Uh, oh!! Rev. Pat Robertson's talking again!!!
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Judge Smails
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Religious Right: Pat Robertson
It's taken Robertson a long time to clean up his act, but he's finally begun to learn that words matter. When you become a public figure, people notice what you say and a few will actually remember what you've said. Video and audio records can even come back to haunt you. This means first that Robertson has rued, although not retracted, his religious extremism and oddities which were once open, but have since become more hidden. Secondly, it means that his regular flip-flops on positions and even deliberate lies are more easily caught.
One of the more interesting, and certainly ironic, examples of this involves sex. Naturally.
Very shortly after he announced that he would be seeking the presidency in 1988, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had been lying for many years about the date of his wedding in order to hide the fact that his wife was very pregnant during the ceremony. And he was still lying about it to the press as late as 1987. It might not have mattered much had he been honest about it earlier, but the fact that he was deliberately courting the votes of a moralistic and self-righteous crowd prevented honesty in such matters. It's his own fault, really - snake handlers get bitten from time to time, and have no one to blame but their selves.
His reaction to all of this was quite illuminating. He told reporters in Philadelphia that:
It is outrageous to pry into a man's past and try to do damage to a man's wife and children under the guise of journalism.
The obvious question raised by this is: why didnt he come to the defense of President Clinton when he was savaged by the media for reports of sexual impropriety? Unless, of course, Pat Robertson believes in double standards.
Just Plain Lies
If that had been the only instance of Robertson misleading the press and public, perhaps it wouldn't really matter so much. Instead of being an isolated instance, however, it was actually part of a wider pattern of attempt to cover up uncomfortable or unpleasant facts. Of particular note was his war record. Campaign literature claimed that he as a combat veteran of the Korean war, but witnesses came forward to report that his father used political influence to get him out of combat duty. Robertson sued for libel, but later dropped the charges
Unfortunately, the damage had been done - publicity over this issue led reporters to take a much closer look at his claims and found an incredible number of inconsistencies. He had at various times claimed his IQ to be 159, 139 and 137, all of which would qualify him as "genius." A book of his describes him as a "Yale-educated tax lawyer," even though he didn't pass the bar. He claimed to be on the board of directors of the United Virginia Bank, but he really only served on an advisory board. He claimed to have done graduate study at the University of London, but he only took a summer introductory course for visiting Americans.
More serious was his claim that CBN's financial affairs had always been "completely open and on the record," but in truth CBN had refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. This is an oversight group which provides voluntary standards of financial conduct and disclosure. CBN had not released any public financial statements, even though Robertson publicly insisted that it had. Even his salary was questionable, with him claiming much less than he really received. Excessive financial irregularities such as these are not laudable in a person seeking high office.
Open Extremism
None of that exhausts the degree to which he has mislead people, but it's time to move on to the other matter which Robertson learned the hard way: extremists statements aren't always forgotten. He has a habit of opening his mouth and saying some of the most bizarre things - not bizarre for members of the far religious right, but certainly bizarre for anyone who actually expects to run for public office. No wonder he always lost
He has often been accused of wishing to enforce his extremist theology upon the American public, and every time he has vehemently denied this. Unfortunately, many of his public positions belie such denials. In 1986, for example, he quite openly declared that "a Supreme Court ruling is not law." He has at other times been quite clear that neither the President nor the Congress have any duty to pay attention to anything the Court says or does. He has also stated that the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, does not limit the actions of the states, but only of the federal government. This sounds amazingly inept for someone who went got a law degree from Yale, but perhaps that is why he failed his bar exam. This is the sort of person who wanted to be president? This is the sort of person who wants to play a role in choosing the president?
Basic Constitutional law isn't the only issue where he's an inept extremist. In 1985, he stated on an edition of his 700 Club television program that:
Individual Christians are the only ones really - and Jewish people, those who trust the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to him.
It's rare to have a powerful religious and political figure declare that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office or run government, and for that I think we can all be thankful. Of course, when confronted with this during his presidential campaign he denied ever having said it, but the video condemned him with his own words.
World of Conspiracy
Pat Robertson's oddities don't stop with misleading people and religious extremism. To put it bluntly, he's something of a conspiracy nut, peddling old and insulting conspiracy theories to people who should probably know better, but are willing to believe the tripe because it comes from someone who is respected. But however respected he may be, many of his ideas can only be described as loony. The best source to see this is his book The New World Order. I don't suggest giving him royalties by buying it new - you should be able to find a used copy, as I did.
In his book Robertson tries to convince readers that there is a secret international conspiracy of anti-Christian forces which manipulates both governments and financial markets in an effort to control all of humanity. The ultimate goal is a one-world government centered around the United Nations which will eventually be controlled by the Antichrist and leading to Armageddon.
Leading the cast of characters in betraying America to Satan are the usual suspects from centuries of conspiracy-mongering: Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, the Federal Reserve, mysterious "European bankers" (all Jewish, coincidentally?), and more. The anti-semitic undertones are not at all coincidental - many of his sources for his conspiracy ideas are virulently anti-semitic, and all Robertson did in some cases was repackage the anti-semitism in vague terminology.
It's useful to see here the worldview that Robertson has been using for so many years. Everywhere around him he sees layered conspiracies of "establishment" figures and organizations directed against Christianity, America, God and, by extension, himself personally. There is a chance that he didn't write all of the book himself, and Robert Boston discusses the possibility that much or all was ghost-written by someone else; but even if that were true, he definitely endorses all of the ideas therein and has never indicated that he would reject any of it.
Theory and Practice
Naturally, his book is more than just an unemotional observation of what is happening in the world. Robertson has no hesitation in calling people to arms in an effort to fight the conspiracies arrayed against America and Christianity. The cure he has in mind amounts to a theocracy, where religious liberties are curtailed, religious tests for public office are imposed, and various other freedoms, like freedom of the press, are restricted.
Does anyone care about this? Some people got around to explaining just what Robertson wrote and what it meant, but the American Right was deafening in its silence. No one thought that the an ideology of conspiracies and anti-semitism in a major political figure was all that important. Saddest perhaps was the speed with which conservative Jews rushed to defend him. Norman Podhoretz even admitted that Robertson was guilty of anti-semitism, but indicated that that wasn't so bad since Robertson has such a long history of supporting Israel.
This alliance between Evangelical Christians and Conservative Jews is very odd. Although they share similar moral views and social goals, their theologies couldn't be more divergent. The Jews imagine that the evangelical support for Israel implies approval and support of Judaism itself, but they either ignore or are inexcusably unaware of the fact that for conservative evangelicals like Robertson, the Jews only have meaning in the role they will play in Jesus' Second Coming. For Jesus' return it was first necessary to have a state of Israel so that, at the appointed time, there can be a mass conversion of Jews in Israel.
The Long Road
We have to face facts: Pat Robertson is a nut. Worse than that, he is a powerful nut. But the fact that he is so powerful prevents people from openly admitting that he is a nut. If he were still a minor religious broadcaster, people would quickly dismiss his lies, conspiracies and anti-semitism as the work of just one more extremist who had a dim and irrational view of the world. No one would have much interest either in refuting him or in defending him.
But right now he is amazingly powerful, and he appears to consider himself untouchable. The fact that he is so powerful means that his claims and ideas warrant close scrutiny. Unfortunately, this power brings people to defending the indefensible merely because they either fear him or need his help. Critique comes at a price - those who dare to even raise questions about Robertson's views, not to mention those who label them for them for what they are, are quickly accused of engaging in bigotry, discrimination and persecution. In America today, anyone who criticizes Christianity, Christian theology, Christian morals or Christian leaders is automatically regarded as being part of systematic persecution of Christians.
Austin Cline
It's taken Robertson a long time to clean up his act, but he's finally begun to learn that words matter. When you become a public figure, people notice what you say and a few will actually remember what you've said. Video and audio records can even come back to haunt you. This means first that Robertson has rued, although not retracted, his religious extremism and oddities which were once open, but have since become more hidden. Secondly, it means that his regular flip-flops on positions and even deliberate lies are more easily caught.
One of the more interesting, and certainly ironic, examples of this involves sex. Naturally.
Very shortly after he announced that he would be seeking the presidency in 1988, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had been lying for many years about the date of his wedding in order to hide the fact that his wife was very pregnant during the ceremony. And he was still lying about it to the press as late as 1987. It might not have mattered much had he been honest about it earlier, but the fact that he was deliberately courting the votes of a moralistic and self-righteous crowd prevented honesty in such matters. It's his own fault, really - snake handlers get bitten from time to time, and have no one to blame but their selves.
His reaction to all of this was quite illuminating. He told reporters in Philadelphia that:
It is outrageous to pry into a man's past and try to do damage to a man's wife and children under the guise of journalism.
The obvious question raised by this is: why didnt he come to the defense of President Clinton when he was savaged by the media for reports of sexual impropriety? Unless, of course, Pat Robertson believes in double standards.
Just Plain Lies
If that had been the only instance of Robertson misleading the press and public, perhaps it wouldn't really matter so much. Instead of being an isolated instance, however, it was actually part of a wider pattern of attempt to cover up uncomfortable or unpleasant facts. Of particular note was his war record. Campaign literature claimed that he as a combat veteran of the Korean war, but witnesses came forward to report that his father used political influence to get him out of combat duty. Robertson sued for libel, but later dropped the charges
Unfortunately, the damage had been done - publicity over this issue led reporters to take a much closer look at his claims and found an incredible number of inconsistencies. He had at various times claimed his IQ to be 159, 139 and 137, all of which would qualify him as "genius." A book of his describes him as a "Yale-educated tax lawyer," even though he didn't pass the bar. He claimed to be on the board of directors of the United Virginia Bank, but he really only served on an advisory board. He claimed to have done graduate study at the University of London, but he only took a summer introductory course for visiting Americans.
More serious was his claim that CBN's financial affairs had always been "completely open and on the record," but in truth CBN had refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. This is an oversight group which provides voluntary standards of financial conduct and disclosure. CBN had not released any public financial statements, even though Robertson publicly insisted that it had. Even his salary was questionable, with him claiming much less than he really received. Excessive financial irregularities such as these are not laudable in a person seeking high office.
Open Extremism
None of that exhausts the degree to which he has mislead people, but it's time to move on to the other matter which Robertson learned the hard way: extremists statements aren't always forgotten. He has a habit of opening his mouth and saying some of the most bizarre things - not bizarre for members of the far religious right, but certainly bizarre for anyone who actually expects to run for public office. No wonder he always lost
He has often been accused of wishing to enforce his extremist theology upon the American public, and every time he has vehemently denied this. Unfortunately, many of his public positions belie such denials. In 1986, for example, he quite openly declared that "a Supreme Court ruling is not law." He has at other times been quite clear that neither the President nor the Congress have any duty to pay attention to anything the Court says or does. He has also stated that the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, does not limit the actions of the states, but only of the federal government. This sounds amazingly inept for someone who went got a law degree from Yale, but perhaps that is why he failed his bar exam. This is the sort of person who wanted to be president? This is the sort of person who wants to play a role in choosing the president?
Basic Constitutional law isn't the only issue where he's an inept extremist. In 1985, he stated on an edition of his 700 Club television program that:
Individual Christians are the only ones really - and Jewish people, those who trust the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to him.
It's rare to have a powerful religious and political figure declare that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office or run government, and for that I think we can all be thankful. Of course, when confronted with this during his presidential campaign he denied ever having said it, but the video condemned him with his own words.
World of Conspiracy
Pat Robertson's oddities don't stop with misleading people and religious extremism. To put it bluntly, he's something of a conspiracy nut, peddling old and insulting conspiracy theories to people who should probably know better, but are willing to believe the tripe because it comes from someone who is respected. But however respected he may be, many of his ideas can only be described as loony. The best source to see this is his book The New World Order. I don't suggest giving him royalties by buying it new - you should be able to find a used copy, as I did.
In his book Robertson tries to convince readers that there is a secret international conspiracy of anti-Christian forces which manipulates both governments and financial markets in an effort to control all of humanity. The ultimate goal is a one-world government centered around the United Nations which will eventually be controlled by the Antichrist and leading to Armageddon.
Leading the cast of characters in betraying America to Satan are the usual suspects from centuries of conspiracy-mongering: Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, the Federal Reserve, mysterious "European bankers" (all Jewish, coincidentally?), and more. The anti-semitic undertones are not at all coincidental - many of his sources for his conspiracy ideas are virulently anti-semitic, and all Robertson did in some cases was repackage the anti-semitism in vague terminology.
It's useful to see here the worldview that Robertson has been using for so many years. Everywhere around him he sees layered conspiracies of "establishment" figures and organizations directed against Christianity, America, God and, by extension, himself personally. There is a chance that he didn't write all of the book himself, and Robert Boston discusses the possibility that much or all was ghost-written by someone else; but even if that were true, he definitely endorses all of the ideas therein and has never indicated that he would reject any of it.
Theory and Practice
Naturally, his book is more than just an unemotional observation of what is happening in the world. Robertson has no hesitation in calling people to arms in an effort to fight the conspiracies arrayed against America and Christianity. The cure he has in mind amounts to a theocracy, where religious liberties are curtailed, religious tests for public office are imposed, and various other freedoms, like freedom of the press, are restricted.
Does anyone care about this? Some people got around to explaining just what Robertson wrote and what it meant, but the American Right was deafening in its silence. No one thought that the an ideology of conspiracies and anti-semitism in a major political figure was all that important. Saddest perhaps was the speed with which conservative Jews rushed to defend him. Norman Podhoretz even admitted that Robertson was guilty of anti-semitism, but indicated that that wasn't so bad since Robertson has such a long history of supporting Israel.
This alliance between Evangelical Christians and Conservative Jews is very odd. Although they share similar moral views and social goals, their theologies couldn't be more divergent. The Jews imagine that the evangelical support for Israel implies approval and support of Judaism itself, but they either ignore or are inexcusably unaware of the fact that for conservative evangelicals like Robertson, the Jews only have meaning in the role they will play in Jesus' Second Coming. For Jesus' return it was first necessary to have a state of Israel so that, at the appointed time, there can be a mass conversion of Jews in Israel.
The Long Road
We have to face facts: Pat Robertson is a nut. Worse than that, he is a powerful nut. But the fact that he is so powerful prevents people from openly admitting that he is a nut. If he were still a minor religious broadcaster, people would quickly dismiss his lies, conspiracies and anti-semitism as the work of just one more extremist who had a dim and irrational view of the world. No one would have much interest either in refuting him or in defending him.
But right now he is amazingly powerful, and he appears to consider himself untouchable. The fact that he is so powerful means that his claims and ideas warrant close scrutiny. Unfortunately, this power brings people to defending the indefensible merely because they either fear him or need his help. Critique comes at a price - those who dare to even raise questions about Robertson's views, not to mention those who label them for them for what they are, are quickly accused of engaging in bigotry, discrimination and persecution. In America today, anyone who criticizes Christianity, Christian theology, Christian morals or Christian leaders is automatically regarded as being part of systematic persecution of Christians.
Austin Cline
DisneyDotty
Oops, no more!
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2005
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- 2,472
PaulaSue said:He is should just mind his own business!
Unfortunately, getting involved in others' lives and passing judgement/being quick to condemn are all his business, as is the business of so many of his ilk. I just wish he lived up to his own standards!
Religious Right: Pat Robertson
It's taken Robertson a long time to clean up his act, but he's finally begun to learn that words matter. When you become a public figure, people notice what you say and a few will actually remember what you've said. Video and audio records can even come back to haunt you. This means first that Robertson has rued, although not retracted, his religious extremism and oddities which were once open, but have since become more hidden. Secondly, it means that his regular flip-flops on positions and even deliberate lies are more easily caught.
One of the more interesting, and certainly ironic, examples of this involves sex. Naturally.
Very shortly after he announced that he would be seeking the presidency in 1988, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had been lying for many years about the date of his wedding in order to hide the fact that his wife was very pregnant during the ceremony. And he was still lying about it to the press as late as 1987. It might not have mattered much had he been honest about it earlier, but the fact that he was deliberately courting the votes of a moralistic and self-righteous crowd prevented honesty in such matters. It's his own fault, really - snake handlers get bitten from time to time, and have no one to blame but their selves.
His reaction to all of this was quite illuminating. He told reporters in Philadelphia that:
It is outrageous to pry into a man's past and try to do damage to a man's wife and children under the guise of journalism.
The obvious question raised by this is: why didnt he come to the defense of President Clinton when he was savaged by the media for reports of sexual impropriety? Unless, of course, Pat Robertson believes in double standards.
Just Plain Lies
If that had been the only instance of Robertson misleading the press and public, perhaps it wouldn't really matter so much. Instead of being an isolated instance, however, it was actually part of a wider pattern of attempt to cover up uncomfortable or unpleasant facts. Of particular note was his war record. Campaign literature claimed that he as a combat veteran of the Korean war, but witnesses came forward to report that his father used political influence to get him out of combat duty. Robertson sued for libel, but later dropped the charges
Unfortunately, the damage had been done - publicity over this issue led reporters to take a much closer look at his claims and found an incredible number of inconsistencies. He had at various times claimed his IQ to be 159, 139 and 137, all of which would qualify him as "genius." A book of his describes him as a "Yale-educated tax lawyer," even though he didn't pass the bar. He claimed to be on the board of directors of the United Virginia Bank, but he really only served on an advisory board. He claimed to have done graduate study at the University of London, but he only took a summer introductory course for visiting Americans.
More serious was his claim that CBN's financial affairs had always been "completely open and on the record," but in truth CBN had refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. This is an oversight group which provides voluntary standards of financial conduct and disclosure. CBN had not released any public financial statements, even though Robertson publicly insisted that it had. Even his salary was questionable, with him claiming much less than he really received. Excessive financial irregularities such as these are not laudable in a person seeking high office.
Open Extremism
None of that exhausts the degree to which he has mislead people, but it's time to move on to the other matter which Robertson learned the hard way: extremists statements aren't always forgotten. He has a habit of opening his mouth and saying some of the most bizarre things - not bizarre for members of the far religious right, but certainly bizarre for anyone who actually expects to run for public office. No wonder he always lost
He has often been accused of wishing to enforce his extremist theology upon the American public, and every time he has vehemently denied this. Unfortunately, many of his public positions belie such denials. In 1986, for example, he quite openly declared that "a Supreme Court ruling is not law." He has at other times been quite clear that neither the President nor the Congress have any duty to pay attention to anything the Court says or does. He has also stated that the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, does not limit the actions of the states, but only of the federal government. This sounds amazingly inept for someone who went got a law degree from Yale, but perhaps that is why he failed his bar exam. This is the sort of person who wanted to be president? This is the sort of person who wants to play a role in choosing the president?
Basic Constitutional law isn't the only issue where he's an inept extremist. In 1985, he stated on an edition of his 700 Club television program that:
Individual Christians are the only ones really - and Jewish people, those who trust the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to him.
It's rare to have a powerful religious and political figure declare that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office or run government, and for that I think we can all be thankful. Of course, when confronted with this during his presidential campaign he denied ever having said it, but the video condemned him with his own words.
World of Conspiracy
Pat Robertson's oddities don't stop with misleading people and religious extremism. To put it bluntly, he's something of a conspiracy nut, peddling old and insulting conspiracy theories to people who should probably know better, but are willing to believe the tripe because it comes from someone who is respected. But however respected he may be, many of his ideas can only be described as loony. The best source to see this is his book The New World Order. I don't suggest giving him royalties by buying it new - you should be able to find a used copy, as I did.
In his book Robertson tries to convince readers that there is a secret international conspiracy of anti-Christian forces which manipulates both governments and financial markets in an effort to control all of humanity. The ultimate goal is a one-world government centered around the United Nations which will eventually be controlled by the Antichrist and leading to Armageddon.
Leading the cast of characters in betraying America to Satan are the usual suspects from centuries of conspiracy-mongering: Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, the Federal Reserve, mysterious "European bankers" (all Jewish, coincidentally?), and more. The anti-semitic undertones are not at all coincidental - many of his sources for his conspiracy ideas are virulently anti-semitic, and all Robertson did in some cases was repackage the anti-semitism in vague terminology.
It's useful to see here the worldview that Robertson has been using for so many years. Everywhere around him he sees layered conspiracies of "establishment" figures and organizations directed against Christianity, America, God and, by extension, himself personally. There is a chance that he didn't write all of the book himself, and Robert Boston discusses the possibility that much or all was ghost-written by someone else; but even if that were true, he definitely endorses all of the ideas therein and has never indicated that he would reject any of it.
Theory and Practice
Naturally, his book is more than just an unemotional observation of what is happening in the world. Robertson has no hesitation in calling people to arms in an effort to fight the conspiracies arrayed against America and Christianity. The cure he has in mind amounts to a theocracy, where religious liberties are curtailed, religious tests for public office are imposed, and various other freedoms, like freedom of the press, are restricted.
Does anyone care about this? Some people got around to explaining just what Robertson wrote and what it meant, but the American Right was deafening in its silence. No one thought that the an ideology of conspiracies and anti-semitism in a major political figure was all that important. Saddest perhaps was the speed with which conservative Jews rushed to defend him. Norman Podhoretz even admitted that Robertson was guilty of anti-semitism, but indicated that that wasn't so bad since Robertson has such a long history of supporting Israel.
This alliance between Evangelical Christians and Conservative Jews is very odd. Although they share similar moral views and social goals, their theologies couldn't be more divergent. The Jews imagine that the evangelical support for Israel implies approval and support of Judaism itself, but they either ignore or are inexcusably unaware of the fact that for conservative evangelicals like Robertson, the Jews only have meaning in the role they will play in Jesus' Second Coming. For Jesus' return it was first necessary to have a state of Israel so that, at the appointed time, there can be a mass conversion of Jews in Israel.
The Long Road
We have to face facts: Pat Robertson is a nut. Worse than that, he is a powerful nut. But the fact that he is so powerful prevents people from openly admitting that he is a nut. If he were still a minor religious broadcaster, people would quickly dismiss his lies, conspiracies and anti-semitism as the work of just one more extremist who had a dim and irrational view of the world. No one would have much interest either in refuting him or in defending him.
But right now he is amazingly powerful, and he appears to consider himself untouchable. The fact that he is so powerful means that his claims and ideas warrant close scrutiny. Unfortunately, this power brings people to defending the indefensible merely because they either fear him or need his help. Critique comes at a price - those who dare to even raise questions about Robertson's views, not to mention those who label them for them for what they are, are quickly accused of engaging in bigotry, discrimination and persecution. In America today, anyone who criticizes Christianity, Christian theology, Christian morals or Christian leaders is automatically regarded as being part of systematic persecution of Christians.
Austin Cline
I am quoting and seconding the above sentiments.
It's taken Robertson a long time to clean up his act, but he's finally begun to learn that words matter. When you become a public figure, people notice what you say and a few will actually remember what you've said. Video and audio records can even come back to haunt you. This means first that Robertson has rued, although not retracted, his religious extremism and oddities which were once open, but have since become more hidden. Secondly, it means that his regular flip-flops on positions and even deliberate lies are more easily caught.
One of the more interesting, and certainly ironic, examples of this involves sex. Naturally.
Very shortly after he announced that he would be seeking the presidency in 1988, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had been lying for many years about the date of his wedding in order to hide the fact that his wife was very pregnant during the ceremony. And he was still lying about it to the press as late as 1987. It might not have mattered much had he been honest about it earlier, but the fact that he was deliberately courting the votes of a moralistic and self-righteous crowd prevented honesty in such matters. It's his own fault, really - snake handlers get bitten from time to time, and have no one to blame but their selves.
His reaction to all of this was quite illuminating. He told reporters in Philadelphia that:
It is outrageous to pry into a man's past and try to do damage to a man's wife and children under the guise of journalism.
The obvious question raised by this is: why didnt he come to the defense of President Clinton when he was savaged by the media for reports of sexual impropriety? Unless, of course, Pat Robertson believes in double standards.
Just Plain Lies
If that had been the only instance of Robertson misleading the press and public, perhaps it wouldn't really matter so much. Instead of being an isolated instance, however, it was actually part of a wider pattern of attempt to cover up uncomfortable or unpleasant facts. Of particular note was his war record. Campaign literature claimed that he as a combat veteran of the Korean war, but witnesses came forward to report that his father used political influence to get him out of combat duty. Robertson sued for libel, but later dropped the charges
Unfortunately, the damage had been done - publicity over this issue led reporters to take a much closer look at his claims and found an incredible number of inconsistencies. He had at various times claimed his IQ to be 159, 139 and 137, all of which would qualify him as "genius." A book of his describes him as a "Yale-educated tax lawyer," even though he didn't pass the bar. He claimed to be on the board of directors of the United Virginia Bank, but he really only served on an advisory board. He claimed to have done graduate study at the University of London, but he only took a summer introductory course for visiting Americans.
More serious was his claim that CBN's financial affairs had always been "completely open and on the record," but in truth CBN had refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. This is an oversight group which provides voluntary standards of financial conduct and disclosure. CBN had not released any public financial statements, even though Robertson publicly insisted that it had. Even his salary was questionable, with him claiming much less than he really received. Excessive financial irregularities such as these are not laudable in a person seeking high office.
Open Extremism
None of that exhausts the degree to which he has mislead people, but it's time to move on to the other matter which Robertson learned the hard way: extremists statements aren't always forgotten. He has a habit of opening his mouth and saying some of the most bizarre things - not bizarre for members of the far religious right, but certainly bizarre for anyone who actually expects to run for public office. No wonder he always lost
He has often been accused of wishing to enforce his extremist theology upon the American public, and every time he has vehemently denied this. Unfortunately, many of his public positions belie such denials. In 1986, for example, he quite openly declared that "a Supreme Court ruling is not law." He has at other times been quite clear that neither the President nor the Congress have any duty to pay attention to anything the Court says or does. He has also stated that the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, does not limit the actions of the states, but only of the federal government. This sounds amazingly inept for someone who went got a law degree from Yale, but perhaps that is why he failed his bar exam. This is the sort of person who wanted to be president? This is the sort of person who wants to play a role in choosing the president?
Basic Constitutional law isn't the only issue where he's an inept extremist. In 1985, he stated on an edition of his 700 Club television program that:
Individual Christians are the only ones really - and Jewish people, those who trust the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to him.
It's rare to have a powerful religious and political figure declare that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office or run government, and for that I think we can all be thankful. Of course, when confronted with this during his presidential campaign he denied ever having said it, but the video condemned him with his own words.
World of Conspiracy
Pat Robertson's oddities don't stop with misleading people and religious extremism. To put it bluntly, he's something of a conspiracy nut, peddling old and insulting conspiracy theories to people who should probably know better, but are willing to believe the tripe because it comes from someone who is respected. But however respected he may be, many of his ideas can only be described as loony. The best source to see this is his book The New World Order. I don't suggest giving him royalties by buying it new - you should be able to find a used copy, as I did.
In his book Robertson tries to convince readers that there is a secret international conspiracy of anti-Christian forces which manipulates both governments and financial markets in an effort to control all of humanity. The ultimate goal is a one-world government centered around the United Nations which will eventually be controlled by the Antichrist and leading to Armageddon.
Leading the cast of characters in betraying America to Satan are the usual suspects from centuries of conspiracy-mongering: Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, the Federal Reserve, mysterious "European bankers" (all Jewish, coincidentally?), and more. The anti-semitic undertones are not at all coincidental - many of his sources for his conspiracy ideas are virulently anti-semitic, and all Robertson did in some cases was repackage the anti-semitism in vague terminology.
It's useful to see here the worldview that Robertson has been using for so many years. Everywhere around him he sees layered conspiracies of "establishment" figures and organizations directed against Christianity, America, God and, by extension, himself personally. There is a chance that he didn't write all of the book himself, and Robert Boston discusses the possibility that much or all was ghost-written by someone else; but even if that were true, he definitely endorses all of the ideas therein and has never indicated that he would reject any of it.
Theory and Practice
Naturally, his book is more than just an unemotional observation of what is happening in the world. Robertson has no hesitation in calling people to arms in an effort to fight the conspiracies arrayed against America and Christianity. The cure he has in mind amounts to a theocracy, where religious liberties are curtailed, religious tests for public office are imposed, and various other freedoms, like freedom of the press, are restricted.
Does anyone care about this? Some people got around to explaining just what Robertson wrote and what it meant, but the American Right was deafening in its silence. No one thought that the an ideology of conspiracies and anti-semitism in a major political figure was all that important. Saddest perhaps was the speed with which conservative Jews rushed to defend him. Norman Podhoretz even admitted that Robertson was guilty of anti-semitism, but indicated that that wasn't so bad since Robertson has such a long history of supporting Israel.
This alliance between Evangelical Christians and Conservative Jews is very odd. Although they share similar moral views and social goals, their theologies couldn't be more divergent. The Jews imagine that the evangelical support for Israel implies approval and support of Judaism itself, but they either ignore or are inexcusably unaware of the fact that for conservative evangelicals like Robertson, the Jews only have meaning in the role they will play in Jesus' Second Coming. For Jesus' return it was first necessary to have a state of Israel so that, at the appointed time, there can be a mass conversion of Jews in Israel.
The Long Road
We have to face facts: Pat Robertson is a nut. Worse than that, he is a powerful nut. But the fact that he is so powerful prevents people from openly admitting that he is a nut. If he were still a minor religious broadcaster, people would quickly dismiss his lies, conspiracies and anti-semitism as the work of just one more extremist who had a dim and irrational view of the world. No one would have much interest either in refuting him or in defending him.
But right now he is amazingly powerful, and he appears to consider himself untouchable. The fact that he is so powerful means that his claims and ideas warrant close scrutiny. Unfortunately, this power brings people to defending the indefensible merely because they either fear him or need his help. Critique comes at a price - those who dare to even raise questions about Robertson's views, not to mention those who label them for them for what they are, are quickly accused of engaging in bigotry, discrimination and persecution. In America today, anyone who criticizes Christianity, Christian theology, Christian morals or Christian leaders is automatically regarded as being part of systematic persecution of Christians.
Austin Cline
I am quoting and seconding the above sentiments.
luvthatduke
It's not a vacation unless it's a road trip.
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mommyoeo said:...There are times in the Bible that God lets people lie in the beds they have made. He is not a genie in a bottle that is brought out only to rescue people. I think PR's point is that. If you don't want God in your life, get prepared for life without God. He doesn't make anyone love him or want him in their life. The Bible says over and over that as Israel turned from God, they were in danger. When we step outside of God's will, we may see that we also step outside of his protection sometimes. We can see this in many, many instances in the Bible. God always uses bad things for good and to bring about a plan of showing his love in an eternal way. People's prayers of physical rescue are sometimes not granted. Now whether or not the city you spoke of has done that or not, who knows?! I do think it's pretty bold of PR to suggest that. I'd like to think there are many god-fearing people up there, and in every city.
I'm not trying to make an argument out of anything, so I sincerely hope I'm not coming across like that.
Enjoying plowing through all of this with you all...
mommyoeo, thanks for the diplomatic response.
Your remarks that I snipped above are very true!!
I'm not looking to argue either,
it's just that I cannot join you as a sister in Christ in defending PR's words.
And, I cannot agree with you when you say that his good works
should (apparently?) be seen as "larger" than his foolish talk.
PR is also my brother in Christ, but I surely do wish he'd stop
talking and trying to lead, and just go back home & live a quiet life!
As DisneyDotty also spoke of, are we to look at PR's works and
simply dismiss his harmful and dangerous exhortations?
There are so many Christians in the US that take PR's word
as an extension of the Gospel (which they should not, but do),
and that is where I get so frustrated.
He enjoys his bully pulpit and he enjoys hearing himself talk.
I'd like to point out that the assasination give-and-take
are not exactly as you've described.
PR did not apologize right away.
In fact, he insisted the next day that the media had misquoted him,
that he had never used the word "assasinate"
and only when several (if not all) news outlets retaliated with the
salvo of PR's own words, which most definitely called for the assasination
of Chavez, did PR then (and only then) offer an apology.
I do extend blessings to you, friend, and everyone here...
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