A Question For The Eschatologically Astute
December 31st, 2007 | by Scott |I just noticed that Tim LaHaye has endorsed Mike Huckabee for president.
A major linchpin in the militant premillennial belief is that things have to get progressively worse leading up to the rapture.
My question in this: Does LaHaye believe that a Huckabee presidency will usher in the last days and thereby prompt the rapture? 
11 Responses to “A Question For The Eschatologically Astute”
By P & C on Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
Ha! Great question!
If he’s true to his beliefs, he should be for Hillary or Obama.
By Steve Allison on Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
I joined Digg and then hit the Digg button for your post. It is a good question that could engender some good discussion here and elsewhere. Thanks to Foy E. Wallace, in large part, our heritage is not afflicted by millenial worries or conspiracies. Or is that just my prejudice from how I was raised?
With all the money he’s made off the rapture, LaHaye would seem to have his responses limited by that consideration.
By len on Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
This will definitely make me think twice about Huck. I am so not a fan of Lahaye’s. Scott, when are you going to do a post on the top 10 problems in the church caused by the Left Behind theology?
By Scott on Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
I think it is interesting in how that fatalistic eschatology informs their worldview. I think of Hagee rejoicing when Israel bombed Lebanon earlier this year.
So, why even campaign for the one who most agrees with you? Wouldn’t you vote for the one who you think will most mess things up?
Len, give me some suggestions. I have quite a few as I think it’s a pretty poor understanding of scripture.
By greg on Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
“Wouldn’t you vote for the one who you think will most mess things up?”
Sounds more and more like he might be doing just that.
By len on Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
Scott,
At the risk of sounding like an emerging, left-wing pastor like you, the manner in which we treat the environment would be close to the top.
By R-Liz on Jan 2, 2008 | Reply
Who would want LaHaye’s endorsement? I’d think it would hurt more than help.
And I love Len’s idea. If you did a 10-top list like that, I’d probably print it out and pass it around the community. What a great conversation starter!
By happy on Jan 2, 2008 | Reply
I was thinking that Huckabee might want some of that money LaHaye has been saving up for his days on earth after the rapture.
By Scott on Jan 3, 2008 | Reply
I waffle on stuff like this quite a bit. I don’t want to belittle others and what they sincerely believe. On the other hand I do believe that the Left Behind theology is so insidiously dangerous that it bears greater discussion. And if the “Commander-in-Chief” has such a cataclysmic view of the Last Days how does that inform his worldview?
It seems to me that those in that camp would argue that they would see the worsening of world affairs for what they truly are: the impending end. Obviously, if the rapture occurred then Huckabee would not be able to stand for re-election. Do you go with an amillennial running mate to have someone left behind who shares your values?
By jasonk on Jan 3, 2008 | Reply
Is it really relevant who endorses a candidate? Did Huckabee embrace this endorsement, reject it, or refuse to acknowledge it? Also, can a candidate help who endorses him or her?
Charles Manson might endorse a candidate, but that candidate has no ability to keep him from doing so, right? Sure, he can distance himself from an endorsement, but maybe the best thing to do is nothing.
Huckabee worries me because of his lazy eye. Okay, not really. But he did appear on Leno last night, and when asked why he would cross the picket lines, he said he thought Leno had reached an agreement with the WGA, so it was okay to cross. Liar. Or idiot, one. Either way, I don’t want him to be the president if he is no smarter than that.
Al Sharpton endorsed Obama, did he not? Does that make you feel any better or worse about Obama? If Sean Penn endorsed Obama, and Sean Penn stood with Hugo Chavez, who hates the United States, does that have a bearing on one’s support for Obama?
I’m not sure that endorsments, especially from people like LaHaye, who are relatively unknown outside of Christian circles, really have a bearing on how one should vote.
By Scott on Jan 3, 2008 | Reply
Jason, I think you miss my point. I was focusing on Lahaye and his motivations, not the pros and/or cons of a Huckabee presidency.
I found humor in Lahaye, given his theology, endorsing a candidate. I, too, think none of it really matters.