Maidan

I told you so.

"John Hagee is a Texas evangelical and leader of that hybrid known as the Christian Zionist movement. He commands a huge following and the ear of politicians, Bush among them. Earlier this month Hagee led a rally of 3,500 evangelicals at a Washington hotel, where he called Israel's attacks on Lebanon a 'miracle of God' and proof that Israel was doing God's work. Hagee was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying that for Israel to show restraint would violate 'God's foreign policy statement' toward Jews. Bush sent Hagee a message of praise for 'spreading the hope of God's love and the universal gift of freedom.'"

"When he's not thumping for Israel, Hagee raises money for Republican causes and beats war drums in line with his clash-of-civilizations thesis. 'This is a religious war that Islam cannot -- and must not -- win,' he wrote in a recent book. He also sees the United States heading toward a nuclear confrontation with Iran, itself a fulfillment of a joyful promise: 'The end of the world as we know it is rapidly approaching,' he writes. 'Rejoice and be exceedingly glad -- the best is yet to be.' In other words, war is a good thing, rapturous and necessary and sealed with a kiss from God, as the world edges toward Armageddon. The Bush presidency is that evangelical view's self-fulfilling prophesy."

Source: commondreams.org citing America struggles with its own evangelical Taliban, by Pierre Tristam, Tuesday, August 1, 2006
(emphasis added)