The rain it falleth on the just
and also on the unjust fella.
But chiefly on the just because
the unjust steals the just’s umbrella.
Why do people still care about Pat Roberston? Why don’t you guys just ignore him?
That Pat isn’t a crispy piece of fried fundy is one of the best evidences yet against the existence of a merciful god. I guess he likes democracy except when he loses.
This is something that I find it hard to believe more people haven’t realized. The extreme right-wing fundamentalist Christians are inherently anti-democratic. In the end, there will be a King over all people and all this democratic rule-by-fallible-and-venal-humans will be over. They talk a good game about loving America and how Americans are the chosen people, but give any one of them a chance to be dictator and he’s suddenly got a 100-Point Plan for making the world a better place through Biblical practices interpreted by himself.
Down with Islamo-fascism!
Up with Christiano-fascism!
Progress is being made!
The ministry itself, yes. He has gotten into trouble in the past for trying to shelter some of his business ventures (like The Family Channel) under his tax-exempt status and had to do some lengthy restructuring, and he was forbidden to use “.org” for the Pat Robertson web-site since he sells books on there that in part benefit him personally rather than just his non-profits.
Robertson’s ministry isn’t the richest of the televangelical empires (that’s Jan and Paul Crouch, which is just unfathomable to me that people send them money) but he’s probably by far and away the richest individual of the televangelists. His personal business interests span the globe, and he’s made some rather odd political pronouncements for a minister (e.g. support for China’s “one child” policy, support for Apartheid and for various African dictators, etc.) that, coincidentally, benefit his business interests (which include diamond mines in Africa [that he used his “Operation Blessing” planes to deliver supplies to] and factories and real estate in China).
He is quite possibly the most evil and corrupt man in the history of American religion, and that’s saying something. I will never understand why he has any power base at all- I can just assume that most of his ardent supporters are too ignorant or gullible to know anything of his business dealings and long history of lunatic predictions or indictments.
Because, unfortunately, he still has quite a bit more influence and clout in conservative America than he deserves. A lot of non-wacko conservatives like to act as though he’s just some irrelevant loony, and I’m sure that many of them sincerely believe that or genuinely wish it were true. But there are still a lot of people watching his show and listening to what he says.
From a recent article on Robertson by the decidedly non-liberal Byron York in the decidedly non-liberal National Review:
And as for Robertson’s charity organization Operation Blessing, it used to be prominently featured on FEMA’s website as a recipient of post-Katrina relief contributions:
Robertson and the American conservative establishment have a weird sort of relationship: one the one hand, many mainstream conservatives tut-tut about his wacko pronouncements and complain that liberals focus on him too much. On the other hand, they don’t disdain the support they get from his more than three-quarters of a million 700 Club viewers, nor do they always deny Robertson face time. (President Bush himself personally met with Robertson as recently as 2003.)
Conservatives who complain that Democrats and liberals don’t do enough to distance themselves from radicals and loonies like A.N.S.W.E.R. or Al Sharpton need to take a good hard look at their own relationship with Pat Robertson.
ssshhhh we’re not allowed to talk about who we have on our ‘ignore’ list.
A gut shot is best for prolonged suffering.
I’d like to see the George Burns God wail on PR’s sorry ass at the Pearly Gates.
GBG: It’s O.K., Pete, I’ll handle this one…
You, sir, were an abomination and a black mark on my good name. Your petty hatred and naked ambition have nothing to do with Christ’s teachings, and you know it. You are not welcome here. Go to Hell!
::flush::
I would very much want to see CNN send a reporter to the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dover, Pennsylvania,(717) 292-5000, to ask the congregants what they think of Pat Robertson’s comments and whether they will continue to pray seeing as they no longer have the right to pray.
Folks?
Let’s not take this thread too much further in this direction. OK?
One small change
Phelps
Ann Coulter
Pat Rovbertson
Then we can call it the PAP Smear.
Dutchman, send CNN an e-mail. See what happens?
Re: The FAP Pit (or PAP Smear)
Don’t forget Jack Chick!
I hope God has good aim. I don’t mind him taking vengence on those godless heathens in Dover. But I live just a few town away and I’d hate to be caught up in His wrath just because of them.
God sleeps with the fishes?
Pat Robertson’s god is a big, petulant, childish bully. It’s the view of god that I was raised with. If there is a god, he ain’t like that.
The board’s devoted to fighting ignorance. And sometimes we get lazy and go for the low-hanging fruit.
God is queer? Huh. I guess that explains our fabulous universe.