Pat Robertson: God let kid die so he wouldn't become an atheist

[47of74]

Here's Pat Robertson, being the second biggest douche nozzle in America to a grieving mother.

Quote

During this Thursday’s edition of the 700 Club, host Pat Robertson fielded a question from a grieving mother who asked why God allowed her 15-year-old son to die.

The woman, who identified herself as “Cristina,” asked, “Why does [God] allow us to go through this pain and torment? As a mom, I do everything in my power to protect my kids from this.”

“What is the point? I am confused and angry. Please help me understand. I have been faithful to the Lord alone, so why?”

According to Robertson, it could very well be that God snuffed the kid out before he had a chance to become an alcoholic, or *gasp* an atheist.

Pat.  Go fuck yourself.  Then eat a bag of dicks. 

[Corntree]

That's just how loving God is, you know? He saved that kid from hell. There literally could not be a more loving option... except for the one where God is loving enough to stop sending people to eternal hell for finite transgressions. I know that sounds really wacky though.

[Ozlsn]

He must be just about due to drop off the twig, surely? Geez, so old and still suffering so badly from foot-in-mouth disease coupled with the empathy of a rock.

[Lurky]

His logic is completely bizarre, given how many actual atheists are alive (and brought up in atheist households) all over the world.  Plus the number of alcoholics, too. 

Even if it was true - that God foresaw that terrible things would happen to this young man - isn't Robertson's God all-powerful, so could protect him?   And so many terrible, terrible things happen to people every day, why would God single out this one? 

The lack of logic, it burns.

[purjolok84]

But (playing devil's advocate here and speculating on something I believe to be fiction) what if the kid was already an atheist? Or contemplating another religion whose ideas don't mesh with Pat Robinson's Christianity? Maybe he was neurologically diverse, realising he had an addiction, developing a crush on the boy in the class above him or starting his own d+d group? Either way he could be in Hell already and Pat Robertson would STILL be a gigantic douche.

[Loveday]

I wish I knew why this man is still spewing his stupidity on television. I don't understand why his sons, or whoever's in charge at CBN, don't force his retirement. I'm sure they probably agree with him, but they must know how insane he sounds to everyone else.

[Cleopatra7]

54 minutes ago, Loveday said:

I wish I knew why this man is still spewing his stupidity on television. I don't understand why his sons, or whoever's in charge at CBN, don't force his retirement. I'm sure they probably agree with him, but they must know how insane he sounds to everyone else.

Doesn’t Pat Roberson have some kind of deal with TPTB that require them to show the 700 Club? He originally founded the Family Channel and when it was sold first to Fox and then to ABC part of the deal was that the 700 Club had to be broadcast in perpetuity. I often wonder how much popularity and influence Robertson actually has, given how there are so many televangelists now who are younger, more charismatic, and at least superficially nicer (eg Joel Olsteen, TD Jakes, the Hillsong borg). Robertson just seems like yesterday’s news, but I could be wrong.

[PennySycamore]

When my daughter Katherine died,  I wanted to know why.  Not so much the medical question of why she died, but WHY? addressed to God.  What I found most helpful was when the facilitator of the bereavement group in our parish played some tapes that Rabbi Harold Kushner had done.  Rabbi Kushner's 14 year-old son had died of progeria at the age of 14 and Rabbi Kushner wrote When Bad Things Happen to Good People in response.  He addressed the problem of an omnipotent God.  Rabbi Kushner's conclusion was the God was not omnipotent.  He did not control absolutely everything.  For instance, some things like the weather worked according to things that God had put in place, but individual weather events were not under God's control.  IOW, shit happens and there does not have to be a reason. Anyway, I found that very comforting.   I hope that grieving mom can find some peace  with her WHY? question and not the one that douchecanoe Robertson suggested.

Pat Robertson can go fuck himself with a chainsaw!

[47of74]

1 hour ago, PennySycamore said:

 

Pat Robertson can go fuck himself with a chainsaw!

I second that motion.  Especially if he puts it on YouTube.  He's done more to turn people off to God than anyone in my lifetime. 

[louisa05]

Years ago, a popular Nebraska football player died in a plane crash right before the NFL draft He was expected to be drafted and do well in the NFL. He was an evangelical though not incredibly vocal.

At Christian school, faculty concluded that God “took him” to save him from potentially “ falling away” from his faith as a pro football player. I remember sitting there absolutely speechless.

[PennySycamore]

@louisa05, your post reminded me that I find the whole "God took him/her" or "s/he went home to be with the Lord" incredibly offensive.  First, if God's gonna take somebody. why can't he take assholes like the Great Orange Menace?  Why not spare the entire globe the threat of nuclear annihilation?  The "my home is not here on earth, but heaven" mentality might be part of the reason why these idiots care so little for the planet.

[47of74]

14 minutes ago, PennySycamore said:

@louisa05, your post reminded me that I find the whole "God took him/her" or "s/he went home to be with the Lord" incredibly offensive.  First, if God's gonna take somebody. why can't he take assholes like the Great Orange Menace?  Why not spare the entire globe the threat of nuclear annihilation?  The "my home is not here on earth, but heaven" mentality might be part of the reason why these idiots care so little for the planet.

 I think it depends on who is making the statement as to the deceased being taken by God.  I think in the right circumstances it can be comforting to the family.  I remember when my Uncle's mother passed back in 2007 in the days before she passed she had told her children and in-laws more than once that she was about to go home.  I know she honestly believed that too. 

[Loveday]

3 hours ago, Cleopatra7 said:

Doesn’t Pat Roberson have some kind of deal with TPTB that require them to show the 700 Club? He originally founded the Family Channel and when it was sold first to Fox and then to ABC part of the deal was that the 700 Club had to be broadcast in perpetuity. I often wonder how much popularity and influence Robertson actually has, given how there are so many televangelists now who are younger, more charismatic, and at least superficially nicer (eg Joel Olsteen, TD Jakes, the Hillsong borg). Robertson just seems like yesterday’s news, but I could be wrong.

Yes, you're right, he struck that deal when he sold the channel. I just wish he'd realise that he doesn't have to be ON the show for it to be broadcast! His son, or sons, I don't know if they're both involved or not, can carry on just as well without him. Pat is so far past his sell-by date that he stinks. 

[Ozlsn]

I think what makes me angriest is that, well it's an unanswerable question that he is trying to answer. In that theology saying "God is omnipotent and has a plan, but it isn't something that is knowable to us" is a perfectly good response. Coming up with half-arsed 'explanations' isn't. 

TL:DR; Shut up Pat.

[Lurky]

@PennySycamore So sorry for your loss

[Carol]

19 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Here's Pat Robertson, being the second biggest douche nozzle in America to a grieving mother.

Pat.  Go fuck yourself.  Then eat a bag of dicks. 

Then eat a bag of dicks and choke on them when no one is around who knows the Heimlich.  He's found, but, not before his doctors say he is brain dead, something the rest of us have knows forever.

Fixed this for you(or, maybe for me). 

[PennySycamore]

Thank you, @Lurky.

[47of74]

3 hours ago, Carol said:

Then eat a bag of dicks and choke on them when no one is around who knows the Heimlich.  He's found, but, not before his doctors say he is brain dead, something the rest of us have knows forever.

Fixed this for you(or, maybe for me). 

I just had a horrible mental image of Pat gnawing on a giant dildo.  Yes, I know I brought that upon myself by telling Pat to eat a bag of dicks in the first place, and I'm sorry but I have to share the pain of that mental image. 

[Tangy Bee]

People are actually still paying this old dude to talk??

[hisboyelroy]

19 hours ago, Lurky said:

Even if it was true - that God foresaw that terrible things would happen to this young man - isn't Robertson's God all-powerful, so could protect him?   And so many terrible, terrible things happen to people every day, why would God single out this one? 

The lack of logic, it burns.

And by this logic, why was this person conceived at all? If God is so powerful, and atheism offends him so much, why does he allow anybody to exist who could potentially become atheist?

Does Robertson and his ilk believe in predestination? I could never really wrap my head around it, but if they don't, this makes even less sense. 

[smittykins]

10 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I just had a horrible mental image of Pat gnawing on a giant dildo.  Yes, I know I brought that upon myself by telling Pat to eat a bag of dicks in the first place, and I'm sorry but I have to share the pain of that mental image. 

I think we need a "brain bleach" reaction button. 

[nastyhobbitses]

I hope that when Pat Robertson can't take care of himself anymore, he gets put in the most hellish, poorly-run nursing home in his state.

[SilverBeach]

22 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

When my daughter Katherine died,  I wanted to know why.  Not so much the medical question of why she died, but WHY? addressed to God.  What I found most helpful was when the facilitator of the bereavement group in our parish played some tapes that Rabbi Harold Kushner had done.  Rabbi Kushner's 14 year-old son had died of progeria at the age of 14 and Rabbi Kushner wrote When Bad Things Happen to Good People in response.  He addressed the problem of an omnipotent God.  Rabbi Kushner's conclusion was the God was not omnipotent.  He did not control absolutely everything.  For instance, some things like the weather worked according to things that God had put in place, but individual weather events were not under God's control.  IOW, shit happens and there does not have to be a reason. Anyway, I found that very comforting.   I hope that grieving mom can find some peace  with her WHY? question and not the one that douchecanoe Robertson suggested.

Pat Robertson can go fuck himself with a chainsaw!

I totally agree. Rabbi Kushner's book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" changed my thoughts about tragedy and helped me cope with the deaths of so many close to me. I highly recommend it, particularly for those struggling with faith issues and death. No more fairy tales, which are not necessary to be a believer anyway. My faith matured after reading this book.

Pat Robertson should shut the fuck up, heartless bastard.

[FeministShrew]

When I was 15, a young man I grew up with was killed in car accident on his way home from third shift one morning. He was 22. Our families were pretty close, and we went to their house that evening to take food & just be with them. 
His mom was devastated, and she told us that when he was a preschooler he was very sick (I can't remember what it was),  was hospitalized and near death. She said she cried and begged God to heal him, and he did get better. Fast forward to his teen years, and he became rebellious, stopped going to church, drank alcohol and used drugs (it was the late 70s-early 80s), and hung out with the "wrong crowd."  She said she began wishing he had died as a child rather than grow up to be wild, and she had been terrified he'd die and go to hell.

She told us that he had recently settled down & was trying to get his life back together, had stopped drinking and using drugs, and had gone to church with her a few times. He had talked to the pastor about "getting saved," and the preacher seemed to think he had, as he put it, made things right with God a couple of weeks before he died. She told us that the pastor told her, and she believed, that God "took him" so that he would die "saved" and go to heaven before he had a chance to slip back into sin. That thought comforted her, but I thought it was the craziest thing I'd ever heard.

[CelticGoddess]

I believe in reincarnation, and I want Pat Robertson to come back as slime mold. Or a cockroach