And Andy – one of the best comments ever!

And it’s certainly the case that conservative Christians are much friendlier to Jews now than they were a century ago, thanks in no small part to this focus on protecting the Jews until God can kill them off. Whether or not this sort of thing has helped diminish anti-semitism of thought, it’s certainly reduced anti-semitism of action. As long as the Tribulation isn’t actually imminent, I for one don’t have much of an objection to patting useful idiots on the back if that encourages people like Hagee in taking actions that are better for Jews than they otherwise would be.

But I admit that it’s very hard for a Jew to be rational about this sort of thing. I try not to trust my first instinct on anything touching on Jews or Israel, both because it’s bound to be touched by cultural boosterism but also because attitudes and lessons derived from the diaspora and the Holocaust are impressed on most of us from a very young age, and I, for one, find it very hard to think critically about them.

I regret never talking to Andrea about this sort of thing. I’m sure she’d have a very interesting take.

I agree with just about everything you say, except this. Accepting for the moment that God exists (and I’m horribly torn on the point, more on that as the occasion calls for), I really do buy the argument that humans not understanding why He does something means it can’t make sense. I realize that argument is often seen as a cop-out by atheists, and I see why it’s a frustrating answer, but I don’t think that makes it wrong. If I can’t possibly see all the inputs to a situation that God can, or understand them all in connection to one another, why should the outputs make sense?

The reason this doesn’t excuse Hagee, of course, if that there’s no reason to think HE has it right just because he happens to believe in God in a particular way. “God is incomprehensible” is a borderline-retarded defense for doing something in God’s name.

~ John

This has nothing to do with Hagee (whom I’ve never heard of) or Lieberman, but they’re probably right about the Jews. Let’s think about this: the Jews have seen 3,000+ years of getting hated and dominated and isolated and enslaved and beat up; why would God let that change now!? No, my friend, it is obvious that they are the stairs upon which the righteous will step as the Second Coming nears. *

Nice work, Ames! I’ll be in touch.

* This post was 100% tongue-in-cheek and tasteless.

Ah those were the days….