Where’s the “liberal” media when you need them?

With all the fuss over the controversial remarks of Barack Obama’s former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I was surprised the media didn’t make more of John McCain’s recent acceptance of endorsements from right wing preachers John Hagee and Rod Parsley.

The two are known for making inflammatory remarks against gays, women, Catholics, and Islam.

Hagee once claimed that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God “for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn.” Hagee said, “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.” He said he believed God unleashed the hurricane on the people of New Orleans in response to a gay pride parade that was held a few days before the storm.

(Personally, such comments offend me deeply, as I feel they take God’s name in vain in a very destructive and detestable way. I think of those families getting air-lifted from their roofs and my heart just breaks.)

Hagee is also well-known for delivering anti-Catholic sermons, and his attitude toward women is questionable.

In his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman, Hagee asks, “Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist"

And then there’s Rod Parsley.

Parsley has said, “I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.”

Regardless of one’s position on American foreign policy, I think very few people would consider eradicating Islam to be the responsibility of our country.

You can read these quotes and others in their entirety at:
http://mediamatters.org

Now, I know that these guys are not McCain’s personal spiritual mentors, but McCain can choose to accept or reject any endorsement he pleases. Instead, he made a joint appearance with Hagee, in which he claimed to be “very proud to have Pastor Hagee’s support.”

Is there a double standard here? Or is this just what people have come to expect from the religious right?


Kedric
Comment
Re: Where’s the “liberal” media when you need them?
Reply #1 on : Thu March 27, 2008, 00:58:20
I remember seeing something on the news about McCain being endorsed by these two. I don't think it got the same coverage because it's kind of old hat: popular evangelical preacher endorses republican. Hagee and Parsley aren't exactly looked up to, to put it mildly, among the circles I'm in. Mainly theological reasons. Of course, theological reasons that can have direct impact on political situations that span the globe (Israel being the chief one).

The whole thing with Rev. Wright is interesting. For one, were't the comments he made said back in 2003? He kind of falls into a liberation theology mold, but not quite on par with what is found in more Catholic countries in central and South America. In those sound bites he sounds like a fire-and-brimestone preacher, except from the other side of the political aisle. Could he be described as being among the "evangelical left?"

A part of me wishes that Mitt Romney had gotten the republican nomination and run against Obama. It would have been interesting to see how the evangelical vote would have gone.
Mandy Morgan
Comment
Re: Where’s the “liberal” media when you need them?
Reply #2 on : Thu March 27, 2008, 15:07:24
Hey Rachel I'm just reading your blog for the first time. Looks great !
Personally, I feel that ny political figure should be very cautious of the company they keep. That being said, it would also seem that the remarks Rev. Wright made caused more commotion because racism is still a hot-button issue. Obama is running as an African American without actually saying, “there is a great racial disparity in this country,” which would be controversial because it’s true. But he really can’t say that because he is a unifier…but it’s like people are looking for reasons to think he’s angry and feels marginalized. Which he rightly should—obviously, African Americans are not treated right by this country.
But if misogyny and sexism were as important or in the public eye as racism, and created as many emotional reactions and stirred up the strong feelings that racism does, the press would be “all over” Hillary’s background, finding raging feminists she has associated with and trotting them all over the media and labeling her a crazy femi nazi. But most people probably recognize that she is most likely a feminist, and it’s not really threatening to most people. Not like being a bastion of racial equality could be.
And about the stuff McCain’s people said…doesn’t surprise me. Its still more socially acceptable to be anti-gay and make hate statements about people in New Orleans, especially if you’re a Republican. Just like the mean person telling anti-gay jokes at your work. Wonder if they would make racist jokes or remarks as freely....
That’s just my two cents. I like your blog : )
Brooke
Comment
Re: Where’s the “liberal” media when you need them?
Reply #3 on : Thu April 10, 2008, 17:56:41
i know this is late in the game, but to put it simply, the main difference between the two endorsements is that Obama has called Wright his mentor and from what I understand has remained in his church despite severe disagreements with what Wright has/is saying . McCain is far from calling these two evangelical crazies his mentors, nor has he sat under their teaching for 20 years or so. And to clarify, yes, I think there is a huge difference between remaining in a church that, say, believes in the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit even if you're not sure about it, and remaining in one that rages against another race. One is clearly unbiblical, one is a gray area.

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