Thursday, August 10, 2006

Hard to Draw 1 Million Christians a Year to a Park in Rocket Range

After watching Rev. Robertson’s interview with CNN last night, something stuck in my craw. Why would an Evangelical Christian beat our President to punch in directly communicating with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a month into an all out war on neighboring Lebanon? Why would Mr. Olmert agree to meet with Rev. Pat after his comments regarding the striken Ariel Sharon? Then it hit me!

After Pat’s faux pas, the Israeli Tourism Minister excluded the CBN founder from participating in the new Christian Theme Park next to the Sea of Galilee. The $60 million Galilee World Heritage Center will happen with or without Pat. However, rich Christian tourists don’t particularly want to be within Katyusha rocket range of Hezbollah or under threat from Syria given Israel’s occupation of the very nearby Golan Heights.

To turn the historical area into a tourist cash cow means clearing out neighboring threats. Hezbollah would need to be driven from the border and Syria would need to be neutralized. Then hoards of devoted Christians can spend their hard earned money at the Galilee World Heritage Center, walking the same trails Jesus tread 2,000 years ago.

Why did Pat come visit? Is he back in on the development or was this trip to pave the way for his Prodigal Son like return? Did he come to represent President Bush as Secretary of Faith? Or does Pat have new plans for the center, highlighting the Christian leadership center, aptly named the “Bush Center for Christian Bleedership”? Was he offering to make it a Judeo-Christian center and add Olmert’s name?

Nothing would surprise me nowadays, but be sure to look for Pat’s re-inclusion into the Galilee development. The religion of free markets has become intertwined with Christianity. Was that part of what God called good? Likely not, as the early Christian communities had a common pot or till. That’s what missing nowadays, the appreciation that all are loved Children of God. Concrete actions are being taken to the contrary and Pat’s leading the way.

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