Shooter Speaks: Wright Is A Wringer For The Billary Dynasty

Anyone who knows me knows that I love conspiracy theories, and Mr. WAC over at Fish in a Barrel has a doozy:

Could it be that party operatives in favor of Clinton have used their contacts in these organizations to feed Wright’s insatiable urge for self promotion in order to kill the Obama campaign in favor of Clinton? It has certainly given Hillary plenty to react to in soundbites over the last two news cycles. In any case, the fact that someone has let Wright out of his cage, or, perhaps, that the Obama campaign can’t keep Wright in his cage, is highly suspicious.

I had the same suspicion myself, Mr. Fish In A Barrel. In the meantime, we hold fast to the conviction that we're Voting For Joe.

Upon The Feast Of St. Catherine Of Siena

"Busdriver, MOVE THAT PAPACY!"

Upon The Feasts of St. Louis Marie De Monfort, St. Peter Chanel, And St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Saints alive, what a lineup!

John Hagee Rises Yet Again In My Estimation

I know that on many subjects, John Hagee and I are just one momma joke away from fisticuffs. However, recent developments, beginning with the McCain endorsement fiasco, have checked my agression against Pastor Hagee even further.

Hagee writes the following in an editorial published by the Washington Times:

My reaction to Pope Benedict"s visit may surprise some who have come to accept certain caricatures of my views of the Catholic Church. But as I have noted from the start, my critics have ignored the real point and strong emphasis of my words. I have indeed been quite zealous about condemning the past anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church. But I have been equally zealous in condemning Protestant anti-Semitism. Furthermore, as I noted in my 2006 book "Jerusalem Countdown," I have long viewed Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict XVI as partners in this "righteous work" of overcoming our shared legacy of Christian anti-Semitism.

And while most real anti-semitism that has been leveled at the Catholic Church by Rev. Hagee has been on the mob level (shame on you anyway, Ferdinand and Isabella), Hagee's charity shines through in this letter, and I wonder if Deal Hudson is smiling back warmly somewhere.

In closing, Hagee offers this appeal, which I think all would be wise to take to heart:

We were all inspired by Pope Benedict's visit. It is my prayer that we will now follow his example and look beyond our differences to see that when it comes to the great challenges of our times, people of faith have much in common.

Doff of the mitre to you, Pastor Hagee.

Upon The Feast Of Pope St. Cletus

3rd pope. Back then, all the popes were martyred.

Upon The Feast Of St. Mark The Evangelist

"Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked." (Mark 14:51-52)

"Evangelical" Remains A Useless Term That For Some Idiotic Reason Continues To Be Used

Talk about the media (and the Christian media, no less!) not "getting" religion...

A recent article in the Christian Post expressed the notion that "evangelicals," whoever they may be, had mixed reactions to the Pope's visit. An example of two of the "evangelicals" that are representative of the label assigned by the Christian Post are Rev. Richard Cizik from the National Association of Evangelicals and Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

What?!?!

Mohler has consistently criticized the NAE, stopping short of calling them communist pinko meatheads. The president of Southern Seminary has zero interest in ecumenism, let alone interreligious dialogue. The NAE, on the other hand, tends to consider themselves part of the world, and approach their evangelism from a more thoughtful and careful point of view, and are often self-effacing in the way they account for themselves. Find me a self-effacing soundbite from Dr. Mohler, and I'll give you a dollar. These two models of Christianity differ fundamentally on the way they believe evangelism should look. Why, if these people are defined by the manner in which they spread the gospel, should the NAE, an organization once headed by a first class ethical mind like Dr. Francis Beckwith, and Southern Seminary be painted with the same sociological brush?

I'm not a man who ordinarily advocates for new terminology. But in this case, the idea of painting any Christian who isn't Catholic and isn't left of Jim Wallis as "Evangelical" is just unfair. We need new categories, or at least need to re-evaluate the ones we have.