by B. R. GOWANI
Schematic diagram of the shadow cast by the Earth. Within the central umbra shadow, the Moon is totally shielded from direct illumination by the Sun. In contrast, within the penumbra shadow, only a portion of sunlight is blocked. DIAGRAM/Wikipedia
The natural phenomenon of lunar eclipse occurs when there is a full Moon, and the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned in the straight or almost straight line. The Earth being in the middle, its shadow prevents the sunlight from reaching the Moon which results in an eclipse. But when it’s a total lunar eclipse, then the appearance of the Moon turns reddish and is called a “Blood Moon.”
In the past, civilizations lacking technology and the modern science tried to explain natural happenings by creating different myths and associating them with various natural occurrences which were beyond their understanding. Many a times, people tried to link historical, fictional, or spurious incidents with eclipses. One such event was tied to the Arbela battle of Alexander the Great. There is nothing unusual about eclipses, solar or lunar; the Babylonians, Greeks, and others kept records – historical records of Chinese solar eclipses dates back over 4,000 years and have proved useful to scientists. Four hundred years back, the European astronomers started publishing books with diagrams explaining solar and lunar eclipses. The posters were also distributed to allay people’s fear.
http://youtu.be/5ncsPR5Gw7Q
“Blood Moon” rising – NASA’s timelapse video of total lunar eclipse You Tube
And today in 21st century, when the scientific and technological discoveries and inventions have made such an enormous progress, it is hard to believe that religious con men, who have always been around, try to create fear in people’s minds about the natural phenomenon by quoting some or other nonsense from religious scriptures and then linking them up with their own interpretations. Then there are people like John Hagee who not only frighten vulnerable people with their bizarre expositions but also evoke hatred about other nations and religious groups.
http://youtu.be/FvLo57f0Do8
Pastor John Hagee started his ministry with 25 members in 1975 and now commands 25,000 active members in a megachurch. He opposes abortion and homosexuality, doesn’t believe in global warming, is a rabid supporter of Israel, and is a leader of a group called Christians United for Israel (CUFI). He believes the Arab and Russian armies will invade Israel but God will destroy them both.
Non-existent God cannot perform such a feat but the God, which has such a power and we call the United States, can do such a thing. The blind and racist support of Israel by the US, the central cause of Palestinian people’s misery and desperation, could force some Palestinians to do something drastic against Israel, and in turn getting destroyed. However, the chances of Palestinians taking any such action are almost nil. The other Arab countries are neither in such a position nor have the stamina to indulge in such actions. About Russia, the US is currently busy luring that country to the path of destruction – unless Putin doesn’t fall into the US trap. Russia has once before fallen into such a trap.
The April 15, 2014 blood moon will be followed by three more in 2014 and 2015. The four consecutive blood moons are called tetrad and this time they are coinciding with Jewish holidays. This coincidence provided Hagee with a golden opportunity to frighten his audience about the coming of the End Times. Last century, tetrad occured four times: 1909-10, 1927-28, 1949-50, 1967-68, 1985-86. And in this century, it has happened once before in 2003-2004. In the video, Hagee quotes from the Hebrew Bible (also called the Old Testament, i.e., the Jewish part of the Bible):
“I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.“The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
Joel 2:30-31, New International Version
Then he informs his audience that Apostle Peter repeats Joels statement word for word, (New Testament Acts 2:19-20) the implication being that it lends more credit to Joel’s prophesy.
After prophet Joel and apostle Peter, it is pastor Hagee’s turn to opine:
“I believe that the heavens are God’s billboard; that He has been sending signals to planet Earth. And we just haven’t been picking them up.”
Now Hagee is intelligent enough to understand that the technology to pick up all kinds of signals, conversations, letters, emails, etc. lies with the US national Security Agency’s surveillance program and so he should contact NSA. Much easier to contact would be Edward Snowden.
The religious fanatics such as Hagees thrive on these kind of nonsense and take advantage of vulnerable people. The world doesn’t work like that. There were no such countries as Russia or Iran during the Biblical times. Today’s Iran is just a tiny part of the once mighty Achaemenid empire; it covered a huge area and comprised of many modern day countries. It was the first world empire. In more than two millennia, unrecognizable changes in Iranians’ DNA must have taken place due to migrations, intermarriages, and mixing of races that Hagee’s God would go crazy in trying to find out the true Persian descendents of the ancient Persians to destroy them. But then genocidal God doesn’t care much; He just wants death and destruction.
One thing to remember is that the ruling classes only worry about their interests and so forms and breaks alliances accordingly. It is people like Hagee who don’t let go old enmities.
And whoever has a megachurch and/or a megaphone has the power to spread megalies and can get away with it, most of the times. However, in 2006, Hagee was criticized when he laid the blame for Hurricane Katrina on gays and lesbians.
“All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.“
Over a thousand people, mostly blacks, died in that 2005 hurricane due to pure criminal negligence of the George W. Bush government, despite prior warnings of Hurricane Katrina‘s damage causing potential. Blackwater made lots of money out of that hurricane.
And here is Bush’s mother and former First Lady Barbara Bush talking about the hurricane victims:
“What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas.” “Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.”
“And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway.” “So this is working very well for them.”
And Hagee has the nerve to blame the gays and lesbians!
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com