‘No Friend of Christians’: This Is Hugo Chavez‘s Alleged ’Anti-Christian’ History
This is a crosspost from Beliefnet.com.
After years of criticizing the church, kicking out Christian missionaries, assisting terrorists and praising atheists, Venezuela’s mercurial strongman, Hugo Chavez, came home from a botched cancer treatment in Cuba, then took to Venezuela’s airwaves to call out to Christ for help.
(Related: Huge Chavez Is Increasingly Relying on…Jesus Christ?)
“Give me Your crown, Jesus,” the ailing autocrat proclaimed. “Give me Your cross, Your thorns so that I may bleed. But give me life, because I have more to do for this country and these people. Do not take me yet.”
“Chavez cried,” reported David Gerges for the British newspaper the Daily Mail, “and his voice broke in the televised speech made in his home of Barinas, in front of his parents and other relatives. The 57-year-old praised Jesus and called on God to spare his life, in an emotional speech. Chavez made his plea standing below an image of Jesus with the Crucifix. He was anchored by his mother and father who both held his hand as a priest led a prayer for his health.”
Chavez then flew to capitalist Brazil for emergency medical treatment after communist Cuban doctors inflicted intestinal radiation burns on him during mishandled treatments for his cancer. Officially Chavez has never admitted he has cancer – and has provided no details of his illness.
However, the broadcast marked a double repudiation for Chavez, who delights in wearing Fidel Castro’s Communist mantle – and revels in his inherited role as America’s greatest antagonist in the Western Hemisphere.
The Brazilian media reported that the ailing Chavez checked into the Sirio e Libanes hospital in Sao Paulo. Earlier, he had rejected Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s offer for medical assistance, preferring treatment in Cuba.
But now, Chavez came home from officially atheist and communist Cuba to embrace both Christianity and capitalist medicine. It’s quite a turnabout.
In 2010, he denounced Catholic leaders, accusing priests of siding with the country’s wealthy rather than the poor and suggesting that Christ would whip some church leaders for lying after Cardinal Jorge Urosa warned that Chavez was a threat to democracy and freedom.
During his decades in power, Chavez has silenced critics, grabbed unprecedented power with decrees allowing him to draft and sanction laws without the participation of the National Assembly — and has run roughshod over human rights. He repudiated the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights after it accused him of massive human rights violations. In 2009, Freedom Watch accused Chavez of terrorism, including conspiring with Colombian guerrillas, al-Qaida and the Taliban. Exiled Venezuelan journalist Antonio Guzman-Blanco says Chavez maintains close ties to FARC and ELN Marxist, two drug-trafficking guerrilla terrorist groups dedicated to destabilizing neighboring Colombia.
“Chavez has been sympathetic to the regimes in Libya, Iran and Iraq and has been recently tied to the ETA Basque terrorist organization,” writes Guzman-Blanco. ”It is widely believed that he also has ties to Arab terrorist organizations, and that he provided safe passage to Colombia for several IRA operatives.” In 2008, the Miami Herald identified Chavez’s minister of defense as an international narcotics kingpin. Prominent Venezuelan journalist Ricardo Guanipa fled the country under death threats after he exposed widespread Chavez appointees’ corruption.
“Chavez has proven himself to be no friend of Christians” – or Jews either for that matter, reported Timothy C. Morgan for Christianity Today magazine in 2009, noting Chavez’s expulsion of missionaries from Venezuela and a number of anti-Jewish incidents blamed on Chavez.
In particular, the report cited an attack on the Tiferet Israel Synagogue in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and quoted Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer saying, “Over the past several years, the Jewish community has suffered as President Chavez and government-affiliated media publicly made anti-Semitic remarks and published anti-Semitic cartoons and opinions.”
Morgan also recounted Chavez’ expulsion of hundreds of Christian missionaries, accusing them of contaminating the cultures of indigenous populations. His Ministry of Interior revoked their permission to serve in the Venezuelan jungles or run schools, clinics and nutrition centers that had been in operation for decades. Chavez called the missionaries “imperialists” and proclaimed he felt “ashamed” at their presence.
Singled out by Chavez was New Tribes Ministries, “which preaches to non-Christian indigenous peoples,” reported the BBC, “one of Latin America’s biggest missionary organizations” which ”has 3,200 workers and operates in 17 countries, with operations in West Africa and Southeast Asia, too.”
Christian workers were forced to leave remote tribal areas and other pulled out after Chavez officials warned that they, too, would be expelled and banned from working with indigenous tribes if they did not leave voluntarily.
Chavez called the Christian missionaries “part of a broader conspiracy in Washington to topple a president whose regional influence is growing thanks to massive oil revenues,” reported BBC’s Simon Watts. “U.S. officials clearly do not like Chavez much, but they strongly deny any plot and it is also hard to tell how genuinely the Venezuelan president believes what he says.
“Like his friend Fidel Castro, Chavez thrives on conflict and finds it politically useful to portray himself as a victim of U.S. aggression.”
“The Associated Press’ Christopher Toothaker has a long and fascinating look at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,” reported Molly Hemingway a few days ago for GetReligion.org. “Let’s get right into it. Here’s the top of the piece:
“CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has spent much of his career praising the socialist ideas of famed atheists such as Karl Marx and Fidel Castro. Now in the thick of a prolonged battle against cancer, however, the leftist leader is drawing inspiration more than ever from a spiritual leader: Jesus Christ.
“Chavez has been praying for divine intervention during increasingly infrequent appearances on television, holding up a crucifix while vowing to overcome his illness. He says living with cancer has made him ‘more Christian.’”
His voice cracking with emotion, “‘I’m sure our Christ will do it again, continuing making the miracle,’ Chavez said as he raised his cross to his lips and kissed it, prompting applause from an audience of aides.
“If Chavez survives cancer, political analysts say his increasing religiosity could pay election-year dividends in a country where Catholicism remains influential.”
“And,” observes Hemingway, “it goes on like that for a while. The report is detailed and includes quite a bit of perspective from analysts (including of the skeptical variety). He’s apparently become quite outspoken about his faith, even crying during a televised Mass with relatives. The article is illustrated with a picture of Chavez holding up a crucifix and kissing it.”
“The story of Hugo Chávez’s presidency in Venezuela since he first arrived in office in 1999 has been a bit like the dance of the seven veils,” noted the Economist magazine a few years ago.
His pilgrimage to Iran’s sacred Islamic shrine to the Imam Rida, caused an uproar in the Iranian press, reported Australia’s News Limited. Outraged Muslims criticized him “of being a communist and an atheist. They further criticized the Islamic Republic for allowing him to enter the shrine.”
The Fars News Agency defended officials’ allowing Chavez to visit the shrine, saying in part that the Venezuelan leader “believes that Jesus Christ will come along with Imam Mahdi to fill the world with justice.” The Mahdi is the Shi’ite Messiah, whose pending return is anticipated by Chavez’s friend, the Iranian President. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has lectured the U.N. General Assembly on numerous occasions about the Mahdi. Ahmadinejad believes the Mahdi will usher in an era in which all nations will convert to Islam, resulting in world peace.
Recently, native Venezuelans shamans wearing parrot feathers and beads also held a healing ritual for Chavez at a Caracas plaza in May, performing traditional dances and chants, and kneeling on the ground in prayer. “The objective is to inject the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution with positive energy,” said Jesus Antonio Juagivioy, a chieftain from the president’s home state of Barinas who participated in the ceremony. “We pray for his total recuperation and we know the spirits of our ancestors will help.”
Chavez is certainly not the first Latin American Marxist to proclaim his Christian faith. In 2011, Nicaragua’s longtime Communist leader Daniel Ortega suddenly proclaimed his Christian faith during his re-election bid. His campaign rallies often included religious processions, chants and his campaign slogan “Christian, Socialist and In Solidarity.”
“Ortega’s campaign strategy dismayed Catholic Church leaders,” reported the Associated Press, “who called his use of spirituality part of a ploy to deceive voters.”
Article courtesy of Beliefnet.com, the distinct online resource for inspiration and spirituality where you’ll find thousands of inspiring features, uplifting stories and access to other great resources.























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Comments (74)
blackyb
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 11:15pmSorry, Charlie Your time to meet the Devil for whom you have lived your life.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 12:28pmThe Spainish enslaved & killed the Aztecs and Indians of Central & South America… because they were given to Ritual Human Sacrifice & Canniblism… hence, then, they converted them to Chrianity, to give them Moral Values.
Chavez… alike many others in the region… are simply Failed Converts!
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 11:14pmHugo Chavez is a germ.
Report Post »spfoam1
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 11:14pmI wonder if Malignant 1 can smell the sulphur yet. How did you like that communist health care Hugo? When they come for you wearing black hoodies they won’t have any skittles in thier pockets, and they won’t like your jokes about smelling sulphur. I love your latest hair style Hugo. Was that a freebie in Cuba?
Report Post »Cynic-clinic
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 9:13pmIf Chavez wants the smallest chance to repent for his sins against humanity, he will set the people of Venezuela FREE and allow them the freedom and liberty that Jesus wants for all people in the world. He can ask for his own life to be spared but his plea will fall on deaf ears of the Creator until he gives back the lives of the people he has opressed.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 9:49pmIt is funny all atheist’s do this when faced with death. Like the old saying “no atheist in the fox hole” will God forgive him? Probably if chavez is sincere but that’s who God is. He is not willing that any should perish. Will Chavez change ? Probably if he developes a relationship with Christ. Will God heal Chavez? Maybe sometimes God will not heal because it is the ultimate goal for the believer to go to Heaven. Sometimes he will if there is work that needs to be done. Let’s see how sincere Chavez is. As a Hospice nurse I seen new believers become content with the fact of their own death and going home to be with the Lord. So when I make it to Heaven and see Hugo and he seeKs me we will both be surprised we each made it. Praise the Lord for the cross and the work he did on it for all mankind.
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 9:56pmI wonder if God will hear him OR has he commited the unpardonable sin
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 10:03pmRick, as a hospice nurse , have you seen the face of a non believer at the moment of death and be afraid for that personj
Report Post »Twinspeedr
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:11pmLike so many radical liberal Christians, Chavez seems to have forgotten about that pesky “Old Testament”, and how God chose Israel to be his firstborn forever. Jehovah promises curses to those who curse Israel, and blessings to those who bless them. It seems that this oversight may have caused Chavez to overindulge his hatred a bit too much when he said the following at a public address in June of 2010:
“I take this opportunity to condemn from the bottom of my soul, from the bottom of my guts: Damn you State of Israel! Damn you! Terrorist and Assassins! Long live the Palestinian people! Heroic people! Good people!”
Exactly one year after that address “his guts” seemed to be riddled with cancer. Hmm, coincidence? Well… the fact that the word “coincidence” does not exist in the Hebrew language seems to punctuate the apparent judgement delivered to Mr. “I smell sulfur” Chavez. Sulfur indeed…
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:25pmTWIN……..I had never heard that. God does tend to mean what He says and Chavez sealed his own fate.
Report Post »There are a lot of people who post on this board who really should take note of what happens when you defy God’s word.
mike_trivisonno
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:35amChavez is deceived. Like so many, he see in the “Palestinian Plight” something that simply is not there. He has been deceived into seeing not the violent Jihad raging across the planet, but rather the myriad “conflicts” involving “revolutionaries”, “rebels”, and “freedom fighters”.
His hatred for Jews is a deception under which he labors. It is a deception whispered into his ears by those who would see him used as a tool for Jihad and Allah. He has been deceived into ignoring all other Jihad conflicts and to focus only on the one in Israel. He has been deceived into seeing “freedom fighters” in a “revolution” against the “colonizers” when what is really going on is, as usual, muslims engaged in Jihad.
Chavez is deceived into being a tool of Jihad, not the “glorious”, “revolution” he think he sees.
Islam is deception.
Report Post »hogtrashhd
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:10pmas is said.. there are no athiests in foxholes..not one cowardly one…it‘s all the here and now and damn the consequences because they don’t think there will be consequences until they get ready for hell that’s when they all BELIEVE in a higher power.. but it’s only a ruse.. and they think God is stupid??? they’re laughable.. and screwed…
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:00pm‘Sufferin’ and death, sufferin’ and death, I‘m gonna get me some sufferin’ and death!’ NOT as tasty as Kibbles and Bits, eh Hugo screw yourself!
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:45pmMay you rot in he!! you POS.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:41pmHu go bye bye. Burn baby burn, all your evil deeds will be rewarded soon but take your time.
Report Post »PETTYDRAMA
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:26pmB-O-O-H-O-O! Did the poor christians get their feelings hurt bc a insignificant dictator said bad things about them? Poor babies…LOL!
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:06pmI have read a lot of your other posts. You are one lost soul and I pity you. Not LOL!!!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 8:19pmI bet their Dad did too.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 9:57pmGod can and is willing to forgive your sins . All you need to do is ask. God is not willing that any should perish. Call upon the Lord and you will be saved. I have never met a person that I would like to see in hell. Maybe we will meet in Heaven . I will be the one a the feet of Christ. To much is forgiven much is required.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 10:59pm@RICK – God, indeed, doesn’t want to see anymore of us perish than neccessary, but we must be forgiven by Jesus first to approach the Father. The Heavenly Chain Of Command.
Report Post »bigspike
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 6:12amGood screen name-descriptive, accurate, honest …congratulations on that!
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:25pmGod has a way of taking care of evil little Dictators that criticize the church, kicking out Christian missionaries, assisting terrorists and praising atheists among other things .The people of Venezuela‘s will be far better off when Hugo Chavez’s is pushing up Daisies in the near future . !!!!!!!
Report Post »ViewPointtt
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:21amIt is not God that took care of this “evil little dictator.” We are forgiven. If God were to punish us for something for which we are already forgiven, it would make God a liar, and a cheat. What do we call people who charge twice or more for the same thing… do we not call them swindlers, crooks, frauds, etc.? However, when we sin, we give The Accuser a legal reason to injure us. The Accuser spends a lot of his time before the throne of God accusing us and appealing to God to allow him the legal right to injure us in one way or another. The High Priest/Jesus Christ is our defender… and counters The Accuser until our sin(s) become overwhelming… only then does God remove His divine hedge (see Job 1:6-12… the hedge in Job’s instance was not removed because of sin, but still demonstrates that God must first remove His divine hedge before The Accuser can inflict injury). Although it is the sinner that willfully, recklessly disregards God’s command(s) and The Accuser that inflicts the injury, it is God that typically gets the blame. The Accuser is filled with utter glee every time God is blamed for his destruction.
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:24pmSo now, as the little tin horn Marxist approaches death, he starts singing another song. Face it Hugo, there is a seat in hell reserved for you. The people you have tortured and maimed are waiting to give you intense agony forever.
Report Post »NoSlack
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:12pmEverybody tries to get right with God when they are close to death. For many, that’s too late. Get right with Him now. Read: watchtowerdotorg
Report Post »bigspike
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 6:11amI’m no fan of Chavez; i find him to be a thoroughly repugnant and evil person of low character…but “too late?”
Sez you! here is what Christ said and did:
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43…from the REAL Bible
Report Post »burnbabylon
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:10pmIt’s ok to pray that his health improves as his spirit improves.
Report Post »Of course, if his spirit improves, then his “friends” will want to murder him.
joesn38
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:09pmScrew sean penns father
Report Post »HKS
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:32pmAtheists Dictators and the like are pitiful as death approaches, backtracking on their ways as they find out they are in fact not god and they are scared to death. Pitiful, just pitiful.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:53pmIt’s the same with convicted murderers,they can commit the most horrific rape and murder of a child and then come to God, I say fine ask for forgiveness from God .The state will punish your body with execution.
Report Post »Maxim Crux
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:47pmTell Saddam and Ted Kennedy that we all said hello when you get there. Make sure you keep a seat warm for all your other pals that will be visiting you soon to keep you company.
Report Post »Cashel
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:42pmLooks like the sulfer he was smelling was his own breath blowing back in his face.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:33pmAnother reminder of who obama admires and the common threads among them..
Report Post »bigspike
Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:05am0baMao on Chavez: “Mi amigo!”
that’s a QUOTE!
Report Post »blanco5
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:29pmConveniently Christian?
Report Post »chameleonx
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:26pmChávez is a Catholic. He intended at one time to become a priest. He sees his socialist policies as having roots in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and he publicly used the slogan of “Christ is with the Revolution!” He has had some disputes with both the Venezuelan Catholic clergy and Protestant groups like the New Tribes Mission.Although he has traditionally kept his own faith a private matter, Chávez has over the course of his presidency become increasingly open to discussing his religious views, stating that both his faith and his interpretation of Jesus’ personal life and ideology have had a profound impact on his leftist and progressive views.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 7:18pmHugo ,like Nancy Pelosi and Any Pro Abortion Fauxcatholic, are not Catholics. They are Communist Politicians that follow their own selfish views.
Report Post »chameleonx
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 12:03pmYou do not speak for God and you do not know what communism is.
Report Post »pennswoods
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 12:28pm“Progressive views”? Progressing toward what? Communism of course. The French Revolution, Marx, Engels, The Russian Revolution, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro and a long list of other Communists and their “revolutions” have condemned religion and denied that God or a creator exists. Communism has persecuted religion, especially Christianity with vicious delight. This clown Chavez whining and crying with a crucifix in his hand suddenly rediscovering Jesus are the antics of a wretched coward. Not too long ago he called the Roman Catholic Bishops of Venezuela “idiots”. Jesus Christ taught universal love, forgiveness, and personal responsibity not class hatred and envy. When he was fat and healthy Chavez the thug was a nasty piece of work. He‘ll be smelling some intense sulphur soon and it won’t be from President George Bush 43,
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:24pmAnother foxhole atheist facing death and only then turning to Christ to save him.
I don’t believe him for one minute but his heart will be judged by God. and God will act according to His will.
Report Post »FedUpWithLibs
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:24pmThis is priceless. This is what we have to look forward to if Obamacare stays. We’ll be relying on prayer alone to heal us because healthcare will be so horrible. Chavez is reaping what he sowed.
Report Post »pennswoods
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 12:33pmI guarantee and you can be sure Chavez wishes deep in his evil heart that he could have had the world’s best medical care at some Gringo hospital in the USA he hates so much. The average illegal from Mexico or Central America in the USA gets better free medical care than this bawl baby coward got in his beloved Socialist Cuba.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:20pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »My pet alligator is balling its head off right now!
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Quagaar Warrior
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:37pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »Oops, I meant, “bawling”!
Haven’t had my coffee yet.
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rickc34
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 10:08pmPet alligator man my parents had a small avacodo orchard and their nieghboor had 3 with largest about 12 feet in lenght and the smallest about 7 feet. I was scared walking around he et them run loose in a pond on his land with just chicken wire to stop them.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:13pmSounds like someone is staring death in the face and doesn’t like what may happen after he kicks off.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 28, 2012 at 6:39pmYes .. I would say he has much more to be afraid of in death … dancing with the devil all these years … God forgives .. but I don’t think he forgets.
Report Post »