Atrios, and others, have mentioned the slapdown given to Pat Robertson by Jack Van Impe.
As someone who has always been fascinated by America’s preoccupation with eschatology, I used to watch Jack Van Impe’s television show, “Jack Van Impe Presents”, every week or so. During his show Jack, and his wife Rexella, would recap the recent news in terms of end times prophesy. There’s little doubt that Jack is a bit out there, as he nearly orgasms with joy at the end of the world. But Jack is the more traditional end times kinda guy — he says: “the end is coming; here’s proof”, and “you better make things right between you and Christ”. Not only is it his right to say these things, but there is something more honest about his presentation then those like Pat Robertson. Robertson says “the end is coming” and “to make things right give me and my friends political power”. So it shouldn’t have been unexpected to here Jack Van Impe call Robertson on his unchristian behavior:
Not only that, but Mr. Robertson, you are pro-life, and yet you wanted the members of the Supreme Court to die last year, and now the president of Venezuela. We believe this book: Thou shalt not kill; Exodus 20, verse 13. And my Bible says that this is wrong, and I want to challenge you right now to change your ways. Because we as Christians do not need an Osami [sic] Bin Laden leading us.
Robertson, and his ilk, are nothing but political hacks trying to assert power through religion. Jack Van Impe may be a bit touched but he’s a true believer.
