Rating: 
Summary: Now I see
Review: This book changed my world view. I had grown up on the evangical end times philosophy never questioning what was going on in the Middle East. After reading this I have seriously studied current Middle Eastern politics and end times philosophy's from a more enlightened perspective. Thank you for this wonderful book!
Rating: 
Summary: Forcing one¿s Credulity
Review: This book is certainly a mixed bag; unfortunately it is more hyperbole and propaganda than a thoroughly researched tome. The book also suffers from a being rather unorganized and incredibly short. It seems to me that the author has attempted to immolate the world of 3 second sound bites rather than dive deeply into any of the subjects that have been presented.Ms. Halsell is obviously ideologically attached to her position, therefore there is no in depth analysis of the other side. For anybody who is remotely aware of the history of Israel and the Palestinians it can become downright painful to read the propaganda that she spews forth. For example, for her to get a 'true' history of the Palestinians she did NOT spend time in the library researching, nor did the author even speak to the acclaimed historians on both sides, instead she simply found a devout Arab Muslim and garnered all of her historical perspective from him (Chapter 8). WOW that's unbiased isn't it! Another example of this reporting is how she exposes Jerry Falwell's theology. Does she interview him? NO! Does she study his writings and teachings? NO! Does she do anything that a respective unbiased reporter would do? NO! Instead she proudly gets all the information from 3 individuals who are rank and file followers of Mr. Falwell. But is this book all bad, No, as with most cases of propaganda there is some truth mixed in with the lies. For example the author is correct in stating that dispensationalism is a recent invention. But she is in major error when labels it a cult. Dispensationalism, which I disagree with, does not in any way reach the sociological or psychological definition of a cult. In order for her to link them to a cult status she mentions the likes of Jim Jones or leaders of the "Branch Davidians" or "Heaven's Gate," who led followers to death declaring the end is near. The only problem with this analogy is none of these cultic leaders were dispensationalists. She is also either, intentionally or in ignorance, mentions Christian teachers who are not dispensationalists and tries to lump them in with dispensationalists. For Christians who take their bible seriously there is no doubt that Jesus will come again for the saints on the earth. There is also no question that there will be a tribulation or that there will be one final battle. Ms Halsell's seems to question all of these ideas which are really not in question to serious biblical scholars. What is in question is will the rapture occur BEFORE, DURING or at the END of the tribulation. That is the question. The only reason this book seems to have been written is to enforce the author's thoroughly anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian bias. It would seem to me that the author is so open-minded to the ideas of the terrorists of Palestine that her brains have fallen out. Give this book a pass.
Rating:
Summary: This book is Garbage
Review: This is a book that confronts Christian extremism head-on. You will be amazed by what Ms. Grace Halsell has been able to uncover. She talks candidly about what may probably be called The New Cult in America which is gaining momentum so fast, i.e., the cult headed by Evangelists like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Hal Lindsay who would stop at nothing to fulfil their un-Christ like agendas. The cult has been able to penetrate even the most powerful office in the world (The White House), and its current occupant, George W. Bush. They have literally hijacked Christianity, and turned it into the most intolerant, conniving, and violent faith. They are prepared to expedite the second coming of Jesus Christ by forcing the preceding events by any means necessary, even if it means destroying the planet Earth. They have changed, manipulated, and misinterpreted verses in the Bible to suite their evil goals. Another issue that Ms. Halsell talks frankly about is the "13th Tribe" in which she quotes Arthur Koestler, the author of the book, "The Thirteenth Tribe" in which he gives historical facts on how the current Jews in Israel are really non-Semitic because they are in reality originally East Europeans/Russians who CONVERTED to Judaism. "Forcing God's Hand" is really a must read for anybody who is concerned with the integrity of Christianity, the preservation of the true teachings of Jesus, and the deadly alliance being forged between the American Christian Right and the Zionists. A truly fascinating book that you would not want to put down, and will give you a wide scope of what really goes behind the scenes. It's a book that will surely make you stop and think, and start asking tough questions.
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Fascinating Book
Review: This is a book that confronts Christian extremism head-on. You will be amazed by what Ms. Grace Halsell has been able to uncover. She talks candidly about what may probably be called The New Cult in America which is gaining momentum so fast, i.e., the cult headed by Evangelists like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Hal Lindsay who would stop at nothing to fulfil their un-Christ like agendas. The cult has been able to penetrate even the most powerful office in the world (The White House), and its current occupant, George W. Bush. They have literally hijacked Christianity, and turned it into the most intolerant, conniving, and violent faith. They are prepared to expedite the second coming of Jesus Christ by forcing the preceding events by any means necessary, even if it means destroying the planet Earth. They have changed, manipulated, and misinterpreted verses in the Bible to suite their evil goals. Another issue that Ms. Halsell talks frankly about is the "13th Tribe" in which she quotes Arthur Koestler, the author of the book, "The Thirteenth Tribe" in which he gives historical facts on how the current Jews in Israel are really non-Semitic because they are in reality originally East Europeans/Russians who CONVERTED to Judaism. "Forcing God's Hand" is really a must read for anybody who is concerned with the integrity of Christianity, the preservation of the true teachings of Jesus, and the deadly alliance being forged between the American Christian Right and the Zionists. A truly fascinating book that you would not want to put down, and will give you a wide scope of what really goes behind the scenes. It's a book that will surely make you stop and think, and start asking tough questions.
Rating:
Summary: Illuminating Guide to Fundamentalism
Review: This timely manual should be required reading for those who are concerned about the rapidly exploding Christian fundamentalism movement and its growing political power. Interviews and accounts by followers of Jerry Falwell and other fundamentalist leaders, are illuminating and frightening, as the reader comes to understand that Christian fundamentalists, like Islamic fundamentalists, are praying for the immediate destruction of the earth in order to gain eternal life for themselves and damnation for the unsaved. Even more frightening is most of the fundamentalists are educated, middle or upper middle class Americans, who earnestly pray for the Rapture to come in their lifetime because of their perceived belief of the immorality in the modern world. Currently, several of the "Left Behind" books, written by Tim LeHaye, an icon in the Christian fundamentalist movement are on bestsellers' lists. In order to gain insight into what is being promoted by this cult, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: eye-popping revelations of Israel and Zionist Christians!
Review: What an amazing book! It opens a whole new look at why the country is in such a turmoil. Grace Halsell, who used to work at the White House during Johnson's years as president has presented us with a horrifying and believable theory that certain evangelical Zionist Christians and certain Israel citizens have been conspiring to hurry up the approaching Armegeddon so that they can receive what they call Rapture without going through the tribulations. She says this is why we have given Israel so much money and support over the years. In order for this to happen, they have to destroy Islams Holy shrines and build a third temple on the mount and use animals as sacrificialments like they did in early bible times. Millions and billions will die. Of course, since they are disobeying Gods Ten Commandments, they will not receive this rapture they are looking forward to, because God will choose when and how Armegeddon will happen. Will there be misery and death and loss if they continue on this course? Yes, many will suffer including them. Much of where the evangelists place their belief is from the Scofield Bible, written by a man of dubious character. He fled from Kansas (abandoning his wife and children) amid accusations of embezzling political contributions made to Senator John Ingalls, a former partner. When he was in jail for forgery he had a religious conversion and was under the influence of James Brookes, the Darbyite Dispensationalist. He ended up writing a Bible that went along with the regular Bible using his own interpretations of what he thought the bible meant and this is what many of our evangelists use now. Some of the people she lists that believe in this theory is Jerry Falwell (big time), Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsay, Tim Lehay, Ronald Reagan, Bush, Dan Quayle and wife, Tom Delay, TRent Lott, and many more. Read the book to understand what is at stake-our world as we know it.
Rating:
Summary: eye-popping revelations of Israel and Zionist Christians!
Review: What an amazing book! It opens a whole new look at why the country is in such a turmoil. Grace Halsell, who used to work at the White House during Johnson's years as president has presented us with a horrifying and believable theory that certain evangelical Zionist Christians and certain Israel citizens have been conspiring to hurry up the approaching Armegeddon so that they can receive what they call Rapture without going through the tribulations. She says this is why we have given Israel so much money and support over the years. In order for this to happen, they have to destroy Islams Holy shrines and build a third temple on the mount and use animals as sacrificialments like they did in early bible times. Millions and billions will die. Of course, since they are disobeying Gods Ten Commandments, they will not receive this rapture they are looking forward to, because God will choose when and how Armegeddon will happen. Will there be misery and death and loss if they continue on this course? Yes, many will suffer including them. Much of where the evangelists place their belief is from the Scofield Bible, written by a man of dubious character. He fled from Kansas (abandoning his wife and children) amid accusations of embezzling political contributions made to Senator John Ingalls, a former partner. When he was in jail for forgery he had a religious conversion and was under the influence of James Brookes, the Darbyite Dispensationalist. He ended up writing a Bible that went along with the regular Bible using his own interpretations of what he thought the bible meant and this is what many of our evangelists use now. Some of the people she lists that believe in this theory is Jerry Falwell (big time), Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsay, Tim Lehay, Ronald Reagan, Bush, Dan Quayle and wife, Tom Delay, TRent Lott, and many more. Read the book to understand what is at stake-our world as we know it.
Rating: 
Summary: How Heretical Christianity Supports Israeli Interests.
Review: _Forcing God's Hand: Why Millions Pray for a Quick Rapture-And Destruction of Planet Earth_ by Grace Halsell is a very interesting book giving some surprising information about popular theological trends in American Protestantism and how they relate to the US-Israel relationship and possibly the peace and stability of the Middle East. The book is not very academic in structure and like another reviewer notes, it "smacks of propaganda." Not only is this book propagandistic but it has a very left-wing slant to it as well (Halsell worked for President Johnson's administration back in the 1960s). However, what the book does cover is substantial and reveals certain problematic issues within American Christianity and how this carries over into foreign politics. Halsell's focus is on "dispensationalist" theology centered in "Bible churches" that began to develop during the mid 19th century by a British preacher John Darby, and popularized en masse by an American minister of questionable background, C. I. Scofield, around the turn of the century. Scofield published the _Scofield Reference Bible_ in 1908 and since then dispensationalism has proven extremely influential amongst evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants opposed to "higher criticism" in Biblical studies and theological liberalism that developed during the latter 19th century. Halsell notes well how dispensationalism deviates significantly from traditional Biblical interpretation agreed upon by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and mainstream Protestant churches. Until the advent of dispensational theology, most churches held more or less to the view of St. Augustine: God's "chosen people" consisted of believers in Christ, and the Old Testament references to a literal race of people as God's chosen were superceded by the universal message of the Gospel. Dispensationalism, on the other hand, adheres to a belief that God's covenants with Old Testament Israel (and therefore modern Jewry) are still in force. Non-Jews are rescued from God's wrath by faith in Christ, and Christ is the Jewish messiah who will come at the end of the tribulation to establish a literal 1000 year reign on earth before the final battle between good and evil. A main issue of contention between dispensationalists and orthodox interpretations is the issue of whether or not God's covenants with Israel were conditional or not. Dispensationalists hold that God's covenant with Israel is unconditional while traditional interpreters maintain God's covenants effectual with the participation of the human party involved, whether with a specific individual or group of people. God (in Genesis) promised Abraham that his descendants (the Jews) would inhabit a kingdom encompassing not only all of present-day Palestine, but Lebanon, parts of Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula as well. Not only this, but dispensationalists believe the foundation of Israel in 1948 as an officially Jewish state was a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy which is a sign of the end of time. Jesus will return to save the Jews from coming destruction at the hands of the Antichrist after they suffered three and a half years of persecution and warfare. Another curiosity of dispensationalist theology says that Christians will be "raptured" before the tribulation under the Antichrist begins. Other signs of the end times include a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem complete with the Levitical animal sacrifices-where the Muslim shine Aqsa Mosque stands today, Islam's third holiest site after the Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina. Although Jews in general have proven themselves time and time again hostile to Christian activity of any sort, Israeli politicians and military officers have developed a close relationship with American Christian fundamentalists to promote dispensational theology in return for political support for Israel. Many prominent members of the US Republican Party are adherents of dispensational theology and attend "Bible" Churches such as Jesse Helms, Trent Lott, Ronald Regan, Tom DeLay and Oliver North. Halsell, a left winger, is especially disturbed by some Jews in the US supporting right-wing Christians because of the security it entails for Israeli interests. The whole fundamentalist Christian/Israeli relationship is entirely hypocritical in the first place because not all Palestinians are Muslims. A sizable Arab Christian community has found a home in Palestine since the time of Christ alongside Jews and later Muslims for well over a thousand years. Christians in the US are supporting a state that persecutes Christians and drives them out of their ancestral homes--at the expense of billions of dollars of US taxpayers' money of course. Something desperately needs to be done to break this awful and inherently heretical alliance if the US wants to regain some prestige in the international community because of the widespread animosity it brings because of its unilateral support of Israel. This book is not perfect (for example it compares supporters of Israel like Jerry Falwell to much more radical right wingers like neo-Nazis, the KKK and Christian Identity sects) but it does offer an important perspective into this critical but ignored political/religious issue.
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