something wrong with this AMWAY faith but don't know quite what it is.

“It's the doctrine, stupid!” Or rather, it's the lack thereof in the worship of the American Dream.

I must confess that I did not originate the word, McChurch. If you do a keyword search in Google, you will find to your astonishment that there are 31,000 pages directed to McChurch. If you check with http://www.answers.com/, you will find the following definition:

McChurch is a McWord and a derogatory term used for a megachurch based on the perception that such churches are more concerned with entertainment than religion (although some people, criticizing religion in general, use it in a much wider context).

By way of explanation, the Answers.com site implies that these churches cater primarily to white, upper-middle-class suburbanites at the expense of poorer citizens and require the use of an automobile to get there. Such pesky Christian doctrines as original sin, the sovereignty of God and the presence of the Kingdom of God often are in short supply.

And, by the way, the Sermon on the Mount is for a later time when Jesus comes back to establish His kingdom in Jerusalem. Very convenient, of course.

Because the Kingdom of God is perceived as being away, its descent to earth is often the focus of political policy in the Mid-East. If the United States, God's instrument of judgment against evil in the oil-rich world, can trigger the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus will have to return to clean up the mess.

The critical feature of McChurch, however, is that it be in growth mode, be primarily Republican and adhere to a 5th grade theology, which is, of course, fine so long as you are in the 5th grade. But don't take my word for it.

One of the McChurch pages is an article by Chuck Colson, famous Watergate figure and evangelist: www.rebuildjournal,org/articles/McChurch.html. The title to the article is, Welcome to McChurch: Millions are Served, but Are They Fed? Upon picking up a brochure from one megachurch, Colson exploded to his wife, “Look at this nonsense! They're saying that you can do whatever you want so long as it makes you happy! And they call this church?”

Theologically, McChurch tends toward wedge issues of sins not especially prevalent in the congregation, like abortion and homosexuality. While the American disease may very well be sin, the strategy for holy living is to legislate the symptoms into the closet so that the nation will at least take on the appearance of holiness. The outside of the cup will, at least, be clean.

McChurch is a fun target. There is, however, a very serious side to this apostasy. The best way for me to convey that serious side is through some thoughts from the forward to my book:

Over a stretch of nearly seven decades, I have been a member of the Christian Right, a Republican, a Democrat, a Baptist minister, a theologian and recently a Maine State Representative.

Care has been taken to remove the personal anguish that would threaten to distract you, the reader. But it is important to me that you hear the great wail that emits from my spirit. In the words of Mary Magdalene on the first Easter morning, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put Him” (Jn 20:13).

They have, indeed, taken our Lord away and replaced Him with the American Dream of prosperity and success. And they have moved on to the polling places to shake hands and court votes.

It has been a long time coming, but it is here at last. Core doctrines of the church have been subsumed by whatever works best. The fruits of the Spirit have been made obsolete by the gifts of the Spirit. Worship experience has trumped relationship. And those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are hard pressed to find it in the House of God.

Click to learn more about McChurch