John Hagee- leader or divider?

 

Our talk in class and the video showing John Hagee speaking at the dedication of the Embassy moved to Jerusalem reminded me of some of the things that Hagee has said throughout the years. It is no secret that the man is a source of controversy, as he leads a mega church and yet constantly is under scrutiny for ridiculous remarks. John Hagee is known throughout the city as having had some pretty interesting takes over the years. Because the San Antonio Current tears into his controversial comments regularly, these statements have caused some to wonder if he should maintain his status of leading CUFI, as the issue of Christian and Jewish relations is one that requires a careful individual to lead the movement. 

Dating back decades, Hagee has made controvercial remarks regarding women, various presidents, the Holocaust, Ebola, and more. For example, Hagee was openly against President Barack Obama’s position on Israel, and his efforts to “divide Jerusalem for years now” (RWWBlog, 2014), so when Ebola first became an outbreak and the first few cases were announced in the United States in 2014, Hagee said it was a result of God’s policy of blessing those who bless Israel and cursing those who curse it (RWWBlog, 2014). Hagee has also talked about the Holocaust, saying in the 90’s, ”How did [the Holocaust] happen? Because God allowed it to happen … because God said, ‘My top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel’” (Wiener, 2015). He also spoke about women, saying ”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’ (Murphy, 2008). 

Although this is just brushing the surface of less than ideal things that Hagee has said, this isn’t meant to be an attack on him, his church, or anything of the sort. Rather, it is meant to prompt the question of whether someone who clearly doesn’t have the ability to censor or to consider the ramifications of what he says should be the leader of both a religious and technically political organization that is meant to help Jewish and Christian relations. While Hagee (and in turn, CUFI) has done some good things for Christian and Jewish individuals, it still makes me wonder if the organization and even the church run by Hagee would do better (and not anger multiple communities with ridiculous comments) under another and more conscientious leader.

References

Murphy, T. (2008). Hagee-isms. The Chicago Maroon. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.chicagomaroon.com/2008/03/21/hagee-isms/ 

RWWBlog. (2014, October 15). RWW News: John Hagee says ebola is god's judgment on America. YouTube. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_rjKxuJzTM&t=1s 

Wiener, J. (2015, June 29). McCain's Pastor Hagee on Hitler and the jews. The Nation. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/mccains-pastor-hagee-hitler-and-jews/