Jesus, himself, was not a Christian. He was, as were all his other followers, Jewish. Jesus was a Rabbi. So it seems to me matter of course that he was circumcised, Bar Mitzvahed and even crucified as a Jew.

Mark, if you read the comments higher up you’ll learn that the ritual of Bar Mitzvah was instituted well after the time of Christ. Most Jews know this, but apparently Hagee knows so little about the historical period Jesus lived within that he spouts such absurd assertions.

Was anyone else struck by Hagee telling Terry Gross “there are jews who believe in Jesus Christ. There are arabs who believe in Jesus Christ”

Apples and oranges much?

Exactly…the Jews and Muslims who believe in Jesus do not believe in him as being “the Christ”. In fact, in Islam, it’s pretty much required that folks believe in Jesus as he is a prophet mentioned in the Quran and the hadith. Not so mandatory in Judaism, but many do accept the human existance of Jesus, the Rabbi.

Jesus, himself, was not a Christian. He was, as were all his other followers, Jewish. Jesus was a Rabbi. So it seems to me matter of course that he was circumcised, Bar Mitzvahed and even crucified as a Jew. He considered himself a Jew, Mary his mother thought her son was a Jew, the Romans considered him Jewish, his followers and his enemies all knew him to be Jewish.

So, if your are quoting Hagee is to no purpose. Except perhaps to anti-Semites who choose not to acknowledge that Jesus, the “founder” of the Christian religion was a Jew. But that is not ironic.

Apples and oranges much?

Besides his million-dollar compensation package, Hagee has a portfolio of other ventures, including a cattle ranch in south Texas that may have religious significance. Many evangelicals believe that the arrival of a “perfect red heifer” will signal the end times. In the Old Testament, burning a red heifer and sprinkling its ashes is described as a purification ritual for priests entering the temple. Ultra-orthodox Jews believe that the birth of a modern perfect red heifer will herald the arrival of the messiah, leading to a confrontation with Muslims over the Temple Mount, where Jews believe the Temple will be rebuilt. Some evangelicals likewise regard the red heifer as a harbinger of the ultimate showdown at the Temple Mount, which they believe will be the site of the Second Coming. And they believe that time is near.

To many other observers, the advent of the red heifer threatens to provoke a violent struggle for control of the Temple Mount, with worldwide repercussions. In the late 1990s, a group of unidentified Texas ranchers reportedly bred a perfect red heifer, which generated excitement in evangelical circles until the animal sprouted some black hairs.

Six years ago, the John C. Hagee Royalty Trust paid more than $5.5 million for a 7,600-acre ranch in Brackettville, Texas, where cattle are raised in a venture with the Texas Israel Agricultural Research Foundation, a nonprofit outfit operated by the pastor. (Another part of the property is a resort hunting facility, where guests paying up to $250 for a night’s stay can also land their planes at the ranch’s private airstrip.) Last year, Hagee hired one of the top lobbyists in San Antonio, David Earl, to urge the state Legislature to exempt Hagee’s foundation from water-use regulations. A spokeswoman for the bill’s sponsor, Representative Frank Corte, whose district includes Hagee’s church, said that he introduced it on behalf of a constituent, but added that she was not authorized to divulge the identity of that constituent. (The bill stalled in committee.) Earl said that Hagee wants to share information to improve the production of livestock, particularly cattle, with an Israeli research project, but otherwise claimed to be unsure of the particulars. Dr. Scott Farhart, an obstetrician and trustee of the John C. Hagee Royalty Trust (and an elder at Hagee’s church), did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the director of the ranch.

If this is centrist, what do these people consider extreme?

Me.

This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions. (h/t Atrios)

[Late to the party, but wanted to toss in my two cents. Nice post, Jane.]

I think it was Gandhi who said something like, “I like your Jesus Christ. The Christians, not so much.”