Will Lou Engle take his mega-antigay TheCall to Uganda?
New information indicates that Engle might bring TheCall stadium event - featuring predictions of a coming second American civil war and calls for acts of Christian martyrdom to stop legal abortion and gay marriage - to Uganda. Right now in Uganda there is a climate of anti-gay repression which has led to extra-judicial killings, torture and, most lately, a bill before Uganda's Parliament that mandates the execution of Ugandans for "aggravated homosexuality" and even simply being infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. The international community - including the US State Department – is trying to kill the bill or at least scale back the death penalty provision. “The most ‘dangerous terrorist’ is not Islam but God.” The US is still home base for Christian fanaticism and many of the new leaders of the religious right believe they either have a direct line to God – or hint they might be semi-Divine. Lou Engle unabashedly claims he has Holy water running in his veins: “Wherever I go I spit, but it’s holy water.” With nationally known old lions of the Christian right such as Jerry Falwell dying off or retiring, this younger leadership group is coming to the fore. And politicians know it – though they may not know exactly what they’re buying into. [image, left: Lou Engle leads rally] The most dangerous terrorist, according to Lou Engle, is God. It's a point that might warm Osama Bin Laden's heart. In a document titled "Doctrine of the Shedding of Innocent Blood," [PDF of document], Engle writes, "Where there is shedding of innocent blood, there is no atonement for the land. There is a blood pollution problem on America’s soil. The most “dangerous terrorist” is not Islam but God. One of God’s names is the avenger of blood. Have you worshipped [sic] that God yet." In his book Sons To Glory, Paul Jablonoskwi, who is sympathetic to Engle's cause, described a 2002 Lou Engle/TheCall event in Kansas City: "What I witnessed in Bartle Hall on December 31st 2002 was the antithesis of radical Islam. Instead of people wanting to blow themselves up to kill others, I saw young adults who were so radically in love with Jesus that they were willing to become martyrs for the sake of saving other people's lives. Someone from the stage asked, 'who here feels like they are called to die as a martyr for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ?' Many hands went up throughout the stadium." [image, right: Lou Engle anoints Mike Huckabee] Last summer, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee traveled to a Virginia Beach megachurch where an evangelist unknown to most of secular, mainstream America anointed and blessed the two GOP presidential hopefuls. Only days before Huckabee and Gingrich received Lou Engle's endorsement at Rock Church, on Sunday, May 31, 2009, Dr. George Tiller, one of the few medical professionals who would perform late term abortions, was gunned down in the lobby of his Wichita, Kansas church. The next morning CBS's Jeff Glor reported: "We did speak with the accused shooters' ex-wife yesterday. She said she was not surprised this happened and that she believed Roeder wanted to be a martyr for the cause." Lou Engle's personal website and his organization websites still feature extreme rhetorical attacks [1, 2] posted prior to George Tiller's assassination. In one of those posts, Engle wrote: When at an abortion clinic in Miami, a living-breathing baby is born during an abortion procedure and the baby is thrown away – alive into a plastic bag, the nation is appalled and the doctor is charged with two felonies and faces prison time. In the early 1980's, KKK and Aryan Nations strategist Louis Beam helped popularize a tactic known as "leaderless resistance" in which high profile propagandists would incite terrorist acts carried out by autonomous individuals and cell groups. During the 1990's leaders of the Army of God, wielding militant anti-abortion rhetoric, helped inspire terrorist bombings of abortion clinics and the assassination of doctors who provided abortions. Now, a decade later, one can hear such incitement coming from the stage at Lou Engle's TheCall events. As California journalist Karen Ocamb writes, members of the Army of God were out in force at Lou Engle’s TheCall antigay Prop 8 rally in San Diego, along with Jim Garlow and James Dobson, three of the guests on Perkin’s webcast about abortion and healthcare... Lou Engle and "Senator Brownback": roommates in martyrdom? One pertinent question is whether Lou Engle's ideological extremity has been quietly adopted by America's GOP power elite. In fact, such a question should be posed to Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, Lou Engle’s roommate for seven months, according to Engle. As Engle told congregants at a Hispanic church in Boston, Mass, on February 19, 2006, "I was mobilizing young people to go to Boston in 2001. The gathering ….. came 11 days after 9/11. Many people from New England called and they said ‘we can’t come. It’s not safe.’ It ticked me off. Why could Muslims die better for their faith than we can? We’re able to die better than Muslims. We’re living for self-preservation rather than bringing the Kingdom. We cannot live for self preservation.
[note: above transcript, provided by The Lion Of Judah Church in Boston, MA, of Lou Engle's Sept. 25, 2006 speech at the church, was slightly inaccurate and has been amended to correspond with audio and video of Engle's speech. See end of story for more details.] Nazirites On December 16th, Lou Engle, flanked by bearded young male disciples pledged to sexual purity whom Engle calls nazirites, led Senators Sam Brownback and Jim DeMint and House Representatives Michelle Bachmann and Randy Forbes in a telecast group prayer service against the health care reform bill now before Congress. The same day, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show picked up the event and broadcast footage from Engle's November 1st, 2008 pro-Proposition 8 stadium rally in San Diego, during which Engle declared that legal gay marriage would unleash "sexual insanity" upon America and made calls, from onstage, for acts of Christian martyrdom to stop legal abortion and gay marriage. On December 6th, 2008, Engle's TheCall staged it's first African event, in Kenya. Uganda may be next. So, who is Lou Engle ? [image,right: Lou Engle's young followers at an antiabortion protest. The red tape over their mouths, with the word "life" has been perhaps Lou Engle's most successful viral marketing success. The symbolic gimmick is promoted by Engle's Bound 4 Life ministry.] Lou Engle's organization TheCall was in the forefront of the fall 2008 pro-Proposition 8 campaign against legal gay marriage in California and set up 8 field offices in the state. Leaders in the campaign claim they fielded as many as 70,000 volunteers. Engle's son, Jesse, performs exorcisms to cast out "homosexual spirits" and has established a ministry in San Francisco's Castro District which, says Lou Engle, is "where the homosexuals boast the dominion of darkness." In a September 25, 2007 Las Vegas rally, Lou Engle told a crowd of his followers,
Engle has suggested and also predicted that legalized abortion will lead to a second American civil war. Engle appeared, in the documentary "Jesus Camp," alongside Becky Fischer - who specializes in evangelizing children and has stated she would like Christian children to learn to be as dedicated as young Islamic militants ready to lay down their lives for their cause. [Top, Left: Becky Fischer admires the dedication of Hamas' young suicide bombers ? Top, Right: Lou Engle predicts legalized abortion will lead to a second American civil war, TheCall Kansas City, December 31, 2007. Bottom, Left: Lou Engle calls for martyrs, at TheCall San Diego, November 1, 2008. Bottom, Right: Lou Engle, at Jesus Camp, indoctrinates children as future antiabortion movement warriors.]. Lou Engle's fevered rallies often betray a disturbing militancy. During Engle's November 1, 2008 Qualcomm Stadium TheCall event, which served as the capstone event to a massive anti-gay marriage push spearheaded by Engle's activists in California during summer and fall 2008, one of Engle's young acolytes called out to thousands filling the stadium,
"So God right now I ask, father, we celebrate the martyrs right now, God, and we ask, God, for a great martyr movement to go out of Qualcomm. I believe God is going to mark many of us with a spirit of martyrdom. And that is a glorious thing." Lou Engle followed up with, "Even under martyrdom, God, give me the grace - fasting twelve hours, with prayer: these are seeds are martyrdom. Days are coming when we're going to have to risk our lives to stand for truth in this society. Say, lift your voices and say, 'God, mark me now! Mark me - as a man or women of the cross and of Jesus Christ.' Say, 'mark me!' [below: Lou Engle's November 1, 2008 TheCall event, featuring calls for acts of Christian martyrdom to stop gay marriage and legal abortion]
Avengers of blood for Proposition 8 Over the last two decades, the American Christian right has gone truly global and established power centers in the developing world which now lend support to the long march in the United States towards extending Christian dominion over key sectors of society such as government, business and finance, education, media, and religion. Engle's role as leader of TheCall has now received some mainstream media notice - but the source of his influence is still largely unknown. Lou Engle is one of Peter Wagner's "prophetic elders" who, along with Sarah Palin's prayer group leader Mary Glazier, sits on Wagner's prestigious Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, one of the key leadership groups wielding influence over a sprawling, global new incarnation of the religious right known as the New Apostolic Reformation. It's a religious tendency, rapidly becoming the new face of the religious right, which welcomes women and minorities but features an ideology just extreme as that of the bigoted, nativist branch of the Christian right that Engle's movement will soon overshadow. Engle has described his movement as an "underground church" and he has stated, in an interview for a documentary video about his movement, "Right now they haven't seen the true church. There's an underground church that the world has no idea that exists. Once they get the stage, it's over with."
While the American left has heavily focused on the Tea Party movement, leaders in Engle's arising tendency, which I've described as the The Rainbow Right, wield major electoral influence with minority groups and can infiltrate Washington-based Democrat "centrist," "common ground" efforts with ease. National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference President Samuel Rodriguez, one of Peter Wagner's apostles, has been listed on the TheCall's advisory board (recently wiped from TheCall's website, link is to Internet Archive version of page) which is almost a who's-who of Wagner's movement. [video, below: Lou Engle, in February 19, 2006, at a Boston Hispanic church, talks about his relationship with his former condo-mate Senator Sam Brownback] Four of the Christian leaders appearing in the "PrayerCast" event alongside Brownback and DeMint played dominant roles in a two and a half hour key motivational and planning conference call held July 30th, 2008 for leaders of the Christian right who organized the successful campaign to block gay marriage in Arizona, Florida, and California. Those leaders are: Jim Garlow, Bishop Harry Jackson, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, and Lou Engle of TheCall. Engle's operation was so central to the California pro-Prop 8 drive that one of the four campaign timeline maps, distributed to members of that July 30th, 2008 conference call detailing major elements and events for the anti-gay marriage campaigns in AZ, FL, and CA, was dedicated solely to TheCall's effort in California. [ below: map/timeline for TheCall's pro-Prop 8 effort in CA ]
Taking it on the road... to Uganda ? It's an international effort. TheCall has staged its stadium-sized anti-abortion and anti-gay rights events in numerous countries around the world, including Australia, Germany, the Philippines, Norway, England, Jerusalem, Brazil, and Kenya. Reports indicate TheCall is now planning to stage one of its rallies in Uganda, next May 2010. As evangelist Jo Anna Watson, founder of Touching Hearts International, describes in her November 2009 ministry newsletter, I attended the International Call Summit, October 28 -30, hosted by Lou Engle and Stacey Campbell. Over 20 participants from other nations were gathered who are interested in holding a Call in their nation. This summit was very informative as we were filled with the DNA of the CALL and encouraged to follow through with what God has placed on our heart. On October 30th I flew to Chicago to attend the last two days of Pastor John Mulinde's prayer summit. We met on Saturday to discuss in more detail and make preparations for the CALL Uganda to be held May 29, 2010. I will arrive in Uganda on January 6 and will be living in Uganda to partner with Pastor John Mulinde as we prepare and mobilize this Sacred Assembly, similar to the one described in Joel 2. I ask you to keep theCall Uganda and our team in prayer and if possible to fast one day a week or month, along with us, in preparation for the Call Uganda on May 29, 2010. As Watson wrote in an earlier post,
Lou Engel and Mike Bickle have organized an International Call Summit, October 27 to 30 2009 in Kansas City. I will be attending this meeting since TouchingHearts International is partnering with Apostle John Mulinde, World Trumpet Mission, Uganda to mobilize and host TheCall Uganda. I am excited to hear representatives from a number of nations will be attending. Please keep Apostle John and his family in your prayers as he has been very sick. A miraculous Ugandan "Transformation:" The Glory Spreads [image, below: as depicted in "Transformations II : The Glory Spreads, on January 1, 2000, the nation of Uganda was officially covenanted, for 1,000 years, to God. With the Ugandan government's close cooperation, the nation has become the most celebrated example of "Transformation" in the movement and is routinely showcased at international "Transformation" conferences. Hawaii and San Francisco are other targets for "Transformation." Transformations II claims faith healing has caused miracle curing of HIV/AIDS in Uganda]
Julius Oyet, a spokesman for the Transformations movement so central to the Transformations mythos that Oyet has starred in his own dedicated Transformations video, "An Unconventional War", is a powerful Ugandan evangelist who played a major role in organizing and inspiring Ugandan legislators who have put the internationally condemned so-called "kill the gays bill" before Uganda's parliament. Both Lou Engle, Robert Mulinde, and Julius Oyet are tied the religious networks of a man even less well known than Lou Engle - C. Peter Wagner. John Mulinde has also starred in the Transformations propaganda videos that have propelled Wagner's movement. Mulinde's ministry World Trumpet Mission ministry is co-located in Uganda and Southern Florida. Marketed under the global brand name of "Transformations," the Transformations videos purport to be documentaries which show how Christians can bring about Earthly utopias by hounding witches, expelling demon spirits, and unifying Christians across denominational lines; a religious ideology that for over a decade was exported from the Colorado Springs megachurch of former National Association of Evangelicals president Ted Haggard. Thomas Muthee, seen during the 2008 presidential election anointing and blessing Sarah Palin and calling upon God to protect Palin against "every form of witchcraft," is another globally famous star featured in the Transformations videos. Oyet: "mob justice will kill and destroy witches, thieves and evil people" As detailed in a December 4th report published at the religious right watchdog website Talk To Action, Julius Oyet has played a major, little-reported role as Uganda President of the College of Prayer, a Virginia-based international ministry closely tied to Wagner's religious networks. He's been critical in organizing Ugandan legislators, included MP David Bahati, who spearheaded the push for the Anti Homosexuality Bill now before Uganda's Parliament. As part of a "Prophetic Directive for 2009" published on Oyet's ministry website, the evangelist, who is influential in a new association of born-again Ugandan Christians purportedly nine-million strong, wrote, 9. A Year For The Righteous To Experience The Right Side Of The Double-Edged Sword Of God's Judgment: There are two sides to God's divine judgment - the left and the right side. The left side belongs to the wicked while the right side belongs to the righteous. The ninth year of divinely orchestrated judgment is a time for the righteous to experience the right side of the double-edged sword of God's judgment. Which side of the judgment you fall on will depend on your position under God. This is not a time to play tricks with God. It is not a time to walk in rebellion. It is rather a time to walk intimately with your Maker. It is a time to walk in integrity through the manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit. (2 Chronicles 16:9). "There will be lots of dead dogs in your streets. This will show my judgement on evil in the land!" Says the Lord. God will judge evil in 2009 as mob justice will kill and destroy witches, thieves and evil people. There will be lots of manifestation of Satanists and exposition of homosexuality and other evils in the Church, human sacrifice and all sorts of evil will manifest in the nations. God's people will rise in full authority and dominion! The righteous will march against evil and triumph over them all. [image, below" Julius Oyet's College of Prayer group in Uganda played a major role in organizing and inspiring Ugandan legislators who have pushed the "kill the gays" bill before Uganda's parliament.]
[video, below: Julius Oyet describes the Uganda College of Prayer] Wagner, Wagner, everywhere According to C. Peter Wagner’s Apostle Os Hillman, in 2006 Julius Oyet traveled to a December 2006 Dallas meeting of Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles. Another highly influential evangelist in Uganda also tied to C. Peter Wagner is Purpose Driven Life author and megapastor Rick Warren, who in 2008 launched a national-level "Purpose Driven" program in Uganda. Warren has recently denied that he and Wagner are "attempting to rid the world of homosexuals." In a statement released through Warren's extensive global networks reported to reach tens of thousands of pastors worldwide, Rick Warren declared "I have not had contact with Peter Wagner for many years and am certainly not conspiring with him." C. Peter Wagner has written that Rick Warren is "stage one." In May 2008 Warren's publicist A. Larry Ross issued a press release announcing Warren was launching an official Purpose Driven program in Uganda. In the forefront of Rick Warren's efforts has been Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan, which claims that "spiritual poverty" is the paramount "global giant" afflicting the world's poor. Warren has called upon his followers to be as dedicated to Jesus as the followers of Hitler, Lenin, and Mao were to their respective leaders. As Peter Wagner wrote in his 2008 book Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World, I think the P.E.A.C.E. plan fits most comfortably into Phase One, the "social action" phase of strategies for obeying God's cultural mandate. The Phase Two emphases on strategic-level spiritual warfare and associated activities have not been placed front and center. And crucial to Phase Three, as I am defining it, are such things as apostolic/prophetic government of the Church, the Church (including apostles) in the workplace, the great transfer of wealth, dominion theology and the 7-M mandate. The Seven Mountains mandate, also called the 7-M mandate," calls on Christians to achieve positions of influence on seven "mountains" which are key sectors of society such as business, government, education, media, and entertainment. Before he anointed and blessed Sarah Palin on October 16, 2005, Thomas Muthee, who Peter Wagner has described as a close friend, outlined the 7-M mandate. Sarah Palin was among Muthee's audience. [below: short video documentary. At 24, Sarah Palin joined Mary Glazier's Wasilla prayer group. Glazier claims she fought a witch in '95, and she advocates religious cleansing of entire lands, by believers in her movement. Palin's close ties to Glazier were described in a January, 2009 story published in Charisma magazine.]
*Note on corrections in church transcription of Sept. 25, 2006 Engle speech: the original transcript, done by the Boston church where Lou Engle gave his February 19, 2006 sermon, quoted Engle referring to Senator Sam Brownback as "Senator Brownbag." The audio recording of Engle's speech doesn't seem to justify that misspelling of the Senator's name. Also, the original church transcript omitted "New England."
Will Lou Engle take his mega-antigay TheCall to Uganda? | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)
Will Lou Engle take his mega-antigay TheCall to Uganda? | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)
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