Saturday, December 22, 2007

Huckabee's Strange Pal

From Bonfire:

...we have another problematic report about Huckabee: he plans to preach this Sunday at Cornerstone Church, pastored by Rev. John Hagee. What's wrong with Hagee? Well, two things: one, he's virulently anti-Catholic, and moreover, he's gone over the deep end with his enthusiasm for the Old Testament and our Jewish brothers and sisters, to the point that he said, in a recent book, In Defense of Israel, some very odd things about our Lord--such as, "Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah." Well, as you might imagine, that didn't go down so well with Evangelicals, so Hagee has done some verbal dancing about a "failure to communicate"--which is pretty laughable under the circumstances

A Dispensationalist? That's sorta like Joe Farah of WND, although Farah never (to my knowledge) disputed the mission of Christ. Wacky.

But the Huckster has other problems with his faith, too.

Some years back, there were great battles in the Southern Baptist Convention between "conservatives" and "moderates"--or "liberals" as their opponents called them. Folks in the SBC were fighting to keep their huge denomination from following the path taken by the United Church of Christ, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and to a lesser degree, the Methodists. (The current agonies of the Anglican Communion are instructive.)

So where, according to Novak, did Huckabee stand? "Huckabee embraced the liberal church establishment to become president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention."

The Novak story matters more than it otherwise might, precisely because Huckabee clearly tilts liberal on a number of other issues: he hiked taxes substantially in Arkansas, he talks about more spending, he sounds dovish on Iran, and he's gone to war with the Club for Growth, which is probably the leading free-enterprise/small-government advocacy group.

More and more this guy smells and looks like a Centrist Democrat. Cute, but...why vote for him if he's labeled (R)?

3 comments:

Jeff Miller said...

I suspect there is some Mad Scientist in Hope, Ar that some years ago setup a plan to dominate the Presidency.

First with Bill and now Huck some evil experiment with apparent centrist DNA that always shifts left when it counts.

Anonymous said...

Just a couple of points.

There are anti-Catholics among Evangelicals. Most downplay that as they do with their differences with Mormons because all are social conservatives. Huckabee speaking at at this church would not indicate that he is, just like Ron Paul not returning the check from the white supremicist indicates that he is one. Of course, that's easy for me to say, not being Catholic myself.

As one who was Southern Baptist at the time, the liberal (more correctly moderate) conservative debate was largely over whether the denomination could require teachers at the seminary to believe in Biblical inerrancy. Since Baptists are big on local church autonomy, this caused division. There were some social liberals, such as Jimmy Carter, there were also social conservatives.

There are problems with Huckabee's record as governor, I don't deny that. But I did want to clarify what the denomination dispute was not really about conservative-liberal the way Mr. Novak implies.

James H said...

Hi there Catholic and Huckabee Supporter here.

First let me address something in your post. That is the Novak article and Huckabee and his relationship with Baptist. As a former Baptist that article irked me mainly because it was so wrong. As some that is interested in history and particually religious history that article pained me. I assume he was just ignorant. It has been noted of course in the SOuthern Baptist Blogshere that Novak was clueless THose terms "liberal: and "conservative" should not be viewed ina secualr poilitcal context. It dealt with a very few specific theological issues and especially as to Biblical Interpretation. I talked about this in more detail at my post :
Robert Novaks Very Misleading Article on Huckabee and Baptists
http://opinionatedcatholic.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2007-12-20T13%3A39%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=20

It is a side issue but is just gettting to me that a very interesting part of Evangelical history is now being portrayed wrong to millions. Oh well

I will not go into all of what I have wrote on the Huckabee Visit.

If you wish to see another view go see my post
The Faux Controversy Over Huckabee and Catholics
http://opinionatedcatholic.blogspot.com/2007/12/faux-controversy-over-huckabee-and.html

and

A Catholic and An Orthodox Not Upset about Huckabee

http://opinionatedcatholic.blogspot.com/2007/12/catholic-and-orthodox-not-upset-about.html
I suppose being a Catholic convert where one has significant family as Seventh Day Adventists helps one put it all in its proper place. Seventh Day Adventist make Hagee look like a lay follower of the Order of St Benedict.

Your post as well as another one is prompting me to think about writing another entry. I think there is perhaps a fatal disconnect going on among people that dont whyunderstand Huckabee going to Hagee’s Church. Besides the whole I support Israel thing. I think this disconnect is occuring on a religious , social, Geographical and perhaps even more import ant an economic level.

As I have stated before the last few days I am from a state that has a number of white evanagelical Churches that invite politicans in. Of course the Black Church has always had that here.

That being said I have escorted Catholic Politicans to some of these Churches that to say the least at times do not give very Catholic friendly sermons.

I guess it hit me today what people are missing. I follow anti Catholics a good bit. Hagee to be honest has never interested me that much because to be honest his anti Catholic choughts are a sideline to his main project of support of Israel. Even though they are related as to his strange theology.

ANyway we have gone from a era from where Catholic POliticans are not trusted to where Catholic Politicans are invited to speak to now Catholics saying oh no they don’t pass the theology test don’t go there.

WHat strikes me is this and I suppose I shall write a post about it and revisit this subject again. I don’t want to offend people of these Churches and again you can’t put them in a box. BUt many places where these doctrines among others are taught the Church is everything. It is the center. I suppose it can compared to what a Catholic Parish was in the 50’s before we all got rich and moved to the Burbs.

Well again not to say this always the case but if you notice or if you go you will see a whole much of have nots or people really struggling. THey don’t care if the politician is Catholic when they invite them in they just want to hear him and more importantly have him or her listen to them. Many people would be surprised but it is just not social issues being discussed there. People are talking about other struggles.

I wonder and I thinking this from a Catholic viewpoint and a Catholic politican standpoint because I have seen that in action here as to these Churches. Have we got to the point that we are so secure we don’t go them. Sorry your beliefs are too UN PC. IF you want to talk to me and I listen to you come on down to where I am at.

I know many people are not thinking about this but I am. Seeing some of these people are these Churches that have invited us to speak and have given Catholic politicians their votes I wonder if if theology test of who politicans can and can not speak to is very right.

ANywho just some preliminary thoughts.

Happy
Advent

JH