Posted on 02/18/2006 3:11:39 PM PST by NormsRevenge
NORFOLK, Va. - Fellow conservative religious leaders have expressed concern and even open criticism over Pat Robertson's habit of shooting from the hip on his daily religious news-and-talk television program, "The 700 Club."
The Christian Coalition founder and former GOP presidential candidate has said American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for pulling Israel out of the Gaza Strip.
Some observers say Robertson, who'll turn 76 next month, courts controversy as a strategy to stay recognizable and keep his followers mobilized. Others say he remains important to the evangelical movement that he helped create when he established the Virginia Beach-based Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960 — but he needs to stop damaging it with his words.
He canceled a speech planned for this coming Tuesday at the closing banquet of the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Dallas after NRB leaders said they were concerned that his appearance could detract from the event.
"He is in a very visible leadership position and comments such as recent ones related to Mr. Sharon and so many others are misinformed and presumptuous and border on arrogance," said David Dockery, president of Union University, a private college affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Dockery suggested Robertson might want to consult other theologians "before making these pronouncements so quickly."
"It puts the evangelical movement in a bad light when that happens because people make broad generalizations, rightly or wrongly, all the time," said Dockery, who also is chairman of the board for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
Robertson, through a spokesman, declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press.
He recently said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he ad-libs his comments after watching news segments.
He later told the Christian magazine "World" that he's being more careful and reviewing news stories before going on the air because "I have seen an intensity of attack against me that is unparalleled in the 40-some years of the broadcast."
He apologized after facing swift condemnation for his Jan. 5 statement that Sharon was punished for "dividing God's land."
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's ethics and religious liberty commission, has said he was "stunned and appalled that Pat Robertson would claim to know the mind of God concerning whether particular tragic events ... were the judgments of God."
Robertson cited other demands on his time when he canceled his speech to the National Religious Broadcasters convention. NRB President Frank Wright told Associated Press Radio that Robertson was not asked to cancel, but he said NRB leaders did worry that the firestorm over his Sharon comments would detract media attention from the convention's focus. Robertson is on the group's board of directors.
Robertson started out as a Southern Baptist, but today he is a charismatic evangelical and believes that God is involved in guiding world events, said Barry Hankins, professor of history and church-state studies at Baylor University. He tries to interpret contemporary events as "being part of the drama of God's activity in the world."
"He puts the most fantastic spin on things to have a gripping quality about them to keep the ground troops alert," Hankins said.
On the other hand, Brian Britt, director of the Religious Studies Program at Virginia Tech, said Robertson's remarks aren't just "off-the-wall, crazy uncle stuff" but part of a strategy that earns him headlines.
When people attack Robertson, he wins sympathy for appearing to be an underdog, Britt said.
"It reinforces an image of Christianity as a persecuted religion, a religion that is being hounded by the secularists out of the public square, rather than a dominant and hegemonic force," Britt said.
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Eds: Associated Press Radio reporter Steve Coleman contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.
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On the Net:
Christian Broadcasting Network: http://www.cbn.com/
Pat Robertson: http://www.patrobertson.com/
I have never heard Pat Robertson claim he was speaking for all of American Christianity. Have you?
You are correct.
I absolutely agree that some of his remarks are "over the top." However, I take him for what he is - a Bible believing patriot. I rather like it when a 76 year old man shoots off his mouth without worrying about offending the norms of political correctness. We are all free to like it or not, just as he is still free to do it. The MSM, of course, revels in it and dramatizes every incident.
When a brother sins against YOU ! Obviously you can't read the Bible. When your brother has committed a private wrong against YOU deal with it privately between the two of you instead of going through court.
Robertson's wrong was not committed privately against Dockery. This is not something just between Dockery and Robertson. It was committed against the entire body of American Christianity for whom he presumed to speak. It was committed in public against the entire church like Peter when he would not eat with Gentiles or like Ananias and Sapphira when they lied to the congregation.
There just plain aren't enough Jewish babies to make the West Bank and Gaza Jewish at any time in the forseeable future.
Please stop wrapping yourself in the Bible in a way as presumptuous and self-righteously self important as Pat Robertson does.
When Ananias lied he lied to the leadership of the church which was in effect, lying to the entire church. They lied publicly and were punished publicly.
Pat Robertson bought into a joint venture for a Liberian gold mine, that supposedly paid a 10% kick back to the government of Charles Taylor. Even though the business deal put several hundred Liberians to work and built a medical clinic for the people of that community, some people on the anti-Christian left have carried their criticism for Robertson to an irrational level.
As far as I can ascertain, Robertson had no connection with Charles Taylor and the Sierra Leone diamond mines. In fact, Robertson has said he's never met Charles Taylor. Robertson has publically stated, he regrets saying anything in an interview he gave to Colbert King of the WashPost, that may have been taken as "unqualified support for Charles Taylor".
What other Protestant issues fatwas ?
I occasionally watch the 700 Club and find the CBN News segments to be fair and informative, but when Lee Webb is between stories, they flip it over to Pat and this is when Pat gets in trouble. If he would pipe down on the between-stories commentary and let the viewers make their own opinions on the stories, the show would be much smoother.
Robertson is the son of a prominent and wealthy Virginia politician. IIRC, he went to Yale. Hardly a start from nothing.
Robertson has employed dubious business practices for decades in the building of his financial empire, and in the 700 Club, for anyone with eyes to see, has long exhibited a strong tendency towards megalomania.
Any thinking conservative should be emabarrassed to have Robertson's name associated with conservatism.
So I guess the answer to my question is no.
I think Dr. Richard Land nailed it in his comments...
Christian Coal., Operation Blessing and the other ministries have done tremendous good over the years..
Pat Robertson and Billy Graham have shown the effects of age in recent years with ill-advised public statements--perhaps it is time to exit the stage...
Can you read ? What other Protestant sees himself as so supremely infallible that he issues fatwas ?
Pat Robertson is the son of Senator Robertson, former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. A man who succeeded in having his reservist son mobilized for the Korean War made "regimental liquor officer" instead of being sent to Chosun Resevoir.
I have a "word of knowledge" for Pat Robertson.....close your mouth! You have created a very distorted stereotype of what a sincere believer thinks and does. You have distorted Scripture while serving your immense ego. The liberal press comes to you on a controversial issue knowing that you will say something that embarasses true believers in the Kingdom of God.
Can you read? The answer to my question remains no. He has never claimed to speak for all American Christians.
He did.
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