Christianity and Political Assassination (Was Pat Robertson Right?)

8/27/05 | Self

[wagglebee]

Pat Robertson made headlines this week when he offered his opinion that the United States should assassinate Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. What surprised me the most is that so many FReepers took offense to this statement. While nearly all of us fully support the war against Islamofascist terrorism, many here were outraged that a religious personality would call for the death of a totalitarian dictator.

From the outset, let me say that I often disagree with Robertson. I live in Virginia Beach and have been listening to his outrageous statements for a long time. I remember ten years ago when he took full credit for "praying away" a hurricane which was heading toward Virginia, and I wondered why he couldn't "save" other communities from similar fates. But on this statement about Chavez, I find myself in full agreement.

Chavez is a dictator who is allied with Castro and possibly Islamic terrorist groups. He is a rabid anti-American and his oil wealth makes him all the more dangerous. Prior to last week, I think that FReepers would have been nearly unanimous in their desire to have Chavez removed from power. Yet in the past week, I have witnessed people here justify his regime in a manner similar to the way the left justified Saddam Hussein a few years ago.

The opposition to Robertson's statement basically centered on the theme of "we don't like Chavez, but Robertson is a religious person and it is not against Christian principles to say such things."

While Christ never called for anyone's death, He also never advocated the oppression of mankind. Throughout history great men have called for the end of tyranny, in fact, our Republic was built upon such principles. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and the other Founding Fathers were some of the greatest thinkers of their day or any other, and they championed liberty and freedom above all else. And this theme has continued through American history to this day.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran minister and considered by many to be one of the premier theologians of the 20th century. But what he is probably best known for is his work with the German resistance against the Nazis, including publicly speaking out against Hitler and aiding Jews in escaping the Holocaust. In his widely read book, The Cost of Discipleship, his theme was, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." And Bonhoeffer did die. He was executed in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945. The crime for which he was executed? His personal involvement in the plot to assassinate Hitler.

So the question then becomes, is it proper for a man such as Robertson to call for the death of Chavez? And I believe the answer is yes. Because freedom is a right given by God and as such it is proper to ensure the freedom of others. That is what can happen if Chavez and dictators like him are removed from power -- the birth of freedom in other nations and the further security of freedom in the United States.

[LifeOrGoods?]

Nobody is going to assassinate Hugo. Nobody even comes close to acknowledging that, not even Pat Robertson. Pat was only demonstrating what a delusional, narcissistic lunatic Chavez is. And maybe even Pat was demonstrating the same thing about himself at the same time. LOL!! But who cares? I'm not going to get my undies in a wad over this silly comment. Grow up people!!

[mj anderson]

to life OR Goods

.............we seem to agree here--nobody is going to assassinate Hugo Chavez. As I said, there are better ways of handling the threat Chavez is to US and the free world.