For Rev. Pat Robertson and other evangelicals, there's but one goal in life: to rip up the Constitution, tear down the wall of separation between church and state, and make the United States a Christian nation. In case you wonder what kind of Christian nation they have in mind, we just found out.
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On a recent "700 Club" broadcast, Robertson first expressed his alarm at the threat to the United States he sees in the economic policies of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Then, faced with such a perceived danger, the prominent preacher left no doubt what his brand of twisted Christianity demands: "Kill for Jesus!"
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"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," said Robertson. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." After all, he argued, we are the mighty United States and we can get away with anything: "We have the ability to take him out and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."
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Those reckless comments would be bad enough coming from some uninformed, pot-smoking, lawless skinhead. Coming from a leading Christian minister and broadcast over the Christian Broadcast Network, they are downright frightening. You know the terrorists have won when a Christian preacher issues his own fatwa. And that's exactly what this is.
There's no difference between Robertson's call for the assassination of Hugo Chavez and the fatwa of Iranian imams for the assassination of novelist Salman Rushdie. In fact, there's little difference between Robertson and Osama bin Laden. Both use religion to justify their actions. Both promote hatred and intolerance toward certain groups or individuals. And both advocate murdering innocent victims in the name of God. Robertson simply advocates a different form of terrorism: not Islamic terrorism, but Christian terrorism. The same kind of Christian terrorism practiced by terrorist Eric Rudolph when he bombed the Atlanta Olympics, family planning clinics and a gay nightclub in the name of the "Army of God."
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The Bush White House quickly and correctly distanced itself from Robertson's remarks. It's certainly not helpful when a top Bush supporter seems to confirm rumors Chavez himself has been spreading for months: that the United States is out to kill him. And besides, with gas prices at an all-time high, we need Venezuela's oil.
But where are the cries of outrage from the religious right? For reaction, reporters immediately contacted leaders of the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, Traditional Values Coalition and other organizations. But not one came forward to condemn Robertson's call for assassination. And these are the same religious leaders who are so quick to attack Muslim imams for not condemning Islamic terrorism. By their silence on Robertson, they are sending a clear message: Islamic hate speech is bad; Christian hate speech is good.
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Leaders of the religious right aren't the only ones missing in action. Where's the Disney Company, which owns the Christian Broadcast Network? Is this their idea of family entertainment? Disney recently did the right thing by firing Washington talk-show host Michael Graham for calling Islam a terrorist organization. Surely, using the airwaves to seek the assassination of a foreign leader deserves the same punishment. And where's the mighty Federal Communications Commission? Janet Jackson had no sooner bared her boob than the media watchdogs were all over her, and she ended up paying a $550,000 fine. Is her "wardrobe malfunction" more serious than Robertson's call for murder?
Whatever the official corporate or government response, it's a strange brand of Christianity, indeed, that so grossly contradicts the message of Jesus. "But I say to you: If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." And again: "Put your sword back in its place; for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Assuming Pat Robertson has ever read the New Testament, he doesn't know beans about what it means. He gives all Christians a bad name.
Footnote: Shortly before I filed this column, Robertson apologized, sort of. He insisted he wasn't demanding that Chavez be assassinated. Simply kidnapping him, said Robertson, would be OK.
Holy smoke! I still can't find that verse in the New Testament where Jesus says it's OK to send hired killers to assassinate foreign elected leaders. Now I've got to look for one where He says it's OK to kidnap them.