Outside the Beltway

Pat Robertson: Muslims Satanic

James Joyner
14

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Pat Robertson has again reminded the world that he is a loon, in case anyone had forgotten.

Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program “The 700 Club” that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are “satanic.”

Robertson’s comments came after he watched a news story on his Christian Broadcasting Network about Muslim protests in Europe over the cartoon drawings of the Prophet Muhammad. He remarked that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoons “just shows the kind of people we’re dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it’s motivated by demonic power. It is satanic and it’s time we recognize what we’re dealing with.” Robertson also said that “the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination.”

In a statement later Monday, Robertson said he was referring specifically to terrorists who want to bomb innocent people as being motivated by Satan. In the news story, he noted, radical Muslims were shown screaming: “May Allah bomb you! May Osama Bin Laden bomb you!”

Angell Watts, a Robertson spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview that the news segment also included comments from a moderate Muslim in the United Kingdom saying radicals don’t represent most Muslims in that country. Robertson’s Virginia Beach-based network did not include his remarks when it posted the program on its Web site, however. That decision was made out of concern Robertson’s remarks could be misinterpreted if viewed out of context, Watts said.

Monday’s comments were similar to remarks he made on his program in 2002, when he said Islam “is not a peaceful religion that wants to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate and then, if need be, destroy.”

Robertson is highly intelligent and has made a fantastic living for himself as a public speaker. It’s rather difficult to swallow the idea that he meant “terrorists who want to bomb innocent people” when he is referring to protesters.

Update: Sean Hackbarth has

no problem calling those that killed thousands by slamming airplanes into buildings or bomb innocents in public places or demand the death of America “evil.” As a Christian I believe one source of evil is a supernatural being named Satan. Thus, it’s not a stretch to call such evil “Satanic.”

I don’t believe in the supernatural but I do believe in evil. Still, while I agree with Robertson in condemning the crowds of Muslims rioting over the Danish cartoons, his remarks are rather clearly aimed at Islam and Muslims in general, not just those engaged in violence.
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14 responses to “Pat Robertson: Muslims Satanic”

  1. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    OK, Robertson has gone over the line several times.

    I’m not so sure this is one of them.

    If we accept the description of the behavior he’s describing as ‘evil’ (And what is it, BUT this…) then given he holds Satan to be the center of all evil, suggesting such behavior to be Satanicly driven isn’t all that far out of line.

  2. legion Avatar
    legion

    Robertson also said that â??the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination.â??

    And, at least by Robertson’s apparent definition, the same could be said for evangelical Christianity…

  3. LJD Avatar
    LJD

    And, at least by Robertsonâ??s apparent definition, the same could be said for evangelical Christianityâ?¦

    …or ignorance.

  4. G A Phillips Avatar
    G A Phillips

    Robertson is a loon’, but he is dead on here. in his first statement.

  5. G A Phillips Avatar
    G A Phillips

    Legion, pal, world domination has nothing to do evangelical Christianity, but liberal socialism on the other hand…………

  6. RA Avatar
    RA

    Dear legion;

    That was the name given by a possesed man in the Bible for the demons that possesed him.

    It is true that the goal of Evangelical Christians is to dominate the world. But our tactics are using the power of persuasion and the Holy Spirit to change minds and hearts. No Evangelical will ever drag legion kicking and screaming into heaven.

  7. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    Robertson is right on mark with this one.

    He was right on about assinating Chavez also. Some label him as a looney, but he has been more correct than incorrect on any number of subjects.

  8. Alexander Avatar
    Alexander

    I think the main difference here, is that our religious extremists (like Robertson) routinely expose themselves as the lunatics they are through public statements and the like, whereas islamic extremists prefer to use the good old fashioned bombing of innocent people technique.

  9. just me Avatar
    just me

    I think Robertson is definitely a loon.

    I also think Robertson isn’t so wrong, he just didn’t phrase things so well. I think given Christian doctrine about Satan and Satan’s desires and power, it isn’t a huge stretch to say that what the rioters were doing was of Satan, I just think it is one of those comments Robertson should have known wouldn’t go over well.

    He would have done far better to stick with “evil” or similar variation without tagging the name Satan on it.

  10. legion Avatar
    legion

    RA, et al,
    I’m well aware that EC doesn’t endorse terrorist tactics to get converts, but I snipped down that particular quote from Robertson specifically to illustrate my problem with this incident.

    He tries to distance himself by saying he should have specified Islamist extremists or terrorists, but considering the tenor of this speech (and other statements by bigots like him and Falwell), I find his excuse to be crap. He very specifically meant _all_ of Islam – I believe he is just as extreme in his hatred of ‘the other side’ as any US-hating Imam. And if you think he’ll stop at Islam, you’re fooling yourselves.

    The reason liberals tend to come out against the hard-core religious right in the US (and why we get labeled ‘anti-all-religion’ as a result) is that we know full well that if Islamic extremism were to suddenly stop being a threat to the US, Robertson and his ilk would choose some other social group to declare ‘the source of all evil in the world’. They’ll start with gays (hell, they were using gays as punching bags long before 9-11), and then they’ll move on to Jews (as Falwell already shows). Then what group will they target for being ‘wrong’? Baptists? Mormons? Atheists? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. It’s happened before. I don’t mean to paint all ECs with the same brush, but the more power (and attention) jerks like Robertson get, the worse everyone connected to him looks…

  11. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Why then did the President wish to turn over our ports to Satinists?

  12. floyd Avatar
    floyd

    legion ; get your head out of the dark nether regions of your anatomy and into the light of polite conversation. it’s nasty little inane ramblings like your commentary that paint intelligent liberals with your broad brush of ignorance.you might do well to focus on issues instead of wildly insulting speculation. BTW, thanks for making those of us who are extremists appear so close to the middle of the road as to be in danger of getting a yellow stripe painted down our backs![lol]

  13. mannning Avatar
    mannning

    Muslims considered to be quite moderate in outlook are regularly recruited by Hamas and AQ to become bombers. This has been reported by Israeli sources for many years, but these implications are usually ignored because they are politically dangerous.

    In a typical case, a moderate Muslim is selected, perhaps because he or she appears to be very innocent, and is indoctrinated over a number of days, by imams, and others of persuasive powers.
    The subject is given a few days to say goodbye to family and friends, and is then dressed up with a bomb and sent to blow up where it would do the most damage. They actually go and do it.

    As the Hamas have said, there is no shortage of suicide bombers in their lands. It would seem from this, and the large evidence cited by Israel of these tactics, that virtually any Muslim can be turned into a suicide bomber in a few days.

    If this is so, then what does in mean to be a moderate Muslim?

  14. McCain Avatar
    McCain

    I retired my Koran when the 50th anniversary Playboy issue arrived. What an epiphany. If only my former 10th century, grunting, evil-doing breatheren could be exposed to the best of the west, I think we would all be lovers not fighters.

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