8.24.2005
Nice Recovery, Pat!
Last Toke: 28 days
Last Smoke: 21 days
Well, today's radio subject was a follow up on yesterday's Pat Robertson debacle. The topic: "What should the next step be for Pat Robertson and CBN?"
At the time, the host was unaware that Robertson had come out with a public statement. At the time, all I had read on The Drudge Report was that he claimed to have been misinterpreted in his comment stating that the U.s. had the "ability to take him out", referring to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He wanted us all to know that "take him out" could have a variety of applications, including kidnapping.
Smooth. I feel much better now, Pat.
He also issued an apology acknowledging that calling for the assassination of Chavez was wrong, and stating, "I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him."
Well, he must have been REALLY frustrated for a long time, seeing as his comments were taped, not live, and the fact that it took him over two days to retract a statement that any baby Christian should know was wrong.
But back to the subject on the radio show. Again, the gargantuan lack of wisdom and discernment among the listeners was maddening. I know that I shouldn't be so surprised, seeing as The 700 Club maintains a viewership of over a million, despite the fact that this man has been preaching a false Gospel for decades. One lady was maintaining that Robertson was a lone voice of political insight and interpretation of world events for Christ, and that he "is pretty intelligent." Another woman wanted to try and make this yet another case of the liberal media distorting his comments to trounce on Christians and Christianity.
Sorry, but that dog simply won't hunt in this case. His words were all too plain, and his apologies were just lame excuses to hide his real agenda, which from what I can tell is to try and direct the political agenda of conservative Christians towards a new McCarthyism. The real goal here was to highlight the 'evil' of a little known Latin American thug dictator who Robertson believes is a threat to U.S. national security. More likely, he realizes that this guy has the biggest supply of available crude oil in the Western hemisphere, and is probably crazy enough to try and use it against us for political blackmail.
Is it any coincidence that Hugo Chavez was caught up in this newscycle during a visit to Cuba, and that Fidel Castro was predictably using the controversy to rattle his rusted saber at the Imperialist U.s.? I think not. And why is W so silent? Could it be that he'd rather let the focus of the coverage fall on Chavez, who he is, his antagonistic rants against the U.S., and his close alliance with Castro? I'm betting it is. Politics as usual, especially in the face of rising petroleum costs.
All Pat Robertson has done is to set up a straw man for the Bush Administration to use to counter the current downswing in overall approval and to set the stage for the next round of "Oil! Oil! Who's Got the Oil?"
Sorry to sound like a liberal here, but this whole situation just stinks, and I am looking for a voice of integrity to emerge from this political and religious posturing. Unfortunately, I am afraid that I am going to have to wait for things to get much worse before Christians as a whole begin to speak out.
Conservatism only works if there is a moral foundation to keep greed and corruption in check. Christianity only speaks to the culture when its followers obey the commands of their Lord.
So back to the question of the day. In my humble opinion, the next move by Pat Robertson is irrelevant, as he has declared himself an enemy of Christ by his whole corrupted participation in this political soap opera. George W. Bush has failed to make a move to distance himself from this by his silence, knowing full well that he had only 48 hours to weigh in on this news cycle. Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and their cronies are teetering on the precipice of making the next upswing of this controversy about them and the threats (perceived or otherwise) that they pose to the domestic tranquility of these United States.
The only relevant next move should come from obedient followers of Christ to wake up and denounce these kinds of geo-political games as outside the scope of our work for the Kingdom of God. Galatians 1:6-9 sums it up for me:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"
I'm feeling a little bit John The Baptist here, but sincere Christians really need to wake up and stop assuming that these self-appointed representatives of the 'evangelical Right' are the mouthpieces of Christ, and the Conservatism equals Christianity.
It simply ain't so.
- posted by The Drake @ 6:22 PM
Comments:
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The worst part about it is that he LIED about it first, saying he didn't say the US should assassinate Chavez, when in fact he did. He then issued a non-apology, but rather a retraction of the comments.
Whatever respect I had for Robertson, which was admittedly little, went out the window when he lied.
Come on, Pat! You know what they say: Liars will be fryers!
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Whatever respect I had for Robertson, which was admittedly little, went out the window when he lied.
Come on, Pat! You know what they say: Liars will be fryers!
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