More Pat Robertson idiocy

[Ignosticist]

No hate-filled speech, no matter how vile, is as damaging as losing a loved one. The comparison is inappropriate.

Tell that to all the worldwide victims of hate (incited by hate-filled speech) crimes in the history of humanity

 

[Puppycow]

This is a first. Pat Robertson says something I agree with:

Pat Robertson Says Marijuana Use Should be Legal

“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”

Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made last week on “The 700 Club,” the signature program of his Christian Broadcasting Network, and other comments he made in 2010. While those earlier remarks were largely dismissed by his followers, Mr. Robertson has now apparently fully embraced the idea of legalizing marijuana, arguing that it is a way to bring down soaring rates of incarceration and reduce the social and financial costs.

“I believe in working with the hearts of people, and not locking them up,” he said.

 

[hgc]

This is a first. Pat Robertson says something I agree with:

Pat Robertson Says Marijuana Use Should be Legal

He doesn't really support that. He was just stoned and mouthing off.

 

[a_unique_person]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people will blindly follow someone who is an obvious moron. The latest Pat Robertson example, in discussing the recent tornadoes in the U.S.:
Ya' know the most ironic thing about this? All across North America, tons of Christians have been praying for years that God would shut Robertson's mouth...yet he still keeps ranting. The fact he's still ranting is probably one of the best proofs of God's non-existence that there is. For all the damage done by those tornadoes, it is the whirlwinds of hateful and bigoted crap that keep gushing from this man's mouth that cause the greatest damage.

You mean like this?

http://us.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t1#...03/03/vo-nat-west-liberty-tornado-prayers.cnn

That's some damn fine praying, storm doesn't seem to stop.

 

[marplots]

I can tell you it's a difficult task. As a certified Prayer Warrior, I know how difficult it is to know just what to pray away.

During the recent outbreak of tornadoes, for example, my squad was caught flat-footed, praying away earthquakes. It seems that by preventing one natural disaster, we missed the possibility of another. Thankfully, the U.S. was spared several catastrophic earthquakes that same week.

Sometimes we are spot on though. The recent rise in solar activity would have been much worse -- calamity level worse -- without our prayers to mitigate the damage. And, in case you are wondering: no thanks required. It's what we do.

 

[MontagK505]

This is a first. Pat Robertson says something I agree with:

Pat Robertson Says Marijuana Use Should be Legal

Perhaps he needs to be stoned so he can keep a straight face when he runs his mouth.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

To test the theory of Prayer vs Tornadoes, we can just line up the Bible Belt with Tornado Alley and show that..oh, wait! What?

 

[AvalonXQ]

Very tongue-in-cheek, I would point out that tornadoes are one of the most selective disasters -- completely flattening one house while leaving other houses nearby practically untouched.

So if I were a god and there were a region of the country with a lot more believers scattered amongst the infidels, that would be the region of the country that I would want to have tornadoes to allow for selective punishment/mercy (as opposed to earthquakes, floods, etc. that affect everyone in the region).

 

[Olowkow]

Just when we thought Pat Robertson was getting a wee bit of sanity with his "marijuana should be legal" foray into common sense, he really jumps the shark on something that I find particularly odious. It's not worth dignifying with its own thread, but I can't let this one pass without expressing my outrage. How dare you Pat Robertson, who the hell gives you leave to so deeply wound a grieving mother by godwinning the tragedy of her own baby's death?

Pat Robertson:
“As far as God’s concerned, he knows the end from the beginning and He sees a little baby and that little baby could grow up to be Adolf Hitler, he could grow up to be Joseph Stalin, he could grow up to be some serial killer, or he could grow up to die of a hideous disease,” Robertson said. “God sees all of that, and for that life to be terminated while he’s a baby, he’s going to be with God forever in Heaven so it isn’t a bad thing.”

He's insane. But Robertson is correct that this is logically where Christianity eventually goes if the bible is to be taken literally. I get an adrenalin rush just re-reading this, let alone hearing him on the video. What kind of a monster can speak such a vile message?

 

[Mark6]

What kind of a monster can speak such a vile message?

The one who takes bible literally. He can't help but be vile.

 

[thines]

Logic.

As I'm sure everyone with a brain (so Pat Robertson isn't in that group) has realized the absurdity of Robertson's comment, but I can't help but point it out anyway. So, if god can detect that a baby will grow up to be a Hitler or Stalin and that's why he terminated the baby in question, then why didn't he terminate Hitler and Stalin as babies? Was he asleep?

 

[Mark6]

As I'm sure everyone with a brain (so Pat Robertson isn't in that group) has realized the absurdity of Robertson's comment, but I can't help but point it out anyway. So, if god can detect that a baby will grow up to be a Hitler or Stalin and that's why he terminated the baby in question, then why didn't he terminate Hitler and Stalin as babies? Was he asleep?

God moves in mysterious ways.

It is not for you to question God's judgment.

Or something like that.

 

[Mark6]

I am pretty sure no Catholic pope or bishop would ever say something like that, at least not in modern times. That is because Catholic church is an organization, and very concerned about its image. Any priest who is that insane would never get promoted -- or would be forced into retirement if he started spouting such things in his dotage. Whereas Protestant doctrine that "any man can interpret the Bible" means nobody is in the position to tell Robertson "You are senile, go home".

This does not make Catholic church necessarily better then Protestantism, but it does make it better once it becomes necessary (i.e. when society as a whole has moved on).

 

[Trebuchet]

God kills baby => Hitler.
Abortion => Beethoven.
Standard wingnut thinking.

 

[hgc]

I am pretty sure no Catholic pope or bishop would ever say something like that, at least not in modern times. That is because Catholic church is an organization, and very concerned about its image. Any priest who is that insane would never get promoted -- or would be forced into retirement if he started spouting such things in his dotage. Whereas Protestant doctrine that "any man can interpret the Bible" means nobody is in the position to tell Robertson "You are senile, go home".

This does not make Catholic church necessarily better then Protestantism, but it does make it better once it becomes necessary (i.e. when society as a whole has moved on).

The Catholic Church is a huge organization. It's not so easy to keep tight control over the message. Bishops are always popping off with crazy stuff like that.

 

[Foster Zygote]

This man promotes hatred and intolerance that do far more damage and last much longer than the tornadoes.

I agree about the promoting hatred and intolerance, but I wonder if he really believes his own BS. Have you seen the mansion the guy lives in? I cent help but think he says whatever he knows will keep the offerings flowing in, which would make him not a moron, but genuinely evil.

 

[Giordano]

As I'm sure everyone with a brain (so Pat Robertson isn't in that group) has realized the absurdity of Robertson's comment, but I can't help but point it out anyway. So, if god can detect that a baby will grow up to be a Hitler or Stalin and that's why he terminated the baby in question, then why didn't he terminate Hitler and Stalin as babies? Was he asleep?

He stayed asleep once they grew up, too.

Well, I certainly agree with one part of Fundamentalism- we cannot understand the mind of their God.

 

[jimtron]

A few years back, after Robertson blamed the earthquake on Haiti for making a pact with the devil, I started a Facebook page called "Pat Robertson made a pact with the devil." I rarely post stuff there, but if anyone cares to chime in please do. I'll add Olowkow's link.

 

[Olowkow]

As I'm sure everyone with a brain (so Pat Robertson isn't in that group) has realized the absurdity of Robertson's comment, but I can't help but point it out anyway. So, if god can detect that a baby will grow up to be a Hitler or Stalin and that's why he terminated the baby in question, then why didn't he terminate Hitler and Stalin as babies? Was he asleep?

Of course one could also ask why god would have permitted conception in the first place; why he would allow the minister to permit the couple to wed; why he would allow a gene to be altered which would end in evil....all the way back to why allow the great-great-great-grandfather to have fathered a succession of progeny that would produce a Hitler. It's just wrong on so many levels. Doesn't anyone in his own clique ever call him out on this stuff?

Seems the only cure for problems god ever has is to kill someone. No wonder nations full of religious fanatics like to kill so much. I was listening to an episode of the "Non Prophets" the other day. They were trying to find something "good" that god had ever done. Very interesting conversation.

I agree about the promoting hatred and intolerance, but I wonder if he really believes his own BS. Have you seen the mansion the guy lives in? I cent help but think he says whatever he knows will keep the offerings flowing in, which would make him not a moron, but genuinely evil.

I was pretty sure that Falwell was a total fraud and hypocrite like Mother Teresa. But these simplistic solutions that Robertson touts are too outrageous to be faked. My gut tells me that Robertson, like the WBC, is the real deal, a real delusional horror story who has been brainwashed into a code of ethics with a logical endpoint that happens to serve him well, financially, and apparently keeps him supplied with followers. But I could easily be wrong.

 

[Leumas]

You are not seriously comparing the rampaging death and destruction from tornadoes against the simpleton prittle prattle of whomever are you?

No hate-filled speech, no matter how vile, is as damaging as losing a loved one. The comparison is inappropriate.

Please provide evidence that Robertson's screeds have done "far more damage" than more than 90 tornadoes killing over 30 people.

Consider this fact in the light of this fact and try to assess how much damage Pat's money bamboozled out of people who listen to his words have done.