Count me amongst those who think the retraction was worse than the original statements.
You know, I try very, very hard not to judge people. I’ve done enough stuff in my life that any kind of moral judgement I myself make would be nothing short of hypocrisy.
But these two…
Well, I feel quite certain that they won’t be going to the Heaven they believe in. No freaking way.
Yes, I believe that Jer has been studying that often overlooked verse in the book of Revelation that deals with the secretive and liberal fifth Horseman riding his pastel purple pony and spreading homosexuality in his wake.
They might be nuts, they might be immature, they might be hanging perilously on the lowest rung of Christianity; but, they will reach their target demographic who wants nothing less than to lay blame upon those who do not do as they do. In reaching these folks, Jer and Pat will receive their usual share of money, plus a little something extra that they have earned as spokesmen for ‘the cause’.
Amen to this.
The… unspeakable filth that Falwell and Robertson are spewing are just more of the hate and poison that bin Laden & Co spout.
We have to take care of the WTC destroyers first, of course, but after them we’re going to have to do something about all the other bipedal shitpiles in this world. You know - the Protestants in Northern Ireland yelling death threats at children on their way to school. Irish Catholics who build car bombs. Radical Jews who murder their prime minister for attempting to make peace. Palestinians who encourage children too young to know better to throw rocks at armed soldiers.
And so-called Christians who advocate hatred and take smug reassurance from the death of 5000+ innocents.
Please don’t pluralize “Jews” when referring to that. It was one guy.
I asked a woman at work what she thought about what happened Tuesday, she says that we brought it on ourselves because we have gotten away from God’s teaching. I look at her, basically say “Are you nuts?” Then she goes into comparing the people who died in the attack with people who die in drunk-driving accidents and something about why didn’t God save those people. I told her she needed to do some more study on what free will meant. Geez!
I was glad to read that the President criticized Falwell’s horrible statement, even though Falwell is an ally.
Check out more on this “christian” here:
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7027/patrobertson.html
> POLITICAL UPDATE from the
> Human Rights Campaign
> 919 18th Street NW
> Washington, DC 20006
> email: hrc@hrc.org
> Take Action At: http://www.hrc.org/actioncenter/
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
> HRC RESPONSE TO COMMENTS OF JERRY FALWELL AND PAT ROBERTSON
>
> STATEMENT BY ELIZABETH BIRCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
>
> Our country is struggling to cope with the monumental horror of Sept. 11,
> 2001. We are grieving those lost and consoling those who have lost much.
> Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans were among those killed
> and among those working to save lives. Like all Americans, we are coming
> together in the spirit of community to face the unimaginable challenges
> ahead. Sadly, one of those challenges includes confronting the dark
> prejudices that continue to haunt our daily existence.
>
> The words of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson yesterday were stunning. They
> were beyond contempt. They were irresponsible at best, and a deliberate
> attempt to manipulate the nation’s anger at worst. Falwell’s subsequent
> attempt at apology fell woefully short.
>
> The words of these men are similar to the acts of equally contemptible
> retribution that are being waged against people of Middle Eastern origin
or
> appearance in some areas of our country. This is not a time for
> scapegoating, it is a time for unity. To blame blindly, based on prejudice
> and rage, represents an ominous part of our world and we must work to
> overcome it wherever we find it. It should be soundly condemned by all of
> us as we struggle to focus our attentions on healing the pain of our
> nation.
>
I hadn’t heard about that. Is there a website that quotes the President criticizing Falwell?
I’m not doubting your word, december. I’d just like to see exactly what the President said.
Oh, yeah, the first thing that went through my mind as I watched the 2nd plane hit was:
“Must’ve been them god-cursed commie homo feminist liberals.”
How does anyone even think of that shit?
Ol’ Jer and Bro’ Pat just effectively managed to staple their own lips shut.
Some good has come of this tragedy.
PS- I have to thank you, Milo. This was the first real good laugh I’ve had in days.
In fact, I think I’m going to model my life after WWCTD?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Atreyu *
**
It was in yesterday’s NY Times (Saturday 9/15). On page A15 there’s a 2 cloumn wide article with headline “Falwell’s Finger-Pointing Inappropriate, Bush Says.” After the article recaps what Flawell said, Bush spokesman Ken Liseaus is quoted as saying, “He does not share those views and believes those remarks were inappropriate.”
I do not have this on the web.
RTFirefly said:
I would like to point out this Great Debate thread I started the other day.
Pat Robertson, scam huckster?
That Pat Robertson has any credibility left is astounding to me.
Pat Robertson lost my respect years and years ago. (Not that he ever had my respect; I just wasn’t familiar with him up until then. :))
In 1985 he claimed (on his TV show) that his prayers caused a hurricane to veer away from Virginia Beach where his company is based. He had satellite photos and everything. Sheesh.
Nothing he has ever said or done since then has changed my opinion that he is a total ass, huckster and shameless purveyor of watered-down Christianity.
…watered-down Christianity?
Yes, watered-down. Christianity is all about giving up what I want and pouring out my life in service to others. It’s a total, radical change that goes way beyond putting a few dollars in the offering plate. Instead, people like Pat present it as “pray this prayer and you’ll go to heaven” and then the bread-and-circus show begins.
Instead of the difficult – impossible, perhaps – task of learning to forgive, to love those who we see as “enemies,” to sacrifice ourselves … he offers the usual “Look, here’s the enemy over here! We must stand up to this enemy or they will destroy us! We must hate them and fight them!”
If you’re interested, read what Jesus taught. His harshest words were not for the “liberal elite,” for the prostitutes, for the corrupt leaders.
Jesus reserved his harshest words for the self-satisfied, legalistic, conservative religious leaders of the day.
So, yes, it’s watered-down because now it’s easy: Just go to church, hate the liberals, and you’re done! Real Christianity is the hardest thing you’ve ever tried to do in your life. (And by the way, I’m terrible at it.)
**
Just as an aside…
Am I the only one wondering what Godless things we were
doing back in 1812 for the Lord to allow us to get attacked back then? After all, there was no ACLU, no feminist movement, and gays like myself were safely closeted. Does Falwell have an explanation for how we got attacked back then? And if he can’t come up with an explanation for why God would punish us back then, why is the little bastard so cocksure He’s punishing us now?
I totally predicted this, that the Usual Suspects, Tweedledum and Tweedledumber, would say something like this, that the attack was because of abortion and homosexuality and SOCAS, so God is punishing us.
Then I thought, naaaaaa…
No one would say something that unbelievably stupid. They did it with Columbine, but that had a certain fundie logic, but pretty much know who the bad guys are–where the evil is–this time. A sane right-wing fundamentalist nutcase would blame it on “Muhammudism” or something.
But their actual quote totally outdid my stereotype of them. I mean, “People for the American Way”? Some piddly little opinion group with whom the squabble? “Oh year, and my next door neighbor whose dog craps in my yard. He provoked God’s wrath, too.”
What is sorely needed is a conference or a forum where representative of various fundamentalist religions, as well as plenty of ideological moderates, would convene to hash things out. The fundies would be asked justify their positions on various issues in the face of both the skeptics and their religious rivals.
That would make their heads explode.
Well, Falwell finally apologized for it all. The New York Times is reporting that Falwell said in a statement he regretted remarks he made Thursday on Pat Robertson’s television program, “The 700 Club,” in which he said that the secular groups had so angered God that God had lifted a “curtain” of protection over America and allowed the terrorists to strike.
“I apologize that, during a week when everyone appropriately dropped all labels and no one was seen as liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, religious or secular, I singled out for blame certain groups of Americans,” Falwell said in the statement. He said his remarks had been “insensitive, uncalled for at the time, and unnecessary.”
In an interview Monday night, Falwell said his remarks on Robertson’s program ran counter to his lifelong theological conviction it is not possible to know that a particular event reflects God’s judgment. “I am saying that no human being has the knowledge that any act is an act of God’s judgment, and any person is responsible for God’s judgment,” he said.
(Me again) It seems the final blow came in a phone call from what Falwell identified as "the President's friend" asking him what the sam hill he meant by what he said.The comparison between these two guys and the fellows who attacked my country is not too terribly far off. Someone taught those terrorists how to hate–preached that hatred to them. That’s just what Jerry and Pat are doing right here in the good ol’ Land of the Free.
But I’m an American. I will stand back and be revolted. I will hang my head in shame. And I won’t really kick them in the nads because I know what it feels like to have my Boys trifled with.
What this world needs is more love and affection. We don’t need to kick Pat and Jerry in the yarbles! Pat and Jerry need to lovingly caress my scrotum!
Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, I demand in the name of the LORD that you bow before me and caress my wounded balls!
Oooh. Yes. That’s better. Yeah. Jerry? Could you, um, put on this circus clown paint for me? I sort of have a thing for that chick from the Drew Carrey show. Pat, put your tounge back in your head and mix me a fucking shake.
Ooooooooh. Yeah. The balls, Jerry. It’s all about the balls. No more hate, just loving caresses. The left one, too.
[This message of peace and love was brought to you by the Reverend Sofa King, Universal Life Church.]