Opinion Editorials, December 2012

 Israeli Control of US Government Explains Evangelical's Prophesy of War and the End Times

By Charles E Carlson

Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, January 1, 2013

 
Finding Hope in the Era of the Neo-Crusades

Is America’s warring in the Middle East politically or religiously motivated?  ANSWER: War is a political expedient, and the “Christian Right” is its enabler, not the reverse. War is the politician's return ticket to office, the only sure answer to full employment.

In the 11th Century the landed gentry and their politicians looked to the Catholic Church for its enablement of the 11 Crusades ending with the shameful Children’s Crusade two centuries later. What has caused those who say they follow Christ to become the enablers of serial wars, and where is the hope?

A young Southern Baptist family friend, a pro-life activist named Mike, distributed Edgar Whisenant’s epistle (88 Reason Why Jesus is Coming Back in 1988) in his and my large men’s church breakfast in the early months of 1988.  Mike absolutely believed the book, and considered the rapture not only imminent, but was scheduled by God for October 14 of that very year.  Regretfully, this writer did nothing at the time to dissuade Mike, even though the book he gave me appeared to be full of holes.

At first glance it might appear that 88 REASONS could only harm those who believed the stretched myths found in its pages.  Mike was married and had a young family, yet he made a mission project of giving the books to all who would carry one out the door of the church, as I did.  I am sure 88 Reasons made a difference in Mike’s life, and it could hardly have been positive, for he was truly convinced the world would end only months away.
Mike gave up causes he believed were saving lives.  He was an activist in the pro-life movement, and the volunteer leader of an important group. But as the spring came, he phased out of this commitment to spend more time with his young family in the months remaining on earth. Mike believed in preserving life, but no one showed him or warned him he was playing into the hands of two political regimes that had little respect for human life. 

As you have guessed by now, “the Rapture” did not happen in 1988. But the first war on Iraq was already in the political hopper, and the first blood of the Iraqi innocent would be poured out on us two years later. Edgar Whisenant’s book of trash prophesies contributed to the slaughter. Its pages are filled with hints and innuendos of racism and bigotry in the name of Christianity.

88 Reasons to make war in the Mideast


Most of the 88 Reasons given for the imminent rapture had to do with the State of Israel, directly or indirectly. In fact, Edgar tells us the dating of the “great event” was based on the 40th Anniversary of the creation of the new Zionist state of Israel in 1948. Edgar was most creative in inventing exactly 88 reasons, but almost all of them involved his belief in world Zionism incorporated as a part of his “Christianity.”

Here are just a few of the 88 Reasons Whisenant suggested that God needed a Rapture to realize the destiny of the Zionist State:

REASON #7 (in part) “this is the last generation, [M1]started on 14 May 1948, the day Israel became a nation. Israel is the time clock of God throughout history, Israel is the blooming fig tree, (Jer 24:4-8) and the last generation will end 40 wicked Gentile years later on 14 May 1988.”

REASON # 66: “Israel is the key to this whole scenario. You read again to see how time begins and ends and moves with the nation of Israel. You have noticed how our news events seem to be constantly bringing our attention to the Middle East these last days. And that is just where God wants it”…
Another reason men like Whisenant take themselves seriously is they had a cheering section made up of the most radical element of anti-Arabs in the Mideast: Israel. Elmer quotes none other than Meir Kahane, a man who was among the most violent killers in Israeli history.  And Whisenant justifies Kahane:

REASON #8 “Rabbi Meir Kahane, who wants to throw out all of the Arabs in Israel, is acutely aware of the 40-year grace period given by God, beginning in 1948.”

Edgar Whisenant goes on quoting Rabbi Kahane page after page, supporting his militancy against Arabs with words of respect. To him Kahane was an oracle for God carrying out His will against the Philistine tribe.
Meir Kahane was in fact an angry terrorist who deliberately incited documented brutality against the Palestinian people.

Few Israelis openly advocated the Kahane program for deportation or liquidation of 3.5 million Arab people. He was an embarrassment to the Jews in Israel, who claimed that they themselves were victims of a similar liquidation a generation before. Kahane was founder of the Kach Party, which was committed to violence and repeated assassinations of Arab villagers, encouraging them to leave. Kahane’s public statements had much to do with agitating the Arabs toward the first Intifada in 1987. Whisenant used Kahane as a scripturally justified weather vane for war.

Most of Whisenant’s “88 Reasons” were either tied to present happenings in Israel or based on Hebrew Old Testament prophesy. All 88 pointed unequivocally to war (“Armageddon”) being “God’s will.” Anyone who took the book seriously could not help but be conditioned to accept bloodshed in the Middle East.

Most of my friends accepted the little book from Mike, who wanted no money for it. After all, what good would money be after October 14th? Most of us probably did not take it seriously, and I would be surprised if many copies, save my own, survived these 18 years.

I was later surprised to learn that the 88 Reasons had a national following, especially in the heartland. Edgar prospered, and is said to have sold a million copies at $2.00 each. But I was wrong about the little book doing no damage. Mike’s distribution of the books and the distribution by thousands like him, damaged minds and bodies. He innocently helped convince some that the Arabs were dirt under the feet of the Israelis, and that anything that helped Israel was God’s will, no matter how mean and vile it might seem.

American churchgoers are conditioned to the idea that war in the Mideast is inevitable and planned by God, and that nothing can be done to stop it. Nor should “Christians” try to prevent it. There is a cost. 
The blood is already pouring out on the hands of those who contrived the Neo-Crusade. Rivers of scarlet are trickling down all of our arms, staining each one of us. We, who call ourselves by Christ’s name and did nothing to stop it, are guilty of the shedding of innocent blood.

Sad to say, we are in a conflict between the justice and humanity Christ taught, and the pagan superstition and bloodletting of a self-serving few who thrive on war. They have found their support in the Judaized, dispensational institutions. Resistance to this is not an option to those who follow Christ.

Where is the hope?

There are “Mikes” in every church in America. You will find them leading, teaching, volunteering, passing the plate and paying tithes. They are doing their best, working, as they know God commands them to work, but not doubting the leadership’s acceptance of war.

When they correctly place the blame on their churches for the blood that is on their hands, Judaized Christianity will be finished; it cannot survive in an environment of truth. Christ’s words tell us He is still waiting for men like Mike to follow Him out of the corrupted church.

Project Strait Gate’s purpose is to find the “Mikes” with millions of letters like this one.  Please pass it on.
 
Toward the Strait Gate,
Chuck Carlson
Websites:  charlesecarlson.com  and whtt.org - Podcasts:  whtt.podbean.com  

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