Pat Robertson is one of America’s most famous “pastors” who is known for his “prophetic” statements and his support of the particular combination of Christianity and American nationalism.
In a recent statement, Robertson said that Alabama’s abortion law is “too strict”:
Televangelist Pat Robertson, who is opposed to abortion, criticized an anti-abortion bill passed by the Alabama legislature Tuesday as “extreme.”
“I think Alabama has gone too far,” he said during a Wednesday appearance on “The 700 Club”, referencing the bill’s 99-year maximum sentence for doctors who perform abortions and the fact that it does not provide exceptions for rape or incest cases.
He added that he does not think the bill would be upheld by the Supreme Court.
“It’s an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe vs. Wade, but my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose,” he said.
“The Alabama case, God bless them, they’re trying to do something, but I don’t think that’s the case that I’d want to bring to the Supreme Court,” he later reiterated.
Alabama’s state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban almost all abortions, sending the bill to the governor’s desk. Gov. Kay Ivey’s (R) has not said whether she would sign the bill into law.
If it is passed, the legislation would prohibit abortion in all cases, including rape and incest, except for when the mother’s life was in danger. People who perform abortions would face sentences from 10 to 99 year, but the person receiving the abortion would not be punished.
Lawmakers tabled the legislation last week after a shouting match erupted when lawmakers decided not to include an exception for rape and incest cases. (source, source)
Now clearly Pat Robertson does not say he wants to support murdering babies. However, it is not the words that he uses, but the illustration of the hypocrisy of many in the “pro-life” movement.
The infamous excuse of “rape and incest”, which constitute a super-minority of cases, is used as an excuse to justify loopholes in support of abortion.
But even if there was a case of rape or incest, does that justify murdering an innocent human being?
The Bible makes clear that the “willful murder of the innocent” is a sin that “cries to Heaven for vengeance.” It is, speaking as per the words of Sacred Scripture, on the same level of wickedness as sodomy and usury.
Rape and incest are tragedies. However, it is a double tragedy when murdering innocent people is added to it. The child does not have the choice to exist, and while a person can say “It’s my body,” the child is his own body, and one cannot simply murder him for the sake of one’s personal convenience.
Some might say that it is “unmerciful” to “force” a woman to let the child live. One should be reminded that “mercy killing” is a popular euphemism for eugenics. There is nothing “merciful” about murdering the innocent, especially for one’s own convenience.
Some might say that the children born from such a union would be “unwanted.” Not liking somebody is never an excuse for murder, and is the publicly declared or silent manifesto of every eugenicist who has ever lived.
There is a reason for keeping the ban on “rape and incest” cases, because not only are they so low and just excuses to attempt to circumvent the law, but because all abortion is evil.
Some might say that Pat Robertson is trying to be “strategic.” However, he is a major television personality with considerable influence still in “conservative Christian” subcultures. His influence and words matter, and people listen to what he has to say. He has a responsibility to speak accurately and clearly.
What the famous televangelist is saying, whether he intends to or not, is that abortion is OK under certain circumstances that are popularly referred to within American society. It is not Christian, but a social and pagan ethos that is completely devoid of Christianity.
Submitting to evil demands when one is in a position of power is not a strategy at all, but submitting to evil using the claim of “strategy” as a poorly-designed excuse. Evil is always evil and must be called out for it being so and regardless of the situation.
There is nothing in this law that is critique-worthy given the particular context and efforts placed into it.
So what if the “Supreme Court” rejects the law? That does not fall back on the state of Alabama or her people, but on the Court and those throughout the nation who want to keep this particular form of euthanasia alive. They are the ones to be blamed, not the states.
There is nothing that the state has to lose here, and only has the possibility to gain much.
God makes clear in the Bible that His favor rests upon those who love Him and keep His commandments. As Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Since Jesus is God, the four sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance are condemned by Christ, and he who insists upon defending and asserting them and does not choose to repent will have to answer for this at the Final Judgement.
It’s not a small matter. It is one of crucial importance to a man’s soul.
Many times, I have written about judgement coming to America because of her embrace of these four sins. This is not a particular criticism of the US, but an observation of all Christian history, beginning with the Israelites and continuing to modern times. As St. Mary famously said in her fiat:
His mercy is on those who fear Him, in every generation (Luke 1:50)
Remember the story of the sinful woman and the perfume bottle:
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:6-13)
Love, as demonstrated through word and action, covers a multitude of sins. Christ came to forgive sins, even heinous ones, for those who want to be forgiven and make proper corrective actions to their lives.
The anti-abortion bills currently, while as I have noted may give rise to a new form of eugenics and cause other problems, are for many people genuine attempts to address a real evil and do something about it. This must be commended.
If his comments are not proof enough to question the “Christianity” of Pat Robertson, what further evidence would one need to provide in order to do this?