John Hagee expresses "deep regret" for comments "hurtful" to Catholics

John Hagee has sent a letter (dated May 12, 2008) to Bill Donohue (whose name I continually misspell as "Donahue"; my apologies), which expresses his "deep regret for comments that Catholics may have found hurtful":

In my zeal to oppose anti-Semitism and bigotry in all its ugly forms, I have often emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews. In the process, I may have contributed to the mistaken impression that the anti- Jewish violence of the Crusades and the Inquisition defines the Catholic Church. It most certainly does not. Likewise, I have not sufficiently expressed my deep appreciation for the efforts of Catholics who opposed the persecution of the Jewish people. It is important to note that there were thousands of righteous Catholics - both clergy and laymen -- who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust. According to many scholars, including historian Martin Gilbert and Rabbi David Dalin (author of The Myth of Hitler's Pope), Pope Pius XII personally intervened to save Jews.

In addition, I better understand that reference to the Roman Catholic Church as the "apostate church" and the "great whore" described in the Book of Revelation is a rhetorical device long employed in anti-Catholic literature and commentary.

I hope you recognize that I have repeatedly stated that my interpretation of Revelation leads me to conclude that the "apostate church" and the "great whore" appear only during the seven years of tribulation after all true believers - Catholic and Protestant - have been taken up to heaven. Therefore, neither of these phrases can be synonymous with the Catholic Church.   

The entire letter can be read in PDF format. See this FOX News story.

Donohue responded:

“The tone of Hagee’s letter is sincere. He wants reconciliation and he has achieved it. Indeed, the Catholic League welcomes his apology. What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns. But he has done just that. Now Catholics, along with Jews, can work with Pastor Hagee in making interfaith relations stronger than ever. Whatever problems we had before are now history. This case is closed.”

While growing up in a "non-denominational" fundamentalist environment in the 1970s and '80s, I knew very well by the time I was eight or years years old that the Catholic Church was "apostate" and was either part of or was the "great whore of Babylon" described in the Book of Revelation. This was an integral part of the "Rapture" theology that informed nearly every aspect of my thinking about Jesus, the Bible, and the world. Anyone familiar with books such as Dave Hunt's A Woman Rides the Beast: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1994), is familiar with this rhetoric, which has been around for centuries, dating back to at least the Reformation era, and which has been readily embraced by dispensationalist writers since the inception of that belief system in the 1830s.

An obvious example can be found in the popular non-fiction work of Dr. Tim LaHaye, creator and co-author of the Left Behind series. In Revelation Unveiled (Zondervan, 1999), a revised version of Revelation Illustrated and Made Simple (Zondervan, 1973, 1975), his commentary on The Apocalypse, LaHaye made his case for the belief that "Babylon the Great" of Revelation 17 is a system of false belief clearly identified with the Catholic Church. Drawing on Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons and Loraine Boettner's Roman Catholicism, LaHaye (who was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church) condemns the "mystery Babylonian religion" of the Catholic Church, (go here and here for details) and then writes:

After reading the above quotations, you may be inclined to think me anti-Catholic, but that isn’t exactly true; I am anti-false religion. ... In some respects the religion of Rome is more dangerous than no religion because she substitutes religion for truth. Human beings would be better off with their God-given desire for truth unfulfilled that they might seek after Him. Romes false religion too often gives a false security that keep people from seeking salvation freely by faith. Rome is also dangerous because some of her doctrines are pseudo-Christian. For example, she believes properly about the personal deity of Christ but errs in adding Babylonian mysticism in many forms and salvation by works. (p 267)

There is another variation of this approach that is, however subtly, somewhat different from this approach. This variation—which may or may not (depending on the particular "prophecy expert") condemn Catholic Church as she now exists—focuses more on figuring out the Catholic Church's role in the future, when the "prophetic clock" is restarted by the Rapture. This is hinted at, for example, in a booklet titled The Coming World Church, published in 1963 (and again in 1978) by Back to the Bible, a fundamentalist organization, James DeForest Murch describes the "Coming Great Church" and renounces the ecumenical movement as apostate and inspired by Satan. He writes:

Evangelicals who are prophetically inclined are now warning us that we are witnessing the creation of an organization which is pictured in the Bible, not as the Bride of Christ, but as the adulterous woman bearing on her forehead the name, "Mystery Babylon." They see the ecumenical movement as a stage on the road which can eventually lead to the creation of an ecclesiastical body which has all the admixture of truth and error found in the Church of Rome, universal in scope, and eventually heading up the Romish abomination itself. (p 22)

In the late 1990s I had a couple of conversations with the pastor of the largest Baptist church in the state of Oregon. He had given a sermon on the "church of Thyatira", which is described in Revelation 2:18-29, and is often interpreted by fundamentalists as a description of the Catholic Church. The pastor used many of LaHaye and Company's standard anti-Catholic talking points, but his real interest was in trying to ascertain the role played by the Catholic Church during the seven years of Tribulation he believed (as most dispensationalists do) will come between the "Rapture" and the Second Coming. When I spoke to the pastor on the phone about his anti-Catholic rhetoric, he was both very polite and very unapologetic. His position, in essence, was that while he believed some Catholics are "saved," he was convinced that the unique size and influence of the Catholic Church strongly suggested that it would be, after the Rapture, the key institution of an apostate One World Religion. You simply cannot underestimate how obsessed such folks are with figuring out all of the details of their "end times" system!

That pastor's interest in the future is, from what I can tell and what his quote above suggests, similar to Hagee's stance. Which is, again, why I recently emphasized that while the issue of Hagee's offensive remarks is important, it needs to be understood in the light of his seriously flawed theological beliefs. And, just so I'm not misunderstood or misrepresented, I'm not dismissing or making light of Hagee's offensive remarks; on the contrary, I'm saying that as bothersome as they are, they aren't nearly as troubling as his entire theological system, which is shot through with notions and presuppositions that are not in keeping with basic Christian doctrines, especially his belief that Jesus is not the Messiah of the Jews, his belief in a "Rapture" event separate from the Second Coming, and his belief that Christians will not endure the final tribulation.

• For much more about all of those topics, see my book, Will Catholics Be "Left Behind"? (Ignatius, 2003).
• Pastor John Hagee: "Thank you, Pope Benedict" (April 29, 2008)
• Eschatological Fact and Fiction: Catholicism and Dispensationalism Compared | Carl E. Olson
• The Jews and the Second Coming | Roy H. Schoeman
• The End Times: The Secret Hidden From the Universe | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.

Comments

[Paul H]

The following story also is of interest regarding John Hagee and anti-Catholicism:

Deal Hudson: Meeting Reverend John Hagee

[Brian Schuettler]

Yes, Hudson seems to have become the bridge or "facilitator", if you will, between Hagee and the need for the Catholic vote in November for McCain
i.e. Hagee/Huckabee Evangelicals + Catholic industrial northeasterners help a Republican electoral strategy. I find Hagee's very timely apology suspicious... but I tend to be the cynic.

[Robert Miller]

On the theological level, somebody Catholic needs to talk with Hagee, LaHaye and the other dispensationalists very seriously about the fact that the thousand years -- the reign of the saints, Christendom -- have come and gone. For a quick tour, reference Guardini's "End of the Modern World". For deeper perspective, read Ratzinger's "Theology of History in St. Bonaventure".

On the practical level, everybody Catholic should welcome the tactical cooperation of the dispensationalists -- this may be closer to "real ecumenism" than anything we've seen in the last half-century.

I think Hagee's apology is a big "pickup" for Donohue -- and for Pope Benedict XVI (as for the Holy Father, note too Albert Mohler's profound appreciations of the value of Benedict's testimony to Truth).

So what if some GOPoliticos are trying to put the Catholic-Evangelical "alliance" back into play against (looks like) Obama? More power to them, though our prospects don't look good. I think Benedict "pushed" the timing and venues of his appearance in the US because he sees we are on the road to ruin. He wanted to come under the auspices of W in order to offer us one last encouragement before the real time of troubles begins in the US.

Both dispensationalists and Catholics can get a profoundly sane and clear understanding of the present moment -- and of sacred history -- from Roy Schoeman's (Ignatius Press) "Salvation is from the Jews".

[LJ]

Robert Miller,
Looking out at the field of Presidential candidates I think you are right. I'm reminded of John Fogerty's song, "Change in the weather, change in the weather, something's happening here..."
Sometimes in history there are movements and events that converge gaining a momentum that is unstoppable even when foreseen. Occasionally, the Tai Che approach is the best one. Step out of the way at the last moment and let the opponent's forward momentum cause him to crash against some solid object. Then clean up the damage, hoping that the "collateral" damage is minimal.

[MMajor Fan]

Someday they will look in the mirror at themselves in terror, finally realizing how many they have deceived, when they realize there will be no "Rapture" and that they have falsely accused the Catholic Church.

[Brian Schuettler]

I guess no one really noticed that Carl expressed the concern that Hagee may not even, technically, be a Christian.

I personally don't think we need Deal Hudson re-packaging Hagee for Catholic distribution, as I also don't subscribe to political alliances that are an end in themselves.

As for myself, I shall explore the merits of the Libertarian platform.

[Carl Olson]

I guess no one really noticed that Carl expressed the concern that Hagee may not even, technically, be a Christian.

I do come close to that line, Brian, but it is one I'm reluctant to step over. From what I can tell, Hagee believes in the Incarnation and the Trinity, which are, of course, the two central dogmas of Christianity. But his beliefs about a lot of other important matters are certainly "out there," to the degree that some Evangelicals—mostly from the Reformed tradition— would say that he and other dispensationalists aren't true Christians (I talk about this in my book).

[Paul H]

More from InsideCatholic.com here:

Bill Donohue Meets Rev. John Hagee in New York City

[Brian Schuettler]

Thanks, Paul H..."When the reporter asked if Donohue was trying to help John McCain, I thought the answer was unassailable: "If I am trying to help John McCain why would I have called Rev. Hagee anti-Catholic in the first place?"

What can you say to that? The answer is "nothing."

Of course I could say, or more appropriately ask, why Hagee's "Catholic apology" only happened after his anti-Catholic comments created a problem for McCain. Hudson did a skillful manipulation Donohue. I realize now that Donohue would do well at times to hold his tongue in abeyance to the circumstances.