signalmankenneth
Verified User
On March 5, a number of Christian conservative evangelical leaders gathered in the White House to pray for President Donald Trump and for U.S. success in Trump’s war against Iran. The meeting was organized through the White House Faith Office, and facilitated by Pastor Paula White-Cain and Jennifer Korn of the White House Faith Office.
Participants included longtime Christian conservative leaders, including Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California, Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council, along with about 20 attendees in total.
Support for Israel has long been a defining feature of American evangelical politics, and many evangelical leaders view Iran’s government as a direct threat to both Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East. Yet for some figures within the movement, the conflict is framed not only in geopolitical terms but also through the lens of biblical prophecy.
Writing for the Institute on Religion & Democracy’s blog Juicy Ecumenism, Miranda Mobley noted that Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie “connected modern day Russia to ‘Magog,’ from the book of Ezekiel chapter 38 which prophesies that Magog will attack Israel and be destroyed by God in recompense.
“One of the allies of Magog is Persia,” Laurie determined, “now known as Iran.” Although he does not believe Magog has yet attacked Israel, he calls for Christians to be prepared for the Rapture to come after.
The same article noted that Family Research Council President Tony Perkins “described himself as ‘grateful’ for Trump’s actions, declaring the attack ‘necessary and justified,’ and called for believers to take care of the spiritual battle.”
Concerns about religious rhetoric surrounding the war have also surfaced within the U.S. military.
Reporting in The Guardian, journalist Sara Braun recently reported that the war against Iran is being cast as a holy war: “US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan.’”
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/bill-berkowitz/116444/welcome-to-the-rapture-trump-s-war-against-iran-and-the-evangelical-holy-war-narrative
Participants included longtime Christian conservative leaders, including Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California, Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council, along with about 20 attendees in total.
Support for Israel has long been a defining feature of American evangelical politics, and many evangelical leaders view Iran’s government as a direct threat to both Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East. Yet for some figures within the movement, the conflict is framed not only in geopolitical terms but also through the lens of biblical prophecy.
Writing for the Institute on Religion & Democracy’s blog Juicy Ecumenism, Miranda Mobley noted that Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie “connected modern day Russia to ‘Magog,’ from the book of Ezekiel chapter 38 which prophesies that Magog will attack Israel and be destroyed by God in recompense.
“One of the allies of Magog is Persia,” Laurie determined, “now known as Iran.” Although he does not believe Magog has yet attacked Israel, he calls for Christians to be prepared for the Rapture to come after.
The same article noted that Family Research Council President Tony Perkins “described himself as ‘grateful’ for Trump’s actions, declaring the attack ‘necessary and justified,’ and called for believers to take care of the spiritual battle.”
Concerns about religious rhetoric surrounding the war have also surfaced within the U.S. military.
Reporting in The Guardian, journalist Sara Braun recently reported that the war against Iran is being cast as a holy war: “US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan.’”
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/bill-berkowitz/116444/welcome-to-the-rapture-trump-s-war-against-iran-and-the-evangelical-holy-war-narrative
