With all the fuss over the controversial remarks of Barack Obama’s former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I was surprised the media didn’t make more of John McCain’s recent acceptance of endorsements from right wing preachers John Hagee and Rod Parsley. 

The two are known for making inflammatory remarks against gays, women, Catholics, and Islam. 

Hagee once claimed that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God “for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn.” Hagee said, “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.” He said he believed God unleashed the hurricane on the people of New Orleans in response to a gay pride parade that was held a few days before the storm.

(Personally, such comments offend me deeply, as I feel they take God’s name in vain in a very destructive and detestable way. I think of those families getting air-lifted from their roofs and my heart just breaks.) 

Hagee is also well-known for delivering anti-Catholic sermons, and his attitude toward women is questionable. 

In his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman, Hagee asks, “Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist" 

And then there’s Rod Parsley. 

Parsley has said, “I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.”

Regardless of one’s position on American foreign policy, I think very few people would consider eradicating Islam to be the responsibility of our country. 

You can read these quotes and others in their entirety at: 
http://mediamatters.org

Now, I know that these guys are not McCain’s personal spiritual mentors, but McCain can choose to accept or reject any endorsement he pleases. Instead, he made a joint appearance with Hagee, in which he claimed to be “very proud to have Pastor Hagee’s support.”

Is there a double standard here? Or is this just what people have come to expect from the religious right?