Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Mulligan Mondays
...sometimes you just need another swing at the ball

Today's Mulligan Monday (sorry I'm a day late, but well worth the wait) goes to no other than Pat Robertson of the 700 Club. As most of you know by now, brother Pat brings a new meaning to evangelical co-belligerence by suggesting that American agents assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."

Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat... here we go again. In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." While feminism remains an unattractive thing for Christians, he demonstrates the art of over the top disconnected sinful traits by political social ideology.

Chavez is a bad apple... but assassination? Here is Pat's brilliant biblical analysis of the situation: "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with." Despite the fact that Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him... for an evangelical leader to want to "put him on ice" by some covert military action is, how shall we say, unloving? Yes… unloving.

A just war is permissible biblically... however, murder is not. God doesn’t "delight in the death of the wicked." And "thou shalt not kill" has to mean something here. God is sovereign and in control of all world powers and their leadership. Chavez has no occupied seat of command apart from God allowing it.

This is a prime example when an untrained man biblically has the microphone and his comments are attributed then to all of us as evangelicals. Pat, next time you “feel the need” to speak on political issues to the media... don't. You have no authority on these issues whatsoever and you're insights are less than profitable. Stick to the Word of God and please stop commenting on things that make you and the church cringe with embarrassment. Even Limbaugh today couldn't bring himself to address this issue for fear of being identified by the liberal press with Robertson. El Rushbo is wise.

So here is the mulligan tip for Pat today: Walk the course... You get to see the real layout of the fairways and greens when you're "with the people" and not perched a top the millions you made off the body of Christ by selling a “TV ministry” to the world. Think before speaking; and remember... no one has elected you to anything. So stop pretending that we have and try to stay focused on what is important. The gospel...

"Shooting" from the carpet,
Campi
2 Cor. 4:5-7

14 comments:

Bhedr said...

Please don't tell me its monday! I am worn slap out and its only monday? Groundhog day I guess!


No when I heard this in my truck on my radio I knew it was a mulligan for sure.

Sparks said...

Now would be a good time for Mr. Robertson to step down and take a nice long retirement cruise.

Mr. Robertson today has done great harm to the Body of Christ.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Jesse Jackson should get a partial mulligan *with* Robertson after telling the New York Times today that the Federal Communications Commission should investigate Robertson's comments "just as it did when Janet Jackson's breast was exposed during a Superbowl broadcast...This is even more threatening to hemispheric stability than the flash of a breast on television during a ball game,"

We should be grateful that for every Robertson there's a Jackson. :-)

Caddiechaplain said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

The New York Times also points out that "In 1998, he warned that hurricanes and other natural disasters would sweep down on Orlando, Fla., because homosexuals were flocking to Disney World there on special "gay days."

Proving once again, given 5 major hurricanes in less than 11 months, a prophet has no honor in his own country.

:-)

Caddiechaplain said...

Took a mulley on the first hole yesterday because I didn't get to hit balls before hand. Don't need a mulley on this one. . . brother Pat needs to see his local PGA (pastor's golf association) for some wise counsel and accountability!

littlegal_66 said...

bhedr said: "No when I heard this in my truck on my radio I knew it was a mulligan for sure."
I thought so, as well. When I saw it crawling the bottom on Fox News Sunday eve, I just knew this would HAVE to be Campi's mulligan for the week.

littlegal_66 said...

sparks said: "Now would be a good time for Mr. Robertson to step down and take a nice long retirement cruise."

Hey, Campi: How about a1m's sola scripture cruise? Perhaps there, he could sit under some sound teaching, and receive some sound instruction for a few days?
;-)

Pester Brat said...

Come on guys and gals, give Pat a break. Hey I even voted for Pat...or was that Pat Buchanan? ;-)

Well deserved mulligan, thanks Steve. Looking forward to meeting you in Seattle on 8/27

Tim Wirth said...

And Pat goes on TV today and denies he said assasination. But apoligies for saying assasination on the internet.
My mom used to call that kind of behavior lying.
And Pat Robertson still shooting from the rought today.
Peace
Tim

Tim Wirth said...

P.S. do you think this puts Christian missionaries in harms way in South America by some doof pretending to speak as a Christian calling for a countries leader to get wacked.
Youse decide

dogpreacher said...

...wouldn't you have to be focused on something to stay focused on it? I don't think Pat could hit the gospel if he were aiming at it (oops...bad choice of words)...well...if his hit man were aiming at it.

Michele Rayburn said...

It hurts me to hear the unkind attacks being made on Pat Robertson by the body of Christ. Some are “calling for his head”, the end of his ministry, because he said something that was wrong. Those who are in the public eye often say something that is wrong.

I think controversy arose because the Liberal Media is anti-Christian and is, therefore, putting a spotlight on Pat’s comments. And some of you are falling into their trap, by joining them in attacking your own brother.

I have since heard others voicing the same opinion as Pat’s, but the Liberal Media isn’t attacking them.

The Liberal Media is trying to weaken, and ultimately silence, Pat and any other Christians who would “dare” to involve themselves with politics. If you notice, they would never condemn political activist Cindy Sheehan for protesting the war in Iraq, using her son’s death as an opportunity to further her Liberal cause, and in so doing, emboldening the enemy.

I don’t agree with Pat Robertson’s Charismatic doctrine, and I think that such false teaching is harmful to the body of Christ. But I do believe that Pat is a brother.

1 Cor. 12:12-27 says, to summarize: “…the body is one and has many members…And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’…And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…

When we attack a member of our “body”, we are attacking ourselves, hurting ourselves. We weren’t called to attack the body of Christ. But we are called to lovingly exhort and correct. “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father.” (1 Tim. 5:1)

1 Cor. 13:1ff says that without love we become as “a clanging cymbal”. “Love believes all things” (gives the benefit of the doubt). Pat later clarified that he was expressing himself in frustration, and regretted that his thoughts came out the way that they did. We should assume that Pat only had our best interests in mind.

What I would like to hear from Christians is some kind words to Pat, encouraging him as a member of “the body”. And rather than criticizing and condemning him, lovingly give him some wisdom on how you think he could have handled it better.

Unfortunately, it is to be expected that the world will persecute, criticize and condemn us. But we have a different calling.

In His Love,
Michele