Cruel comment from Robertson : Sharon invited God’s wrath

Pat Robertson can be credited for the sincerity of his deep religious beliefs. And certainly he has a right to express his convictions on his “700 Club” television program, which has a strong following among Christians across the country.

But even some of his faithful listeners must have been pained by his remarks concerning Ariel Sharon as the prime minister of Israel lay near death in a Tel Aviv hospital.

Robertson broadcast from his Virginia Beach, Va., station that Mr. Sharon’s massive stroke was “divine punishment for dividing God’s land.”

Sharon has been an advocate of turning some land occupied by Israel over to the Palestinians in an effort to stop the bloodshed that has plagued that part of the world down through the ages.

Mr. Robertson cites scriptures in which he says God proclaims ownership of the land and that it is not to be divided.

He said, “God has enmity against those who divide my land” and Sharon is being punished by God for that transgression.

Robertson declared that Sharon was “carving up” God’s land to appease the European Union, the United Nations and the United States.

In which case, if Robertson is correct in his assessment, the leaders of those entities might also be in mortal danger of being smitten down.

At the same time, Robertson proclaimed his personal affection for the prime minister, whom he called “a very tender-hearted man and a good friend.”

Because of that personal friendship alone, perhaps Pat Robertson might have considered tempering his remarks which suggested that Ariel Sharon not only deserved being stricken down, but had invited the wrath of God.

Published in Editorials on January 9, 2006 10:38 AM