Who knew there was a plot afoot by
Christians to take over the Gaza strip?
Got this in my e-mail today from the American Atheists (sorry, it's not on the website, apparently):
Do so-called Rapture Christians threaten the Middle East peace process seeking to solidify an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority?
Indeed, the precarious peace so dependent on the whims of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbass can be upset at any moment. Sharon must rein in Jewish extremists, many of whom oppose the dismantling of settlements deep in Palestinian territory. Groups like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad can default on their agreement not to attack Israel, and ignite yet another round of bombings and violence killing combatants and innocents on both sides of the ever-shifting line.
Maybe, just maybe, there can be peace, right?
More about these Rapture Christians below.
Back in the United States, however, where so many tendrils and strings lead to capitals like Tel Aviv (and Damascus), there is another group determined to fragment the current peace agreement in favor of a horrific Biblical vision. These are the so-called "Rapture Christians," fundamentalists who believe that any Israeli compromise on the Gaza or other territory cannot be permitted to stand, and that the Temple of Solomon should be rebuilt in order to usher in the Second Coming of Christ. It is heady stuff, but groups like the Apostolic Congress are deadly serious about all of this, and they enjoy startling access to the halls of power, whether on Capitol Hill or in the White House.
Last year, for instance, a delegation of Rapture Christians met with members of the National Security Council, including Near East and North African Affairs Director Elliott Abrams to voice their theo-political concerns. Led by Pentecostal preacher Robert G. Upton, the Rapturists enunciated their opposition to any Palestinian state, and demanded that Jerusalem remain in Israeli hands. They also proposed that the Temple Mount, home to a Moslem Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, for several hundred years, must be dismantled in order to allow believers to reconstruct the Temple of Solomon and prepare the world for the return of Christ and the apocalypse. Oh yeah, somewhere in this bizarre scenario is an event known as The Rapture. A select few (possibly numbering 144,000) will "rise into the air" and meet Christ. After a hotly-debated period of time, three to seven years according to some, they may return to rule the Earth.
The Apostolic Congress and kindred groups flex considerable political muscle especially within the ranks of the Republican Party. They regularly meet with strategically placed officials of the Bush White House, conveying their positions on everything from gay marriage to the spread of witchcraft, presumably unleashed by television programs and books like the Harry Potter series. Reporter Rick Perlstein recently noted that the AC's pronunciamentos bear the aura of holy writ, and include "fiery warnings" that "the President's Administration and Current Government is engaged in cultural, economical (sic) and social struggle on every level." The Apostolic Congress somehow manages to fit its analysis of national and global events into what Perlstein describes as "sectarian doomsday scenarios."
The group was formed in 1981, and gained prompt entry into the Reagan White House. Since then, Pastor Upton has met with federal officials, and regularly bombarded Capitol Hill and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with a steady stream of strident letters and postcards. It is, according to its web site, "The Christian Voice in the nation's capital."
Aha! I've been wondering when the Second Coming was, well, coming.
(By the way, I have nothing against people who are Christians in general. My philosophy is to let people believe what they want, as long as they don't go trying to kill people because of those beliefs.)
Surprisingly, it doesn't look like Bush and Co. are being influenced by these folks. But maybe they've got something up their sleeves.