God picks easy targets. First, New Orleans—a city built below sea level and protected by poorly designed and badly maintained levees. Now, Ariel Sharon—morbidly obese, hypertensive, over-stressed. God got him with what Josh Marshall called “punitive cardiology”. Here’s Pat: "He was dividing God’s land, and I would say, ‘Woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the [European Union], the United Nations or the United States of America,’" Robertson told viewers of his long-running television show, "The 700 Club."
"God says, ‘This land belongs to me, and you’d better leave it alone,’" he said.
I don’t believe that God smote Sharon, as much as he might have deserved smiting. As far as I can tell, the only thing that God does to people is make them arrogant and stupid. But He seems to do that to just about everyone He touches.
bill | 07-Jan-06 at 12:31 am | Permalink
Richard,
I’m no conspiracy freak. But I can’t help noting the strange coincidences. The Taliban is taken out in late 2001 and bin Laden begins a life long run for his life (if he’s still alive). Next, Saddam Hussein is taken out of power in 2003. Then Arafat dies in late 2004 with Sharon following a little more than a year later, in very early 2006. About Four years.
Some might say that most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace are out of the way, or put on notice. And in such a short amount of time, given the long decades that this struggle has continued.
What do you think? Doesn’t this make a cool conspiracy theory?
richard | 07-Jan-06 at 7:41 am | Permalink
All conspiracy theories are cool.
On the other hand….
Arafat and Sharon were both old men, over-stressed and out-of-shape; I don’t know that you need any theory at all to explain Arafat’s death or Sharon’s stroke.
As for “most of the entrenched impediments to Middle Eastern peace” being “out of the way”, the strongest impediment to peace of any sort is still very much with us. He is a mighty God; vengeance is his.
And Pat Robertson is His prophet.
Richard
ErikCincinnati | 14-Jan-06 at 4:51 pm | Permalink
Having attending parochial schools for most of my K-12 I was required (and didn’t really mind) to read and study the bible (as well a comparative religious study - those enlighten Marianists). The thing that amazes me about Pat R. (and the so-called religious right) is that his politics and speeches haven’t reached the New Testament where a God of unconditional compassion, understanding, and forgiveness is revealed to the world.
Where does Jesus strike down his enemies with a stoke?
I really hope Pat R. and the 700 crowed catch up to the Women at the Well, the Beatitudes, Easter, and the Good Samaritan if they are going to keep representing themselves as Christians.
Of course I guess a TV show about forgiving people, learning to love your enemies, sacrificing for the poor, etc wouldn’t get the same following as the 700 Club…