That there might be someone out there who thinks Pat Robertson is in any way indicative of the "thought process" of a typical American...
The man has about as much wherewithal to speak on international topics as an orangatan, much less to speak for the mind of God.
I try not to suggest that anyone has anything less than the right to speak their mind. But that this guy has an audience- that anyone might take him seriously...!
posted
*clears throat* *sings* Robertson roasting over an open fire...
Unfortunately, I like that Christmas Carol, and this is ruining it for me. Too dang many syllables in that name.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Is there anything that Mr. Robertson would not label "divine retribution" if it would get his name in the press?
Posts: 148 | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
And here's to you, Mr. Robertson, Papers love you more than you will know. Spew hatred, please Mr. Robertson. Hell opens a place for those who spew, Hey, hey, hey
quote: "He seems to think God is ready to take out any world leader who stands in the way of that agenda," Lynn said in a written statement
Yeah, he wishes. Can you imagine Robertson with the hand of god behind him????? I know I'D be dead. Would YOU ????!!!!
::sings:: ::divinely, by the way::
Wouldnt it be nice if he were Satan Then he wouldnt have to wait so long And wouldnt it be nice if he could smite them Send em all to hell where they belong
::really high pitched:: You know its gonna make it that much better When he can say go to hell and staaaay forever ::end really high pitched::
Wouldnt it be niiice
Posts: 499 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Robertson said God's message is, "This land belongs to me. You'd better leave it alone."
As opposed to, say, marking it up with arbitrary political boundaries or creating nation states that have nothing to do with any kind of divine fiat. Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm a Christian and Pat continues to appall me. Take note people: Pat Robertson does not represent most Christians. At least not the ones I know.
Btw, I happen to disagree that handing over the Gaza strip was the right thing to do, but God did not cause Sharon's condition. I'm sure it had to do with the foods Sharon ate, how much exercise he got, and the fact that he is getting old. He's 77 years old for crying out loud! Old people sometimes have strokes!
Posts: 232 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
I am sure you just converted thousands over to Christianity with that comment. Now that everyone has seen the love of Christ just flowing from you they will flock to the churches.
Posts: 555 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
No, but I'm more inclined to just hope someone will figure out a way to quietly shove him under the mat so we all just forget about him. I mean, honestly, I don't give two farts about the guy until he says something stupid- and he seems to be doing a lot more of that lately.
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
| IP: Logged |
Is it bad of me to keenly anticipate the day when I can feel sympathy for Pat Robertson's widow?
Yes, it's a very bad thing.. and I'm equally as guilty.
The only real problem is when Mr. Robertson is gone, we're going to have to listen to a long line of people sing his praises because it's uncouth to speak ill of the dead.
posted
Pat Robertson is such an isolated voice that he only has the most watched Christian show in the country and founded and is the face person for the largest Christian political advocacy group and Christian broadcasting network. When you are talkign about the worlds of politics and media, Pat is just about the most prominent Christian figure in America.
You may just as well claim that almost no Christians read the Left Behind series. Or that almost no Christians are behind the "Justice Sunday" things.
There are a large number of people who believe that God has a plan for Israel and that he will strike down people who get in his way. There's a significant block of Christians that are actively trying to help build a full Jewish state of Israel in order to bring about the end of the world. I don't think that claiming that they don't exist or that they don't respect Pat Robertson because you don't agree with their views is a responsible thing to do.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
The only thing I saw in this thread about whether Christians that respect PR exist was this:
quote:Pat Robertson does not represent most Christians.
Where do you see someone claiming such people don't exist or that they don't respect Pat Robertson?
The only other statement I saw that could be remotely connected to your post was someone claiming PR was the "least Christian guy EVER," in a manner that strongly suggests a joke.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Does anyone here agree with Mr. Robertson's appraisal of the situation?
I can find 5 quick logical inconsistancies with Mr. Robertson's idea all before delving deep into the subject. Those inconsistancies make God out to be far less than the omniscient, omnipotent, and all loving diety that Christianity purports God to be.
Yet we must realize that Mr. Robertson is an important figure in Christianity. He has a lot of power and a very familiar face. Writing him off as a fanatic is like writing Islamic Terrorists off as just a fanatic fringe of Islam. While both are true, continued repeated and heavilly covered disasters makes the rest of the world question the majority of the religions morality and sanity.
The solution is for a loud and oft-repeated condemnation of such stupidity by every member of the religious leadership that can find a microphone.
We want neither the non-Christian world, nor Christians themselves, to believe that blaming an illness on a person's morality is what Christianity is all about.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
While I very much agree that Pat Robertson does not represent most Christians, he does represent many of the "loudest" ones. He also represent a political power block. This means he has a certain amount of influence with our government. Writing him off as a fringe lunatic is dangerous. I feel that Christians that don't agree with him should make that known to their political representatives.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I believe he is the western equivalent of a terrorist. If a man with that fanatical of a viewpoint was brought up with a religion whose doctrine contains some references to violence he would be the one sending the "believers" off with bombs on their chests.
He is Christianitys version of Osama Bin Laden, and given the chance would probably resort to the same tactics.
Posts: 375 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
I'll be honest and say that I don't know anything about Pat Robertson. He's been attributed some pretty ugly press. I don't watch his show, don't contribute to his organization. But I do contribute to Focus on the Family, and know that James Dobson has been ill-treated by the press in the past. I don't agree with everything Dobson has to say, or even with everything his organization does, but they do quite a lot of good as well. And I believe that some of his bad press has been deliberately malicious in intent. That leads me to believe that some of Pat Robertson's bad press has also been deliberately malicious in intent as well.
I can't defend him at all...as I said, I don't know a thing about him. But it seems that this gleeful dismantling of the man is a bit unseemly. He's the equivilent of a terrorist? Like people who wear bombs, walk into a restaurant and then blow themselves (and everyone around them) up? Please.
addited: Well, it appears we have given money to one of his organizations (the ACLJ). I took them off our list of charities in early 2005 because I didn't like their fundraising tactics.
quote: Least Christian guy EVER. Except for that other guy. You know, that guy. Eh, maybe you don't.
Airman: I think you are referring to Fred Phelps in Topeka, KS, who loves to come up on my campus (The University of Kansas) with several others and hold up signs that are hate filled.
Posts: 264 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Squicky makes a good point. I know of no Robertson officianado's but I hail from the bay area, and have only recently left. Who has given him the boatloads of cash, and television ratings to build such a huge empire over the past several decades? It's not oompa loompa's or mythical Leprechauns creating the cash flow to give this village/continental idiot such a loud and public voice. He speaks for a lot of people, unfortunately, and clearly he does not and did not regret the things he's said recently that got him in hot water (ID vote meaning God will turn his/her/its back on Dover, PA, divine assasination is a must in regards to Chavez etc) no matter what half-hearted PC apologies he has given to keep the bad press off his doorstep from time to time.
Posts: 752 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Foundling, I think that if I see the Hand of God behind Robertson, it's probably just winding up to smack the crap out of him.
Posts: 2848 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
"He's the equivilent of a terrorist? Like people who wear bombs..."
How about like selling the US on continuing to support SouthAfrican slavery in exchange for blood diamonds from his own mines given to him by a grateful Apartheid government? Robertson would be in prison right now for his diamond smuggling operations except the Republican State AttorneyGeneral was elected through the support of Robertson's followers. Similarly bought, Reagan and by extension his AttorneyGeneral.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Links, aspectre, please. Or something to substantiate what you're saying. As I mentioned above, I do have personal experience with one of his organizations, and don't think very highly of them. It strikes me as more productive to figure out how to reduce his financial base with facts -- the ACLJ is very effective at raising money, btw, and use a lot of fairly creative ways to do it, which is why we don't contribute to them anymore. I had heartburn with them getting a credit card in their name, of which they get a percentage of the interest you pay. Since scripture is pretty pointed about debt, this struck me as a very bad way to raise money for a Christian charity. I told them so and they got kinda snotty with me.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
jeniwren, this isn't the first hateful and outrageous thing PR has said and subsequently been called on the carpet for by the media. In all the other cases, the quotes were not taken out of context except insofar as the additional context made the remarks even more offensive. (IMO).
quote:Originally posted by enochville: I think he built his following before he started saying these outrageous things.
Actually, I think he built his following before ill advised comments could shoot around the world and onto every wire service nearly instantaneously. Also before such remarks were considered something to be embarrassed about. 20 years ago comments like he's made about homosexuals were fairly commonplace and usually expected from religious leaders. I don't think that Robertson has changed so much as society has changed around him and he's failed to keep up. Then again some could admire him for his consistency.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, I know it hasn't been his first. I remember being on the bandwagon with everyone else in the last thread on one of his reported comments. It just bugged me this time. No particular reason why. Maybe I'm feeling kinder and gentler today.
And since looking up more info on him, from his own site even, I'm less disposed to think kindly of him. I used to have a site that rated charities and I can't find it now. But I'd be really interested to see what they said about it. They were pretty cutting on Benny Hinn's ministry...which takes in millions and does not, it reported, disclose where that money goes. I found a similar report in my quick lookaround, where one of his charities that is supposed to do international aid had been investigated and found had taken in funds for Katrina but not actually spent them on relief. Robertson was reported as having paid the discovered discrepency personally.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Jeni--it can be a bit personal this time. Robertson claims that Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for Sharon's work to bring peace to his country by dividing up the Biblical state of Isreal.
My father sits in a wheel chair, hardly able to talk, due to a stroke. What was his sin?
Should we take care of stroke victims or condemn them for whatever sin God is punishing them for?
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Think about how angry y'all are at Robertson, and just for saying something. While Ariel Sharon bulldozered the homes of businesses of 9,000 innocent men, women and children who hadn't done a thing to deserve it.
Did you know that some of the victims of Sharon's deportations only now have managed to get into some semi-permanent apartments? Of course, they used to own their own houses, and they still have to pay the mortgages on those, even though the homes no longer exist, but hey, anything for peace, right? Except... oh, wait. It didn't further any peace in the region. It just gave the Arabs a new place to put rocket emplacements to attack other Jewish towns.
Sometimes I wish there was such a thing as hell, because while Robertson might belong there, Sharon certainly would as well.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
What boggles my mind is that a person who says these things can retain his position of prominance and still retain a following.
The guy openly called for the assassination of a foreign leader, called various natural disasters and ill events "Gods retribution". Its amazing that any broadcasting network would allow his shows to continue, and scarier still that there are a million viewers each day.
And regarding my calling him a terrorist, I'm not saying he is one or has been responsible for anything of that magnitude, I just believe he has it within himself to either commit or instigate such acts under the flag of his religion. However, Pat robinson lives in an economically and militarily dominant country so uses different tactics. It scares me, and shows that no matter where in the world you are or what your religion is there are a few messed up people that rise to power.
Posts: 375 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote: Think about how angry y'all are at Robertson, and just for saying something. While Ariel Sharon bulldozered the homes of businesses of 9,000 innocent men, women and children who hadn't done a thing to deserve it.
And Israel has been bulldozing the homes and businesses of Palestinians for decades.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by starLisa: Think about how angry y'all are at Robertson, and just for saying something. While Ariel Sharon bulldozered the homes of businesses of 9,000 innocent men, women and children who hadn't done a thing to deserve it.
No one is going to suggest that Sharon's words and actions are a stand-in for my own as typically American.
They may, in Robertson's case.
I haven't been a serious biblical student in some time, but it strikes me that the biblical God has never had a lot of trouble getting the point across that an event was divine rather than natural or man-made. He hasn't dealt in a lot of strokes and natural disasters, let alone political assasinations (possibly excepting the story of David and Goliath.) It doesn't just rain; it pours for weeks. It rains fire. It rains toads.
Robertson is a snake-oil salesman in reverse. Something bad happens to someone he doesn't like, it's God; something bad happens to someone he likes or doesn't care abput? <shrug>
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
"Think about how angry y'all are at Robertson, and just for saying something. While Ariel Sharon bulldozered the homes of businesses of 9,000 innocent men, women and children who hadn't done a thing to deserve it."
I think the classification of "not having done a thing to deserve it," is... off the mark?
Posts: 4112 | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I met a patient this week who is a huge fan of Robertson. She is pretty scarey. She goes on three, seven, or ten day fasts when she prays for something extra difficult. She's been healed multiple times by touching the TV set while Robertson or other religious men are on. She can't stay sick, can't get diabetes, doesn't need preventive medicine, because GOD is on her side. She's successfully sued several people including her former boss and is now suing her plumber and her dentist. Apparently she thinks this is her right and that she'll always win because God will always help her prevail against her enemies. She said a lot of other things, too.
I've been thinking a lot about him since then. Is he partly to blame for her crazy thinking, or would she have been crazy anyway? I feel an irrational anger towards him right now.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh yeah! Thats it! Ahmadinezhad! PR's unChristianity can only be matched by the unChristianity of my favorite international loudmouth. The only reason I think Iran's President beats out PR is the scary thought of one loudmouth trying to get nukes and the other just spouting "divine retribution" after the fact.
Like G'd actually talks to PR. I'm much more personable. Fred Phelps was a pretty good bet, too, I must admit.
Posts: 1156 | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Too dang many syllables in that name.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
