Pilgrimages

by digby

So, earlier this week, Obama and Clinton both appeared before AIPAC and asked for their support. I really don't have the energy for a pie fight, so I'll just say that we are talking about politics here and people have to appeal across a wide range of constituencies and leave it at that.

But there is something so wrong with this:

Hagee wasn't at AIPAC in person, but he got a big hand nonetheless; The Forward reports:

Speakers at the session, titled "Friends in Faith: Evangelical Christians and the Pro-Israel Movement," included Gary Bauer, president of American Values; John Buhler, founder of Christian Advocates for Israel, and David Brog, executive director of Christians United for Israel, the group led by Hagee.

"I want to take a moment to discuss with you a good man, evangelical pastor John Hagee," Brog said to the audience. Before Brog could finish the sentence, the crowd broke into a lengthy round of applause, ending in a standing ovation. Among the few attendees who did not cheer at the mention of Hagee's name was the Anti-Defamation League's national director, Abraham Foxman, who has occasionally been critical of the ties between the Jewish community and Christian Zionists.

Brog, who runs CUFI on behalf of Hagee, has been busy defending the pastor over the past week or so, putting forward the argument that Hagee's detractors are guilty of religious prejudice.

I have grave reservations about religion playing such a central role in politics because of stuff like this. It makes it nearly impossible to decide how to deal with issues using the methods agreed upon in our constitution --- reasoned debate and compromise. There's no compromise on Armageddon.

A huge amount of this is driven by much more prosaic, material reasons than God's chosen people or The Rapture, but we can't discuss those things without running into people's faith. This is true across a wide range of issues and it's one reason why the Big Money Boyz are so willing to make common cause with the social conservatives. It provides the best cover an immoral capitalist could possibly hope for.


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