I was sitting in Rosie's Tavern tonight, enjoying a drink with a birthday girl, and Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room was on. This was the head line:
"End Times?"
This, of course, was followed by the usual biblical "evidence" from the Book of Revelations, and I became really sad, because there are some who are actually cheerleading this bullshit, for their own selfish reasons:
"'America needs to stand with Israel according to the word of God, and for victory,' Gwen Resser said. 'I mean, it's for victory. It's not a time for concessions'.
'If you support Israel, you will be blessed, and if you don't support Israel, you will be cursed', Dean Resser added. "
These people make me sad, because they are misinformed, mislead, and they have misread their own holy books:
"'The thing that's different about Israel is that Israel is the only nation in the world created by the hand of God', Hagee said".
Well, not exactly...I think the British and the U.S., with a U.N. sanction, created Israel, at least in the material sense...but anyway...
"Hagee explored this from a political standpoint in his interpretation of scripture, 'Jerusalem Countdown', which has sold more than 600,000 copies. The book's geopolitics are very precise, beginning with an alliance between Russia and the Islamic world.
Russia is going to get in that position and they are literally, with all that massive military force, going to attack Israel," Hagee said. 'This is recorded in Ezekiel 38 and 39. God himself is literally going to destroy that army. Decimate it'.
And he said that will be followed by a Chinese army of 200 million coming to the city of Armageddon where they will meet British and U.S. forces in the Battle of Armageddon.
'At that point, Jesus Christ returns to Earth and sets up his eternal kingdom in the city of Jerusalem and there's 1,000 years of peace', Hagee said. 'The Jewish people are going to see the supernatural hand of God preserve them and deliver them while the enemies of Israel are crushed. That's the end-time story'.
Except, of course, that the Jews all die in the end. Heartwarming.
Um, yeah...right.
ReplyDelete"Hello, my name is Lawrence W. Page II. Many people know me as Buddy Page. At the release of the first edition of this book, I am a 50-year old [sic] African-American male, author, researcher, and former software engineer and entrepeneur. As you will come to understand as you read through this first book, I am the long-expected Hebrew Messiah and Lion of the Tribe of Juda (Yehuda). I was born August 11 (month of Leo the Lion), 1955 (Chinese Year of the Sheep) in Victoria, Texas."
As my girlfriend might say, "Seriously? No. Serioulsy?" I'm still wondering whether I, and we, should take this diatribe seriously or as a hoax.
In fact, Buddy (alias, Seven Star Hand), doesn't proclaiming yourself through symbology, numerology and astrology "the long-prophesied Messiah, Lion of the Tribe of Juda, Teacher of Righteousness, and Melchizedek" continue to perpetuate the deception?
I mean hell folks, as a Texas native, I can pretty safely assure you that Victoria, Texas -- population c.61,000 and inland between Houston and Corpus Christi -- is not some 20th-century Ur, Urfa, Bethlehem, or Mecca.
Wisdom?
Here are some bits of wisdom that appeal to me:
"Religion . . . is the opiate of the masses." -Karl Marx, "Introduction" to Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of Right (1844)
"Ideology is a process accomplished by the so-called thinker consciously, indeed, but with a false consciousness. The real motives impelling him remain unknown to him, otherwise it would not be an ideological process at all. Hence he imagines false or apparent motives." -Charles Engels, Letter to Franz (London, July 14, 1983)
"If you have formed a Circle to go into
Go into it yourself & see how you would do"
-William Blake, from "To God," in Poems from Blake's Notebook (c.1807-1809)
-Charles (born September 11 -- Oh crap, no wait! Awww...)
Ironically, the previous "comment" proves why Tucker Carlson's irresponsible pandering is so dangerous. There are lots and lots of dim and emotionally unstable people out there who whole-heartedly believe this rubbish. Putting it on what masquerades as a news outlet encourages them to act out their sick death cult fantasies. Incidentally, I saw basically the same type of thing on CNN last week. I guess the angry loner types who get off on this crap are the only ones who watch cable "news" anymore.
ReplyDeleteHe kind of had me going there for a while, until he started talking about his 50th birthday. The other parts – specifically the false prophets stuff – are things I've wondered myself. Assuming, of course, the ancient prophesies hold any value in the first place, of which I'm increasinly dubious. (I grew up on this stuff, unfortunately.)
ReplyDeleteArmageddon? Don't we need Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck or sumpthin?
ReplyDelete[Regarding The Wizard's 6 Pointed Apologia above]
ReplyDeleteHermeneutical Luke proud Yoda makes. Yes, hmmmmmm. :-)
-C.
"I'm not afraid".
ReplyDeleteWow, what a load of sound and fury signifying nothing.
ReplyDelete