Pat Robertson's Improper Predictions (Televangelist and God are apparently not on speaking terms)

CMR ^ | January 5, 2009 | Patrick Archbold

[NYer]

For the uninitiated, every year televangelist Pat Robertson has predictions dressed up as prophecy. He contends that the Lord speaks to him [in his heart presumably] and let's him know about things for the future.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that God can and sometimes does speak to people. He does this for His reasons. I must admit that I don't think that God and Pat are on very good speaking terms.

Now I have made my predictions for 2009. Prescient or imbecilic, they are mine. Other than creating my weak little brain, God had nothing to do with it. The stupidity is my own. Pat is not satisfied with such personal prognostication so he often infuses them with the aura of a prophetic word. To Robertson's ear, the Lord is a part time commodities trader.

"The Lord said the dollar is going to go down dramatically," Robertson said in the interview. "If I'm hearing him right, gold will go to about $1900 dollars an ounce and oil to $300 a barrel."

Does God really inspire his own to predict commodities futures? Now I am not saying that Pat is wrong, just presumtuous to claim this is from God. For instance, Pat says:

Socialist policies and massive government spending, Robertson told Meeuwsen, could lead to heavy hyperinflation, sending prices through the roof and the value of the dollar through the floor.

I have said as much in my predictions, but I think it would be rather uppity of me to claim God's imprimatur.

It is one thing to make a fool of yourself with faulty predictions, quite another to smear God with your own stupidity. Pat has done just that in the past. In the past Robertson has predicted a massive attack on U.S. soil [2007], predicted that the Republican would retain congress [2006 - Ouch!], a tsunami to hit the U.S. in 2006, the stock market will surge this year [2005: Closed down 67 points for the year. And so on.

Do your predictions Pat, they are very entertaining even if mostly spectacularly wrong. Just stop claiming that God is telling you these things. It's embarrassing.

[NYer]

FWIW ping!

[DonaldC]

To make those predictions one only needs to follow the news, not God. Although I think what he predicts will take a few years to come to fruition.

[ex91B10]

...He contends that the Lord speaks to him...

Pat Robertson had a similar gig; God will kill me if you don't donate a million dollars...

Went up in his prayer tower to await the results.

[AppyPappy]

“televangelist Pat Robertson “

Robertson isn’t a televangelist. He’s a journalist and politician.

[the invisib1e hand]

I once had a dream about sugar futures and it was one of my best trades ever.

[mnehring]

I think what he predicts will take a few years to come to fruition...

With not knowing the time frame or in this case, getting it wrong, it is not a prophecy. To say, for example, that a tsunami will strike the United States is not a prophecy, it is stating the obvious as historically, it has happened and will happen again. It would be prophetic if he where correct on the time and not be something that is a known cyclical. (ie, it is not prophecy to say the sun will rise at 6:45am tomorrow morning). All he is doing is making statements of generic events that most likely will happen, and claiming it is prophecy.

[autumnraine]

My poor aunt and uncle live on prophecies. My uncle has had congestive heart failure for five years. Four years ago his kidneys had shut down completely. Now I’ll give you that I was pleasantly surprised he made it through that (pumping gallon of fluid out of his chest hourly) and still is living four years later, but he has lost both legs to diabetes and can’t sit up. I love my aunt and uncle dearly, and hate to see him suffer. I pray he is around for a long time though.

But someone in their church gave a “prophecy” that God would heal him and he would become whole. At 70 years old, he’ll do good to go to the bathroom in the near future.

I have seen miracles, and I have seen death while praying for miracles. I just don’t hold much weight on “prophecy”.

Especially by TV Evangelicals who say he is “remarkably pleased” with Barack Obama when this man has stated he is going to remove ALL restrictions on abortion and give $1 Billion dollars to an abortion company.

Forgive my skepticism.

[MahatmaGandu]

I predict a bunch of fools will send Pat Robertson too much of their money this year.

[evets]

Robert Tilton 'kiss the prophet' bbq bib.

[beejaa]

Pat Robertson’s predictions were sent to me as well. I thought of posting them and then decided that I had better things to do. You did it with commentary at least. People like predictions in uncertain times.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Robertson isn’t a televangelist. He’s a journalist and politician kook.

Corrected.

[discipler]

I’m a Christian and find Robertson a big fraud. He is less accurate on these things than Nostradamus - and I think he was on LSD.

[kalee]

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them –- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping" (2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV)

[kalee]

Don’t you mean Oral Roberts?

[ex91B10]

You are correct sir; my old mind isn’t what it used to be!

[mountn man]

Try Oral Roberts.

[discipler]

I am 49 and can recall how in late 70’s and early 80’s it was Pat Robertson predicting Armageddon. There is always a new generation to buy into his bologna.

[mountn man]

Now THATS a fraud.

[kalee]

I’m a ma’am, lol