Then there was Jonah...God told him he was going to destroy
Nineveh but when Jonah finally preached to the city, the city repented and God stayed his hand. It tells me that while God may give warning messages to folks in order to warn those who need repentance, God will act in a tactically dynamic way stay his hand should repentance occur.
Religious folks have a tendency to look at God as acting in a strategic...”course is set” way and we forget he can also choose to act dynamically in an “up to the minute” way as well. God is interested in our salvation, not our destruction!
Be that as it may, to make startling very specific prophecies that don’t come true especially when there has been no mass repentance on the part of the nation does make Robertson’s prophecies suspect. He is right that prayers of righteous folk can make a difference as scripture says...even Abraham would have secured the continued existence of Sodom if God had found 10 righteous folk there.
So in the end what can we say...only God knows Robertson’s heart, perhaps he is a charlatan or perhaps certain folk in this country who are strong in intercessory prayer convinced a loving God to stay his hand once again.
I can look at Robertson’s personal fruits...no hint of sexual sin, not a drunk, yet may be more materialist minded in that he tends to teach a “prosperity” type of faith.(keep giving your tithe and then some extra, exude a positive attitude and you’ll have tapped into the heavenly ATM machine). His basic gospel is otherwise orthodox Christianity, blood spilled for the atonement of our sins and all that goes with that. His ministries and finances are frequently vetted by independent organizations to maintain public integrity. He does tend to make some blood thirsty public statements such as his call to assasinate Chavez....but then again so have a lot of Freepers!
So I have a mixed view of the man...but I find myself hesitant question his internal faith. He is human and prone to error...but so was King David, Paul, Peter...as well as your kindly neighbor down the road who may have gotten unjustly angry at a 2 dollar error made by the fast food waitress!
You have spoken well. I try not to comment - at all - about people who proclaim to walk with God for the reasons you state, but on the other hand, I do concern myself when others may harm the reputation of Christ and potentially create an unnecessary stumbling block to salvation.