Pat Robertson- His Opinion on Assassination Christian?

THE CHRISTIAN ETHIC “Assassination is now endorsed”

Christians of old, in the Catholic tradition, went to “confessional” where they shared their sins and often received advice and direction from their religious leaders. In modern America, evangelical Christians by the millions receive advice and direction in a different manner. They sit in their dens, and listen to the direction and advice of charismatic televangelists. Pat Robertson is one of America’s most popular religious leaders, a man who ran for U.S. President in 1988, and who is one of the favorites of the Republican Party and its political leaders.

Robertson is founder of the Christian Coalition of America. Eight hundred thousand viewers a day tune in to his TV show, “The 700 Club.” It is said that he can influence enough votes to “swing” elections, and the past two elections in America have indicated that Pat Robertson’s spiritual advice and political clout is substantial in the USA. Some say he has authority on about 20% of the U.S./American electorate.

Thus it is revealing when his “Christian ethic” comes bare, in glaring conflict to anything true Christianity once taught, and certainly in conflict with the ethics of Jesus Christ. It is also revealing, because it shows the ugly underside of the “religio-political” psyche that dominates millions of Americans, and thousands of American churches.

August 22, 2005, Robertson advised his Christian followers that assassination is ok, and even the preferred action in dealing with those who disagree politically. Speaking of the widely popular President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, Robertson said: “Killing Chavez would be a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability, it’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.” It is remarkable that Robertson was speaking in his role as a spiritual adviser, on a program dedicated to spiritual advice.

There is your modern American “Christian” ethic, believed and followed by millions of Americans.

I was in a meeting at the Fort Worth Petroleum Club a few weeks ago. Bob Ray Sanders, reporter and media celebrity was speaking about the ethics of war. Someone spoke up and said that the United Nations reports that over 1,000,000 civilians have been killed by U.S. military actions in Iraq. “And we are the Christians” someone said. At that point an older man, a U.S. veteran in the audience stood up and said: “In WW2, I was a pilot in an Air Force bombing raid, wherein we killed some 200,000 people (over half women and children) in one night, and I’m proud of it.” I stood up, and said: “That is our Christian ethic” and left the room.

Fortunately, some Christians are smart enough to know that killing women and children, or political assassinations, is "Anti-Christ". Reverend Kevin Mannoia, chaplain at Azusa Pacific University said: "Robertson's statement is an extreme, fanatical reaction that is not representative of the Christian faith in general. It is out of line and inappropriate." The ABC Family Channel said: "We strongly reject the views expressed by Pat Robertson in the August 22 telecast". But the "cat is out of the bag". Millions of fundamental, radical American Christians, in this "Red State/Blue State cultural war" have adopted the same ethic on assassination, as the fundamental radical Islamic extremists. Christians, (at least a segment of right wing radicals) believe murder is ok, IF you disagree with someone's politics or religious beliefs. Women, children, yes, even the President of a nation, it's ok to kill them. As Robertson said: "get it over with" kill them quickly and efficiently. I would have thought that he might be hoping to send them on to Heaven early, but in looking at his religion, he believes that when WE murder them that we are sending THEM to Hell. It is strange logic indeed. This brings up the other unwritten code of these people. It is ok to judge others. (Remember the old scripture, "Judge not that you be not judged"?) These Christians have become the "Judge, Jury, and Executioners" of the modern day warmongering Christian right.

It is no wonder that educated and enlightened people throughout the world, especially young people, find "American based" Christianity of this kind, distasteful. Some reject Christianity as a whole, because even mainstream Christian pulpits have been unwilling or uneager to stand up for true Christian ethics of peace, love, kindness, and compassion. It is an interesting world, when modern day Christians in America, have to look to Buddhism, and other "Isms" to find religious ethical leadership. And look to Christian leaders to justify killing others. Don't write me in anger about his. Write Pat Robertson, and his radical, superficial cronies, who crave power by manipulating Christian masses. Write your minister or religious leader, and ask them to stand up for true "Christ like" ethical leadership. Write down these four words: "Thou shalt not kill", and ask yourself just what about those four words you do not understand. Then apply it to your church, city, and nation. In the meantime, we can expect repeated tearful repentances to come from Pat Robertson responding to religious leaders criticisms, if his donations and television audience suffers. We wonder, is he sorry for what he believes, or just sorry that people found out what he believes, and it embarressed him! Like my friends at the F.B.I. say: "Follow the money trail and it often defines televangelists preaching's."