that's true of most believers-in-the-supernatural. From where I sit, they're ALL mentally-ill.

A heartfelt sentiment but nevertheless precisely one that I feel we need to work past if we are going to have a positive impact on this country. The sad fact is that humans as a whole have an annoying but pervasive tendency to believe in the supernatural. We can study it and attempt to explain it but we can't wish it away.

http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Spell-Religion-Natural-Phenomenon/dp/067003472X

The easiest thing to do is to demonstrate how the supposed "Christian Right" violate the very precepts that they pretend to revere. Confining your attention in Scripture to words actually attributed to Jesus provides a remarkable amount of ammunition in this regard. After all, he spent quite a bit of his energy railing against hypocrisy and Lord knows, there's no shortage of that to be fouund in THIS day and age.

joementum said he was gonna investigate FEMA's response. after the election, he changed his mind. maybe hagee convinced him:

"I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."

so it was a good thing; no investigation necessary.

Joe "Uberputz" Lieberman said, "Pastor Hagee, I pray that God will bless you with all that you pray for"

Hmm. One of the things Hagee and other fundamentalist nutcases pray for is the Rapture, in which two-thirds of the Jews supposedly will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal torment.

Hey Putzboy: Are you quite sure you want ALL of your buddy's prayers answered?

"We are at a time in history of profound social and political change, and it is comforting to decry "moral relativism" and accept Absolute Truth as set forth by folksy, charismatic religious leaders. Fundamentalism provides emotional security and responds to our human need for meaning in our lives."

This is precisely why religious and social fundamentalism are on the rise internationally.

One of the things Hagee and other fundamentalist nutcases pray for is the Rapture, in which two-thirds of the Jews supposedly will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal torment.

The way it works now, apparently, is that all non-believers, including Jews, will get One Last Chance once they see that Jesus has returned, and the ones who accept him as the Messiah will get to disappear to heaven also. The ones who won't will be left behind.

After watching Blumenthal's video, I no longer believe there is any such person as John Hagee.

Look closely: that man claiming to be Hagee is obviously Newt Gingrich after he swallowed the corpse of Jerry Falwell.

"I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."

Was that doggone, all loving God expressing his fury on Indonesians when the tsunami blew through?

I suspect *anything* less extreme than Joe Lieberman will be construed as being Anti-Israel.

The real surprise is not that there are people out there holding dangerousley extremist views. This happens everywhere, all the time. the real surprise is the powerful, high level persons and institutions that support and encourage them. The real surprise is the comfort and lack of scrutiny in which they operate in and raise funds.

The real surprise is not that what they advocate is a danger to Iran and other Muslims far from here. The real alarm is the danger to this nation right here in America.

"all non believers.... will get One Last Chance when the Messiah returns."

The question I have is why anyone in their right mind would want to see the Messiah return at all, let alone next week, when it means the end of the world. Hell, the dinosaurs weren't even that stupid.

Doesn't the end of the world mean the end of America? Why do these rightwing fundamentalist nuts hate America?

Even if the directive is understood as "all Palestinians shall flee in fear" that's -- to paraphrase Monty Python -- no basis for our system of government.

And how about the series of times that God hardens Pharaoh's heart to ensure that he won't let Moses' people go... and then punishing all the Egyptians (even the slaves and animals) with horrific plagues, until he makes Pharaoh go after the Israelites -- and then drowns his whole army, horses and all?

Or Exodus 12...

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

We're going to win a lot of hearts and minds Crusading away with our Good Book, aren't we?

Glenn: I'm no expert on the beliefs of all the different sects of fundamentalist nutcases but I did a quick Google search and here's what some of them believe:

"'And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried' (Zechariah 13:8, 9). According to Zechariah’s prophecy, two thirds of the children of Israel in the land will perish, but the one third that are left will be refined and be awaiting the deliverance of God at the second coming of Christ which is described in the next chapter of Zechariah. [John F. Walvoord, Israel in Prophecy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, [1962] 1988), p. 108."

I remember vividly my first real encounter with a fundamentalist nutcase when I was travelling through Alabama back in the early 80's. He told me all about the Rapture (which I had never heard of before despite being raised in a strict religious family) and he was certain that two-thirds of the Jews would burn in Hell. I just thought he was insane, but it turns out he was one of milions.