Pat Robertson on hate crimes law: 'The noose has tightened around the necks of Christians'

[ccharles000]

Now you know we had to find out what 700 Club host and all-around fundie gasbag Pat Robertson's reaction to signing the hate crimes bill into law. As usual, it rates on the high end of the Batshitometer. (Think Progress):

PAT ROBERTSON: The noose has tightened around the necks of Christians to keep them from speaking out on certain moral issues. And it all was embodied in something called the Hate crimes bill that President Obama said was a major victory for America. I'm not sure if America was the beneficiary. <...> We have voted into office a group of people who are opposed to many of the fundamental Christian beliefs of our nation. And they hold to radical ideology, and they are beginning put people sharing their points of view into high office. And not only that, they not only have control of both houses of Congress.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13866/pat-robertson-on-hate-crimes-law-the-noose-has-tightened-around-the-necks-of-christians

[AllentownJake]

Pat don't confuse your followers

They are too busy praying over their kid's Halloween candy tonight to prevent their children from being turned into a newt to worry about teh gays right now.

[ThePantaloon.com]

1. Funny how he heard the word "HATE" and

immediately defended Christians... Hmm.

[xchrom]

5. good catch. nt

[MrScorpio]

2. So, Pat thinks that gay-bashing Christians are good Christians...

What a bastard

[xchrom]

3. i'm christian -- no noose here --.

wait -- let me look over her there -- nope -- still no noose.

i have no idea what pat is talking about.

[ThePantaloon.com]

4. He's nuts

[xchrom]

7. LOL -- and that's an understatement. nt

[gratuitous]

8. Well, don't look at me

But then, I've always felt that no noose is good noose.

Maybe Pat's confusing Christianity with his own bigotry and prejudice again? It's happened before. He's kinda old, maybe he needs an adjustment on his medications?

[xchrom]

10. ...

:spray: 'no noose is good noose.' -- that was good.

[malaise]

26. DUzy

:rofl:

Fuck Pat Robertson.

[JerseygirlCT]

33. +1

[pscot]

6. I would happily kick the chair

out from under the reverend Pat.

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. Go eat some demon possessed candy, Pat!

I've heard Pat has been sick lately, so it probably won't be long now before he slides down the Jerry Falwell Memorial Waterslide to Hell

[regnaD kciN]

11. Speaking as a Christian...

...I wouldn't mind providing the noose for Evil Uncle Chuckles.

[muntrv]

12. Awww poor Patty! Telling his fundie followers to commit violence against

gay people is a felony!:nopity:

[OffWithTheirHeads]

13. Can we feed these Supply side Jesus followers to the lions yet?

Just askin. I'm an atheist but I have a fair idea what the message of Jesus was and this ain't it. I would pay good money to see the Lion feeding though I eschew most sporting events. I understand Lions are going hungry in Africa. Wouldn't the humane thing be to feed them?

Sorry, I have to go. I have much Halloween candy to put curses on. So many curses, so little time!

[whoneedstickets]

14. Great! An admission of bigotry...

Yeah, we're racist, misogynist homophobes its part of our beliefs! What a turd.

[firedupdem]

15. So, murdering people because they are gay or black is upholding

christian values? What a sicko!

[JerseygirlCT]

34. Exactly!

Takes quite a few twists and turns to get there, doesn't it?

[niyad]

16. uhhh, pat? don't know about your invisible guy in the sky, but the one I was taught about

in religion class (NOT in public school) and in parochial school, was kind and loving and accepting (wonder what he makes of you???)

I wish you everything you deserve.

[Blue For You]

17. Damn hate crime laws. Now I can't push Robertson off a cliff.

Oh well, be glad Pat.

[Algorem]

18. I guess he's sort of a free hate guru.

[comrade snarky]

19. Well, I have started breeding lions

Lots of em.

[EndersDame]

20. If you want to live in a hateful Theocracy so badly why don't you go move to Iran

[Froward69]

21. BOO Fucking HOO slimeball.

Pat Robertson is a tent minister who passes the plate every chance he gets. "this minute we need to raise 10 million dollars so we can continue to spread hate and fear world wide".

Fucking charlatan.

[Odin2005]

22. Oh STFU you bigoted sack of shit.

[Golden Raisin]

23. How do you spell modern-day Pharisee?

As described in the Bible, Jesus, the apotheosis of Poverty, would be SO proud to see how sleasebag, ugly-souled Robertson and his 700 Club have turned christianity into a slick, professional, money-making proposition, looting the gullible faithful. And then there's all the HATE and hypocrisy where Jesus taught love. You just KNOW Robertson is exactly the kind of "religious" person Jesus would have been revolted by and/or kicked out of the Temple.

[NMMNG]

24. How special

"Christians" lamenting the fact that they'll now be penalized for committing violent crimes against LGBT people, and acting like the laws are in place to "persecute" them. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

[Cheap_Trick]

25. Can I pull the lever

and watch that fat fuck dangle?

[Vinnie From Indy]

27. "to keep them from speaking out on certain moral issues."

Well gee Pat, if your idea of Christians speaking out on moral issues includes physically assaulting or murdering those you disagree with, then I guess you are right - the noose is tightening. And, rightfully so!

[Toots]

28. Wouldn't Christians be protected by this bill as well?

If people HATE Christians as much as these Fundamentalists seem to think then they should be grateful for the protection..

[pipi_k]

29. I think there's confusion over this...

I've heard a couple of people of Mr Robertson's ilk speaking of this hate crimes law, and they're not saying they have, or should have, the right to go out and commit violence on people who are different from themselves.

What they are saying...or have said...is that they are afraid that the hate crimes law will extend itself into their "right" to speak and preach against people of whom they do not approve. That's all.

They're totally twisting this whole thing around to (once again) make themselves the victims of "Christian haters" who are trying to persecute them for their beliefs. That's not to say a small faction of them won't go out and commit violence or hatred on various groups of people, but nobody is going to arrest them for preaching that, for example, homosexuality is wrong. That's what this all boils down to. They're afraid (wittingly or otherwise) that they won't even be able to SAY they think homosexuality is wrong.

Totally different from actually committing crimes of physical violence or lobbing hate-bombs at people whose lifestyles are different.

[Bluenorthwest]

35. Yes they are. By misrepresnting the law's reality, and

speaking instead of their 'fears' as if they were facts, they are in fact saying the protections of this law are wrong, and the protections are against violence. This sort of hate filled rhetorical device is exactly what the teacher called Jesus was talking about when he commanded all of his followers to always speak with clarity and precision, 'let your yes be yes, and your no be no, for anything more comes from evil.' From evil. So in the faith they blather about, they are forbidden from misrepresenting that law, from framing their fears as facts, from hyperbole, exaggeration, from any form of deception in speech. The law is against violence, and they are against that law, so they are supporting violence, although they are playing weasel words from evil to pretend otherwise. The law says what it says, they say they oppose those protections. Their word stands as it is. And being 'afraid' is not an excuse for being a hyperbole spouting speaker of untruths. It simply is not.
These people are bigots, pure and simple. And they are simply standing for the right to violence.

[pipi_k]

36. I personally have not heard any of them say

that they're trying to protect their "rights" to commit violence, and I'm not seeing it implied anywhere.

Fear is never an excuse, and I would never suggest that it is.

But I just wonder how people can be so sure...so absolutely positive...of what's going on in someone else's mind.

I have very clearly heard, from those people, what they fear about this law. I really don't have much choice but to take what they say at face value because my powers of mindreading have slipped a bit as I've gotten older...

:shrug:

[treestar]

30. Doesn't there have to be a crime first?

Pat needs to take a nap.

[pipi_k]

37. Exactly

He...and others I've heard...are trying to turn this into some kind of "thought crimes" thing.

Or to make preaching in their own churches against (for example) homosexuality a "crime".


Neither of those things would be a crime under this law. Not even hating someone in one's heart would be a crime until the person went a step further and acted on that hatred.

Pat does indeed need to take a nap. A long one...

[saltpoint]

31. If there's a rope fund, I'd like to contribute.

Generously.

[JerseygirlCT]

32. I can't believe he's stupid enough to actually believe this

although I do believe too many of his followers are.

Speech - even hateful, ignorant speech - is allowed.

[pipi_k]

38. I don't think he is, really...he's just your classic shit-stirrer

peeing himself in delight as he whips the gullible masses into mouth-foaming frenzy...

[backwoodsbob]

40. while asking for donations to *continue the fight*

lots of followers of this guy where I live...they can be the most annoying pricks on the face of the planet.

[Sub Atomic]

39. If that noose has tightened around their necks, it's time to give the horse a good slap on the ass.

[applegrove]

41. It isn't christian to be against the hate crimes law. Jesus was all about

love of thy neighbour. Pat Robertson is not a real christian. He's likely excited the right wing is rewriting the bible to make it match with the right wing p.o.v. which essentially boyles down to "rich people should pay taxes" as opposed to the old new testament which boils down to love.

[Ardent15]

42. Christ would not recognize Christianity today

nt