There You Go Again, Pat Robertson
Jan 13th, 2010 | 25 responses
Why is it whenever there is a natural or man-made tragedy, Evangelical preacher Pat Robertson uses his television podium to claim God is punishing us for tolerating abortions and homosexuality and in the devastating ruins of Haiti a “pact to the Devil.”
Risking God striking me with a bolt of lightening for saying this: Mr. Preacher Man, you are a disgrace to your religion and blinded by your perceived political prejudices and intolerance.
As to Haiti, you assert their people made a pact with the devil to rid the yoke of French colonialism, a nation, by the way, at the time composed of 95% Catholics, who in an obtuse fashion, are among your competitors for the blessings of the almighty.
If Pat Robertson is in the business of outrageous comments, I can play that one-upsmanship game. Remember the movie “The Mouse That Roared?” A small nation declared war on the United States in order to receive economic aid.
Using that analogy, I contend Haitians built their cities knowingly on a fault line that in time would slip sideways during a 7.0 earthquake and topple all the buildings and killing thousands in a devious plot to have their nation rebuilt by sympathetic countries.
But I’m not done. To prove how callous we Americans are, our humanitarian aid is limited to $1 million because our nation is financially bankrupt.
Take that, Pat Robertson, and in my scenario, the devil had nothing to do with it.
Rather than praying for the Haitians, why don’t you and your fellow religious orders tithe your earnings to Haiti until order is restored and the country is rebuilt.
Why, one might ask, am I venting my wrath on Pat Robertson. It’s personal. In 1991 I was finally on a path of return to my church after years of absence and agnostic behavior. Then 9/11 occurred and Robertson claimed it was God’s wrath for our sins. I talked hours with my new pastor but I had made my decision. I wanted no part of any organized religion that usurped my understanding of the Jesus I knew as a youth. That Jesus was forgiving.
Meanwhile, the news accounts today reduced me to tears. President Obama did not set a price but pledged “unwavering” support for Haiti. The UN was freeing $10 million in emergency relief funds and the European Union pledged $4.4 million. These amounts will be dwarfed by contributions from private charities.
Oh, a little geophysical and economic memo to Pat Robertson. He described the island of Hispania divided in half, the western slopes barren of vegetation and subject to mud slides. The eastern half is the Dominican Republic which he said is lush and green and thriving with tourist resorts. True, but the Haitians denuded the hills for fire to warm their homes and cook their meals. The forests west of the major Dominican Republic populations are essentially unreachable. More than 30% of the people in both countries live in abject poverty.
What is really tragic about this story is that recovery will end with the same results. Rebuilding a nation on a major fault line and in the center of a hurricane system is a disaster waiting to repeat itself. There’s not enough money to require more earthquake-resistant structures such as was the case after the 1988 temblor that damaged the San Francisco Bay region.
25 Responses to “There You Go Again, Pat Robertson”
What an idiot. Robertson should just do everyone a favor and STFU. (That's 'Stop Talking and Flailing Uncontrollably' for you TMV mods out there. insert innocent smile here)
Seriously, what a jerk.
Makes ya so mad you wanna go running and screaming down the road kicking over trashcans and ripping up shrubbery.
….but then Pat wins.
News Alert from WaPo:
Let's see…
Haiti declared independence in 1804, Napoleon III did not get elected President until 1848, the Dominican Republic has a GDP per Capita of $8,000.00, now that's better than a thirteen hundred dollars a year, but by no stretch of the imagination is that prosperous.
What a maroon…
Pat Robertson's vision of god seems to be a hateful and dysfunctional one… I guess it isn't hard to figure out what that's a reflection of.
He 's a white southern religious conservative republican… What else would you expect?
It's no more fair or accurate to make Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton the face of the dems than to make Pat Robertson the face of the GOP. We are getting rather to close to the time when all sides agree that they are idiot geezers.
What’s wrong with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?
Nothing.
What’s wrong with pat Robertson?
He's an idiot.
Which brings us to the GOP.
When I was a kid, Pat Robertson would come on TV after Star Trek (this was before it needed any qualifiers) and Space 1999, and I would occasionally watch a few minutes of his show while I gathered up the will to stagger to my feet and turn off the TV (this was before TVs had remotes).
He had a couple of co-hosts that agreed with everything that he said, and he would often promise some sort of music was coming up soon, then go over his slant on the news that night. It was something like what Rush Limbaugh does now, but not quite as entertaining.
Of course, I doubt that helps with your image of him.
Whatever Sharpton's & Jackson's shortcomings, they have never been business partners with a Genocidal Mass Murderer…
Pat Robertson's Gold
And yes, Robertson is the perfect face of the Republican Party… Southern, White, Wealthy, Racist, Greedy, Sanctimonious and Hypocritical…
Okay, Kathy K. More than one thread on this subject has been posted on this site now.
Yes, You Can [, Too].
Actually, it IS pretty fair to make him the face of the modern Republican party. He encapsulates so many of their most egregious qualities.
White, Southern, willfully ignorant and sublimely convinced of his own righteousness.
As for racist, I'll let each person make their own judgment.
VeratheGun is giving me more “ammo” for my post idea.
VTG, while I agree that willful ignorance is one of the failings of the modern GOP, I'm not sure that applies to Pat Robertson. Willful mental illness is probably closer to the mark.
LOL. Then *shoot*.
The incredible amount of cruelty of the people commenting on this article amazes me!
Here we have a man with an evident and obvious mental illness (not to mention the mental challenges he must face having that 'low IQ' issue) and you people sit here and write horrid things about this poor, sick and disabled man.
At least his community supports him as he suffers his multiple afflictions (up to and including giving him air time to vent his delusions which might be therapeutic in some odd manner that I am unaware of)!
Most mentally ill people are resigned to having to rely on social security and food stamps.
Pat Reprobatesson's (sp?) family and church is such a fine example of how the community can work for the mentally challenged/ill!
The fact that a group of people got together to support Mr. Rudebuttson (er..sp?), gladdens my heart!
What a terrific example of good ol' social networking and people working together for a common goal (that is to say, to assist this sick man in his time of need…so what if it's been fifty plus years! It works for him!)…
This group of his loved ones come together and start a bank account fund for him (they even gave themselves a loving and kind name – the Christian coalition! cough, cough, cough)…
They have taken steps to insure that he has decent housing and please notice how his family continues to support him despite the stigma of mental illness!
(Wiggling finger at you) I have seen far too many families turn on their own relatives when it becomes evident that the person suffers from a psychotic disorder and that is just so very wrong!
Not Mr. Robyourownson's (uh..sp?) family!
We could all learn from Mr. Ramrodson (sigh sp??!), his loving family and his wonderful community!
Now, admittedly, it seems that the bank account thing has gone a little …overboard …(which is made clear by the vast amounts that seem to have stored up in Pat's name BUT ….clears throat) ..BUT it's the intent that counts!
PLEASE stop this horribly biased rhetoric towards this poor mentally ill man!
I'm sure that living with schizophrenia is a very hard task!
AND have some empathy!!!
Imagine if you were hallucinating some God demanding YOU to go on TV and say things like, “HAITI has …MADE A PACT WITH SATAN because..because.. of that FRENCH REBELLION THING back in…you know ..back..during that ..NAPOLEON guy!!!”
or Pat's 911 report that, “God told me last night that the attack on New York is because of …of….the GAYS! THE FEMINISTS! THE …er….WICCANS!!! and….ABORTION! ya ya that's the ticket!”
or ….(my favorite) …that 1988 “situation” where Pat got a little out of control and decided to run for president on the platform of,
“God told me to run for president AND I AM SOOO GOING TO WIN!! YEEEHAW!!”
(tears gather in eyes) …
The EMBARRASSMENT of it ALL!!
A little compassion people!!! (slamming hand on desk for emphasis!)
(wink, wink, wink)
Mark Daniels just cross-posted to TMV an excellent rebuke of Pat Robertson. I wholeheartedly agree with what Daniels wrote.
Across the years, Robertson has spewed hatred toward homosexuals and lesbians, those who have had an abortion, and now this. Pat, please go away.
What a contrast with Jesus, who loved people right where they were, so he could take them where they needed to go.
The story of Haiti's “pact” with the devil is disputed. It is a fact that Haiti's Vodun rites have an historical link with what is now Benin (West Africa). Most Christian missionaries working in both countries require converts to renounce any connection with Vodun, viewing it as demonic.
Incidentally, the so-called “pact” was reputedly a promise to dedicate Haiti to Satan for 200 years. When the two hundred years were up — 2003, if I recall correctly – there were formal gatherings of Christians to dedicate the island to Christ. Robertson made no mention of those gatherings. I guess that wouldn't fit his preconceived notions of a wrathful God.
Haiti today has many evangelical churches, including the denomination of which I am part. Most churches working there have done many practical things to help the impoverished nation, including establishing medical clinics, building schools, digging wells, re-forestation projects, micro-enterprises, and educational initiatives to fight AIDS. Despite these efforts, the nation has remained mired in poverty, in part due to the systemic corruption. The adoption of Christian faith – even its more uncompromising forms – has unfortunately not so far translated itself into long-term progress.
Please join me today in praying for Haiti, and in giving to a reputable charity at-work in the country. May I suggest either World Vision or Compassion International? Both have been active in Haiti for years, and do good work.
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He fits the right wing stereotype much as a Bay area communist fits the left. They are cartoons though that hold no reality in large numbers and therefore does not really help us have a national cross party dialog. That dialog is what I care about because from my view W.'s defenders were defending him against cartoons not citizens. If they would have seen us as fellow Americans they would have been more likely to listen when things got to extreme but instead we were painted as cartoons and marginalized. I am sorry but I refuse to do the same to the other side no matter how good it would make me feel.
Allow me to defend people with mental illnesses from being compared to Pat Robertson. They are often decent, hardworking people who don't deserve this kind of defamation.
Thank you x 1000. I live where Robertson lives. We have as much concern for him as fried tofu ie not much
No, it is *not* right. I have friends who are religious and conservative and think Robertson's a kook. To say that about conservatives is arrogant and narrow minded *and* falls right into the stereotype the far right wants to portray liberals
Ah, but I did not say that it was *right*, I said that it was FAIR. Where are the Republican condemnations of Robertson's statements? Where is the disgust, the outrage on the part of the party establishment?
The same place it is when Rushbo makes one of his racist, offensive, bottom of the barrel remarks. No where to be found.
Why? Becasue the Pat Robertson's and the Rush Limbaugh's of the world are the Republican base, that's why. And they fear their base in a way that Democrats never have. Because religious zealots are unpredictable and fickle and the Right needs their support to get elected.
So you can talk about *right* all you want. I am talking about fair.
What you posted is one of the reasons I think it is unfair. The man is in league with some incredibly dark and twisted individuals and for the most part is himself and most of the GOP is not that way, just a good deal of their leaders(not necessarily the elected ones its a mixed bag much like with the Dems) which is why they are in revolt. Before anyone thinks I think they are equal I think the GOP has a lot larger problem right now but I also think that is a relatively recent development, somewhere around the late 80's but it had obviously shifted as early as the early 70's it just took time to get enough power to get truly good and dirty. Before that the dark cabal was on the left and if the power dynamic truly shifts left the cabal will move again but it will take some time to get to the problem in the GOP from my view.
I agree it is fair, I also do not think Jackson nor Sharpton are in the same league but they are viewed with equal venom and dislike for different reasons. Often to allow the other side to officially turn their backs on an extremist you have to openly allow them to by not attaching them to their ideology though and his brand of conservatism is something I avidly want the GOP to turn away from. It is fair though.