Robertson Finds Radical Muslims 'Satanic' http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_re_us/robertson_islam "Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program "The 700 Club" that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are "satanic."" This from the guy who puts out a fatwa on Chavez and calls down fire and brimstone on any town that votes to teach actual science in science classes.
Both you and Dotman (or should I call him/her "Domino"?? ) have legit points, of course, that should be obvious to anyone who can look past a self-proclaimed label. But then, we'd all be better off if the majority of humanity could look past labels and pay more attention to what people actually DO than how they describe themselves. Anyway, lest any bulbs that are not as bright as yours get confused, my point was not that suicide bombers and terrorists are not "satanic" but that a guy that a loud and politically active minority of people follow and with whom way too many Americans sympathize (even if they are juuuuuust smart enough to keep him at arm's length) is a wanking hypocrite. And that no group, not even the Libertarians, has cornered the market on loonies. Or is entirely free of them either.
Actually, a default position for some Christians is to consider any activity outside of Christianity to be controlled in some way by Satan, whether it's the money markets, the British Parliament or fundamental Islam. Basically, anything in this world outside of the church is the domain of Satan. It shouldn't be surprising that Pat Robertson holds this view. I'm of the opinion that he should keep talking. The more he says, the more he is allowed to speak of the cuff and insert his foot in his mouth, the more he marginalizes his own narrow brand of Christianity.
Of course he is a Christian. He belongs to a particular segment of Christianity (hopefully a minority) which interprets the teachings of Christ, as outlined in the New Testament, very differently from the way most people would interpret them. As a religious leader, he has the right to his interpretation of his religion's scriptures. But I hope that most people who believe in Christianity will think for themselves enough to see how his way of understanding the religion clashes with a more common sense interpretation of the religion's founder's life and teachings, as recorded in that religion's holy book. You don't have to be a Student of Christianity to see problems with Robertson's teachings. Just a thoughtful reading of the Gospels is enough.
This is like saying that a president has the right to his "interperetation" of military intelligence. I guess it's true as far as it goes, but at some point you have to factor objective reality into the equation or you get stuck in mere solipsism. I respectfully disagree. I'll bet that most members of the 700 Club and other fundamentalist "Christian" groups are much more familiar with the entire Bible let alone the NT than the vast majority (but not all) of the mainstream and they've devoted more thought to it than most (but not all) of the mainstream. And yet, that hasn't helped them avoid beliefs and actions that are pretty much the direct opposite of what Jesus intended. Something else is clearly needed. A Christian may conclude that grace is the missing component but I plunk down for an education in critical thinking.
But that's the whole point of protestant christianity. Religion should no longer be ruled by the elite catholic bishops and popes. Bibles in the vernacular so all can read, understand, and lead, and whatnot. Much more democratic.
Off topic, but since when is hypocrisy satanic? I'll never understand the fixation so many people have with hypocrisy, especially involving homosexuality. And privately calling for the assassination of a democratically elected leader is something most people have done at one time or another. Publicly is of course a different matter.