McCain Still Silent on Hagee, Armageddon and Iran

Barack Obama in no uncertain terms Tuesday made a clear break with his incendiary former minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  But despite Obama's disavowal of his one-time pastor's outrageous statements, the media spotlight continues to shine on Wright.  Meanwhile, John McCain has maintained his silence on the dangerous vision of Armageddon and Iran held by his own pastoral supporter, John Hagee.

In the wake of Wright's erratic grandstanding at events on Sunday and Monday, Senator Obama made it clear he had enough of the minister's continuing affronts:

"I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he's done enormous good...But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS...There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced."

But 63 days after he declared himself "very proud" and "honored" to the have the endorsement of the End Times Pastor John Hagee, Republican John McCain still has not answered - or even been asked - the question that should concern all Americans:

Does John McCain agree with Pastor John Hagee that war with Iran is the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of Armageddon?

When John McCain on April 2, 2006 said of possible simultaneous conflicts with Iraq and Iran that "I think we could have Armageddon," was he literally speaking of the final conflagration involving the mass conversion and killing of the Jews described in the Bible?  Does John McCain believe, as Pastor Hagee clearly does, that American foreign and national security policy should be governed by the Book of Revelation?

Despite his assurances to the contrary, John Hagee's 2006 address to his organization, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), left no doubt where he stands on Israel and war with Iran as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy:

"The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God's plan for both Israel and the West...a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ"

On February 27, 2008, John McCain stood on a San Antonio stage with Pastor Hagee.  When will John McCain say where he stands on Hagee's most dangerous - and apocalyptic - beliefs about Iran?

UPDATE 1: For his part, in March Pastor Hagee assured CNN's Glenn Beck that Barack Obama is not the Anti-Christ.  Of course not. According to John Hagee, the Anti-Christ will be the head of the European Union.

UPDATE 2: In an editorial Wednesday, the New York Times notes that "Senator John McCain has continued to embrace a prominent white supporter, Pastor John Hagee, whose bigotry matches that of Mr. Wright." Still nothing about the end-of-times conflict with Iran.

** Crossposted at Perrspectives **