Ashamed of Pat Robertson

It has been quite some time since my last post. A few things have happened in the meantime - got married, moved to Hong Kong. Today I was shocked back to action by the comments of the ever-entertaining (if somewhat embarrassing to the name of Christ) televangelist Pat Robertson.

According to Reuters, Robertson had the following words for the residents of Dover, PA: "I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city," Robertson said on his daily television show broadcast from Virginia, "The 700 Club."
"And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there," he said.

These harsh words were in response to the election results in Dover where 8 members of the school board who supported introducing intelligent design into high school science class were voted out.

First of all, I agree with the results in Dover. Intelligent design is a blatant effort to get religion into science class where it does not belong. I believe God created everything, but I do not believe it is something meant to be learned in a Biology class. But, enough on that. My bigger problem is how Robertson has chosen to portray God.

Based on his quotes, it would seem that God might punish them or withhold his mercy from them for making this one decision to keep creationism out of science class. As far as I know, Dover has not shut down its churches. There is no indication that the city is so depraved that God would turn his back as he did to Sodom and Gomorrah. So why, I would ask Robertson, would anyone in their right mind suppose that God would forsake an entire community because of one vote? What right does he have to make these pronouncements? The god he is describing is cold and vindictive. This is a god of no mercy and no love. This is not the God of Christianity and it is downright irresponsible for Robertson to be out spouting this nonsense and making all Christians look bad.

Perhaps Robertson should be the one worrying about God's wrath and not the citizens of Dover.