Pat Robertson: American Christian Extremist
Hugo Chavez, whose nation is the fifth largest oil exporter, has become one of the outspoken critics of the Bush administration. His position obviously makes Mr. Robertson very upset. His buddy, Jerry Falwell, another prominent Christian conservative with millions of followers, received less criticism when he called Prophet Muhammad a terrorist in the program 60 minutes. Falwell was the same pastor who blamed homosexuals, feminists and abortionists of the September 11 attacks for “making God very upset”.
What’s the difference between Falwell and Robertson from the Christian militants such as Timothy McVeigh, bomber of the Oklahoma federal building; and Eric Rudolph, recently convicted of the 1996 Olympic bombing and abortion clinics attacks in Atlanta? The line is very thin, practically non-existent. Robertson and Falwell have expensive suites and a large audience while Rudolph and McVeigh simply converted their views into radical action. What’s the difference between this violent rhetoric with Osama Bin Laden’s and his Al-Qaeda network? While he speaks others do the dirty work. What’s the difference between the Iraqi religious leader Zarqawi and Robertson urging to assassinate political leaders? There is no difference when public figures, regardless their religious faith, use there influence to portray violence.
Another interesting comparison of religious extremism of both Islam and Christianity is easily found. Spanish novelist Jose Saramago explains in his article “The God factor” that the Taliban and the Spanish Inquisition was practically the same thing. Both made a pact between the state and religion to justify sovereign terrorism in the name of God.
Religion extremism is a long and complex subject, especially Christian extremism and its brutal role in the Indian holocaust and African slavery in America. Yet, the present situation, just as in the past, creates double standards when it comes to pointing the blame towards Judeo-Christianity and Islam.
The corporate media and the alleged academic experts don’t hesitate to blame Islam for everything immoral and wrong doing in the Middle East. The Iraqi insurgency, the Palestinian struggle, the Coptic discrimination and women right issues and course terrorism, according to them, is Islam fault. Forget about analyzing and researching the social complexity, politics dynamics, Globalization influence, economic developments, historical background, and cultural implications on the ground like is done in America. The media and the academic experts in America prefer to maintain a degree of silence when Christians commit atrocities in the name of their fate. From the Jamestown massacre to the Oklahoma bombing, to the Ku Klux Klan terror to the Waco showdown and Catholic priest sexual abuse crisis, there different explanations better then to quickly blame everything on Christianity.
Some Christian patriot will always jump up and mention Islam permits polygamy. But marrying more then one wife is also practiced by Mormons in Utah and Arizona. Shocking it may be for the unknown, governments of both Utah and Arizona show little effort to prosecute these tens of thousands of Christian polygamist. Thou the excuse of the Utah government is that polygamy practice is informal, many wives who share the same husband, sleeping together in the same bed, care less about the rest of the country’s opinion.
The best example of Christian extremist in America is not Robertson criticism towards Venezuela and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, but someone more powerful. The same man who believes God chose him to lead the nation. You guess right, if you taught of George W. Bush, the most biblical president in American history. He receives strong support from Christian fundamentalist and probably is descendant of the infamous W.A.S.P society. Bush also said God is on his side and repeatedly used the medieval term “the crusades” just as his archenemy Osama Bin Laden does.
This article is not to criticize Christianity as a universal religion. Rather to basically explain that extremism is not exclusively connected to Islam. All religions, including Christianity, have there extremist representation around the globe. There no exceptions. Terrorist might have expensive suits like Robertson and be well organized like the Irish catholic militants, better known as the IRA. Furthermore, this Christianity extremism is as dangerous and powerful, perhaps even more, if compared with Islam’s and Judaism’s put together. History certainly has the evidence to prove it.
