If you haven't noticed, Patrician Heaton has been a stalwart defender of Israel since the brutal murder of over 1,400 Israelis on October 7.
Heaton, a credit to the otherwise heavily liberal Hollywood crowd, is a Christian, conservative, and friend to the Israeli people - and she's been letting Hamas sympathizers, Israel critics, and hostage poster vandals have it with both barrels on TwitterX.
Enter Michael Ian Black, a Hollywood liberal.
The GOP's white evangelical base cares about Israel only insomuch as they believe Israel needs to exist to fulfill apocalyptic prophecy in the Book of Revelations. Like you, they mistakenly equate Israel with Jews. Their "loyalty" is anything but. https://t.co/YiwmLGRh5t
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) November 5, 2023
Yeesh.
The tweet crossed Heaton's radar, and she unleashed.
You're an atheist. I doubt you've done any in-depth study of scripture, theology, or listened to any of the thousands of scholars on this subject. I suspect you have no evangelical friends and that you live in a leftist bubble. Please remove yourself from this conversation until… https://t.co/Fmjk7et9SL
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) November 5, 2023
'Please remove yourself from this conversation until you've made the least little bit of effort to educate yourself.'
Ouch.
— NotYourFool (@NotYourFool10) November 5, 2023
Yep, it was sort of like that.
Leftists often have little or no experience with devoted Christians, so they assume all Christians are caricatures: two dimensional, dimwitted idiots who couldn't possibly be as intelligent, enlightened, or kind as they imagine themselves to be.
— Joanne Mason (@JoanneMason11) November 5, 2023
It's much easier to battle a caricature.
Most people don’t understand the deep and abiding love evangelicals have for the Jewish people. They are God’s chosen.
— TJ (@RestoreHonor) November 5, 2023
This is how most of the evangelicals we know think about the Jewish people.
This lady is one of my all time favorites!
— Psokratease (@garlickid) November 5, 2023
We love Patricia.
To his credit, given a night to sleep on it, and probably in light of the heat he received, Black issued an apology this morning as we were writing this story.
Everyone criticizing me for this tweet - your criticisms are FAIR and I apologize for the lazy generalization. https://t.co/1zTZW3Wuyc
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) November 5, 2023
Kudos to Michael Ian Black for not adding a 'but' to his apology and understanding the reason many took offense.
Full disclosure: This editor is a GOP-voting white evangelical who respects and supports Israel. That's the experience of many (most?) evangelical Christians, who learn that Israel is God's chosen people. It would be quite a leap to go from believing the creator of the universe set the people of Israel apart to only seeing them as a tool to usher in the apocalypse, which is not exactly an event most Christians are excited to see happen. LOL.
They're Jesus' FAMILY.
— (((Prayerborne))) (@prayerborne) November 5, 2023
They're the blood relatives of the person Whom we love above any other, and members of the ancient faith which He loved, kept, and fulfilled.
Stop embarrassing yourself by attacking a caricature of people whom you clearly not understand.
The Jew-hating person who calls himself a Christian is, at best, wildly misguided, and usually no Christian at all.
Weird how only non-Christians ever seem to run into these evangelicals that believe this. https://t.co/rKwuxZa664
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) November 5, 2023
Odd, isn't it?
He’s a rather obvious question: Does Michael Ian Black actually know any devout Evangelical Christians?
— Amerigo Chattin (@AmerigoChattin) November 5, 2023
We're guessing not. Perhaps this will be a learning experience for him.
The white evangelicals you know only care about Israel to fill fill apocalyptic prophecy? Not my experience with the majority of plain Christians whose religion literally teaches to support Israel and Jews are a blessed people. Not extremists praying for Armageddon.
— Phillip Ritchie (@phillipritchie_) November 5, 2023
Armageddon is not generally on the bucket list of the melanin-light Christian crowd. Sure, you'll have that older person who likes to say they're ready for Jesus to return. The younger Christians generally look like they're thinking 'Hold on, ma'am. We'd like a bit more time.'
Christians do, however, often take the instruction to pray for the peace of Jerusalem very seriously.
I grew up with conservative, dispensationalist Christians, and I've never heard one explain their support for Israel in anything like these terms.
— Ken Smith (@smithkl42) November 5, 2023
Same.
You have internalized characitures that exist only in the very online world
— Gary in DFW (@LakerGaryC) November 5, 2023
We think this is accurate.
We'd also caution you that online interactions are also responsible for creating caricatures of atheists. Screeching about your 'sky daddy' is generally an online phenomenon.
Did you get this off Wikipedia?
— Yochanan Maroć (@YochananMar) November 5, 2023
Since October the 7th, I have received non-stop pressure from people telling me to hate Israel.
Usually by people who have no clue about my theology trying to educate me on my theology.
We would note that the Christian community is largely in support of Israel and the Jewish people in the wake of the terror attacks. The same cannot be said of many on the Left who are generally not associated with evangelical Christianity.
I'm on staff at one of the largest Southern Baptist evangelical churches in the nation. I interact with (literally) thousands of white evangelicals each year.
— Pounce de León (@RightAllTheTime) November 5, 2023
I've never, not once, ever, heard someone frame their support for Israel in this way. Why do left-wingers believe this? https://t.co/HFPX0gySUS
There you go.
Why are you posting about evangelicals when you could be making the next season of Stella https://t.co/Z1nnHNhALP
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) November 5, 2023
LOL.
Well said, Ms. Heaton. 🙏❤️
— Be Present (@MGA9237) November 5, 2023
Well done on rethinking your statement, Mr. Black, and keep the heat on Mrs. Heaton!
We're not sure about Raymond, but everybody loves Patricia.
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