Some times it is so clear that people really don’t get it. First, before continuing, let me introduce someone…
Pat Anderson is an American Christian television evangelist, entrepreneur and political activist for the Christian right wing. He predicted in 1976 that the world would end in October or November 1982 (which didn’t happen as we know now for sure).
On 22 August 2005 Robertson called in his television program for the murder of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He said that Venezuela under Chavez would be a breeding ground for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism for the entire American continent.
After the earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010, he reported that the disaster was due to a pact that was closed by the founders of Haiti with the devil.
Also he said that acceptance of homosexuality could result in hurricanes and earthquakes, and an atom bomb at the US State Department would not be a bad thing.
There is a lot more to tell about this person, but I think by now you already know what kind of person this is!
Well, this Pat Robertson has done it again (and why should be surprised about that… old habits die hard, as they say and that seems for this man also true).
He was asked on his television show if it would be okay if Christians invite family who are atheist to a wedding. His answer to this question shows he really doesn’t understand it.
This was his reply:
“Well, what’s the big deal of inviting some family members to your wedding? I mean, you know, let ’em come to your wedding and see what’s there. But you don’t want them bringing Satanism into your wedding or some occult incantation. So by all means invite your family.”
That statement really me go “Duh… wtf…”
Because is atheism not the absence of belief in the existence of deities (or the rejection of belief that any deities exist or even the conviction that there are no deities)?
This is completely in contradiction with what Pat Robertson says. Clearly he doesn’t get the fact that “absence of belief in the existence of deities” also relates to a deity as Satan? He cannot be that dumb.
And it even gets worse when the lady that interviews Pat Robertson makes the remark that the atheists visiting that wedding might “be saved”? Duh… and double duh. Where does this arrogance of some Christians come from that they think that Atheists need to be saved? And what will they do… They will pray (and feel very good about themselves because they have “done” something).
Anyway, back to the question: Is Pat Robertson really that dumb that he doesn’t know the Atheists don’t believe in a Satan in the same way they don’t believe in a God?
No, I think he knows that very well. But what is better to connect Atheists directly to that what believers will see as the most evil thing in existence, the evil counterpart of their god? That makes for ignorant believers (and I am not saying all believers are ignorant, far from that even) it very easy to understand…. Atheists are evil!
Oh just to be very clear, this is not the first Pat Robertson made statements like this. He done it many times before.
And BTW, weddings have originally nothing to do with Christianity at all and it is a gift of God at least. Weddings were already around long before Christianity came around (and there are some very barbaric traditions related to it).
So….
Yes, I have noticed that also before. For some people it seems hard to accept that atheism means not believing in the existence of any deity, no matter it is good or evil one!