The dispiriting truth about why many evangelical Christians support Israel
Note: Israel is the tiny yellow area to the right of Egypt on the map.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, American evangelicals have been especially vocal in backing Israel . Last week, 90 prominent pastors and other leaders issued “An Evangelical Statement in Support for Israel.” Citing “just war” tradition, the statement affirmed “Israel’s right and duty to defend itself against further attack.” Evangelical leaders around the country have expressed sympathy, as The New York Times reported , “for a country to which many of them feel intense spiritual, cultural and political connections.”
But evangelicals’ support isn’t simply driven by a theology that compels them to love the Holy Land, detached from its convulsive domestic and global political implications.
For many “Christians Zionists,” and particularly for popular evangelists with significant clout within the Republican Party, their support for Israel is rooted in its role in the supposed end times: Jesus’ return to Earth, a bloody final battle at Armageddon, and Jesus ruling the world from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In this scenario, war is not something to be avoided, but something inevitable, desired by God, and celebratory.
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Evangelical leaders around the country have expressed sympathy, as The New York Times reported , “for a country to which many of them feel intense spiritual, cultural and political connections.”
But evangelicals’ support isn’t simply driven by a theology that compels them to love the Holy Land, detached from its convulsive domestic and global political implications.
Hamas’ unprecedented and horrific slaughter of Israeli civilians, including children, played directly into Christian Zionists’ singular conception of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This whole new situation (meaning since the Hamas attacks in early October) seems designed as some sort of recruiting binge or bait by Hamas and their supporters. The fact that it seems to play into the religious zealotry of some is incidental. A fundamentalist of any stripe means that they have simplified the teachings and come out with an interpretation that is usually warped by self-interest.
What I have noticed is that since Israel was attacked by Hamas, the news and Republican Evangelicals have concentrated only on that and forgotten Ukraine where people are suffering from the butchers in Moscow. I guess that being Ukrainian will not bring ''end times''. They are willing to offer unlimited support to Israel but do not want to continue to support Ukraine. There is little difference between Russians and Hamas, in fact Hamas was in Moscow meeting with Putin.
I think the belief is that for the events leading up to The Second Coming, the Jews have to be in control of Israel. (Not Ukrainians!) That's necessary. Then Everything will be destroyed, and Jesus (PBUH) will come down to Earth.
I think that approximately correct-- western religions are not my area of expertise!
IIRC, Israeli control of The Holy Land is a necessary condition for the "Second Coming.
A factor in waning support for Ukraine by many Republicans (and I believe a few never wanted to support Ukraine in the first place) is who they are fighting: Russia
And Trump had a very loving relationship with Putin, so many Republicans think Putin is a "good guy",
The left’s embrace of Hamas is just a rejection of the Christian Zionists interpretation of events in the ME. They don’t support child decapitation so much as an atheist interpretation of events there. Hamas’ religious zealotry is just a vehicle to expose Christian hypocrisy.
The Evangelicals support Israel, but they believe that when Jesus returns, Jews will burn in Hell. Their support for Israel is based on their religious views and has nothing to do with caring about Jews.
And that makes them the biggest assholes on the planet
Pretty much, yeah.