The Faux Controversy Over Huckabee and Catholics

Update- I want to retiterate a offer. . Arkansas has a significant Catholic and powerful minority. Especially in the Northern part. If anyone can show me that Mike Huckabee did not reach out to Catholics, include them in Government, or showed any signs of anti Catholicism during his tenure as Lt Governor and two terms as Governor I shall withdraw my support from Huckabee today!!!! I suspect you can't find any because I know his record shows the OPPOSITE!!!! But go ahead. I am listening!!!

In case you have not heard various forces are trying to make a big production out of Mike Huckabee speaking at the Cornerstone Church in Houston which is pastored by Hagee. Hagee is still one that has an outdated view on Catholics. It is a part of his theology. Huckabee is of course going there not to pick up the tiny "anti Catholic Vote" but to talk about things that bind Catholics and Evangelicals together. That is our common moral outlook on Life etc. Also I suspect he will be talking about his support for the State of Israel which is by far a more concern to Hagee and his congregation than Catholics are.

Now I really recommend that people go and visit Catholic Knight and get his take on the situation. I agree with that 100 percent. He also reminds us that George Bush spoke at the mecca of Anti Catholic thought that was Bob Jones University. George Bush in my view is the most Catholic friendly President we ever had. Bush went there to speak to Evangelicals on issues that all bring us together. He was not there to endorse whatever their particular view on Catholics, Anglicans, or Methodist were. Again go see the Catholic Knight's post.

Let me add a couple of things
Do Catholics question the faith and intentions of Catholic Convert and the new Governor Elect of Louisiana Bobby Jindal? Bobby Jindal , as is custom in Louisiana, visited many churches here in Louisiana. He even spoke form the altar. Several of these needless to say are not very Catholic sermon friendly.

However I will note that when the state democrat party ran anti Catholic ads targeting Jindal up in the Protestant part of Louisiana many of these same pastors thought a line was crossed and spoke against that. While much of the Catholic world and media in the US was silent!! I have escorted and been with numerous Catholic people running for office in some of these Churches. They wanted to hear what we had to say. Often our pro-life vison was a common bond.

By the way I used to be very involved in the Pro-life movement as on the frontlines . That involved interacting and working with people from "anti Catholic Churches". Catholics did that by the millions over the past decades. Were we wrong?

One of the major Christian Communities in the USA is the Missouri Synod of Lutherans. In their statement of faith they say the Office of the Papacy is the anti Christ. (BY THE WAY I AM NOT PICKING ON LUTHERNS_ I AM TRYING TO MAKE A POINT) .Can a person ask for their vote? Can they go their Churches or communities where they are at in great numbers? Are they different because they are more "mainstream" and common that Hagee's followers? I hope people are seeing the point. I have no interest in opening up the box of who is theologically correct to associate with in the political realm. Catholics should see this as an opportunity , while Huckabee is talking about what for many of us is a common vision, in interacting and making Apologetic arguments against what is now an outdated viewpoint in many ways for certain Evangelicals.

I would be very much more concerned if Pastor Hagee was ranting against Bush putting Catholic Judges on the Supreme Court or ranting against Catholic politicians. He appears to be concerned more about his own view of symbolism that is contained in the book of Revelation.

I really urge Catholics not to take the bait here. When Catholics and Evangelicals started working together it was not always easy. As I stated before we often were working side by side even when we thought the other side is wrong. What came out of that for the most part was a deeper appreciation of Catholicism and openness by Evangelicals and Protestants that not too long ago had huge misconceptions.