Jackson Free Press

The Associated Press is reporting that an extremist Texas televangelist who has embraced presidential candidate John McCain is coming to Jackson to speak. Rev. John Hagee, who said on NPR in 2006 that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God to punish sinful New Orleans, is speaking at a Congregational Methodist Church conference on June 7. Hagee has also in the past suggested that God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land and blamed Jews for the Holocaust. He has made comments offensive to Muslims by misinterpreting the Qur'an for his own purposes, saying that "those who live by the Qur'an have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews... it teaches that very clearly." He has also offended Catholics by saying that the religion pursues a "theology of hate."

After Hagee endorsed McCain, which McCain initially welcomed, the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights president William Donohue issued the following statement:

Now that he has secured the Republican nomination for president, and has received the endorsement of President Bush, McCain will now embark on a series of fundraising events. When he meets with Catholics, he is going to be asked about his ties to Hagee. He should also be asked whether he approves of comments like this: "A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years produced a harvest of hate." That quote is proudly cited by David Brog in his recent book, Standing with Israel. Both Brog and Hagee clearly identify the Roman Catholic Church as spawning a "theology of hate." This is nothing if not hate speech. There are so many good evangelical leaders in this country—Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Richard Land, Tony Perkins, Gary Bauer, Dr. Al Mohler, Chuck Colson—and none has ever insulted Catholicism.

Initially, McCain did not react negatively to Hagee's beliefs, saying, "I'm very proud to have Pastor Hagee's support." But after a public furor over Hagee's extremist beliefs, McCain said, "I repudiate any comments that are made, including Pastor Hagee's, if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics.