The Rev. John Hagee, founder and national chairman of Christians United for Israel, will speak at "A Night to Honor Israel" at 6 p.m. Sunday at Without Walls Central Church in Lakeland. He will be joined by Ofer Bavly, Israeli Consul General in Miami.
Members of a Lakeland synagogue will participate as well. Cantor Victor Geigner of Temple Emanuel will sing the Israeli national anthem near the beginning of the service and a member of the temple will blow the ceremonial shofar, or ram's horn, Geigner said.
The rally is intended to demonstrate solidarity between Christians and Jews, said the Rev. Scott Thomas, pastor of Without Walls Central. It is the third such event hosted by the church.
"We want to let the Jewish community know we are standing with them and praying for them. ... The Bible tells us as Christians to stand for and with Israel. It's a scriptural mandate," he said. "Christianity could never stand without Judaism. The founding fathers of the Christian faith were the founding fathers of the Jewish faith."
Hagee is pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, a large Pentecostal congregation. In books and sermons, Hagee has stated that Israel is at the center of a scenario that will include the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ to Earth, a theology known as "Christian Zionism." He has expressed unequivocal support for the policies of conservative Israeli political parties in Israel's land disputes with the government of the Palestinian Authority, and his organization also lobbies the U.S. government on behalf of Israel.
Last year, Hagee was forced to withdraw his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate John McCain because of previously published comments that charged the Catholic Church conspired with Adolf Hitler "to exterminate the Jews." Hagee subsequently issued an apology.
My response:
Humph...
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