Free Republic

Religious Right Power Brokers The Top Ten by Rob BostonThe United States is home to dozens of Religious Right groups. Many have small budgets and focus on state and local issues; the most powerful organizations conduct nationwide operations, command multi-million-dollar bank accounts and attract millions of followers. They have disproportionate clout in the halls of Congress, the White House and the courts, and they wield enormous influence within the political system.What follows is a list of the nation’s Top Ten Religious Right groups, as determined by publicly available financial data and political prominence. (For budgetary data, Church & State used...

Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean has contradicted his party's platform and infuriated gay rights advocates by saying the party's platform states "marriage is between a man and a woman." Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean, appearing on the Christian Broadcasting Network, erroneously stated that the party's 2004 platform says 'marriage is between a man and a woman.' Christian conservative Pat Robertson is host of the program. "The Democratic Party platform from 2004 says marriage is between a man and a woman," Dean said May 10 during a "700 Club" program hosted by conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson on his Christian Broadcasting...

VIRGINIA BEACH-Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson is warning that, according to God, storms and possibly a tidal wave will pound America's coastline this year.

In another in a series of notable pronouncements, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says God told him storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year. Robertson has made the predictions at least four times in the past two weeks on his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded. Robertson said the revelations about this year's weather came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January. "If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said May 8. On Wednesday, he...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Television evangelist Pat Robertson, who has rattled the religious and political establishment with recent controversial declarations, acknowledged Thursday "my passion runs ahead of me" on some occasions. "I've been doing TV for years and years," Robertson said. "And the problem is, I ad lib." Interviewed on ABC's "Good Morning America" on the morning of the annual National Prayer Breakfast, Robertson was asked about statements suggesting that the United States assassinate President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and intimating that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for giving up the Gaza strip. Robertson sent a letter...

Pat Robertson, who every so often says something really outrageous just to get attention, has apologized for saying Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's retribution for giving up the Gaza strip. He wrote a letter to Ariel Sharon's son. In part, he said: "My zeal, my love of Israel, and my concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness. I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel for saying...

Courage under fire Pat Robertson isn’t playing some pernicious political game By Stan Goodenough January 11th, 2006 “Instructive” is a good word for describing the reaction to Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) President Pat Robertson’s remarks about the stroke that incapacitated Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week. Certainly it took immense courage of conviction for an influential man like the former candidate for the American presidency to say something he knew would enrage many people and put ammunition into the hands of his avowed enemies, and to nonetheless say it because he believes it is true, and because his conscience...

Israel is reconsidering its decision to break off contacts with Pat Robertson over the construction of a Christian heritage park, after the US evangelist apologized for saying Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke was divine retribution, a spokesman said Saturday. Israel and Robertson had been close to finalizing a deal to build the multimillion dollar tourist attraction when the broadcaster said last week that Sharon had been punished by God for pulling Israel out of the Gaza Strip in September. The comments prompted Israel to call off talks with Robertson over the deal. Robertson issued an apology, which Israel accepted...

Pat Robertson, the American televangelist, today appeared to withdraw a diatribe against Ariel Sharon in an attempt to salvage his $50 million plan for a biblical theme park in Galilee. Ministers in Jerusalem were furious after the millionaire preacher suggested that the Israeli Prime Minister suffered a stroke in divine retribution for carving up the Holy Land in withdrawing from Gaza. The future of the project, nicknamed Jesusland and criticised by some for commercialism in an area of undeveloped rolling hills, is now hanging in the balance. Mr Robertson released a statement saying that he was merely pointing out the...

JERUSALEM - Israel has suspended contact with evangelist Pat Robertson for suggesting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. The controversy has cast doubt on plans for a Christian tourism center that would showcase the growing flow of money and influence from U.S. church groups. The decision, announced Wednesday by Israeli officials, does not affect other Christian groups that also consider it their spiritual duty to support Israel as fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Israeli leaders see the Christian allies as tireless lobbyists in Washington and elsewhere. The evangelicals also funnel millions of dollars...

I know a lot of dumb people who’ve said a lot of dumb things. In fact, I am one of those people. I’ve said that only-children tend to be spoiled in front of people who didn’t have brothers and sisters. I’ve made fun of people without college educations in front of people who it turned out never went to college. I regularly make a complete and total ass out of myself. I should probably find a way to get paid for it at this point; I do it so often, it’s like a part-time job. But for all the dumb...

Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has sent a letter to one of Ariel Sharon's sons apologizing for suggesting that the prime minister's massive stroke was divine punishment for his withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last year. Robertson's' comments last week drew widespread condemnation from other Christian leaders, US President George W. Bush and Israeli officials, who canceled plans to include the evangelist in the construction of a major Christian tourist center in northern Israel.

It took Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) only a few hours to condemn Pat Robertson’s disparaging remark about Ariel Sharon, but no such rebuke was directed at Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who made an even more despicable comment about Sharon. “Yet again, Pat Robertson has made a completely outrageous, insulting and inappropriate comment,” Reid said in a statement sent to reporters at 8:24 p.m. “Prime Minister Sharon is fighting for his life. He and his family deserve our thoughts and prayers, and I hope Mr. Robertson will offer them after he apologizes." News about Robertson’s remark broke late Thursday...

Pat Robertson Addresses Reaction To His Comments (A Load Of Crap)Posted by bulldogpundit on Friday, 06 January 2006 (14:16:51) EST Through a spokesman, Pat Robertson responded to criticism of the idiotic comments he made yesterday. Here's the statement. Quote: January 5, 2006—Pat Robertson expresses his deep sadness over Ariel Sharon’s life threatening stroke and concern for Israel’s future security. On The 700 Club broadcast this morning Robertson said he has met with Sharon at significant times and considers him a friend. Robertson, an ordained minister and bible teacher, has been a life long supporter of Israel and has continually...

NORFOLK, Va. - Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land." "God considers this land to be his," Robertson said on his TV program "The 700 Club." "You read the Bible and he says `This is my land,' and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, `No, this is mine.'" Sharon, who ordered Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last year, suffered a severe stroke on Wednesday. In Robertson's broadcast from his Christian Broadcasting Network in...

The Reverend Pat Robertson says Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke could be God's punishment for giving up Israeli territory. The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network told viewers of "The 700 Club" that Sharon was "dividing God's land," even though the Bible says doing so invites "God's enmity." Robertson added, "I would say woe to any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course." He noted that former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. Robertson said God's message is, "This land belongs to me. You'd better leave it alone."

The Rev. Pat Robertson said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being punished by God for dividing the Land of Israel. Robertson, speaking on the “700 Club” on Thursday, suggested Sharon, who is currently in an induced coma, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by an Israeli extremist in 1995, were being treated with enmity by God for dividing Israel. “He was dividing God’s land,” Robertson said. “And I would say, Woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the E.U., the United Nations or the United States of America. God says,...