LATimes on Robertson's fatwa on Chavez: "A Call for Assassination Brings

[Nothing Without Hope]

a Cry Of Outrage"

This is a long article which gives quotes from various clerics and politicians and other spokespeople, discusses somewhat opposing views on Robertson's current influence, and gives some other ugly examples of past Robertson statements that revealed rabid anti-Muslim and anti-gay sentiment and a readiness to threaten people who disagreed with his views with God's wrath.

(THE ONLINE SITE OF THE ARTICLE ALSO HAS A VIDEO CLIP: "Televangelist Pat Robertson.")

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-robertson24aug24,1,2820715.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
August 24, 2005 - latimes.com : National News

A Call for Assassination Brings a Cry of Outrage

By James Gerstenzang and Larry B. Stammer, Times Staff Writers

WASHINGTON — Televangelist Pat Robertson's call for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez provoked a storm of criticism Tuesday, triggering condemnation from religious leaders and international outrage, though the Bush administration said he was a private citizen whose remarks were "inappropriate."

(snip)

Bob Edgar, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA and who served as a Pennsylvania Democrat on the House Select Committee on Assassinations from 1976 to 1979, said Robertson's comments made no sense.

"It defies logic that a clergyman could so casually dismiss thousands of years of Judeo-Christian law, including the commandment that we are not to kill," Edgar said

(snip)

In 1998, he {Robertson} responded to a campaign to fly flags in downtown Orlando, Fla., to celebrate National Gay Pride Month with a warning to the city: "You're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you. This is not a message of hate; this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It'll bring about terrorist bombs; it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor."

(snip)

I find it interesting is that the quotes from Robertson cited in this article do NOT include his bizarre comments about oil - surely a non-spiritual commodity. It's not only his call for assassination, it's his crass comments about Venezuela's large supply of oil and how assassination of Chavez probably wouldn't interrupt oil shipments that truly reveal Robertson's mammon-centered mind. Here are these oil-related Robertson comments (bolded), which are NOT included in the LA Times article:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508220006
You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop. But this man is a terrific danger and the United ... This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine, we have other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.

Here is a compilation of some other DU threads on Hugo Chavez, the Robertson fatwa on him, and US - Venezuela relations:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1689644
Thread title: Venezuela's Chavez Presents Land Titles to Indigenous Groups
NNN0LHI LBN Tue Aug-09-05 08:44 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1687268
Thread title: Venezuela warns against US invasion
cal04 LBN Tue Aug-09-05 02:10 AM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1722617
Thread title: Reuters: Chavez offers cheap gas to poor in U.S.
Newsjock - LBN Tue Aug-23-05 09:54 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4440384
Thread title: Support Chavez; Buy CITGO Gas
goodhue - GD - Tue Aug-23-05 10:27 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1719323
Thread title: Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuela's president
owillis LBN Mon Aug-22-05 04:50 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1721829
Thread title: Media Matters Calls on ABC Family to Discontinue Robertson Broadcasts
paineinthearse -LBN Tue Aug-23-05 03:34 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2029862
Thread title: US Fingerprints on Venezuelan Coup
Al-CIAda GD-P Tue Aug-23-05 07:52 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4430637
Thread title: AP picks up the Robertson assassination threat
Newsjock GD Tue Aug-23-05 12:12 AM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1722608
Thread title: Venezuelan Ambassador Says Embassy Flooded With Support
cal04 LBN Tue Aug-23-05 09:48 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4439697
Thread title: Chavez and Bush: a photographic essay
Minstrel Boy GD Tue Aug-23-05 09:32 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1723104
Thread title: Chavez lashes back at Robertson ("I don't even know who that person is")
sabra LBN Wed Aug-24-05 01:19 AM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4435268
Thread title: Complain to the FCC about Pat Robertson.......(Link here)
Webster Green - GD - Tue Aug-23-05 02:10 PM