Back modern science, feel God’s wrath

November 10, 2005

On Tuesday, voters in Dover, Pa. made it clear that the activists who forced intelligent-design creationism into a science class curriculum had made a mistake. Local residents voted all of school board members who backed intelligent design out of office, replacing them with a slate of candidates who backed real science.

TV preacher Pat Robertson, in response to the election, announced on his 700 Club program that local residents should be aware that God will now turn on Dover.

Rev. Robertson warned the people of Dover that God might forsake the town because of the vote.

“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.”

(People for the American Way has the video.)

What fine Christian principles this man has. Under this clown’s bizarre theology, God will abandon a community that wants modern science taught in science classes. Don’t even bother praying, Robertson suggests, because God doesn’t like communities that reject creationism. Amazing.

By the way, is Robertson on a roll lately or what? He’s threatened Republican senators over Harriet Miers; he’s told CNN that earthquakes in Pakistan may be a sign of the end times; and he’s called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — all in about two months’ time.

And let’s also not forget, this crazed TV preacher also happens to be a close ally of powerful GOP officials. After all, George W. Bush has appeared at two Robertson-hosted Christian Coalition events and the president even met with Robertson in early 2003 to discuss the war in Iraq. For that matter, tune into the 700 Club on any given day and you’ll see high-ranking officials from the Bush administration chatting about today’s biggest issues.

Indeed, after Tom DeLay was forced from his leadership post, whom did he immediately turn to? Who else? Pat Robertson.

Robertson isn’t some guy shouting bizarre ideas from a street corner; he’s a Republican insider, shouting bizarre ideas on national television.

Stop referring to him as a TV preacher. Start referring to him as ‘Republican Activist,’ ‘Bush’s Spiritual Advisor’ or something along those lines.

If God has not yet smote liars/hypocrites like Robertson yet, I do not think Dover has much to worry about, and even if it did, it would be way down God’s to-do list.

  • For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone, anywhere, anytime gives Pat Robertson the time of day, let alone obscene amounts of money and an extraordinary amount of TV time.

    My professional training (sociology) leads me to look beyond the flaws in this individual (though they’re clearly there) and focus on the kind of society – ours – which responds to him like this. The result is profoundly disturbing.

  • So is his ministry tax exempt? Is the IRS planning to send him any nasty letters as they did to the church in Pasadena where sermons asked parishoners to pray for peace?

    Didnt think so.

    Among the right, I find these “preachers” the most repugnant.

  • Shortly after 9/11, I visited the Ayatollah of Iran’s website. After the attacks, I concluded that I was woefully ill-informed about the Middle East and thought I should try to learn more directly from the source. I was a regular visit then to the official Iraq website. I was frightened when I found an oil company on what should have been one of the Stan countries’ website.

    In a video clip on the Ayatollah’s website, the Ayotollah commented about the 9/11 attacks. I think a voiceover gave an English translation but I don’t remember for sure.

    The Ayatollah agreed with the former candidate for US president, Pat Robertson, as to why the 9/11 attacks occurred. I was fascinated that the Ayatollah paid so much attention to Pat Robertson and that the Ayatollah was right on top of the US media. At the time I chuckled, thinking that fundamentalists were fundamentalists, Muslim or Christian.

    Now I know that the Ayotollah was more on top of the Republican political power structure than me. How embarrassing.

    Recently, I went looking for that video clip but could not find it. I made a request at the Google Answer website but none of the researchers found it either.

    The CIA, of course, could have made up the Iranian website as a joke but I hope the Ayatollah never found out if it did. I certainly better than to make fun of anyone else’s religion.

  • This man is just another crook stealing the nickel’s and dimes from people who can NOT afford to give them! My 90 year old mother sends him money. I’ve tried to get her to stop but it’s her pennies and she feels the need to do it. If there is a GOD this man is going to HELL

  • One problem, the newly elected school board isn’t pulling ID. They simply pledged to pull it from the science curriculum. They propose having this taught within an elective comparative religions class.

    Also, I guess this catholic cardinal must be going to hell also.
    http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9589656/

    “Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said he could believe both in divine creation and in evolution because one was a question of religion and the other of science, two realms that complemented rather than contradicted each other.”

    Cheers

  • Do the fundies actually believe their God
    acts this way, like an inept, overgrown
    George Bush having a tantrum? It’s
    so childish and ridiculous it’s mind
    boggling.

    Any self respecting, competent deity
    would have had a little chat with the
    wayward voters and persuaded them
    to go along with the ID candidates.
    Not resort to such blunt brutality in
    retaliation, punishing everyone for the
    sins of a few. Although that’s the
    profile of the Old Testament SOB,
    I guess. But why do fundies believe
    in that deity, instead of the one Jesus
    preached about? It’s baffling. These
    people are nuts.

  • The mere fact that this man has an audience – and a large one at that – is, indeed, a telling fact about this country and our society, as Ed mentioned above. Stupidity, gullibility and ignorance, apparently, know no bounds.

    And apparently this guy is selling the notion that God is a spiteful, vindictive entity. Doesn’t that contradict what his religion is SUPPOSED to stand for? Is that a God that anyone wants to be associated with?

    What a creep.

  • I admit that I have a weird sense of humor, and I actually found those comments funny… funny in the way that someone with Turett’s or a really old person says something kooky and really inappropriate that you really shouldn’t laugh at. The thing that isn’t funny and quite disturbing is that he’s actually taken seriously in this country as a legitimate political thinker and commentator with valid things to say. This dude has been ridiculous and nuts for a long time now; and for the life of me I can’t understand how it is that he’s appeared on actual supposedly reputable news and public affairs programs to express his views… as though he’s worthy of equal time in the political discourse with non-retards and non-Puritains.

  • Alex my dog,

    One problem, the newly elected school board isn’t pulling ID. They simply pledged to pull it from the science curriculum. They propose having this taught within an elective comparative religions class..

    Which is perfect as it is where it belongs.

    Also, I guess this catholic cardinal must be going to hell also.

    “Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said he could believe both in divine creation and in evolution because one was a question of religion and the other of science, two realms that complemented rather than contradicted each other.”

    Well, that’s what they teach over at Bob Jones U. That popish fags are paws of the Antichrist that shall burn in Hell.

  • I guess I don’t understand the connection between ID and God’s wrath. Isn’t the whole point of ID that it *isn’t* theologically based? I think Robertson is letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

  • “I think Robertson is letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak.”

    Good point. I try to explain to my wife that Pat Robertson is more a threat to put her into a burhka than any Islamic Extremist, but she doesn’t believe me.

  • This is just one more opportunity for God to kick Robertson in the teeth by making Dover the most successful community in PA. Come on, God, we know you help those that help themselves, and the voters in Dover just pulled off some serious self-help! So spread a little omnipotent love around, OK? Or at least give Robertson a couple of canker sores to remind him who’s boss.

  • hark, Drew, Andy –

    You took the words right out of my mouth. Who would want to spend eternity in a place run by the puny, thin-skinned, peevish, close-minded God these fundies describe? Not me. The rationalizations these guys are capable of never cease to amaze me.

    An ex-boyfriend and I used to get into some pretty heated theological discussions with his Dad, a good Catholic boy. We once brought up the “easier for a camel to pass through the eye of needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” quote. And his Dad said, with a straight face and not a trace of irony, “I think if Jesus were alive today he would live in a nice house like ours.” (This is also the guy who called Oliver North “a class act.”) These people can convince themselves of anything!

  • But why do fundies believe in that deity, instead of the one Jesus preached about? It’s baffling. These people are nuts.

    Hark, I don’t think the Fundamentalists are nuts (many of them anyway). Most are rigid in their thought systems, unimaginative and incurious, easily stirred to fear and loathing, inexperienced in the world, afraid of genuine physical pleasure, unaware of cultural pleasures, parochial, and ill-equipped to pursue independent, rational thought — i.e., most are doing the best they can.

    The mistake we often make is in thinking of their leaders as religious. Falwell, Robertson, Dobson and their ilk have no interest in religion or in what Jesus had to say (most of which was secularly humane rather than “religious” in the sense of church-going and all that). They are charlatans who adore power and wealth, and they’re very good at finding the easy marks.

    The rest of us, including the media, have been taught to be polite to preachers and the like, to respect other people’s religions. When I was in Italy recently I heard, several times, an expression an Italian friend told me in high school: that when Italians run into a politician or a priest their instinct is to throw a rock. I think they’re right. We need to turn off our TVs (life really does improve) and read a lot more Voltaire and Thomas Paine, maybe just read or watch “Elmer Gantry”. I still like the idea of throwing rocks. Ciao, fratello.

  • My God Ed, I thought you were talking about the President there for a minute:

    ” rigid in their thought systems, unimaginative and incurious, easily stirred to fear and loathing, inexperienced in the world, afraid of genuine physical pleasure, unaware of cultural pleasures, parochial, and ill-equipped to pursue independent, rational thought “

  • Most are rigid in their thought systems, unimaginative and incurious, easily stirred to fear and loathing, inexperienced in the world, afraid of genuine physical pleasure, unaware of cultural pleasures, parochial, and ill-equipped to pursue independent, rational thought — i.e., most are doing the best they can.

    Wasn’t that Lynndie England’s defense?

  • So. Does this mean there is some sort of connection in the midwest between weather and religion? Like what’s up with the Bible Belt and Tornado Alley being pretty much the same thing? Are the tornadoes keeping folks from sinning more than they would otherwise or is God smiting them for sin’s already committed or worse!…..sin’s….being….contemplated? A lust in the heart is worth two in the brush.

    “OH NO! Freddy’s down in the barn with that goat again and here comes another tornado.”

  • Don’t forget his father was a Congressman who used his influence
    to make sure his son got safe duty in Japan during the Korean War.

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