More from Pat Robertson. Immunity from Prosecution: 'God Told Me to Do It'?

Question

Gerard Thomas Straub
Writer and TV Executive, former The 700 Club producer

"Here is another example of the way Robertson would mix church and state, rather than keep them separate. Let's say that a Christian thinks God is directing him or her to blow up an abortion clinic or kill a doctor who performs abortions, and this Christian does in fact commit such a crime. In a September of 1984 edition of The 700 Club, Robertson suggested that special church tribunals could be called upon to discern if a believer had in fact received an authentic word from God which compelled him to break a civil law. According to Robertson, if this church tribunal did determine the believer had in fact received an authentic message from God -- how they could reach this conclusion without issuing God a suboena wasn't made clear -- then, Robertson said, the church tribunal would have the civil authority to provide the believer with immunity from prosecution."

Christians, is this a good idea? Why or why not?

Answer 1

OK, from a Christian. It's a terrible idea.

Rev. Robertson doesn't speak for all Christians, and if you look at the public statements from the majority of churches in the US and around the world, you'll see that he doesn't even speak for a sizable minority of Christians.

Most of the larger denominations in the US hold to the concept of the separation of church and state. That very phrase was coined in letters between Thomas Jefferson and the Danbury Baptist Association back around 1800. (In case you're interested, the Baptists were in favor of it.)

Rev. Robertson has a small, but very vocal following. While I truly hope that he actually believes what he is preaching (as opposed to using hot-button topics to gain followers), very few Christians take him seriously, and some of us are more than a bit embarrassed by him.

This is not to say that Christians should always follow civil law. Sometimes our understanding of God's will may compel our breaking it.

But if we do, then we must be willing to deal with the consequences, including civil prosecution. After all, both Peter and Paul spent quite a bit of time in Roman prisons, so we'd be in pretty good company.

Answer 2

Anyone who imagines they hear God's voice, or is receiving personal messages from God is a full-blown schizophrenic and needs professional psychiatric services before they break a civil law or harm someone, including themselves. Religious revelation is nothing more than socially acceptable insanity and is a sure sign of an unstable personality. Religious freedom is not license to violate civil law. People who bomb abortion clinics and murder gynecologists are criminals who deserve to be punished for their illegal actions.

I'd rather see every church in America burned to the ground than allow such Dominionists license to murder because they think their imaginary God is on their side. No wonder the industrialized nations of the world are abandoning religion as fast as they can. If Christians can't be good citizens, it only takes one Constitutional amendment to eliminate Freedom of Religion forever. As with Islam, Christianity must learn to control the extremists within their flock.

Answer 3

If christians could get a tribunal to rule on the Atlanta Olympics bombing and abortion clinic violence, I wonder if the muslims could get their own tribunal to rule on 9/11 and other allegedly religious acts?

Believing you're justified doesn't make it so.

Answer 4

That is not a good idea. Many Christians think Pat Robertson is totally "out to lunch". This is one of the reasons why.

Answer 5

There is no basis for such a thing in the bible other than the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was done away with in true worship based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Answer 6

A revival of the Spanish Inquisition seems like a bad idea. To say the very least.

Answer 7

Yet more affirmation that Robinson is a wacko. A question, why does he hate the United States? It has allowed him to keep tax-exempt status whilst raking multimillions of dollars into his personal fortune.

Answer 8

I read the book by Gerard Straub. It gets scarier than that. I had to read some Dean Koontz to stop the nightmares.

Answer 9

When we get to the part about "the church tribunal would have the civil authority . . ." my blood runs cold and I start looking for my Canadian maps.

Answer 10

The only flaw in that is that God would not tell someone to do that because it would go against His commandment of Thou shall not murder.