Thou shalt not kill... ...unless it's convenient

Pat Robertson calls for Chavez's assassination

Religous leader and prominent conservative Pat Robertson firmly planted his foot in his mouth yesterday by advocating the assasination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

On Monday, Robertson said on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club": "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

Granted, Chavez isn't one of the nicest guys alive, but he was democratically elected (twice), and stands to win again in the next election. The most recent election was validated with two independent audits. While we may not agree with his politics, we have no right to attempt to assasinate him in order to maintain our supply of oil.

'Cause that's what Robertson's comments are about. He could care less if Chavez burns his country to the ground, but when Chavez' regime threatened to find other buyers for his oil because he doesn't agree with Bush's policy of 'slash and burn anyone who doesn't hold our views', the venom begins to seethe from the fangs.

Never mind how the rest of the world sees us. We don't care anyway. As far as we're concerned, the rest of the world can take a flying leap, because they don't have our "Christian Values", i.e. the God Given right to take anything we want because we're good, God-fearing rich white males and all good things are guaranteed to us in the Bible.

Of course, where the Bible tells us that is as obscure as the part of the Quran that guarantees paradise and virgins to suicide bombers.

Because that's what this is. A terrorist threat. If a Muslim extremist called for assasination of our president, wouldn't we treat it as such? So when a supposedly Christian extremist calls for assasination of a democratically elected president of another country (apparently one of our friends, since we're buying oil from them), wouldn't the same conditions apply?

Of course this is nothing new for Robertson who, after a failed presidential campaign in 1988, founded the Christian Coalition and subsequently suggested nuking the State Department.

It wouldn't be so bad if he was an obscure lunatic spouting his vehemence to the unwashed masses. But he exposes a nationwide audience on "The 700 Club", who tune in for supposedly spiritual guidance in an uncertain world. And therein lies the danger. Middle America, looking for an alternative to typical mainstream media, are mesmerized by his preaching, and are easily swayed into believing what he has to say.

Christianity in its true form is about love, and tolerance. About alleviating suffering, and helping others in need. Not about hate, or greed, or self aggrandization.

Robertson's tirade isn't about creation science or helping the poor and hungry. It's about promoting murder. And that is decidedly against Christian principles.

I hope his audience can see that. The rest of the world does.