In the movie The Avengers (which is amazing, btw), at one point a comment is made about a character that goes something like this, "His mind's like a bag of cats. You can smell the crazy on him." Well, when I read this article over at HuffPo religion about Pat Robertson, that was the first thing that popped into my mind. "Bag-of-cats-crazy."
Robertson has said a lot of bonkers stuff over the years, including blaming the giant Haiti earthquake on the Vodoun religion, but this latest one is pretty entertaining too. During a recent appearance on The 700 Club, a viewer asked Robertson what she should do if a friend had a Buddha statue in their home. His response?
"Take it away and break it. Break it! Destroy it."
Because that's the preferred method for dealing with the religious icons of friends who do not share our faith, evidently. Seriously, I'm constantly amazed that people still pay attention to what this man has to say. I'm also constantly grateful that he does not speak for my Christian friends, nor for most of the Christians in this country.
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Robertson has said a lot of bonkers stuff over the years, including blaming the giant Haiti earthquake on the Vodoun religion, but this latest one is pretty entertaining too. During a recent appearance on The 700 Club, a viewer asked Robertson what she should do if a friend had a Buddha statue in their home. His response?
"Take it away and break it. Break it! Destroy it."
Because that's the preferred method for dealing with the religious icons of friends who do not share our faith, evidently. Seriously, I'm constantly amazed that people still pay attention to what this man has to say. I'm also constantly grateful that he does not speak for my Christian friends, nor for most of the Christians in this country.
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I have family who watch him religiously. I’ll be honest, this guy has always made me feel uncomfortable. His world views, his aggressive stance on things, the ignorance and hatred with which he speaks. It’s always been a problem for me. It will continue to be. I hope no one actually takes him seriously, as he is hate filled, and ignorant. And he does NOT speak for all Christians.
Dude. Words fail me.
Sometimes when I can’t sleep and there’s nothing else on TV I’ll end up flipping over to the 700 Club. It’s always entertaining in that – to borrow your phrase – “bag-of-cats-crazy” kind of way. Then I remember that I’m listening to an actual person, one who might actually believe the things he says. And that there are people out there who might believe the things he says too. Then I usually just feel kind of nauseas…
This is a common (if extreme) fundamentalist response to non-Christian iconography. I don’t recall the title or author now, but I was perusing a book at the library which purported to explain how to live a more “sacred” life. The author talked a length about how any non-Christian item in your home was an explicit invitation for the Devil to steal your soul — everything from Ouija boards to Buddhist statues to antique African drums. (There was a definite undercurrent of racism in his rhetoric — items from non-Western European cultures were listed as tainted, even when they had Christian backgrounds). In every case, the author insisted that the only way to save your soul was to destroy (preferably by fire) the offending object — and, of course, to pray whilst you did so.
Pat Robertson = 10 pounds of crazy in a 5 pound sack!
My mother tells me I use to love the 700 club as a baby/ toddler. Maybe I thought it was meant to be comedy?
Crisa,
It’s said that babies only care about tone not the words.
The scariest part about Robertson is his sincerity.
Wonder how he’d feel if an atheist came into his home and burned all his crosses?
As much as I disagree with how the man choses to direct his passion, I admire him for having it. I do not doubt that many of us, behind our cordial exteriors, have the same voice he does against other targets we consider to be our foes.
What scares the holy howling Hel outta me is the fact that this whacknut has hordes of followers, many of whom take what he says as the Direct Word of Godİ – many of whom are quite capable of committing heinous acts in the name of their faith.
Robertson, and those like him whose words encourage acts of violence in the name of God, are one of the greatest arguments against Freedom of Speech that I can possibly imagine.
It’s interesting that this reminds me of Islam and Muhammad’s destruction of the Pagan idols in the Ka’ba in Mecca.
Blessings,
Victoria
Is this man insane? Christianity isn’t the only religion out their, nor will it ever be. His ignorance is just … I don’t even know, but suggesting that it’s alright for her Christian friend to destroy her Buddah statue? Are you mad or just loony in the head.
“Wow” is about the only word I could muster while reading that article and the comments. But sadly, I know how people like him think. My grandmother is one of them, as well as basically everyone else in my family, minus my little sister and me. I remember going to church and things were said like this, but they also said that women were worth less than men, and a multitude of other nonsense. But everyone believed it to be the will of their god. I am so thankful I developed thinking skills of my own and broke away from that crap. I did this when I was still a Christian but I still had issues with that faith. I am so thankful that in the end, I was able to find the Goddess and God because they have helped me so much in my faith, spirituality, and so many more things. They are truly blessings in my life. I just can’t understand why someone would want to destroy another’s religion or religious beliefs/objects just because they’re not Christian ones. Coexistance is where I stand.
Thank you ladies and gentlemen for the heads up – that kind of guy makes me very very angry he has FAITH spelled F A C T and he has to be wrong – for Faith is belief not Fact.
Love and respect from a devout Pagan
why do people even listen to these fools. Please Lord–save me from your followers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inciting violence of any kind isn’t covered by freedom of speech, it is against the law, even for a majority bigot! I often wonder when & if the crazy will ever stop. Meanwhile I do not ‘invite evil’ into my home; the crazies may knock at my door with tracts in hand but they never cross my threshold!
On Pat Robertson -
Let’s call it like it is. He is nuttier than a pecan tree. But I am insulting pecan trees because I love them and find them useful .Robertson is not loveable and he is not useful.
I thought this kind of bigotry stopped when Jerry Falwell passed. He was the king of inappropriate remarks and bigotry. I know. I live 45 minutes from the center of his ministries. Wonder how a Christian would like it if you went into his house and broke his statue of the Virgin Mary or Jesus? If you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to others. Do Christians no longer believe in the Golden Rule? Isn’t that the one that goes “Do unto others?” I’m not sure, I’m a practicci wiccan. And I DARE anyone to come in my house and remove anything that pertains to my religion. Good way to loose an arm.
Kirsten, I’m with you!
I am always amazed at the Christian fanatics out there and the steps they will take. I have a cousin who is married to a Baptist minister. They never had a Christmas tree because the Christmas tree is a pagan ritual.
Pat Robertson is the American Taliban.
The Christianity of Pat Robertson and other evangelical fundamentalists is not the Christianity that Jesus taught, but far from it. Jesus taught love instead of hatred. I have been the victim many times of the same kind of hatred that the evangelical fundamentalists have used a lot on people in order to gain control over them; that is why I walked out on Christianity as we know it today and I would never even consider going back to it.
Fundamentalist Christians have come to my house and ordered me to remove my pentacle from my front window, and they have been told that they would have to come in and remove it themselves but they have been told that had better have their medical insurance paid up because they will be going to the hospital before going to jail and that I haven’t forgotten what the Army taught me about defending myself and my constitutional right to display whatever symbols of my religious beliefs that I want.
I had to stop supporting Samaritan’s Purse because of negative comments Franklin Graham made about the Muslim religion. Guys like him and Pat Robertson are in abundance, sad to say. These guys need to be monitored that their words don’t incite violence and terrorism in the name of Christ.
Does this idiot not understand he can be sued for this ? he can also be in for a lot of flack for this I mean what is wrong with this guy ? and they say were the ones who are crazy and a problem ,when was the last time we told someone to go destroy a church or a cross maybe we should start giving them some of there own medicine so they know how it feels.
Seems his concern over a mere statue is kinda idolatrous ?
First the you can’t go to someone’s house and take their stuff THAT IS STEALING! ( thouhght their bible forbids stuff like that..mmm must not read it. Secondly..the person stupid enough to do that Will get the crap kicked out of them and then I will call the police. The Big Dummy!
Remember Always – (if? possible?) – “Do No Harm.”
P.
8:08 am pac.
5/22/12
It surprises me, too. Maybe a year ago I got to see a few minutes of it while I was messing with the tv settings. He was saying something super crazy, as he does, and it was very obvious that the man and woman sitting with him were very uncomfortable with what he was saying. They seem to have a “smile and nod at the crazy person to keep him calm” attitude,or like they are tolerating him because he’s the boss rather than truly believing what he says.
Remember! – Always! – ‘”Do No Harm”.
Paganus
8:30 am pac.
5/22/12
Pat Robertson hasn’t changed much over the years other than getting more feeble and superstitious… whenever I was ‘channel-surfing’ via the ‘tube’ an’ needed a reminder of the fanatically-deirious and ignorant, deaf, blind, born-to-follow “Moral Minority” (I think that is what the ’700 Club’ crowd were called..?) I would watch him for a couple of seconds and think about witch-burnings, tortured-confessions, and static thought. People like Pat Robertson and the present day “Tea party” do no more than give Me nightmares and anxiety… feelings I know I shouldn’t feel towards others for that almost puts Me in the same boat as those I’m drawing a negative opinion about! Thanx, Mak
I would like to point out that the question that elicited said response had to do with the asker’s Christian friend displaying a Buddha statue alongside her Christian ones, and was that okay? Not saying it makes his response right by any means, Pat Robertson IS bag-of-cats crazy, but just pointing out that he was advocating this action against a Christian, not a Buddhist (though, if I’m not wrong, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, so the friend may have been Buddhist as well…)
It is like my grandfather used to say, “I love god…it is his fan club I’m not crazy about.”
Clarifying my last comment: obviously their religious views differ if one thinks it’s okay to put a Buddhist statue next to his/her Christian ones and the other doesn’t… not all Christians believe alike, just as not all Pagans believe alike. =)
Unfortunately, many Christians feel exactly as he does. I live in the bible-belt in southeastern Ohio and have had pentacles ripped out of my trees, and then burned, and then had the sherrif tell me not to put them up and they wouldn’t be torn down and burned. Tea Party is based on this kind of crazy, most of the Republican party feels just as he does. 700 club has been around for decades and will not be going anywhere any time soon because a lot of folks are buying what the crazy coot is selling. And please, don’t forget that he said 9-11 was because we Americans are living godlessly and allowing all of these false religions to take root in America, where the native religions are earthbased and not man based.
really? this guy is still alive? sometimes i wonder what the Gods had in mind when it comes to the origin of certain souls. the person doesnt even know if her friend is buddhist! for all she knows its just a pretty statue that the friend found at a garage sale or something…people astound me
Brought to you by the same folks responsible for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials–more than a little scary, especially for those of us who try to remain a bit “low key.”
Did anyone else get an image in their head of little cartoon Pat running around destroying people’s stuff?
So, I’m part of Generation Y, and one thing we have a tendency to do when presented with, say, Pat Robertson’s entire Wikipedia article, is laugh instead of be horrified. Have any of you read it? It’s so funny/scary at the same time. It’s funny in the sense of, “Haha this man is so crazy!” and scary like, “Oh, he’s serious… and LOTS of people agree with him.”
I just told my Christian friend about this article; her response, “That is actually disgusting. It doesn’t do anything to you if you don’t worship. Idiot.” This is why she and I can get along <3
Come on, I thought everyone knew that distruction of personal property was the best way to convert people! *eye roll* lunatic. I welcome someone to come to my house and try to break my stuff. They will regret it as I main them and press charges.
While I was a Christian – there was a specific question within that religion – WWJD/S?
This is not what he would do. This goes against anything and everything the real Jesus commanded. Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself. This ain’t it.
Pat Robertson is crazy full of cats – senile. He’s advocating violence against others – to break the law of the land. This man has got to be removed from that station and shut down.
Where is the petition – I’ll sign it.
Just another reason for me to despise him. I have sent ABC several emails complaining about the horrible things he says on the 700 Club. Fortunately, they have taken that program off the air in my area, hopefully, it will go away everywhere so he can stop spreading hate.
Seriously, we should watch the 700 Club, then write to his sponsors and threaten a boycott. He is telling his followers to steal and vandalize in the name of his God.
I wish they would take the 700 club off the air and cable here too, I’m in the bible belt in Wichita Kansas, and it is on 3 cable channel and 2 over the air channels, that’s far too much good airspace and airtime that’s being wasted on such drivel.
It’s pure hell when one knows that the only way to make a living is to screw everyone over with religion and even take one’s family over with it too, read the book and even the big piece of cheese that they call jesus; he starts out as a loving, kind, compassionate, and concern person but gets just like pat robertson as the july story slowly comes to an end. I’ve known so many people that their lives were destroyed by religion. Has anyone read the “protocols of the elders”, they say their false but just read the dead sea scrolls you may change your mind the new testament was to seduce all into their plan of world conquest.
How many pentacles can you count just in this country and even those who are against them are for them, let’s see The flag of United States, the Confederate Flag, state flags, county flags, and stars on just about everything one can imagine, No prophecy can happen without the help of those who believe they are true and act upon those things. I hope they’re not driving vehicles with five lugnuts what will they do?!
He never fails to amaze the bull that comes flowing from his mouth. I will never forget when he said that abortion puts normal women on a level playing field with lesbians. sigh……
MOST Christians are not christian. Even though I went to a Catholic school from 1st to 7th grade, I still, to this day, can’t figure out how Christians and Catholics think. It didn’t make sense to me then, it makes even less sense to me today. Why can’t they just leave the rest of us alone to live our lives the way we want to live? My Mother taught me – if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. Amen.
Robertson id nuttier than squirrel poo. The scary part is how many followers he has who believe every idiotic thing that comes out of his mouth.
Pat Robertson frustrates me, I’ll admit it. I once woke up and his program had come on the tv while I had been sleeping. I couldn’t get it shut off fast enough…it was so offensive!
However, I just have to say to those connecting him to the Tea Party. Have you ever met a Tea Party member? I know LOTS of them, including my parents. Not all of them are republican. Not all of them are Christian. Not all of them are “bag o cats” crazy. Yes, there are crazy people, but in any group, you’re going to find crazy people! yes the crazy people get a lot of press, but face it, why would the press, whose sole purpose is to sell more papers/advertising/etc want to publish articles about the non-crazy members? You know that crazy sells papers. How often do you see articles in mainstream press about pagans/wiccans who are soccer moms, lawyers, doctors, etc? No, the articles are usually about the nutjobs. The extremists (of any group) are the people that get all the attention. That’s just how our society (and most societies) work!
BB
Beckatha
I wonder if Pat realizes just how many “Christian” items are actually Pagan in origin?? so, if he feels that all non-Christian items need to be destroyed, there goes the cross, crucifix, statues of “Mary holding baby Jesus”, incense burners, candles, etc.
Then there’s the Old Testament which is taken from Judaism.
Truth of it is this guy can’t be a Christian whatever he says. I’m not a Christian myself but I know this: Christ said “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” and also “Judge not lest ye be judged.” If you don’t live by those principles you can’t be a Christian. A hate filled bigot and a rank idiot certainly… but not a Christian. They’re good, kind people.
One problem I have with Pat Robertson, The 700 Club and other similar Christian broadcasters is that they are always asking for money, and most of the time the people who give them money is that they are having trouble making ends meet because of the economy and they are having to choose between feeding their families or paying the rent or mortgage and yet they are brainwashed into believing that if they give money to the religious broadcasters, that god will make them prosper. It is wrong to make millions of dollars every year off the blood, sweat and tears of the working people and on top of that they incorporate as 501c3 corporations so they pay no taxes on what they take from people. this means of amassing large amounts of money is just plain wrong.
Pat Robertson is an idiot and always WILL be! He has NO right to tell people what to believe or how to act and I PRAY that woman does NOT take his words to heart. When are people like him going to learn that it does not matter the NAME people use for Deity, only that we call Them when we need Their help? Unfortunately, there ARE fanatics in this world who will listen to people like him and it’s a shame! It gives GOOD christians a very bad name! What about being tolerant of others and doing “unto others as you would have them do unto you”? How would HE feel is someone came into HIS home under the guise of being a friend and destroyed his cross?! I don’t think he’d like that very much but it’s perfectly ok for HIM to do the same to others? I don’t think so! It’s people like him who are the reason people are leaving Chistianity more and more!
Bag of crazy wouldn’t even touch that.. Sad, sad man.
We;; said, Kate, and so true
Very sad !! He is broken:(
This is not so much a sad man as he is a dangerous man.
He’s an anti-Christ.
This is not so much a sad man as he is a dangerous man.
He’s an anti-Christ.
It’s too bad that this man claims to represent Christianity; I’m not Christian but I would be even more upset if I was. I don’t believe he has any religion or spiritual agenda, it seems to me like he’s a power hungry rich brat trying to stir up trouble.
It’s obvious this man is a “looney toon” but what is even more scary, is that some people do believe his rants. I keep my religion private, he should do the same.
This reminds me of a ‘dinner-helper’ at school,- you know the ones, they clear up the rubbish others neglect to put away, and try and keep the school cafe going into chaos to the kitchen staff and teachers dont have to. the dinner-helper in question, when i was still at schol, obviously, decided to take something off of me, and discard it in one of the bins, because it displayed what she viewed as a non-christian message. i have been raised, and been on the christian, though i am no longer. it was never her job to do this in the first place, as she was not proper staff, and the item (a badge i was wearing saying ‘devil-woman’ on it) actually belonged to a friend, and i meant to return it to her when i noticed it had dropped off her bag. why anyone feels they have the right to destroy, confiscate or otherwise do away with something that belongs to someone else just because it is not in par with their own beliefs, i will never know.
Something tells me Christ would be very disappointed with that man.
I saw a bumper sticker several years ago that said “God is coming back and she is P***** off” and I believe that may have a ring of truth to it, and I would hate to be Pat Robertson when it happens.
Well, im glad i dont have cable or tv. (I watch whatever tv show i want online for free) i dont have to hear his bs. The hell with harm none bigots like this should be put to death. Better yet let the “anti-christ” kill them off! We should sign a petition to take him and bigots like him off the air and put them out of business.
Yes, this makes sense because one of the 10 commandments said not to steal, but doesn’t mention breaking your neighbors possessions…
In My mind this country or rather the government of this country was built on the ideology of separation of ‘church and state’; way of institution of fairness to and for the masses…why is this delusive man paid any attention at all to?..I bang My head every time I deal with or talk to people who see religion as a part of anything to do with government…I mean, like, am I missin’ something in transit here!?
I have statutes of many deities in my home, if someone were to go out of their way to destroy it and I saw them do it, these folks would be spending the night in the Houston, Texas Central Lock up(Jail) & probably without being able to bond out. And if I thought I could have Pat Robertson arrested for spouting such mischief as to incite others to commit a felony, they’d be bunk mates.
In my humble opinion, Pat Robertson should be arrested anyway for being someone who would dare to think himself above the law. This just makes me angry as well as sad.
He is a man of hate not his God.
Clowns like this are beneath contempt. Robertson is the problem. Eightfold Noble Path outlines the solution.
That is so messed up. That guy should not have access to the media in a way that he can influence people. He sounds like a crazy-ass religious dictator-extremist. Destroying ANY of your friend’s belongings is wrong, but a RELIGIOUS item? That’s just fucking evil.
he is definilty a bag of dog crazy and i bet he smells like a crazy dog person. I also think some of you are being naive about how many xtians actually listen to this jerk.
I am not Christian, but my brother is a Campus Crusade ministry leader, and we have talked at length about how false Christians make the actual ones look bad. So many people, Pat Roberts included, who claim to be Christian out one side of their mouth while spreading violence and destruction out the other cannot possibly be what they claim. Regarding the separation of church and state, man of our founding fathers were not Christian, and built our government specifically with that separation in mind. I forget exactly where, but did Jesus not stop his followers from taking up a collection in his name? I wonder which translation that got lost in? To the person whose sheriff told them not to display icons of their religion, you can get that person removed if you wish to press the issue.
For a lack of better words, this, “man”, makes me sick to my stomach. I thought that one of the, “Christian Rules” was to, “Love Thy Neighbor”, among many other things that makes HIM a sinner.
How dare HE, or anyone else say anything about what their beliefs are. I find it very sad that he doesn’t so any research on the Pagan way of life, and also know, that WE were here 1st, and, “The Devil” was a scare tactic to gather many people, and scare them into, Christianity.
There is nothing wrong with someones beliefs, as long as they don’t try to cram it down someone else’s throat, or condemn them for it.
Being a Pagan, is one of the most harmonious ways of life, and is just about worshiping the Earth(Nature), and having faith in the, “Gods * Goddesses…NOT just one God, with MANY rules that will send you straight to hell, if not followed…And really, is asking for forgiveness from a Priest, in a little box, forgive all your “sins?”
Give me a break……..It should be against the law what he is doing, as he is promoting discrimination, promoting violence and vandalism(Destroying someone’s piece of worship, and is a brain washer……Next…He will be handing out the, “Kool-Aid!!!”
It’s a shame that Pat Robertson would insult the Lord Buddha in such a manner.