Editing Rod Parsley (section)

==McCain 2008 endorsement==
Parsley personally endorsed the [[John McCain 2008 presidential campaign|presidential campaign]] of [[Republican Party (USA)|Republican]] nominee [[John McCain]], who called Parsley a "spiritual guide". McCain had actively sought Parsley's endorsement during his Republican [[Partisan primary|primary]] battle with [[Mike Huckabee]], who was drawing substantial support from the [[Christian right|religious right]].<ref>[[Brian Ross (journalist)|Ross, Brian]]. [https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4905624&page=1 "McCain Pastor: 'Islam is a Conspiracy of Spiritual Evil'"], [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], May 22, 2008.</ref>

McCain later rejected Parsley's endorsement based on Parsley's statements regarding Islam.<ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/mccain-rejects.html Political Radar: McCain Rejects Parsley Endorsement], abcnews.com, May 2008.</ref> Parsley was quoted as stating that he "do[es] not believe that our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed" and that [[Muhammad]] is "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Banerjee |first=Neela |last2=Luo |first2=Michael |date=23 May 2008 |title=McCain Cuts Ties to Pastors Whose Talks Drew Fire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/us/politics/23hagee.html?em&ex=1211688000&en=cac841d277244547&ei=5087 |access-date=2025-05-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=May 21, 2008 |title=McCain Pastor: Islam Is a 'Conspiracy of Spiritual Evil' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4905624&page=1 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>

In repudiating Parsley's comments, McCain stated, "I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn't endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement."<ref>[https://archive.today/20120728113409/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/052308dnmethagee.37d3563.html "McCain rejects televangelist Hagee's endorsement"], dallasnews.com; accessed October 27, 2015.</ref> McCain further distanced himself from Parsley, stating, "I've never been in [[John Hagee|Pastor Hagee]]'s church or Pastor Parsley's church. I didn't attend their church for 20 years, and I'm not a member of their church. I received their endorsement, which did not mean that I endorsed their views."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reston |first=Maeve |date=23 May 2008 |title=McCain disavows pastors |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-may-23-na-mccain23-story.html |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

Thereafter, Parsley withdrew his endorsement of McCain's candidacy.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120903190744/http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/24/parsley.html?sid=101 Rev. Rod Parsley withdraws McCain endorsement], ''The Columbus Dispatch'', May 24, 2008</ref>