Is Christian Zionism a “brain virus” and a “Christian heresy”? Political pundit Tucker Carlson believes that to be the case, saying of Christian Zionists, “I dislike them more than anybody.” He later apologized for saying that, but not only did he directly say so in his recent controversial podcast interview with white-nationalist, Hitler-praising, Jew-hating Nick Fuentes, he also espoused similar sentiments last year when discussing the American evangelist C.I. Scofield and his famous Scofield Reference Bible with country singer John Rich.

Scofield held and popularized a view of eschatology, or the end times, that included the belief in the restoration of a physical nation of Israel. To be clear, Scofield was far from the only Christian theologian to hold such views. However, in Carlson’s interview with Rich, Rich relayed a conspiracy theory that ties Scofield’s view to a supposed influence from Jews. Unsurprisingly, this theory posits that the Jews promoted Zionism.

The trouble is that Christian views of a restored physical nation of Israel long preceded Scofield and were prevalent among early American Christians as well as across Europe.

The reason for this is the Bible, specifically the Apostle Paul, who directly references Israel’s status and God’s covenant promise regarding Israel.

In Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he speaks of the grace God has shown to Gentile believers in Jesus, noting that Israel’s rejection of Christ served as an opportunity for the world to be reconciled to God. Paul describes Israel as the chosen branch, which has been broken off so that Gentile believers could be grafted into the Kingdom of God. But here Paul offers an important warning to Gentile Christians: “But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.”

Paul then notes that God can graft the natural (Israelite) branches back into the root of the tree, should they come to faith in Christ. Here, Paul shuts down the spirit of Jew-hatred that has so often plagued the West.

Regarding a future restoration of Israel, Paul writes in Romans 11:24-25, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.”

Many Christians throughout the centuries have wrestled with this passage. Some have interpreted it as an actual restoration of the physical nation of Israel within the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. This appeared to be the perspective that Senator Ted Cruz espoused during his hostile interview with Carlson earlier this year.

Neither Cruz nor Carlson claims to be a theologian, but Carlson certainly felt justified in confidently condemning Cruz’s views as unbiblical, notwithstanding his own admitted ignorance of the subject.

Maybe the better question is, what does Carlson mean by “Christian Zionism”? Here, he seems to conflate Christian support for the establishment of the modern physical nation of Israel in the old promised land of Israel as blind, unbending support for all the decisions and actions of the Israeli government.

No American would offer that kind of support for our own government, let alone a foreign government. Indeed, Carlson himself, while espousing America First principles, is often quite critical of our government.

Why does he not offer that same logical modicum of reality to those American Christians who fully support the right of the modern state of Israel to exist? Indeed, that is what is really at the root of antipathy toward Israel, America’s best and closest ally in the Middle East. They see Israel as the problem, as a negative influence on America’s foreign policy decisions, when the opposite is the case.

Interestingly, Carlson’s own father recognized this reality. Richard Carlson even used the term “Zionist” positively to indicate those who supported the nation of Israel and America’s close relation with our ally. He promoted the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and specifically noted that Israel was the only true democracy in the Middle East.

Evidently, Tucker Carlson has very different views from his late father. One wonders if he is ashamed of his father’s work with and on behalf of Israel. In other words, Carlson’s apparent disdain for Israel — and for the Christian Zionists whom he dislikes “more than anybody” — may stem more from a personal dynamic than from an ideological one.

Whatever the reason, Carlson’s negative views on Israel have him increasingly engaging in dalliances with Jew-haters. But one thing is for sure: Carlson’s claim that Christian Zionism is a “brain virus” is as despicable as it is false.

(Updated)