Baptist minister and broadcaster Pat Robertson (1930–2023) had outspoken opinions on religion, politics, and other subjects. Many of his statements have stirred controversy and several have been headline news in the United States and elsewhere. Robertson made many of these comments on his daily talk show, The 700 Club.
Religiocentrism
Calling non-Christians "termites" In an August 1986 New York magazine article Robertson was quoted as saying: "It is interesting, that termites don't build things, and the great builders of our nation almost to a man have been Christians, because Christians have the desire to build something. He is motivated by love of man and God, so he builds. The people who have come into [our] institutions [today] are primarily termites. They are into destroying institutions that have been built by Christians, whether it is universities, governments, our own traditions, that we have[...] The termites are in charge now, and that is not the way it ought to be, and the time has arrived for a godly fumigation."
Comments about other Christian denominations On January 14, 1991, on The 700 Club, Pat Robertson attacked a number of Protestant denominations when he declared: "You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist.".
Comments about Islam Robertson frequently denounced the religion of Islam and Muslim people. During a 1995 taping of The 700 Club, he called the religion a "Christian heresy". During a September 19, 2002, episode of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, Robertson claimed that the Muslim prophet Muhammad was "an absolute wild-eyed fanatic[...] a robber and a brigand." On the July 14, 2005, broadcast of The 700 Club, he claimed that "Islam, at its core, teaches violence."The 700 Club, July 14, 2005
On the March 13, 2006, broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson stated that Muslims want global domination and that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoon drawings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad "just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power. It is Satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with." He finished by stating "by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace." The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, slammed Robertson's comments as "grossly irresponsible". Lynn went on to say, "At a time when inter-religious tensions around the world are at an all-time high, Robertson seems determined to throw gasoline on the fire."
On the September 25, 2006, broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson stated "It's amazing how the Muslims deal with history and the truth with violence. They don't understand what reasoned dialogue is."The 700 Club, September 25, 2006.
On the November 9, 2009, edition of The 700 Club Robertson stated "Islam is a violent – I was going to say, 'religion', but it's not a religion; it's a political system. It's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world, and world domination. That is the ultimate aim. And they talk about infidels and all this, but the truth is that's what the game is. So, you're dealing with a – not a religion – you're dealing with a political system. And I think we should treat it as such, and treat its adherents as such, as we would members of the Communist Party, or members of some fascist group."
In 2015, Robertson called Islam a "political system intent on world domination" and stated that it is not a religion.
Comments about Hinduism On March 23, 1995, Pat Robertson led a television program in which he attacked Hinduism, calling it "demonic". He said that they worship "idols" and "hundreds of millions of deities", which "has put a nation in bondage to spiritual forces that have deceived many for thousands of years". He spoke against the doctrines of karma and reincarnation.
These and other remarks have been repudiated by some Hindus. Dr. Kusumita Pedersen, Director for the Project on Human Rights and Religion, commented that Robertson had employed "almost every negative image and cliché that has been used about Hinduism since the 18th century".
In his book The New World Order, Robertson wrote: "When I said during my presidential bid that I would bring only Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. 'What do you mean?' the media challenged me. 'You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe in Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, 'Yes, they are.'"
David Cantor, Senior Research Analyst of the Anti-Defamation League, points out that such "religious tests for office are unconstitutional. It's not just a purely a religious statement. It's a political statement."
Comments about Buddhism
In 2015, a woman called into Pat Robertson's televangelist channel complaining that her workplace is predominantly Buddhist, and she was agitated about it. She asked Robertson for advice on how to handle the situation. He responded by drawing an analogy of Buddhism to medical disease, asserting that mild exposure to the disease would not result in infection, but that more extensive exposure will result in infection. He then concluded that she ought to remove herself from the job to prevent more exposure to Buddhism.Bodhipaksa. (2015, March 10). Pat Robertson on Buddhism as a "disease" Wildmind.
Allegations of antisemitism Robertson's 1991 book The New World Order made the news in 1995 when it was reviewed by Michael Lind in The New York Review of Books, which stated, "Not since Father Coughlin or Henry Ford has a prominent white American so boldly and unapologetically blamed the disasters of modern world history on the machinations of international high finance in general and on a few influential Jews in particular." The Christian Century stated that "Lind and Heilbrun show how Robertson took over—in some cases word for word—well-worn theories of a Jewish conspiracy. In particular, Robertson relied on the work of Nesta Webster and Eustace Mullins." Christianity Today argued, "certainly all evidence suggests that he is anything but antisemitic. (Some of the sources Robertson drew on do appear to be at least covertly so.)" The Anti-Defamation League asked Robertson to denounce the concept of a "worldwide Jewish conspiracy", to which Robertson responded in a statement to the New York Times, "I deeply regret that anyone in the Jewish community believes that my description of international bankers and use of the phrase 'European bankers' in my book refers to Jews". In a private instance in 1980, Robertson reportedly referred to Jews as "spiritually blind and spiritually deaf".
Predictions Several times near New Year, Robertson made statements purporting that God told him several truths or events that would happen in the following year. "I have a relatively good track record," he said. "Sometimes I miss."
1982: Judgment Robertson regularly expressed his opinions and made statements about the potential for uprisings, turmoil, violence, and times of judgement or God's wrath. In late 1976, Robertson predicted that the end of the world was coming in October or November 1982. In the May 19, 1982, broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson stated, "I guarantee you by the fall of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world."
In September 2011, Robertson and several others who incorrectly predicted various dates for the end of the world were jointly awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for "teaching the world to be careful when making mathematical assumptions and calculations".
2004: Presidential election In January 2004, Robertson said that God told him President Bush would be re-elected in a "blowout" in the election later that year. "I think George Bush is going to win in a walk", Robertson told viewers of his The 700 Club program. "I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. It's shaping up that way." Bush did in fact win re-election, however, not by a landslide (just 35 electoral votes and 50.7% pop. vote).
2006: Pacific Northwestern tsunami In May 2006, Robertson declared that storms and possibly a tsunami would hit America's coastline sometime in 2006. Robertson supposedly received this revelation from God during an annual personal prayer retreat in January. The claim was repeated four times on The 700 Club.
On May 8, 2006, Robertson said, "If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms." On May 17, 2006, he elaborated, "There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest.""God is warning of big storms, Robertson says" , May 19, 2006, The Associated Press. On November 15, 2006, a tsunami did in fact strike Crescent City, California, causing an estimated $700,000 in damages.TSUNAMI STRIKES CRESCENT CITY / 5- to 6-foot surges wreck docks, sink boat hours after 8.1 earthquake hits near Japan at SFGATE; by Glan Martin, published November 16, 2006; retrieved May 4, 2022
2007: Terror attack On the January 2, 2007, broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said that God spoke to him and told him that "mass killings" were to come during 2007, due to a terrorist attack on the United States. He added, "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.""Pat Robertson warns of terrorist attack in 2007", January 2, 2007, NBC News. When a terrorist attack failed to happen in 2007, Robertson said, in January 2008, "All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us."
2008: Mideast meltdown In October 2008, Robertson posted a press release on the Georgian conflict speculating that the conflict was a Russian ploy to enter the Middle East, and that instability caused by a predicted pre-emptive strike by Israel on Iran would result in Syria's and Iran's launching nuclear strikes on other targets. He also said that if the United States were to oppose Russia's expansion, nuclear strikes on American soil are also pending. "We will suffer grave economic damage, but will not engage in military action to stop the conflict. However, we may not be spared nuclear strikes against coastal cities. In conclusion, it is my opinion that we have between 75 and 120 days before the Middle East starts spinning out of control."
2009: Economic chaos and recovery On the January 1, 2009, broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said, "If I'm hearing [God] right, gold will go to about $1900 an ounce and oil to $300 a barrel." He also suggested that Americans would broadly accept socialism. Despite these predictions, he also said that economically "things are getting ready to turn around".
2012: Presidential election On January 4, 2012, Robertson reported that God had spoken to him and he "thinks He showed me the next president" but would not name who it was. He did give an indication that it would not be President Obama since Robertson said God told him Obama's views were at "odds with the majority", but left some room for interpretation had the 2012 election expanded beyond a two-person race. Closer to the election, however, he expressly stated that God had told him that Mitt Romney would win and would be a two-term President. Obama was reelected for a second term.
2020: Presidential election and asteroid strike