Trolling again? I win.

Pastor Hagee Apologizes for Anti-Catholic Remarks


Evangelical leader John Hagee, one of John McCain’s highest-profile supporters from the religious right, has apologized for comments he made that were offensive to Catholics.
In a letter Monday to Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, Hagee wrote, “I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.”
Pastor Hagee, leader of San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church, has often made references to “the apostate church” and the “great whore,” terms that Catholics say are slurs aimed at the Roman Catholic Church.
In his letter, Hagee said he now better understands that the Book of Revelation’s reference to the Catholic Church by those two terms are “a rhetorical device long employed in anti-Catholic literature and commentary.”
“Neither of these phrases can be synonymous with the Catholic Church,” he wrote.
Donohue, accepting the apology, said on FOX News Radio: “I’m absolutely delighted … I haven’t seen such a quick turnaround in the 15 years that I have been president of the Catholic League.” He said he plans to meet with Hagee on Thursday.
Likening Hagee to two New York shock jocks who encouraged a pair of listeners to attempt to have sex in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 2002, Donohue added that he is receptive to honest apologies.
“We’re not in the business of rejecting apologies whether it’s from Opie and Anthony or Pastor Hagee so now when we meet we can understand that this issue is moot and behind us and I think it’s a great moment that we can have some degree of reconciliation.”
Hagee’s endorsement in February had been difficult for McCain, as Democrats, Donohue and others called on the presumptive GOP nominee to reject the pastor’s support.
McCain said Tuesday he didn’t know if the new apology would stifle criticism, but said it was “helpful” and “laudable.”
“I believe the fact that these two individuals came together is a laudable thing and a testimony to both individuals and their principles, which are Judeo-Christian values,” he said, adding that his campaign had nothing to do with brokering the apology.
McCain, who has taken pains to gain the trust of the religious right, has rejected specific statements from Hagee — namely about the Catholic Church and blaming the sinful behavior of New Orleans residents for Hurricane Katrina — but would not denounce the pastor. Hagee apologized for the Katrina statements a couple weeks ago, saying it’s not his place to try to know the mind of God concerning the natural disaster.
Hagee has claimed that his “great whore” remarks were taken out of context, and that he was not directing them at the Roman Catholic Church. A spokesman said via e-mail Tuesday that Hagee “never used this phrase to refer to the Catholic Church.”
Donohue, who in February said that Hagee “has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church,” said in a statement Tuesday that their feud is now history.
“The tone of Hagee’s letter is sincere. He wants reconciliation and he has achieved it,” Donohue said, adding that Hagee has spent “weeks” meeting with Catholic leaders.
“Indeed, the Catholic League welcomes his apology,” he wrote. “What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns. But he has done just that. Now Catholics, along with Jews, can work with Pastor Hagee in making interfaith relations stronger than ever. Whatever problems we had before are now history. This case is closed.”
Hagee is firmly pro-Israel and has praised McCain for sharing his values to that end. But he has condemned Catholics for what he sees as efforts to persecute Jews. In his 2006 book “Jerusalem Countdown,” Hagee wrote that history proves Adolf Hitler and the Catholic Church were linked “in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.”
In his letter to Donohue, Hagee indicated he no longer believes in such historical links.
“In my zeal to oppose anti-Semitism and bigotry in all its ugly forms, I have often emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews,” he wrote. “In the process, I may have contributed to the mistaken impression that the anti-Jewish violence of the Crusades and the Inquisition defines the Catholic Church. It most certainly does not. Likewise, I have not sufficiently expressed my deep appreciation for the efforts of Catholics who opposed the persecution of the Jewish people.”
Reacting to the letter, the Democratic National Committee again called on McCain to renounce Hagee’s endorsement Tuesday.
But McCain gave no sign of doing so. His campaign also rejects any attempts to draw comparisons between Hagee’s controversial remarks and those of Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
Donohue told FOX News Radio that both McCain and Obama “have both gotten some bad advice on how to handle certain people who are close to them.”
But he said “I don’t really have a stink with McCain per se.”

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05...holic-remarks/

over to you Mmarsh.

Originally Posted by tomtom22

How does one become "part Catholic", pray tell?



By the way, please do not let this thread spiral down into you know what.

Fair warning to all.

I consider myself part Catholic. I was baptized catholic and I share some beliefs but question others.

Padre

Ah a discussion, thats much better!

To your rebuttal, I call his "apology" load of s***, its nothing more than a Political motivated sideshow of "cover-your candidates-butt". I don't buy it for a second.

Hagee made these comments back in March and he apologized for it yesterday, it took 3 months to make an apology, he certainly took his time, didn't he? Thats pretty unbelievable.
Its totally obvious what happened. The American Catholic Groups told McCain that they would shift their support to Obama (which would have certainly cost McCain Ohio) unless a public retraction was made. Thats what happened. Catholics a swing voter blog, McCain cannot lose them or he's already lost the race.

Nor is it the first time Hagee has said something like this. It be one thing if this was a casual slip of the tongue. If you read Hagee literature and sermons you'd see he has been bashing the Catholic Church since 1987. In US history the Southern Methodist/Baptist have long despised Catholicism, these comments are not anything new.

A few other of Hagee's quotes made BEFORE the one he made in March.

“Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.” - Jerusalem Countdown (revised edition, 2007, p. 114)

"A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years produced a harvest of hate." -Hagee's 1987 book Should Christians Support Israel? (p. 4)

Sound Familiar doesn't it? Thats why his apology is absolute crap. And he has made similar comments about Katrina victims, homosexuals and others. A Tiger doesn't change its stripes, just wait until the election is over and he'll be right back to the hate speeches.

It pays, sometimes, to let a post rest for awhile and wait for more facts to develop, or for the Truth to surface.

As the French would say.......... "Voila!"



McCain rejects endorsement of televangelist after comments on Hitler surface

By LIBBY QUAID

The Associated Press

STOCKTON, Calif.



Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.

McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."

He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.
McCain issued a statement Thursday afternoon announcing his decision about Hagee.

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well," he said.

Later, in Stockton, he told reporters: "I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable."

Then in an interview with The Associated Press, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too.

"I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn't endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement," McCain told the AP.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4912796

As of today, no Republican candidate for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2008 or before, has ever stuffed up a Bible quote when wanting to use their knowledge of the Bible to impress voters. In contrast, there is no shortage of Democrat candidates who have stuffed up Bible quotes in order to impress voters and thus unimpressing said voters.

Argument stands, case closed.

You missed the point entirely.

Hagee wasn't booted from the McCain camp for being anti-Catholic, it was because of anti-Jewish remarks, because the guy is too racist and too stupid to keep his mouth shut.

It was "Jews deserved Hitler" -was the nail in Hagee's coffin, not his anti-catholic or anti-gay statements I mentioned earlier.

You see, if there is one sacred cow in US politics its this: Don't ever criticize the Jews or Israel. If you do you political career is over faster than the speed of light.

Case in point: It took 3 months to (sort of) distance himself from the anti-catholic remarks. It took 1 nanosecond for McCain to totally kick Hagee off the campaign after his anti-semitic statements.

Why is that the case? Because Catholics are deeply resented in the Bible belt.

Hi MM - I do not wish to carelessly interrupt your discussion, neither of you need any help from me, and I cannot add any weight to American political/religious issues.


I am here simply to speak as a Roman Catholic and to say this , a little off-topic but important since it has been introduced. Perhaps more important than the issues of the current election process even.


“A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years produced a harvest of hate." (quote)



As a catholic I consider this statement to be true, but I would even suggest 2000 years is nearer the case. I consider it to be reason for the predicament of the Jews, springing as it did from the political considerations of The Roman Empire, when the gospels were introduced, and which is the stumbling block for the Church. I believe that these gospel matters should be confronted by the Church, and until this happens my conscience does not allow me to attend the Passions at easter. Many a long year ago I made these feelings known through The Universe catholic publication. This has been the basis of the suffering of the Jews, who, of course, were indeed the early Christian numbers, pre-Rome.

I look forward to this situation being rectified, which is necessary if the Church is to continue to grow and live, because in the last resort good can only be based on truth as known, in my opinion.




"It was "Jews deserved Hitler" -was the nail in Hagee's coffin." (quote)




MM - I feel that this statement deserves to be the nail in anyone's coffin.


Ok guys, please carry on without any more from me, just tidying up. I have no wish to stir up a hornets' nest. I shall now take my leave of this thread. Thanks for your attention.