The marriage vows may say “for better or for worse” and “in sickness and in health,” but Rev. Pat Robertson told his “700 Club” viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s is just fine. Robertson says that the vows say “until death do us part” and Alzheimer’s should be viewed as a type of death.
Robertson was asked on this television program for advice for a friend whose wife has started suffering from Alzheimer’s and has started to see another woman. Robertson responded “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.”
When he was reminded of that vows concerning “for better or for worse” and “until death do us part,” Robertson explained “If you respect that vow, you say ’til death do us part.’ This is a kind of death.”
I have always been fascinating by these programs with Muslim or Jewish or Christian figures dispensing advise to the faithful. No one ever asks, “are you just making this stuff up as you go along?” This seems a pretty massive change in the plain meaning of those vows. I hate to lawyer the language, but what is the basis for this new interpretation that the term “death” extends beyond the obvious meaning of the end of life and can include constructive death. It brings a new meaning to the phrase “you are dead to me.”
Source: Yahoo
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I am not sure if Pat, Rick, and others are alien life forms but they do enhance a theory of a parallel universe.
My older sister has Alzheimer’s/Dementia. She had acted strangely for a few years before she was officially diagnosed, but once it was confirmed, her husband of 50 years immediately moved her into their daughter’s home because “he couldn’t deal with it.” He hasn’t seen her since.
My heart breaks every day over this. Pat Robertson is a horrid person who seeks financial gain above all.
“we as progressives are having our poutrage with Pat because what he said is hypocritical, not because we ourselves, as self-identified, smug progressives actually believe in till death do us part.”
Anon,
Actually the statistics don’t bear that out since the blue State divorce rate is lower.
Mike, I recognize that that is true, but that doesn’t mean that we still don’t give and get lots of advice from so called progressives that it’s okay to divorce for almost no reason. It’s almost a known film genre. It’s what various advice columnists from Salon and elsewhere give out. It’s a feminist meme.
Dump the old bastard.
What’s different here is that it’s a woman with Alzheimer’s so we are all much more sympathetic.
You have got to be kidding me. Robertson must have blacked out the part of his bible that says a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave His life for it (Eph 5:25). Wonder if Jesus would kick Pat to the curb because he contracted Alzheimers then negate his salvation because Pat forgot he was a child of God? Never.
“we as progressives are having our poutrage with Pat because what he said is hypocritical, not because we ourselves, as self-identified, smug progressives actually believe in till death do us part.”
Anon,
Actually the statistics don’t bear that out since the blue State divorce rate is lower. The simple truth is the greater the public piety, the greater the hypocrite. This has been true for many thousands of years. Robertson is and always has been a self-serving charlatan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/opinion/10douthat.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126653602
Has anybody checked on the health status of his wife?
Is another kind of death when a couple stops loving each other?
How about in a permanet vegetave state? (Terri Schivo).
How about when you meet a hot babe?
Remember when Roberston claimed after a destructive earthquake hit Haiti that the country had once made a pact with the devil?
eniobob,
well said
eniobob,
you are correct. This guy is a boil on the butt of the planet.
When people clapped at the Tea Party Debate saying it was okay to allow some one to die,who was unable to afford medical care.
When Perry was applauded at the debate at the Reagan Library for being the Execution governor.
Now this.
The Kool Aid is no longer being drank,its being injected.
“Pat Robertson told his “700 Club” viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s is just fine.”
““are you just making this stuff up as you go along?””
It definitely sounded like he was just making it up as he went along. It didn’t sound like he said it was just fine.
But let’s face it, we as progressives are having our poutrage with Pat because what he said is hypocritical, not because we ourselves, as self-identified, smug progressives actually believe in till death do us part. Everyday we get and give lots of advice to couples to divorce and not to stick it out, and not because of violence, but because of various degrees of unhappiness.
Anyway, assuming it embeds properly:
It’s Pat
Catullus – that was my first thought.
Spincitysd – why insult vicious little trolls?
WIth Pat is all about what is best for Pat. There has never been a move during his public life that was not designed to make more money or bring more attention to Pat. He follows the first commandment religiously but instead of the Christian God Pat has put himself.
Maybe Gladys has Alzheimer’s…
What did he say…You have to be kidding me…Right….is he setting up the pathway to try and get Newt forgiveness…..Hmmm..
Sometimes the Alzheimer’s patient strikes up a romance with another patient in the Alzheimer’s facility as in the case of Sandra Day O’Connor’s husband. He had no memory of Sandra Day O’Connor. She did not divorce him, and he died a couple years later.
Sweet Baby Jesus on a pogo stick, as a manner of speaking, what a vicious little troll Robertson is.
Those compassionate conservative Christians.
It’s funny how very often they act like none of the above adjectives.