Back to My Roots

In its early days, 300 Dollar Wonder was built around pointing out the idiocy of Pat Robertson. I drifted away from Pat as the months went by and by the time the Midterm elections came around, I had abandoned the Crazy Reverend completely. Here in the new year, a new Robertson story left me feeling nostalgic.

From the AP:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in "mass killing" late in 2007.

"I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."

Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.

Let's recap: From that little story we've learned that not only does Pat Robertson talk to God, when God answers him, Pat is willing to second guess God if he thinks throwing the word 'nuclear' into the sentence will increase his ratings. Also, Pat knows to make his predictions far enough in the future that people will forget about his predictions if they don't come true right away and vague enough that he can pull shit like this:

"I have a relatively good track record," [Robertson] said. "Sometimes I miss."

In May, Robertson said God told him that storms and possibly a tsunami were to crash into America's coastline in 2006. Even though the U.S. was not hit with a tsunami, Robertson on Tuesday cited last spring's heavy rains and flooding in New England as partly fulfilling the prediction.

Yeah, flooding in New England is a lot like a tsunami, Pat.

Though Robertson said that America's 'feigned' friendship with Israel was driving that nation to "national suicide," he made no mention of God striking down George W. Bush in the same way he struck down Ariel Sharon for failing to protect the geographical integrity of Israel.

I guess Pat knows not to bite the hand that ensures his tax breaks either...

Pat Robertson Predictions Christianists

Republicans Have a Problem

One is tempted to diagnose it as a 'loose lips sink candidacies' sort of problem, but that's not really it. It seems that there are (Gasp!) actual racists amongst the GOP ranks.

Via 365Gay:

(Salt Lake City, Utah) A state senator responsible for some of Utah's most anti-gay legislation is under fire for saying that the landmark court case that ended state-sanctioned segregation is wrong.

During an interview on KVNU radio this week Chris Buttars (R) was asked about a bill he has authored that would give the Senate the right to overturn the election of judges and to remove judges from office if senators disagreed with their rulings.

Buttars, who authored Utah's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, prepared the bill after a ruling this spring that the city of Salt Lake did not violate the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage by offering benefits to the same-sex partners of municipal workers. (story)

During the radio interview host Tom Grover noted that courts historically have been used by minority groups "to ensure [their] rights are protected."

"I don't know of an example where the minority is being jeopardized by legislative action," Buttars replied.

Grover then brought up the Kansas desegregation case that resulted in the busing of black students to white schools and vice versa.

"I think Brown v. Board of Education is wrong to begin with," Buttars shot back.

Wow.

There are very few things that a politician can say today, in the year 2006, that are as unbelievable as 'I disagree with Brown v. Board of Education.' Hell, you can actually get away with saying things like 'I think Evolution is only a theory' and still get elected.

By itself, this would just be the ramblings of some old white guy in Utah who happened to be a politician. Add in Sen. George Allen's use of the 'M' word, Sen. Conrad Burns' remarks about his house painter and Tramm Hudson's musings on the swimming ability of African Americans and this really starts to look like a tendency.

Throw in some 'Muslims should get special screening at the airport' bullshit by the House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King and anti-Latino immigrant blusterings by nearly every Republican in a border state (and beyond) and you have a trend.

Top it off with Pat Robertson's racist diatribes in his new book and things are pretty damning for the GOP.

Oh, and there was that whole Katrina thing too.

The sad thing is, in some circles, this will not only be permitted, but encouraged. I hope, I hope, that there are enough suburban moderates out there to counter-act the rising racist bent in the Republican Party. I will say one thing: If Bush had started to make inroads into traditionally Democratic leaning minority groups by appointing non-WASPs to key positions, he forgot to tell the rest of his party that for the strategy to work, they have to at least stop acting like racists. It seems that expecting them to actually stop being racists is still a little to much to ask...

Republicans Racism George Allen Conrad Burns Chris Buttars Tramm Hudson Peter King Pat Robertson

Pat's Sees the Light

More specifically, Pat feels the heat.

Think Progress reports that Pat Robertson, who I have been quite hard on in the past, has 'endorsed' global warming.

Yesterday on the 700 Club, evangelical Pat Robertson declared himself "a convert"” on global warming. Robertson said that he has "“not been one who believed in global warming in the past."” But now, Robertson said, he believes "it is getting hotter and the ice caps are melting and there is a build up of carbon dioxide in the air."” Robertson implored, "we really need to do something on fossil fuels."

Shocking video here. Do not watch while drinking coffee.

I'm a bit conflicted about Pat's conversion. On one hand, if Pat can push some people towards expecting government (and private industry) to do something about fossil fuel use/conservation, we're a step ahead. Largely, the people Pat would be reaching weren't exactly 'on board' with the sustainability movement.

On the other hand, Pat has managed to take a scientific fact and discuss it in purely religious terms. He's a 'convert' to global warming. He 'believes' that it's getting warmer. This sort of language doesn't advance a pro-science agenda. It only feeds into the false fundie-spouted meme 'science is a religion.'

If Pat can claim 'belief' in Global Warming, it's just as easy for someone to claim they don't 'believe.' Belief is a personal decision, not rooted in fact or evidence.

Maybe I'm worried about the little things while I should be happy that at least one Fundie has come around on something important. I just can't help feeling this is going to bite us in the ass.

Pat Robertson Global Warming Science Religion

Just too Good to Pass Up

From Think Progress:

2000 lbs: Weight 76-year-old Pat Robertson claims he can leg press thanks to his “age defying protein shake."

Clay Travis at CBS Sportsline notes "That would mean a 76-year-old man broke the all-time Florida State University leg press record by 665 pounds over Dan Kendra. 665 pounds. Further, when he set the record, they had to modify the leg press machine to fit 1,335 pounds of weight. Plus, Kendra’s capillaries in his eyes burst. Burst."

Oh, Pat. Didn't you hear? "Thou salt not bear false witness." Exodus 20:16.

Pat Robertson, revealed as the snake oil salesman he really is.

Pat Robertson Age-Defying Shake

Right Wing Christianist Insanity

I've expanded from just Pat Robertson Lunacy.

"The separation of church and state is a fiction. The nation is the kingdom of God, period." --Bishop Harold Calvin Ray of West Palm Beach, FL

The Good Bishop said this just months before he attended the House and Senate Republican Conferences "Faith-Based Summit" held April 25, 2001. At this 'summit' there were 32 committee members, only 2 were women, only 2 were Jewish, and no other minority faith was represented.

"In your re-election, God has graciously granted America - though she doesn't deserve it - a reprieve from the agenda of paganism. Put your agenda on the front burner and let it boil. You owe liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ."
--Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones University in a letter to George W. Bush after Nov. 2nd

"When I, or people like me, are running the country, you'd better flee, because we will find you, we will try you, and we'll execute you. I mean every word of it. I will make it part of my mission to see to it that they are tried and executed."
--Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, speaking of doctors who perform abortions, in an address to the U.S. Taxpayers Alliance, 8/08/95

"If this bill goes through, Congressman...it is going to guarantee one day pro-life judges on the Supreme Court, pro-family members of Congress. It's going to make it very difficult for someone like Bill and Hillary Clinton to ever get in the White House again."
--Jerry Falwell, September 13, 2002 - Discussing the "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" (H.R. 2357)

"Two things made this country great: White men & Christianity. The degree these two have diminished is in direct proportion to the corruption and fall of the nation. Every problem that has arisen (sic) can be directly traced back to our departure from God's Law and the disenfranchisement of White men."
--State Rep. Don Davis (R-NC), emailed to every member of the North Carolina House and Senate, reported by the Fayetteville Observer, 08-22-01

Ok, just one more. We'll, it's two for the price of one.

"I think Mohammed was a terrorist. He - I read enough of the history of his life written by both Muslims and – and - non-Muslims, that he was a - a violent man, a man of war. And I do believe that - Jesus set the example for love, as did Moses. And I think that Mohammed set an opposite example."
--Jerry Falwell, 60 Minutes, October 6, 2002

"I have never said in a sermon or a speech that Muhammad is a terrorist."
--Jerry Falwell, interview with Religion News Service

"Thou shalt not bear false witness..." Right Jerry?


Religious Right Christianists Christian Intolerance