Pharyngula

Pat Robertson hasn’t said anything about the Chilean earthquake

Posted by PZ Myers on February 28, 2010
(40)
More »

There was a natural disaster somewhere, so I opened my mailbox to find lots of links to Pat Robertson saying stupid things about the Chilean earthquake, like this one and this one and this one and this one.

Sorry, gang, I don’t believe it. Not only do I expect that nowadays, when his staff at the radio and television stations hear about a disaster, the first thought in their heads is how to stifle Pat, but some of those accounts are clearly satire, and they all say something different. It’s become the obvious expectation that Robertson will blame something stupid for natural events, and everyone is jumping the gun. Write to me when you’ve got video straight from the 700 Club, and not before.

(40)
More »

Comments

  1. #1 Bill
    February 28, 2010

    More troubling than Pat Robertson is huffingtonpost.com headline:
    “Only spirituality can solve the problems of the world”…sigh

  2. #2 Q.E.D
    February 28, 2010

    It’s all going to be ok folks, Ratzinger is praying to the sky god for relief for the Chilean victims of the earthquake.

    “I pray for the victims, and I am spiritually close to those so tried by such a grave calamity,” he said. “For those, I implore God to give them relief from suffering and courage in this adversity.”

    Nothing fails as predictably and consistently as prayer.

  3. #3 Nerd of Redhead, OM
    February 28, 2010

    Nothing fails as predictably and consistently as prayer.

    But it’s so cheap and easy to do. :)

  4. #4 Zeno
    February 28, 2010

    Smiling Pat has yet to retire, but Dour Dobson has stepped down from Focus on the Family. And D. James Kennedy is “with Jesus.” We can’t, however, expect much relief from the god-botherers. The new generation (Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, etc.) is on the job and exhorting us to prayer (and don’t forget to send money!).

    The prayer is okay. I endorse prayer for all believers. When they’re on their knees, at least they’re not doing something else.

  5. #5 MikeMa
    February 28, 2010

    Don’t know Zeno. Ted Haggard got into a LOT of trouble on his knees.

  6. #6 Thorne
    February 28, 2010

    When they’re on their knees, at least they’re not doing something else.

    Isn’t that the excuse the priests use?

  7. #7 Lyr
    February 28, 2010

    Think positive — maybe Pat understands now that it’s tectonic plates that cause earthquakes, and not pacts with the devil!

  8. #8 onethird-man
    February 28, 2010

    @MikeMa
    Don’t you know? If it’s being done to you, it’s Not Gay®

  9. #9 Ray Moscow
    February 28, 2010

    I expected Robertson to blame the earthquake on Chile’s pact with Nixon.

  10. #10 Sili
    February 28, 2010

    Nah. I expect he’s just doing proper research this time to make sure he doesn’t blame it on the wrong Napoleon.

  11. #11 Goheels
    February 28, 2010

    Write to me when you’ve got video straight from the 700 Club, and not before.

    There’s no way in hell I’m watching the 700 Club!

  12. #12 mulder
    February 28, 2010

    been waiting for some evangelizing jackarse to blame…um, catholicism? voodoo? the absence of glow in the dark jesus factories? for chile. it’s been more than 24 hours now and haven’t heard a peep; which of course, leads me to conclude that the whole thing is a conspiratorial lie and that no such quake has ever happened.

  13. #13 F
    February 28, 2010

    …earthquake off the coast of Chile yesterday was the result of the nations pact with the Chupacabra…

    CABRAS EN EL FUEGO!

  14. #14 mulder
    February 28, 2010

    sorry, you’re too late F…it’s a very nice try, but this clearly must be filed under conspiracy now.

  15. #15 DavidCT
    February 28, 2010

    I’m surprised that Old Pat did not say something about the moral decadence of a country that elected a woman as president who has two illegitimate children. l don’t suppose many Chileans give a damn about Pat’s opinions. Since the CIA stopped killing their elected officials and installing dictators, Chile has made some real progress. In some ways they make us look like country bumpkins.

    I was sorry to hear of the devastation caused such a massive earthquake. I will be curious to see how the Chileans look after their people compared to to how “W” looked after New Orleans.

  16. #16 Becky
    February 28, 2010

    The reason Pat Robertson hasn’t said anything about the earthquake in Chile is because he does not know Chile is a county not a vegetable.

  17. #17 Romeo Vitelli
    February 28, 2010

    I have this wishful fantasy that Pat’s handlers have him locked up somewhere in a straitjacket and a Hannibal Lecter mask over his mouth to prevent any further gaffes. If only.

  18. #18 F
    February 28, 2010

    A conspiracy to deny the goatsuckers. They don’t go for barbecue.

  19. #19 Andreas Johansson
    February 28, 2010

    700 Club? Is that anything like the Mile High Club?

  20. #20 summitwulf
    February 28, 2010

    @Zeno (#4):

    ‘but Dour Dobson has stepped down from Focus On Your Own Damned Family‘ =)

    It really annoys me that evangelical Christians seem to feel that they ‘own’ the concept of ‘family’. From what I can see, Christian families fare no better or worse than all others; I encourage Dobson and others similarly engaged to shove their interfering busybody ‘family’ meddling where the sun don’t shine.

  21. #21 Goheels
    February 28, 2010

    700 Club? Is that anything like the Mile High Club?

    Its roughly the polar opposite.

  22. #22 hyoid
    February 28, 2010

    I’m a member of the Mile High Club; in the Solo Division.

  23. #23 curiousphilomath
    February 28, 2010

    A heathen explains why God would be mad at Chile, despite not having made a ‘pact with the devil’:

    http://heathensguide.com/02/28/earthquake-in-chile-gods-wrath/

  24. #24 lordshipmayhem
    February 28, 2010

    Maybe Pat thinks the earthquake was caused by too much chili, and hasn’t connected the seismic event to the nation of Chile.

  25. #25 Pikemann Urge
    February 28, 2010

    Q.E.D. #2:

    Ratzinger is praying to the sky god

    You mean the cosmic God. There’s a difference, you know. What do you think he is, a pagan?

    ;-)

  26. #26 jcmartz.myopenid.com
    February 28, 2010

    Pat Robertson hasn’t said anything about the Chilean earthquake

    That’s because Chileans are not black.

  27. #27 natural cynic
    February 28, 2010

    According to Wikipedia, Chile is ~70% Catholic, ~15% Protestant and ~8% athiest or no religion, while Haiti is ~80% Catholic, ~16% Protestant and 4% other or none. Between 1/2 abd 2/3 of the population also practice vodou. So why did Chile get hit with a much more massive earthquake, but sustained much less damage and death? And I suppose that only the Protestants in each country didn’t sustain any of the tragedies the rest of the populations suffered.

  28. #28 arensb
    February 28, 2010

    Dammit, PZ! You’re supposed to accept uncritically anything that supports your position!

    If everyone went around questioning their assumptions, where would we be?

  29. #29 'Tis Himself, OM
    February 28, 2010

    Sorry, gang, I don’t believe it.

    I don’t believe any of the linked stuff attributed to Robertson either. However the guy has said so much obvious bullshit about so many other things that it’s not unreasonable to believe he said some of the things he’s accused to saying.

  30. #30 https://me.yahoo.com/a/KRWlbe8TxPfVNoY1Xa3F353pPiifzT2F#298f0
    February 28, 2010

    It matters not that Pat Robertson has, or has not said the things attributed to him.
    Let’s just enjopy being uncritical for once and blame him for all of it!
    The guy is a loudmouth wanker with a penchant for godness….he deserves it.

  31. #31 Aquaria
    February 28, 2010

    We could hope that the verminous little prick has learned his lesson. Or we could hope that he’s on a bender and hasn’t woken up yet.

    If the latter, I can only hope that one of the hookers is taking pictures.

  32. #32 Ichthyic
    February 28, 2010

    700 Club? Is that anything like the Mile High Club?

    http://www.cbn.com/700club/

  33. #33 AJ Milne
    March 1, 2010

    Well, me, I’m worried about the old guy.

    I mean, seriously, what? We haven’t got video of him shooting his slack jaw off ’bout this yet? It’s been three whole days?

    He can’t be well. Best wishes to the ole’ asswipe’s family, ‘n all…

    (/And do let’s hope Hitch is ready with an appropriate eulogy.)

  34. #34 Divergence of B
    March 1, 2010

    Personally, I think the pact with a chupacabra is awesome. Still, if I was placing bets on what Pat will say about this latest disaster, I would guess it would be something last-days-ish. I mean it would probably be something like “Look at the sudden rise in ‘natural’ disasters. Zod is is clearly trying to send us a message. The day of judgment is at hand. If you don’t have your lube, …” Huh, that went somewhere odd.

  35. #35 Janine, Mistress Of Foul Mouth Abuse, OM
    March 1, 2010

    Louis Farrakhan has spoken up on the subject.

    “It’s not an accident that a great earthquake took place in Chile,” Farrakhan, 76, said an hour into his three-hour address. “It [precipitated] what I have to tell you today of what’s coming to America. You will not escape.”

  36. #36 Joffan
    March 1, 2010

    Goheels @11

    There’s no way in hell I’m watching the 700 Club!

    Actually that’s all they show Down There.

    hyoid @22: the winnah.

  37. #37 https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkUB28bXzFw6VuiFKJ-28L5BI6ilagh9cA
    March 1, 2010

    Robertson hasn’t, but Louis Farrakhan has.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/religion/ct-met-savioursday-20100301,0,5100454.story

  38. #38 IanM
    March 1, 2010

    Pat Robertson hasn’t sunk his fangs into the latest natural disaster? Truly we live in a age of miracles and wonder.

  39. #39 jesusfetusfajitafishsticks
    March 2, 2010

    Thanks PZ! A couple friends have posted the “story” without question. It would make sense that Robertson would spew nonsense like this so I can see how the satire was easily misunderstood.

    -Jfff
    http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/reznor1985/ironkidd.png

  40. #40 jesusfetusfajitafishsticks
    March 2, 2010

    Sorry about the link it’s been a rough morning… er day.

    http://jesusfetusfajitafishsticks.blogspot.com