Here’s Salon.com quoting Pat Robertson’s interesting approach to popularly elected leaders of other sovereign nations. Pat Robertson is a great teacher and leader of the so-called Christian right. But if the only trump values are oil and power – how is that Christian?
Pat Robertson is all about the sanctity of human life — except when he isn’t. The Christian Coalition founder and Christianist political activist said on his television show Monday that it’s time for the United States to stop Venezuela from becoming “a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism.” How do you do that? Assassinate the president, Robertson says.
“We don’t need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator,” the Associated Press quotes Robertson as saying. “It’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.”
“You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. ”It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war . . . and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.”
Ahh. As long as no oil shipments stop.
He sees in Venezuela “communist infiltration and muslim extremism”. Wow. That sounds almost like the take Presidents Johnson and Nixon had on Vietman, only more ecumenical. I’ll bet Osama and Saddam and MTV are involved too. And maybe even Senator Hagel and the Dixie Chicks and the teletubbies.
Some people have funny little hangups about destroying other people’s lives and manipulating other governments by violence and lawlessness. Some people call that “terrorism,” and launch wars against it. But for Robertson it seems it’s not terror as long WE do it – we’re the good guys after all – and especially if we do it to keep other people’s oil flowing into the right hands.
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What is REALLY tragic for Christians is that we’ve gotten used to regarding Robertson’s style as emblematic of Jesus. Does anyone really think that this Jesus, who had the chance to grandstand, rub elbows with the elite (Sadducees), storm Rome and/or organize revolt by Jerusalem against Rome – and turned all this down for the opportunity to minister to the oppressed and the humble – is well represented by ANYONE seething with public ambition of any kind, of which Robertson is foremost in type?
There are hypotheses I’ve read, that what was in Judas’ mind in turning over Jesus to the authorities, was not to kill Jesus, but rather to force Jesus to use His power against the Romans who occupied Jerusalem. For among Jesus’ disciples were “zealots,� who believed the messiah’s job was to lead a violent overthrow of the Romans – a very common Jewish concept at the time. Judas therefore wanted to force God’s power. We can see what a sickening example Judas became. Now, Judas even hung himself for regret. Something must have backfired. Judas presumed against God. It wasn’t about the thirty shekels – it was about politics, by this hypothesis.
This ought to be a lesson about forcing God’s hand through politics. Do we count Judas among the blessed? Not. And I suggest that everyone who is playing politics in the name of Jesus is hot on the heels of Judas. Robertson? Know the Enemy when you see him. Robertson loves the fame. He’s all too glad to hang around Washington D.C., which is a whorehouse on a good day. Now, why does he want those kinds of friends?
Hm. Also, “it’s ok since he sort of apologized/retracted/altered”, now we’re to believe he meant to say ‘kidnap’. Overall, the reaction from people near me has been uniform and negative…
Now, I’m not speaking to anyone here, but I wonder if the whole purpose of this is to see who goes off the deep end and who can remain Christlike. Ever been used by the enemy to implement a test given to Christians? I have. A long time ago… I was a stupid teenager, and there was a minor stupid personal conflict. I think that by reacting the way they did… the person failed the test. It sucks. Looks like it’s Pat’s turn… how have I reacted? Not too well.
None of that is to detract from any awareness about the American Taliban, just a reminder to look deeper when you can. Suppose Robertson really is pretty much Antichrist’s spokesman. What higher (darker) spiritual purpose could such a stupid statement have? I mean, misrepresenting Christ and helping the world despise the church even more is an obvious reason, but it doesn’t have to stop there.
I understand, in the eyes of any stout Republican, Mr. Chavez must be a dictator, since he assorts with Fidel Castro, – whom I don’t like either.
For those who appreciate irony…..
The New York Times reported Wednesday (8/24) that many conservative Chrisitan groups reported they were too busy to comment on the story, but Ethics Daily reports that an editor of a Christian publication said on MSNBC that Chavez is a dictator who had rigged his election.
I’m not sure the president’s supporters really want to put that forth as a justification for assassination.
I am amazed at how different Pat Roberton’s worldview is from what is actually written in the New Testament. The last time I checked, Jesus was not calling for the executions of democratically elected leaders, preemptory conquest, or the total defense of unregulated transnational capitalism.
At what point in time did the teachings of Jesus become so deeply unpopular among U.S. Christians?