The legend is that Haitian leaders offered to serve Satan in return for overthrowing the French and gaining their freedom. Thanks to Robertson, we now know that the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” Apparently, Robertson not only speaks for God, but, now, for Satan, too. (The veracity of the claim is by demolished in a single article by Dr. Jean R. Gelin.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Robertson has presumed to explain disasters either man-made (9/11) or natural (Hurricane Katrina) or made other-dare I say-idiotic statements about world affairs. When disagreeing with the U. S. Department of State in 2003:
Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up.
Regarding Hugo Chavez in August 2005:
You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don’t think any oil shipments will stop. But this man is a terrific danger and the United … This is in our sphere of influence, so we can’t let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine, we have other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don’t need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.
To the citizens of Dover, PA, 2005, after replacing a school board that refused to allow Intelligent Design to be taught in schools:
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.
Suggests that a stroke suffered by then-Prime Minister of Israel, Arial Sharon, was due to “dividing the land”:
I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU [European Union], the United Nations, or United States of America…Sharon [is] personally a very likeable person, [but] God has enmity against those who, quote, ‘divide my land.’
And in January 2007, part of his annual new year spate of prophecies, predicted a terrorist attack on the US causing death and destruction equivalent to that of a nuclear war, though stopped short of saying it would be a nuclear attack. Whew; good to know that. It matters little since neither one happened in 2007…2008…2009…
Now, I realize that we live in the United States and the first amendment is still in full vigor, hence the writing of this very column. I also realize that Christians, more often not, believe in the urgency of protecting their own since others rarely do. For the last decade, Robertson has mostly been ignored with hopes, so far unfulfilled, that he would fade into the sunset. Or fall off the set.
But, really, enough is absolutely enough. I don’t know whether Pat Robertson has dementia (or has had it for 20 years); frankly, I feel a little guilty for insulting people with dementia with the very supposition. This believer is willing to go on record saying that Robertson does not speak for me and he does not speak for God and it’s about time that high profile religious leaders openly distance themselves from Robertson lest they continue to be tainted by his silly pronouncements.
I have no question that Robertson is sincere and sincerely believes that he is speaking for God. I also have no question that he does not. Whether he ever has done so is simply not within my ability to say, but as to whether he does now it is clear that he does not.
Instead of trying to keep viewers by giving his particular spin on whatever he thinks God to be doing and why, perhaps he’d best keep in mind the prophet’s warning, “Woe to those who say, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ when the Lord has not spoken” while God’s people would do well to hear the admonition given in Jeremiah 23:21 centuries ago, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.”
