And now, from the "OK, this is what happens after a baby is dropped on its head...it becomes a televangelist" and Yahoo! News

Sudiegirl sez: OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but why are there at least two photos in existence of Pat Robertson making a pickle face? Or is he farting? I really don't know...if one of my readers could enlighten me on it, I'd appreciate it.

Who does this pickle sucker think he is,anyway, invoking the wrath of God on a poor town in Pennsylvania? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "tolerance" a tenet of Christianity? It doesn't seem too tolerant to me for him to be threatening innocent towns like that. Deep down, he's just a human being like you and me and could very well be WRONG about what he's saying. This is why I don't dig the concept of televangelism in the first place. They curse TV for many reasons, yet use the "hypnotic effect" of TV to coerce viewers to give, give, give. So please allow me to vent a little while about Mr. Robertson and the power he thinks he has.


Televangelist Robertson warns town of God's wrath
By Alan Elsner1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Conservative Christian televangelist Pat Robertson told citizens of a Pennsylvania town that they had rejected God by voting their school board out of office for supporting "intelligent design" and warned them on Thursday not to be surprised if disaster struck. (What a nice guy. I'd love to bring him home to Mother...if my mother was Lizzie Borden. Oh-oh...I just broke a commandment, wishing Pat Robertson dead at the hands of a folk legend who gave her mother 40 whacks. I confess to this sin, dear Lord. Amen. OK, on to the next paragraph...)

Robertson, a former Republican presidential candidate and founder of the influential conservative Christian Broadcasting Network and Christian Coalition, has a long record of similar apocalyptic warnings and provocative statements. (Well, then, obviously it's time to up the dose. Maybe add a dab of Thorazine, huh?)

Last summer, he hit the headlines by calling for the assassination of leftist Venezuelan Present Hugo Chavez, one of President George W. Bush's most vocal international critics. (OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a horrible thing to say? I mean, say what you will, but Hugo Chavez probably left behind a wife, a family, and many friends who are still hurting in many ways. I don't know much about Chavez's politics, but he's a human being, and Pat Robertson just broke a commandment! "Thou Shalt Not Kill" extends to the act of calling for someone's assassination, doesn't it?)

"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." (Nice, Pat. You forgot that li'l Bible quotation that says "Where two or more of you gather in my name, there I will be also" or words to that effect. Christianity is about more than public school curriculum, and if you're that concerned about it, pony up the dough to open a parochial school in Dover where YOU can control the curriculum! And God is there for people whether YOU say so or not...you don't turn it on or off.)

"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. (You know, if Pat Robertson were the ONLY representative of what it means to be a good Christian, I'd be an atheist right now.)

The 700 Club claims a daily audience of around one million. It is also broadcast around the world translated into more than 70 languages. (Is that more or less than "The Apprentice"?)

In voting on Tuesday, all eight Dover, Pennsylvania, school board members up for re-election lost their seats after trying to introduce "intelligent design" to high school science students as an alternative to the theory of evolution. (Hmmm...)

Adherents of intelligent design argue that certain forms in nature are too complex to have evolved through natural selection and must have been created by a "designer." Opponents say it is the latest attempt by conservatives to introduce religion into the school science curriculum. (You know what? Both evolution and intelligent design are THEORIES. As such, they should be approached as possibilities...not necessarily absolutes. Or would it be out of line to say that MAYBE they work together in some cases? There is so much more to Christianity that the Creation theory doesn't even cover...caring for your fellow human, doing what's right in God's eyes, etc. I don't know...anyone who says evolution is not valid hasn't bred plants, or dogs, or other animals. Dachsunds are actually mutants, but still served a purpose by being trained to hunt badgers. What's the big deal about teaching both theories? What's Pat Robertson so worried about? I mean, if his job's in danger, he can always go work at Walmart or for a temp agency if his typing speed is good enough...)

The Dover case sparked a trial in federal court that gained nationwide attention after the school board was sued by parents backed by the American Civil Liberties Union. The board ordered schools to read students a short statement in biology classes informing them that the theory of evolution is not established fact and that gaps exist in it. (OK...so far I'd be kind of steamed but I would actually use that as a prompt to discuss the issue at home with my kids.)

The statement mentioned intelligent design as an alternate theory and recommended students read a book that explained the theory further. A decision in the case is expected before the end of the year. (Phrased that way, it doesn't seem as bad. But as I said, both theories should be discussed. Also, keep in mind that with the various Biblical accounts, there have been many translations through the years, and different writers as well. Meanings have more than likely been diluted through the years, so minds should be open to that as well.)

In 1998, Robertson warned the city of Orlando, Florida that it risked hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorist bombs after it allowed homosexual organizations to put up rainbow flags in support of sexual diversity. (God, this guy is a dork. Amen. I'm not wishing death on him, I'm just expressing my distate.)

Sudiegirl's final opinion?

Ol' Pickle Puss better hope I don't meet up with him at the mall anytime soon. He and I will have a discussion.

Sudiegirl the obstinate