Tom’s Big Picture

Today Pat Robertson endorsed Giuliani for President. Chris Ortiz over at the Chalcedon blog summarizes this event succinctly:

Quoting Robertson: “It is my hope and prayer that he will lead the Republican Party to victory in November of 2008.”

Here’s a man with a university supposedly dedicated to training Christians in cultural leadership and Robertson tramples over God’s law and the U.S. Constitution by endorsing the cross-dressing, pro-choice, three-time divorcee with mob ties. He did this when the most ardent constitutional defender and dedicated Christian, Ron Paul, is laboring to restore the American Republic. This is the clearest indication that Robertson is as much a part of the Establishment as any other Blue Blood. It’s time to turn off the 700 Club.

Another news story summed it up as follows:

But Giuliani’s support for abortion rights is apparently not as important to Robertson as Giuliani’s stance against Islamic terrorism and the argument that he’s the most electable candidate in his party.

Let’s do some math: 3,000 Americans on 9/11 vs. 30 million aborted babies. That makes abortion like ten thousand times worse than terrorism, especially the marginal difference in terrorism between Giuliani and the alternatives. The only possible way this makes sense is in Robertson’s extreme dispensationalist bizarro world where the physical sons of Jacob are more equal than others (Giuliani is by far the preferred candidate of neoconservative war hawks). Thus, it’s okay to compromise on killing babies if that advances Israel’s foreign policy interests. It’s okay to endorse a cross-dressing pro-gay-rights sociopath if it gets us closer to the Rapture.

Some extreme Israelophiles, like John Hagee, have even outright denied the Gospel in their efforts to pander to neoconservative preferences, embracing “dual covenant” theology that says Christ is only “the way and the light” for Gentiles, while Jews can still be saved by following rabbis and their Pharisaical interpretations of Old Testament law. Never mind that whole “brood of vipers” speech I guess.

Of course, if left alone by the chickenhawks in Washington and New York, Israel could solve its own problems. They have nukes, high IQ’s (and are surrounded by low IQ Arabs) and a world class military.

A rather eccentric friend of mine once made the argument that much of Christianity today is not Christian in any historical sense, but rather has degenerated into an apocalyptic cult worshipping all persons and things Jewish. At the time I thought that an unfair exaggeration, as to me all of the prophecy-Israel-rapture stuff seemed like a sideshow. For Pat Robertson and those who follow him after these strange political gods, my friend’s description seems accurate.

My instinct and hope, though, is that the average Christian out there, dispensationalist or not, isn’t ready for this sort of compromise. 2008 is going to be interesting.

Why it’s important to allow open debate.