A Preacher’s Journey

Too many people in this country (that’s the UK, for those of you reading this elsewhere) seem to think that the likes of Pat Robertson are representative of US Christianity. From the little of his blog that I’ve read so far, I hope that John Wilks is rather more representative. On the aforementioned individual he writes:

Well, I just read Robertson’s “Clintonian” parsing of “take him out” and I’m disgusted.

I thought it was a mistake to say what he said. But grace covers mistakes.

But today he is trying claim that he was misinterpreted.

And if all he had said was “they (meaning special forces) can take him out,” he might have a very, very slim case.

But Mr. Robertson was pretty explicit in his comments and there is no doubt what lines like If he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. mean.

If he’d come out and asked forgiveness, I’d cut him a break. I’m no fan of the simplistic fundamentalist approach to Evangelical Christianity which the 700 Club puts forth, but on the whole, I’d say that show has historically done more good than harm for the Gospel.

But part of the Gospel message is that we should come clean and lean on grace when we blow it. Robertson is doing just the opposite. And when he does that, he ruins the credibility of his program, his whole CBN network, and in a very real way the credibility of Evangelicals everywhere.

This is just sad. Really, truly sad.

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• Bethlehem launches own passport
• Religion for consenting adults in private