You must mean Falwell, Robertson and Hagee, who also
Posted By: believe America provoked 9/11...sm on 2008-10-15
In Reply to: Point being: Couldn't he find a church that offers those things sans the racism and hate mongeri - My church has all the same ministries
Here's a few more points you may want to mull over:
The idea that America deserves terrorist attacks and other horrendous disasters has long been a frequently expressed view among the faction of white evangelical ministers to whom the Republican Party is most inextricably linked. Neither Jerry Falwell nor Pat Robertson ever retracted or denounced their view that America provoked the 9/11 attacks by doing things to anger God. John Hagee continues to believe that the City of New Orleans got what it deserved when Katrina drowned its residents and devastated the lives of thousands of Americans. And James Inhofe (who happens to still be a Republican U.S. Senator) blamed America for the 9/11 attacks by arguing in a 2002 Senate floor speech that "the spiritual door was opened for an attack against the United States of America" because we pressured Israel to give away parts of the West Bank.
The phrases "anti-American" and "America-haters" are among the most barren and manipulative in our entire political lexicon, but whatever they happen to mean on any given day, they easily encompass people who believe that the U.S. deserved the 9/11 attacks, devastating hurricanes and the like. Yet when are people like Falwell, Robertson, Hagee, Inhofe and other white Christian radicals ever described as anti-American or America-hating extremists? Never, because white Christian evangelicals who tie themselves to the political Right are intrinsically patriotic. Do Obama haters believe that those individuals are anti-American radicals and that people who allow their children to belong to their churches are exercising grave errors of judgment?
To subscribe to this paradox is wildly understating the magnitude of the association between "anti-American" white evangelicals and Republican leaders. By all accounts, George Bush had private conversations with Pat Robertson about matters as weighty as whether to invade Iraq. Isn't that a big scandal, that the President is consulting with an American-hating minister, someone who believes God allowed the 9/11 attacks as punishment for our evil country, about vital foreign policy decisions? No, it wasn't controversial at all.
John Hagee privately visits with the highest level Middle East officials in the White House and afterwards pronounces that they're in agreement. John McCain shares a stage with Hagee and lavishes him with praise, as Rudy Giuliani did with Pat Robertson. James Inhofe remains a member in good standing in the GOP Senate Caucus. The Republican Party has tied itself at the hip to a whole slew of "anti-American extremists"…people who believe that the U.S. provoked the 9/11 attacks because God wants to punish us for the evil, wicked nation we've become…and yet there is virtual silence about these associations.
Nor have the views of televangelist Rod Parsley, one of McCain's self-proclaimed "spiritual advisers," received a fraction of the attention generated by Wright. As both David Corn and Alan Colmes, among others, have documented, Parsley espouses views at least as extreme and radical as Wright, including his proclamation that "America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion [Islam] destroyed." Unlike Wright and Obama, for whom the former's controversial views are found nowhere near the latter's public or private conduct , both George Bush and John McCain's Middle Eastern militarism are perfectly consonant with the most maniacal and crazed views of Christian Rapture enthusiasts such as Hagee, Parsley, Inhofe, and Robertson. Yet the controversy created over their close ties is virtually non-existent.
The Republican Party long ago adopted as a central strategy aligning itself with, and granting great influence to, the most radical, "America-hating" white evangelical Christian ministers in the country. They're given a complete pass on that because political orthodoxy mandates that white evangelical Christian ministers are inherently worthy of respect, no matter how extreme and noxious are their views. That orthodoxy stands in stark contrast to the universally enraged reaction to a few selected snippets from the angry rantings of a black Christian Minister. What accounts for that glaring disparity?
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Robertson, Falwell, et al. are the very same
people who publicly claim that they and their followers are the only people who are good enough to go to heaven. It's easy for Americans to just dismiss these snake oil salesmen and their followers as whackos, just laugh at them and brush them off as having no importance.
You're right. The inmates are going to be running the asylum if Harriet Miers becomes a Supreme Court Justice, and America will continue its downward 5-year spiral backwards time. I already wrote to Senator Harry Reid a couple days ago, basically asking what he was thinking when he was hoodwinked by Bush and Miers. I've also written to many of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee. I obviously don't live in all of their states, but at the federal level, I feel my voice is just as important in such a serious matter as this. I do live in Senator Specter's state, and he will probably be tired of hearing from me before it's all said and done.
I hope those who have strong concerns about precisely the things described in the article you posted do the same and write to the Senators on the Judiciary Committee...unless you're okay with the Bible replacing the Constitution and the inmates running the asylum.
As far as God's actual involvement in all this, I'm starting to wonder if God is getting fed up with the inherent evil of this White House and all the lies and corruption that accompany it. Maybe it's actually God's love and pursuit of the truth that will result in Bush's house of cards toppling over in the next few weeks as, one by one his scandals, are revealed to the world and hopefully many indictments will be handed out. 
Pat Robertson
Like I told gt below I don't echo Pat Robertson. However, Cindy Sheehan has said as much about our president but in much more vulgar verbage. Don't lump us into all being Pat Robertson followers, because it just ain't so.
You must have Pat Robertson
running through your veins. You're totally whacked.
Get some help.
Like Pat Robertson calling for
of Chavez? Or telling the people of Dover not to pray to God 'cause God won't answer? Must be nice to have such a straight line to the Lord God. Yeah, that's REAL Christianity alright.
Too bad Robertson doesn't look in the mirror.
We have our own Taliban right here in the U.S...so-called Christians calling for people's assassinations, etc. And the darling of the right, Coulter, *joking* that Justice Stevens should be poisoned? Makes me wonder who is really *satanic* and *crazed fanatics*? Apparently my copy of the New Testament is different than theirs. Robertson in his infinite wisdom comparing Mohammed to a politician?
From the March 13 broadcast of CBN's The 700 Club:
ROBERTSON: Imagine one cartoon, one cartoon showing Mohammad with a turban with a missile out of it. I mean, we have stuff like that, that is vastly worse against our politicians all the time. It's part of free expression. The fact that this elicited this incredible outpouring of rage just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power; it is satanic; and it's time we recognize what we are dealing with. But, political correctness will not face one religious ideology with the strength of another because they don't have the strength of another. And, so, they're caving in before this vicious assault, and the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination. These people are saying it over there in Europe -- world domination. We're going to take over Europe. We're going to take over England. We're going to take over Denmark. We're going to take over France. That's their goal! And, why don't we wake up to the fact of who we're dealing with? And, by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace.
I didn't agree with Pat Robertson either. sm
However, I doubt Chavez offer came free of strings. I am glad we did not accept his help. He has shown himself for what he is.
Robertson apologizes - He was misunderstood. Any takers on this one?
See link.
WH refuses to condemn Robertson's statement.
It's just amazing that our own President won't stand up and condemn this kind of terrorism - using the US airwaves to threaten assasination of foreign leaders, by a religious leader no less. Tough on terrorism? OK, so...when?
I tell you, I didn't know that Pat Robertson tried to get on the republican ticket in 1988...sm
and I was enjoying the 700 club last year. They have some good Christian stories on there and motivational things that I actually liked. That was until one day Pat started talking politics and throwing his opinions around as if they were God's. That show hasn't gotten a rating point from me since then. He's definitely a radical in my book.
Robertson to build theme park in Israel; Jews unwilling to convert
Plans for Holy Land theme park on Galilee shore where Jesus fed the 5,000
· Evangelical groups and Israel on brink of deal
· Some Israelis fear motives of US Christian right Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Guardian The Israeli government is planning to give up a large slice of land to American Christian evangelicals to build a biblical theme park by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus is said to have walked on water and fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish.
A consortium of Christian groups, led by the television evangelist Pat Robertson, is in negotiation with the Israeli ministry of tourism and a deal is expected in the coming months. The project is expected to bring up to 1 million extra tourists a year but an undeclared benefit will be the cementing of a political alliance between the Israeli rightwing and the American Christian right.
However, the alliance has not been welcomed by all Israelis, including some who fear the ultimate aim of the evangelicals is the conversion of the Jews to Christianity rather than support for Israel.
Jonathan Pulik, a spokesman for the Israeli ministry of tourism, said the Christian market was very important for Israel's tourism industry. We would like to give them more of a reason to come here. We would be willing to lease the land to them free of charge and they would finance the construction.
The site of the centre, covering nearly 50 hectares (125 acres) and provisionally called the Galilee World Heritage Park, would be north-east of the Mount of the Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, and Capernaum which was described as the town of Jesus in the Bible. It would feature a garden and nature park, an auditorium, a Holy Land exhibition, outdoor amphitheatres, information centre and a media studio.
The ministry of tourism estimates the total cost would be $48m (£28m). Mr Pulik also pointed out that the project would bring large numbers of jobs to the area. Mr Robertson said in a statement that he was fully cooperating with the project but no deal had been formalised. He said he was thrilled that there will be a place in the Galilee where evangelical Christians from all over the world can come to celebrate the actual place where Jesus Christ lived and taught.
The Sea of Galilee is more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands than the Middle East, particularly in winter and spring when the hills are green. The existing Christian sites are picturesque and understated oases of calm and there is even a Church of Scotland hotel and church in Tiberias, the main town in the area.
A major part of the shore of the Sea of Galilee was Syrian until it was conquered by Israel in 1967. Syria and Israel are still officially in a state of war and Syria insists the return of the Golan Heights and the Galilee shore is a prerequisite for peace.
Uri Dagul, the project coordinator, said the land issues would be concluded within a few weeks and then the final details would be agreed between the Israeli government and the Christian communities which are primarily American evangelical churches.
The American Christian right, best known for television evangelism and its stars such as Mr Robertson and Jerry Falwell, has been among the strongest supporters of Israel in the US.
The primary reason is that according to the Old Testament, Israel was given to the Jews by God. Fundamentalist Christians believe that in order for Jesus to return, two preconditions are Jewish control of the land of Israel and the conversion of the Jews to Christianity.
Yossi Sarid, a former government minister and member of the Knesset, said he was wary of the friendship of the American Christian right and projects such as the Galilee centre. He said: I am not enthusiastic about this cooperation because I have no desire to be cannon fodder for the evangelists.
As a Jew, they believe I have to vanish before Jesus can make his second appearance. As I have no plans to convert, as an Israeli and a Jew, I find this a provocation. There is something sinister about their embrace.
Avraham Hirschson, the Israeli tourism minister, said: I'm not a theologian, I'm the minister of tourism, and I'm not interested in the politics of our tourists as long as they come here. They come here as tourists, and they're friends of Israel.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
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