Pat Robertson remains something of an enigma. Just when you dismiss him as a religious wing nut who says that God gives him tips of who will win elections; atheists want people to be miserable; and causes earthquakes to punish Haitians as Devil worshippers. Then Robertson turns around and calls for the legalization of marijuana and now called for evangelists to stop suggesting that the Earth is only 6000 years old when every scientific fact points to the contrary. I wish he would just pick one side of the sanity/insanity line and stick with it because this is getting confusing.
Robertson finally uttered the truth about a ludicrous calculation made in 1650 by the Archbishop of Ireland James Ussher when he estimated that the Earth was created on Oct. 23, 4004 B.C. Yet, forty six percent of pastors insist the Earth is 6000 years old. American politicians like Sarah Palin and others (here) also still proclaim faith in the young age of the Earth as biblically correct even if it is scientifically nonsensical.
Robertson’s surprising comments came on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “700 Club.” A viewer wrote into the show to express her “biggest fear is to not have my children and husband next to me in God’s Kingdom because they question why the Bible could not explain the existence of dinosaurs.” In response, Robertson said:
Look, I know that people will probably try to lynch me when I say this, but Bishop [James] Ussher wasn’t inspired by the Lord when he said that it all took 6,000 years. It just didn’t. You go back in time, you’ve got radiocarbon dating. You got all these things and you’ve got the carcasses of dinosaurs frozen in time out in the Dakotas.
They’re out there. So, there was a time when these giant reptiles were on the Earth and it was before the time of the Bible. So, don’t try and cover it up and make like everything was 6,000 years. That’s not the Bible. . . . If you fight science, you’re going to lose your children, and I believe in telling it the way it was.”
It is an interesting contrast to so many politicians. In the GOP primary, Huntsman was a refreshing contrast in challenging the party to stop denying science. Had the GOP embraced Huntsman, I am convinced it would have secured the White House. Instead, his candidacy died out with little support as science-denying candidates prevailed in race after race.
This announcement follows an admission from Robertson that he misheard God’s tip on who would win the presidential election. Earlier he told viewers that God told him the name of the ultimate victor. After the election, Robertson explained that he “missed” the message. He explained “I sure did miss it, I thought I heard from God, I thought I had heard clearly from God, what happened? What intervenes? Why? You ask God, how did I miss it? Well, we all do and I’ve had a lot of practice.”
It is part of the yin and yang of Pat Robertson. One moment is he clear and cogent and the next he will channelling bizarre messages from the Almighty.
Source: Huff Post
How cool was that? Eddington with Hyades proved the old boy right and like a rounded earth, science shook. Still shakes.
And a thousand years is as a day…
I used to watch the 700 Club just for the comedy. Nah, that’s just a punch line for trying to understand how others think, though I did feel like I was watching a parody. I read a lot of Communist literature and histories for the same reason. Try to explain a locker full of books on Communism, including “Lenin on Art and Literature” when you’re in the military in WEPS during the Cold War. I think it slowed my second security clearance down just a bit.
The old main-line Protestant churches, as well some of the oldest post-Protestant, were losing members over their liberalization of Biblical interpretation. These post-Protestant fundamentalist groups suffer the same problem, not for liberalizing, but because their fundamentalism was creaking by so much science contradicting Genesis.
Robertson is the gift that keeps on giving.
when pat robertson becomes the sane voice in the room you might want to ask the nice people in the white coats if they can increase your dosage.
Blind Faithiness,
Are you an enthusiast of cosmology? I am.
Many hairy black holes for you for Christmas. Hang them on your tree if you can.
When I come across his channel I dont stay for more than a few seconds. I just assumed he was some eighth generation Scot living in the hills somewhere around Montauk who never read nuthin but the bible and really knew nuttin bouth birthin babies. Now I hear that he went to Yale Law School and that he believes in a longer history of the Earth. He was saying he went to Yale and I thought he said Jail. So, went I spin the channels I will give him more time next time if there is one. Life is short.
Jill
You may be able to get some ideas from the recent PBS NOVA series “The Fabric of the Universe.” It is very current and does a good job of explaining how expansion unfolded, possible multiverse, dark energy, etc. Its four 1 hour parts. Just a thought.
This is part four, “Universe or Multiverse?”: http://video.pbs.org/video/2168433605
The other parts are “What is space?”(deals with Newtonian physics, “The Illusion of Time”(introduces Einstein, space-time, and relativity), and the 3rd is about quantum mechanics like entanglement and multiple dimensions.
How to get kids excited and engaged in cosmological science is tough, but if they get the desire to investigate the science they may realize we are living in one of the most exciting eras of scientific discovery thus far. The numbers involved(heat, density, expansion rates) are one of the turn offs for the young, I think. Wish I could try to help more. What age of student are you teaching?
Wondering about the universe is not something these con men Christianists are interested in. Not at all, they already know all the answers.
The ‘Bible’ tell them what to think, and that little voice in their head tells them how to manipulate those stories. For maximum profits.
Even Einstein could not move them unless money was involved.
Gee, Malisha, was your ex did what Greenspan thought was impossible for banksters. Greed over saving anything from complete destruction.
nuick spinelli:
“Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
no, it is broken.
Einstein was on to something. Shook up the world. Turned time inside out and proved size doesn’t matter. Just approach C squared and suddenly nothing is as it once seemed to be.
I have been busy casting a mid-size thermonuclear reactor between NGC 2770 and NGC 3314. My arm got sore so I had some time to kick back watch you all here.
Does anyone know how I can do a better job teaching the basics on how to make something from nothing? My students complain I’m boring.
The Story of Creation
This is all self interest on Robertsons part the quote “If you fight science, you’re going to lose your children, and I believe in telling it the way it was.”
Well yes, and it’s logical to be self-interested in that way. In 2007 my ex-husband did something very wrongful and unlawful and my son said to him, “if you do that, you’re going to lose your son.” The guy couldn’t help himself and the natural consequence naturally occurred. But I saw that it was his (the father’s) own psychotic behavior that ended up depriving him of a relationship with his only son. He COULD NOT change; he COULD NOT give up the hope and illusion of control; he COULD NOT stop his obsessive and damaging behavior. If he had been able to, his motivation would have been self-interest. But that’s not all bad. Self-interest is good if it can make people understand that there doesn’t ALWAYS have to be a “lose-lose” in place.
Robertson sees, accurately, that he can’t maintain control of young minds by backing such absurdity that NOBODY listens to him any more. He’s playing the long game, and not the short one. Smarter than a rock.
His religion may not die out as completely as the dinosaurs.
Mespoo
There you are doing the same mistake again. GeneH should bite you hard.
If Abe likes people who progress, etc.
That is not what it is…Abe said that he DISLIKED those who could not grow. He did NOY say that he liked ALL who could grow.
Were you serious? You must have been kidding and I, as usual, went for it. LOL.
“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
~Abraham Lincoln
Does this mean Honest Abe finally after all this time likes ol’ Reverend Pat now?
This is all self interest on Robertsons part the quote “If you fight science, you’re going to lose your children, and I believe in telling it the way it was.”
This is the ‘tell’ to the real issue, to see his religious organization keep herding in followers. He knows future generations would have to be almost completely isolated -and some are during this social phenomenon of home schooling.
He already has the home schoolers, but it is not enough so he has to adjust his doctrine to keep the money flowing into his coffers.
Swarthmore mom
1, November 30, 2012 at 11:18 am
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/39052_Jon_Huntsman-_Maybe_Not_Anti-Science_But_Definitely_Anti-Womens_Rights
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Hasn’t that been a permanent plank of the Republicans, after fiscal conservatism. How could Roe vs Wade happen, they have wailed for years. And Malisha awakened me to what they did for revenge on mothers who want child custody.
The only difference between a Republican and a caveman is that the Republican carries a Bible too.
re the awakened right…..
The pitter-patter of small propaganda drops will soon lull them back to a coma, holding an elephant sign in one raised hand.
pat said that who would put a nail in good door of a church in “88”.
the correct prophetic answer is. all theologians that use that house of GOD to speak against GOD. the lynching would then be put in t he hands of the true believers in GOD not JESUS like the antichrist want you to believe.
since THE BIBLE _ _ _ _ that theology would be turned to science, and that theologians will all be killed for speaking against GOD. it is a clear understanding of who is lying. and the who was as far as I got on the on the mother brothers, and the 12:10 p on huntsmen…
also that mitt romney was to also have killed himself. romney is a cleric.
these acts would have closed all religious institutions instantly. instead they are corrupting all nations. let man of any clothe deny this and you have false teachings about the cross being vindicated.
so lynch pat, I don’t give a shit. pat spoke against GOD publicly and can not be denied, because pats selling GOD.
PROPHECY says, that I will take the heads of the beast that has many heads. so send it to the FBI.
“Robertson finally uttered the truth about a ludicrous calculation made in 1650 by the Archbishop of Ireland James Ussher when he estimated that the Earth was created on Oct. 23, 4004 B.C.”
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Well there’s another one for Satan. Thank goodness, His Holiness the Pope is holding the dogmatic literal truth line. Oh, wait!
http://www.examiner.com/article/pope-benedict-xvi-declares-aspects-of-christmas-story-as-being-myths
Funny what a national election will do.