DUCKPOND

We have seen much about the statements of Reverend Jeremiah Wright who was Obama’s pastor, but nothing about those religious leaders of mega-churchs that endorse McCain. In the case of Wright it was necessary to troll through hours of video to turn up the controversial bits, which the media hands dutifully did. The extremists say things straight out and nobody, least of all the media, bats an eyelid, let alone replaying them over and over on cable television.

Al Jazeera is on the case of Pastor Rod Parsley who runs The World Harvest Church near Columbus, Ohio, and reports McCain’s effusive endorsement:

Sharing a Cincinnati, Ohio, stage with Parsley, McCain said: “I am very honoured today to have one of the truly great leaders in America, a moral compass, a spiritual guide, Pastor Rod Parsley. Thank you for your leadership and your guidance. I am very grateful you are here.”

Parsley is a theologian who wrote in his book Silent No More he says, according to Al Jazeera, that the United States was ordained by God to defeat Islam. They report:

In one chapter, titled The Deception of Allah he writes: “I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: 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.”

Parsley is a no-holds barred kind of guy:

He says Allah is a demon spirit and that Muslims are bent on world conquest.

Bin Laden, if he was on the video,(which was disturbing and violent in its own way) does not understand much of the historical beliefs of Christianity in relation to theology of the trinity, which is understandable, but he does not go as far as this, since Jesus of Nazareth is recognized in Islam as a prophet.

So Parsley with his 12,000 followers has a weird theology, which may not strictly classify as Christian, but the fact remains that the man who would-be president believes and says:

“We face the transcendent challenge of the 21st century. That is the threat of radical Islamic extremism. My friends, I know you know that this is an evil of transcendent and unbelievable magnitude. You can see other times when our nation and our way of life was threatened, but this ranks among the greatest.”

More than that the pastors comments are violent showing no respect for other people’s religious beliefs. We do not have to share those beliefs, and they are not part of our cultural framework, but we can show respect for them. The violent thoughts and the violent attitude presages the overt violent actions.

To place Parsley in context it would be relevant to consider Chris Hedges recently published book, Christian Fascists: The Christian Right and War on America. According to Wikipedia, Hedges writes:

“Christian radicals” are often so consumed with power and wealth they are no longer practicing Christianity in its traditional sense, as a religion focused on compassion and caring for the downtrodden.

Hedges has a explanation for the attraction of the Mega-churchs:

Hedges believes many of the followers are vulnerable victims of what he calls “The Culture of despair” resulting from dislocation and an economic disparity that has hit the American working class especially hard. In some parts of the country, Hedges writes, radical churches offer people a sense of belonging that was once found in the greater community. New converts are surrounded by new friends, but also live under a rigid set of rules that require unquestioning submission.

But is it submission to the word of God? It seems to me that all Christians, and I would not advocate the reinstitution of the Inquisition in any form, should seek out the words of Christ from the Bible. That might to be the focus. Partly that has to be a product of scholarship, notwithstanding the democratic idea of the priesthood of all believers.

I need to make the usual disclaimer that I coming from an atheist and materialist starting point.

ELSEWHERE:

Truthdig has the extended videos of Jeremiah Wright as well as an edited version of his sermon.