On the Dec. 15 edition of Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club, host and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson called evolution a "cultish religion."
Robertson was reacting to a ruling by a federal judge that it was unconstitutional for Cobb County, GA, to require the placement of stickers in biology textbooks, reading: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."
That decision is currently under review in the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
Rather than have a serious debate on evolution vs. intelligent design, or even lay out a serious argument in favor of the sticker, Robertson instead turned to smear tactics and namecalling.
ROBERTSON: You know, what we have got to recognize just there in this case is that the evolutionists worship atheism. I mean, that's their religion. And evolution becomes their religion. It is a matter of religion. So this is an establishment of religion contrary to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. And the fact that somebody comes along and says, "We are not sure that it's accurate, it's a theory and not a fact" - how can you say it's a fact? You are talking about 10 to 15 billion years ago. Who was there?
TERRY MEEUWSEN (co-host): Scientifically, you would think that the scientific community would rise to the occasion and say, "Absolutely, let's keep an open mind. Let's continue to discover and search."
ROBERTSON: Yeah, well, a lot of scientists are. More and more are. They are saying there are just too many things that can't be explained by evolution. But, I mean, these fanatics, I mean, it is a religion, it is a cult. It is cultish religion, and whenever you start talking about the origins of life, you now get into religious matter, and theirs is just as much religion. The only difference is that even questioning, questioning that - the ACLU says even if you question our religion, you are guilty of violating the First Amendment. I mean, give me a break.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Chris Evans
I don't understand how Christians can get pissy about teaching Evolution in schools and not teaching Creationism. There is no scientific evidence to support creationism--whereas almost all the scientific evidence regarding the coming of civilization supports evolution. So basically what they're asking is that we teach their religion in the public schools.
2 - Chris Evans
Yet...they don't understand why people who don't believe in God are pissed about having to say "Under God" in the pledge.
3 - Nancy
Because, like Robertson, they are mindless fanatical loonies with generally low educational levels. That's why.
4 - Bliffle
I don't understand. Is Robertson using "cultish religion" as a negative?
5 - I'm On Welfare
Everyone know the earth is only 5,000 years old, dinosaurs bones are a scam by scientists to debunk religion, people are different colors not because of proximity to the equator, but because people built the tower of Babel. If your grandma dies, it is because you didn't prey hard enough. Everything the bible says is true. If you don't believe me, it says so right in the bible. How much proof do you need?
6 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
"If your grandma dies, it is because you didn't prey hard enough."
I never was too strong with the hunting. I'm like my ancestor Jacob, "a wholesome fellow in the tents"
Yup...
7 - The Fifth Dentist
... and I call Robertson a dick.
8 - I'm On Welfare
Why do you think Katrina hit. Sure there were a lot of people praying it wouldn't. If only they would have prayed harder. Maybe it was God's punishment for Mardi Graw.
Hey Ruvy,
I heard you were a Jew.
9 - Nancy
Obviously a lot of the christians in the area weren't good enough, either: look at all the churches wiped out. I wonder what Mr. Robertson's take is on the ice storms that just knocked out power in the Carolinas, including his area? Odd that anything affecting him is the work of the devil, and not God smiting him for his sins.
10 - I'm On Welfare
Tell a born again that you believe in god but not the devil. For some reason that gets them fired up.
11 - Catana
I don't understand why everybody's mad at Robertson. He's a great stand-up comic.
12 - Mark Saleski
truly. it's like being mad at a skunk for smellin' bad.
13 - Georgio
Nancy..I agree 100% with you several years ago a Baptist minister came to my home and tried to get me join the Baptist church ..I said I do not believe the bible is the word of God in fact the god in the bible is not someone I would follow ,...He is vindictive revengeful and kills innocent women and children and in plain English a real prick just read it ..it's all in there ..when I confronted him with this he said .."well they had it coming "..then I saw him every week going to these trailer parks to recruit new members ..I have nothing against ppl in trailer parks but they where not the brightest..I never saw him trying to recruit in the rich neighborhoods ..I visited his church a couple of times and the ppl where very nice however I saw a lot of poor uneducated ppl that he would bus in ..anyway that was my observation..
14 - I'm On Welfare
People and trailor parks not the brightest... you're kidding. I have trouble reading any part of the old testament. One part says that if you beat someone's slave and he dies you owe him forty shekels or whatever. If you beat your slave, it's okay because he's your property. The new testament is quite contradictory to the old. The self-rightous quote whichever one suits them at the moment.
15 - Vern Halen
Well, people who interpret the Bible literally aren't reading it the way it was intended to be read, so they usually make up whatever interpretation they want. The Bible is not a science text and shouldn't be read as such.
16 - ss
Hold up, you mean I can beat my neighbor's slave?
17 - Vern Halen
You can do whatever you want - you always have a choice, and every choice has a consequence.
18 - Matthew T. Sussman
The pattern:
1. Pat Robertson says something dumb.
2. People get outraged.
3. Pat Robertson wins the Attention Whore Trophy.
4. You're all wasting your breath, in my opinion.
19 - I'm On Welfare
Does being a male cheerleader qualify you as an attention whore?
20 - Bliffle
The bible is poetry and that's the way I read it. One time my wife and I were trapped in the steaming wastes of Death Valley (maybe I'm overdramatizing here, but we had no TV!) and I entertained her by reading from the Gideon Bible in the room. Though a Good Catholic Girl she had never actually read the thing, just believed excerpts from the priests. She especially liked the Song Of Solomon.
21 - Matthew T. Sussman
Are you coming on to me?
22 - I'm On Welfare
Pussman, you would love for me to come on you... I mean on to you. How did things work out between you and Dave?
23 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
"Hey Ruvy,
I heard you were a Jew."
Hey, IOW.
Just watch out for the horns and the long nose and you'll be okay. Oh yeah. Be careful of the carbine.
It really helps if you read the Hebrew Bible in the language it was written. It comes across clear and strong - like espresso. Those English translations you guys wade through would put anybody to sleep.
Can't any of you get it in your heads that science and religion are two disciplines that deal with similar questions, but take different approaches?
The big difference between science and religion is that science tries to stay away from "why." But scientists, like theologians, can be damned stubborn about their ideas.
Long before the boys in the white lab coats came up with the Big Bang, a Jewish scholar (Nahmanides) had described it - based on what he was reading in Genesis.
Long before the boys in the white lab coats came up with "billyuns and billyuns of years ago," Jewish scholars had come up with an age for the universe - 14.3 billion years before the creation of Adam.
Also, long before the boys in the white lab coats came up with the evolution of species, Nahmanides had come up with the idea that Adam was NOT the fist man.
It was G-d that invented quantum mechanics. It was also G-d that allowed tree shrews to evolve into Einstiens, Fermis, Newtons and unfortunately, Pat Robertsons as well.
Are you all getting the idea here?
24 - I'm On Welfare
I think I got it... Jews are really smart. They just can't spell billion correctly.
25 - Vern Halen
Yes, Ruvy - some of us got that idea a long time ago. Unfortunately, after hundreds of years of western "scientific" conditioning, it's hard for many in the Western world to unlearn the axioms with which they they grew up. Heck, you can't even convince some people that the Chinese invented noodles long before the Italians.