With his latest proclamation that Ariel Sharon’s stroke is deserved, Pat Robertson again shows why the leadership of the Christian Right shares the bond of zealotry with the very terrorists who seek to destroy America.
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He sure doesn’t represent my views — or probably most of the Christian Right’s views. That’s like saying that some black guy who shot someone represents all black people’s actions. You sure wouldn’t like that OW, now would you?
Robertson made an ignorant comment and I think a Freeper said it best, “God is punishing Robertson by making him say stupid things”.
What a horrible thing to say.
If moderate Christians don’t want Pat Robertson speaking for them, they should speak up for themselves more often.
That said, I don’t understand why anybody pays attention to Pat Robertson anymore, he’s nothing more than a kook, like Fred Phelps, who can be relied upon for an idiotic sound bite whenever there’s a tragedy.
I think it is a great thing that Pat is not considered a leader by you…but he is part of the small vocal minority of fundamentalist religious leaders that is pushing some pretty un-christian dogma.
He should be shunned in polite society.
Oh and by the way, who ever does the media over at MM really needs to check the video before they post it. Every time I view something the audio is a good 1 or 2 seconds off of the video.
Oliver, you’re way out in the woods again.
1) Pat Robertson has been virtually marginalized for some time. Interestingly, he only makes news when he puts his foot in his mouth — much like Dr. Demento Dean.
2) Islamic terrorists are by no means “fundamentalists” in the way that Christian fundamentalists are. There’s no similarity.
3) Instead of choosing a random black person, how about some not so random black persons: Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, all of whom have said things that have made black people run for cover.
The head of a giant media empire with a large viewership among “Christian” “conservatives” is on a par with some anonymous black guy?
God is punishing us by surrounding us with morally obtuse wingnuts.
He sure doesn t represent my views or probably most of the Christian Right s views.
Don’t tell us, Ian. You and all the rest of the alleged majority of “Christian” “conservatives” need to tell that to Robertson. Otherwise you’re just being a partisan tool, coming here and attacking Oliver for attacking the errorists.
In other words, “[democrat] Did It Too.”
Two Wrongs Make A Right Winger.
Yes, a random black person is exactly the same as former Republican presidential candidate and head of the Christian Broadcasting Network as well as the founder of American Center for Law and Justice (one of the major combatants in the made-up “war on christmas”) and the Christian Coalition with a daily television show syndicated across the nation.
I know a lot of this happened before you were born, Ian, but ignorance is not a real defense.
The rise of the Christian right in the United States is driven by the same forces that have fueled the fire of radical Islam: A fear-based reactionary response to human progress. Fundamentalists of all stripes fear change, they fear the future, they fear freedom and human liberation. They cling desperately and violently to rigid dogmas hoping for easy answers and easy comfort. Like children they refuse to face the complexities and challenges of modern life while bawling for a return to “traditional values” typically represented by the worst sort of repression and inequality.
Pat Robertson runs a global media empire. He is a reactionary lunatic and he is the Christian Right.
1. Robertson is not marginalized, he regularly appears on Fox and is a major spokesperson and funder of the right. Howard Dean makes news on a daily basis as he runs one of the two major parties in this country, no matter what sort of distortions the right wants to make about what he says.
2. Same shit, different smell. Both groups think God is talking directly to them and both excuse the same sort of vile crap as religion-inspired. Six of one, half dozen of another.
3. Farrakhan, Sharpton and Jackson all have followings, but none of them have had the continual sway over their larger movements that Robertson has.
You’re out in the wilderness. Take some bug spray.
The rise of the Christian right in the United States is driven by the same forces that have fueled the fire of radical Islam: A fear-based reactionary response to human progress.
Don’t tell me the new talking point is that the right is filled with “scaredy cats.”
First of all, the rise of the Christian right occurred not in opposition to progress, but in opposition to progressives — two quite different things.
Islamic fundamentalists don’t fear progress — they loathe secularism.
You propose that a) “Progress” tends toward a secular society. Incorrect.
b) You propose that the opposition to Progressivism (again, not progress) is driven by fear. That is incorrect in the case of both Protestant and Islamic fundamentalism.
You can say it again and again, but you’ll never document it — there’s no “there” there.
No… he runs a down-the-dial cable channel that nobody watches which in the new 500 channel universe ain’t all that impressive anymore. That guy from Cold Pizza has a bigger sway on national public opinion than Robertson nowadays.
Robertson is not marginalized, he regularly appears on Fox and is a major spokesperson and funder of the right.
He regularly appears on Fox. Wow. So does Tiki Barber. Another pointless Willis factoid. And how exactly is Robertson a “major spokesperson” for conservatives? The only time the guy makes news is when he says something stupid like this and then you people claim he’s some sort of leader in the conservative movement. And prove he’s a major funder of the right.
Same shit, different smell. Both groups think God is talking directly to them and both excuse the same sort of vile crap as religion-inspired. Six of one, half dozen of another.
Sorry, but this is way off. Those who want to kill us are of the mindset that it is not only ok to murder people, but that they are commanded by Allah to do so. Men, women and children. Doesn’t matter. How can you possibly compare that mindset with some goofball thing Pat Robertson says?
Farrakhan, Sharpton and Jackson all have followings, but none of them have had the continual sway over their larger movements that Robertson has.
Oh that’s a bunch of horseshit and you know it. Farrakhan is certifiably insane (Remember, this is a man who says he was taken aboard a spaceship 15-20 years ago to meet with Elijah Mohhamed (sp)), but he’s often given kid glove treatment and the media behaves as though he has credibility on particular issues. But Farrakhan is not a good example as he isn’t very political.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton however, get their asses kissed by Democrats every time there’s a big election. They have major influence in Democratic politics and their actions, which especially in years past have caused all sorts of problems (Sharpton in particular) are always excused by the left.
All of that is secondary however. What’s at issue here is Oliver’s completely asinine notion that Pat Robertson’s comments about Ariel Sharon are of the same mindset that praises those who blow themselves up and take innocents with them.
Actually, Farris, the CBN was sold to PAX, now called “I”, on condition that he get to keep the 700 Club on the air. So, he doesn’t even have a network, global or otherwise.
On the other hand, conservatives quote the Washington Times like it’s the Bible, and it is owned by the Rev. Moon!
The difference between fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist Muslims is economic, pure and simple. Al Qaida, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and their ilk all manage to get recruits because they’ve sold said recruits the message that Islam is being kept down by America and the West–that if only America and the West were destroyed, Islamic culture would rise up again and bring about a new and glorious return to the golden age of the caliphs.
If the tables were turned; if Saudi Arabia were in the same position that America was today and America were in the same state as Pakistan, you’d damn well better believe that Robertson would have a lot more followers, willing to do anything to make a better life for Americans.
A zealot is a zealot is a zealot. It’s only the environment that changes.
Oliver, I knew he had a run for the Presidency, but you constantly attack me on my age as if that means something in this situation. He ken way out of a nt but it’s worse that it was taken way out of context. He said “may”.
But the point here is that you Dems have no room to speak. You have hate as the voic eof your — Dean. Why don’t you just go back to your lousy website MM and be continually funded by another breeder of hate, George Soros.
BD — do you realize how illogical that comment is?
if Saudi Arabia were in the same position that America was today and America were in the same state as Pakistan
What are you saying?
If Italy were smaller than Rhode Island and my raincoat was a shoehorn, then 6 and one half chickens could lay 6 and one half eggs in one hour.
Frank - I’m replying to you again, just this once, to clarify my comment–despite your infantile attempt at sarcasm. I can see how it was a mistake to use two different Muslim countries in my analogy.
Imagine the United States–a country filled with predominantly white Christians–were in the same economic straits as a country like Pakistan–a much poorer country filled predominantly with Asian Muslims. (Pakistan’s social infrastructure is lacking, for the most part, a middle class. There are a LOT of poor people, and a handful of Very Rich.)
Now imagine that Pakistan had an economy more like our own and a better system for handling its citizens. Imagine, essentially, that Pakistan was “the greatest nation in the world,” able to reach out and influence any point on the globe through sheer financial and military power.
Under these circumstances, if Pat Robertson were to go to the majority of poor, suffering Americans and call for a Crusade against the Muslim Pakistanis who are keeping us down, he’d have no shortage of desperate recruits willing to blow themselves up and claim it was done for Christ.
I’m sorry if the analogy was too obtuse the first time. My point remains the same–you can turn anybody into a terrorist if you convince them that it will relieve their suffering, and that God wants them to do it.
Jackson, Sharpton and Dean have had their moments but I’ll say one thing for you guys - when it comes to bigotted liars and outright nuts, you right wingers take first prize every time!
All right, Frank, you’re right. There’s no commonality whatsoever.
It was America s secular culture…that was pushing Fundamentalist Christians to the wall
Islamic fundamentalists turned to violence and political expression simultaneously, to turn back the secular tide they perceived as endangering their future.
It’s not the rich who agree to blow themselves up for a cause. They do a fine job, however, of convincing the poor to do it. Economics play a larger part than you seem willing to admit.
I won’t reply to any response you may post to this; I should have known better in the first place. I’m glad, at least, that you were able to post without using invectives and namecalling.
You have explained yourself for nothing. I could have made it much simpler for you. There is no economic back story to either Christian or Islamic fundamentalism.
Christian fundamentalism became allied with politics because it had to “fight fire with fire.” It was America’s secular culture — no prayer in schools, abortion on demand — that was pushing Fundamentalist Christians to the wall.
Islamic fundamentalists turned to violence and political expression simultaneously, to turn back the secular tide they perceived as endangering their future.
Long story short, there is no commonality. Furthermore, Pat Robertson wouldn’t have a chance at becoming Ayatollah, even in your imaginary world.
The operative word above is not “secular”. It is “pushed to the wall” in the first case; “turn back the tide” in the second case.
If you were to investigate the economic status of Islamic terrorists, especially when compared with Christian activists, you would be greatly surprised.
Money isn’t everything.
Oh, and Bushwacked, that was really clever! Did you stay up all night working on that?
I wouldn’t mess with Pat Robertson. After all, he knows God personally.
Buma, if I were you, I wouldn’t mess with Pat Robertson, because God knows you personally.
Yep, and I don’t mess with Mrs Claus, because Santa knows me personally.