Today I get a bit political.
Jan. 22nd, 2010 11:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fairyruneMost of you have probably heard by now that Pat Robertson has said some pretty terrible things about the people in Haiti, about how they made a pact with the devil to get out of slavery, and that's why they live in poverty and have been struck by an earthquake.
This article posits that the reason for the backlash against Mr. Robertson is because religion is still important to many Americans.
I disagree. The author of the article says that people are speaking out against Robertson mostly because he is misrepresenting their view of Christianity, and it outrages them.
I think people are outraged at Robertson because he just said some really awful, undeserved things about people who have just suffered unimaginable tragedy. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, atheist, Muslim, pagan, or anything else; that's offensive. Saying that anyone who experiences a natural disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti somehow brought it on themselves is....well. I just don't have the words. "Despicable" might cover it, but only just. The fact that he uses Christianity as a cover for his hatred, while not irrelevant, is secondary to the fact that he is spewing hatred at people who don't deserve it.
Jon Stewart's smack-down is really fantastic, I think. Unfortunately, Mr. Robertson probably won't change his thinking. The best we can hope for is that he learns to keep his mouth shut.
This article posits that the reason for the backlash against Mr. Robertson is because religion is still important to many Americans.
I disagree. The author of the article says that people are speaking out against Robertson mostly because he is misrepresenting their view of Christianity, and it outrages them.
I think people are outraged at Robertson because he just said some really awful, undeserved things about people who have just suffered unimaginable tragedy. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, atheist, Muslim, pagan, or anything else; that's offensive. Saying that anyone who experiences a natural disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti somehow brought it on themselves is....well. I just don't have the words. "Despicable" might cover it, but only just. The fact that he uses Christianity as a cover for his hatred, while not irrelevant, is secondary to the fact that he is spewing hatred at people who don't deserve it.
Jon Stewart's smack-down is really fantastic, I think. Unfortunately, Mr. Robertson probably won't change his thinking. The best we can hope for is that he learns to keep his mouth shut.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-25 03:41 pm (UTC)