After a particularly tough year in which his comments have gotten him into all manner of trouble, TV preacher Pat Robertson recently conceded that he needs to be more cautious in his choice of words. He told one magazine, “With these people trying to destroy me I can’t step into their trap anymore…. I’ve just got to be more careful.”
That lasted about two weeks.
Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program “The 700 Club” that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are “satanic.”
Robertson’s comments came after he watched a news story on his Christian Broadcasting Network about Muslim protests in Europe over the cartoon drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.
He remarked that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoons “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’re dealing with.”
Robertson also said that “the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination.”
In an interesting twist, Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network decided not to show the comments in its online video feed of The 700 Club. You saw Robertson’s remarks if you watched the program live, but if you went back to check it later, you saw an “edited” version.
I’ve been following Robertson for quite a while, and I’ve seen more episodes of his show than I’d care to admit. I’m fairly confident that Robertson has never edited his own comments in an attempt to hide what he’s said.
That said, I’m not terribly surprised. The Danish cartoons were bound to generate outrage, but one wonders how the Muslim world will react to a prominent American Christian evangelist — with close ties to the president — who refers to their religion on national television as a “satanic” faith bent on “world domination.”
As some friends of mine noted, erasing the comments from the online broadcast is probably too little, too late.
“At a time when inter-religious tensions around the world are at an all-time high, Robertson seems determined to throw gasoline on the fire,” said Lynn. “His comments are grossly irresponsible. Robertson seems to be wrestling with demons of his own, namely intolerance and bigotry. To condemn an entire religion because of the behavior of some is deplorable.
“It is certainly appropriate that Robertson has removed the offensive comments from the Internet version of the show,” Lynn added. “However, it is imperative that he issue an immediate and unequivocal apology, because millions of viewers have already heard the inflammatory remarks. When will Robertson ever learn to think before he speaks?”
I think the answer to that one is, “never.”