Pat Robertson has a message for Dover, PA: Don't ask God to help.

WGAL.com ^ | 11.10.05 | WGAL

[conserv13]

DOVER, Pa. -- Pat Robertson had a special message for residents of Dover, Pa., today after voters there elected to boot the current school board, which instituted an intelligent design policy that led to a federal trial.

Robertson made the comment after Lee Webb of CBN News delivered a report on how residents in Dover voted in eight new Democratic board members, replacing all eight current members who had voted for a policy that required students in ninth-grade biology classes to hear a statement on intelligent design before hearing lessons on evolution. Webb then asked Robertson what he thought about the vote.

Here was Robertson's response.

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected him from your city. And don't wonder why he hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for his help because he might not be there."

[Dimensio]

Anyone wishing for God to punish Dover, PA (and I believe Pat Robertson to be in that number) has repudiated Christian teachings that are much more important than the Genesis account of creation.

I always thought that the Genesis account of creation was of utmost importance to most creationists. Certainly it seems far more important than "Thou shalt not bear false witness...", because so many creationists seem to think that directive to have an exception when pushing a literal Genesis worldview.

[Dimensio]

Well then don't get all worked up if men acted like apes.

Argument from the consequences. The final resort of a creationist who has no arguments left. Also meaningless because humans are apes, thus anything that a human does is "acting like an ape" by definition.

[SupplySider]

I see the original post of your excellent piece was taken down.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I took it as a satire on the cartoonish views of Robertson and others, and not disrespectful of Christianity.

[Right Wing Professor]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I took it as a satire on the cartoonish views of Robertson and others, and not disrespectful of Christianity.

No, it wasn't meant to be disrespectful of Christianity.

[drlevy88]

Eep Eep Oop Oop Eep Eep.

[patent]

>>>>If I remember right, only Catholicism has a monastic tradition--Protestants eschew (gesundheit) monasticism as being pagan in origin.

Its not just Catholics. The Protestants do "eschew" it, but I think Pat should start something new. Maybe just for him.

patent

[Siena Dreaming]

God only knows. However, we do know that New Orleans was entrenched in corruption and nothing was changing it.

Through this process, a LOT of junk has come to light about the city which will probably be cleaned up.

Was this the reason? Maybe.

[Physicist]

I always thought that the Genesis account of creation was of utmost importance to most creationists. Certainly it seems far more important than "Thou shalt not bear false witness...", because so many creationists seem to think that directive to have an exception when pushing a literal Genesis worldview.

Yes, we must be careful to distinguish between Christians and Bible-idolators.

[Siena Dreaming]

Many people there will be jostled from their routines and think on more important things. It won't affect some, but for many others maybe God wanted to get their attention and this was the way to do it.

[trillabodilla]

Matthew 11:28 (King James Version)

28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Sure doesn't sound like what our LORD said, does it?

[sausageseller]

If Art Bell would jump on the "Intelligent designer" question all these threads would be missing the science experts!

[steve-b]

Stewart must love stuff like this. The jokes pretty much write themselves at this point.

I was a bit surprised that this didn't get picked up in "This Week In God" -- maybe they already had enough material written and will get back to it next week.

[steve-b]

Pat Robertson should do God a favor, and tell people he's an atheist.

Or he could tell people that he's a liberal Democrat. Then, instead of each side having a raving loony reverend (thus creating a sort of MAD deterrent against either side pressing the other about their association with a nut case), they'd be stuck with both Revverund Al and Revverund Pat.

[steve-b]

Rumor has it that a strand of spaghetti was found in one of the voting machines, blocking votes for one of the incumbents.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster works in mysterious ways.

[steve-b]

If I'd been the local DA then I would have ordered an autopsy on those two.

CSI: Judaea.

[Waywardson]

The gist of what Pat tries to say is right... HOW he says it and HOW it get spun are 10.0 scale PR nightmares. And the guy never learns. Now that is the bigger story.

[jennyp]

God only knows. However, we do know that New Orleans was entrenched in corruption and nothing was changing it.

Through this process, a LOT of junk has come to light about the city which will probably be cleaned up.

Was this the reason? Maybe.

Is that why he sent tornados to southern Indiana too?

Look, you think that God uses natural disasters to grab our attention. Why should God have to use such a blunt instrument as that? If I want to get someone's attention, I go over and talk to them. Call them up on the phone. Email them. Easiest thing in the world. Why can't God do such a simple, straightforward thing?

[Dimensio]

Do you have an intelligent response, or have you already run out of facts and thus have resorted to inane babble prematurely?

[Siena Dreaming]

Why should God have to use such a blunt instrument as that?

It would be nice if people just listened to everything God says. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works.

For example, you can call someone on the phone and try to tell them what the right thing is. But will they listen? I think you know that many will not. And some will even get hostile when you tell them the right thing.

Same with God. He has to hit many people over the head to get their attention. Many, many hearts are much harder than you would think.

[Dimensio]

Same with God. He has to hit many people over the head to get their attention. Many, many hearts are much harder than you would think.

So what you're saying is that if I'm having trouble getting someone to understand the magnitude of a problem, I should level a city and kill dozens of people.