And now, from the "All right, who removed Pat Robertson's strait jacket?" files and Yahoo! News...

Sudiegirl sez: All right...I was in a relatively good mood, and then I read THIS? My opinions are in green, even though I'm seeing red.

Robertson Links Sharon Stroke, God's Wrath
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer
41 minutes ago

NORFOLK, Va. - Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land." (Nice...really nice for a "man of God" to even suggest that - through the MEDIA no less. Never mind that a whole race of people, both in Israel physically and in other countries are stunned by this news. It's just more important for you to flap your gums and implant your personal opinions "in the name of God".)

"God considers this land to be his," Robertson said on his TV program "The 700 Club." "You read the Bible and he says `This is my land,' and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, `No, this is mine.'" (OK, what chapter and verse, Patty boy? Furthermore, do you have a plat map or a quitclaim deed? You putz.)

Sharon, who ordered Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last year, suffered a severe stroke on Wednesday. (Which is very sad indeed. He and his family are in my thoughts and prayers, so I guess I'll go to Hell too, according to Pat.)

In Robertson's broadcast from his Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, the evangelist said he had personally prayed about a year ago with Sharon, whom he called "a very tender-hearted man and a good friend." He said he was sad to see Sharon in this condition. (I almost believe him. When is that network going to be shut down, BTW? I think the CBN should be bought out and made into a 24-hour station of nothing but - I don't know - maybe that burning fireplace video? )

He also said, however, that in the Bible, the prophet Joel "makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who 'divide my land.'" (Well, you know, if Joel got the message from God, HE should be the one in charge of said message, not you, Pat! It's like that old childhood game "Telephone", where you sit in a circle and whisper a sentence from one person to another, and usually by the end it's all fouled up. And only GOD has the right to define "enmity", not you!)

Sharon "was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU European Union), the United Nations, or the United States of America," Robertson said. (OK, then, I nominate Pat Robertson for the new Prime Minister of Israel. I guarantee he'll be out of there under three hours.)

In discussing what he said was God's insistence that Israel not be divided, Robertson also referred to the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who had sought to achieve peace by giving land to the Palestinians. "It was a terrible thing that happened, but nevertheless he was dead," he said. (I see that course in grief counseling really helped you out, there, Pat.)

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement urging Christian leaders to distance themselves from the remarks. Robertson made similar comments as the Gaza withdrawal occurred, it said. (I'm not a Christian leader, but I think I'm pretty safe that I'll be distancing myself. As it is, it's about 3 hours from here to VA Beach.)

"It is outrageous and shocking, but not surprising, that Pat Robertson once again has suggested that God will punish Israel's leaders for any decision to give up land to the Palestinians," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the group, which fights anti-Semitism. "His remarks are un-Christian and a perversion of religion. Unlike Robertson, we don't see God as cruel and vengeful." (Thank you!)

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said a religious leader "should not be making callous political points while a man is struggling for his life." (And another thank you!)

"Pat Robertson has a political agenda for the entire world, and he seems to think God is ready to take out any world leader who stands in the way of that agenda," Lynn said in a statement. (Yep...that's it in a nutshell. So why can't they revoke his minister's license?)

Robertson spokeswoman Angell Watts said of critics who challenged his remarks, "What they're basically saying is, `How dare Pat Robertson quote the Bible?'" (No, what they're saying is that he has SHITTY TIMING! You don't say things like that when a political figure - or anyone who you claim is your FRIEND - is dying. You say something to try and comfort his family. You say something to try and comfort the people he has led. If you want to know what Jesus would do, Jesus would forgive. Jesus would not do what you've done, Pat. So why should you?)

"This is what the word of God says," Watts said. "This is nothing new to the Christian community." (But he's not aiming that remark at the Christian community, per se. He is aiming it at a country who will be filling Sharon's political position soon and trying to verbally bring down a doomsday machine that he really doesn't have control over.)

In August, Robertson suggested on "The 700 Club" that American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has long been at odds with U.S. foreign policy. Robertson later apologized for his remarks, saying he "spoke in frustration." (OK, the line to yell at this man and/or throw rotten eggs at Pat Robertson starts right behind me.)
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On the Net:
Christian Broadcasting Network: http://www.cbn.org

Sudiegirl's final opinion?

Give him a double shot of Thorazine and put him back in the holding pen. I'm outta here...