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Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22 , 1930 ) is an influential religious broadcaster from the United States . He is the founder of numerous organizations and corporations, including the American Center For Law And Justice (ACLJ), Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Christian Coalition , Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment, Operation Blessing International Relief And Development Corporation , and Regent University . He is the host of '' The 700 Club ,'' a Christian TV program which airs on many channels in the United States and on CBN affiliates worldwide. Robertson's strong views have provoked controversy, especially his statements recommending the dissolution of the more common view of the Barrier Between Church And State , the condemnation of groups he believes to be in a state of Sin , and his denunciation of perceived Communists or radical Islamic followers. He is strongly Pro-life and virulently against equal rights for members of the GLBT community. Robertson is a partisan of the Republican Party and campaigned to become the party's candidate in the 1988 Presidential Election . He is a Southern Baptist and was active as an ordained minister with that denomination for many years, but holds to a Charismatic theology not traditionally common among Southern Baptists. As a result of his seeking political office, he no longer serves in an official role for any church. However, many U.S. Christian churches do not have a national leader that represents or speaks for them, a contributing factor to Robertson's ability to claim a position as a leading Christian voice. LIFE AND CAREER Family Robertson was born in Lexington, Virginia , into a prominent political family. His parents were Absalom Willis Robertson , a conservative Democratic United States Senator , and his wife Gladys Willis Robertson. He married Adelia "Dede" Elmer in 1954. His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. Robertson , and at the time of writing (mid-2005) fourteen grandchildren. At a young age, Robertson was given the nickname of ''Pat'' by his six-year-old brother, Willis Robertson, Jr., who enjoyed patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby while saying "''pat, pat, pat''". As he got older, Robertson thought about which first name he would like people to use. He considered "Marion" to be effeminate, and "M. Gordon" to be affected, so he opted for his childhood nickname "Pat". His strong awareness for the importance of names in the creation of a public image showed itself again during his presidential run when he threatened to sue NBC news for calling him a "television evangelist", which later became "televangelist", at a time when Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker were objects of scandal. He insisted upon being called a "religious broadcaster". Education and military service When he was twelve, Robertson was enrolled in the military preparatory McDonogh School outside Baltimore, Maryland . From 1944 until 1946 he attended the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee . McCallie, now a college preparatory school, was at the time a military school. He graduated with honors and enrolled at Washington And Lee University , where he majored in history and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa , a prestigious national honor society. He also joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Robertson has said, "Although I worked hard at my studies, my real major centered around lovely young ladies who attended the nearby girls schools." www.patrobertson.com/education In 1948 the Draft was reinstated, and Robertson was given the option of joining the Marine Corps or being drafted into the army. He opted for the former, which allowed him to finish college under the condition that he attend OCS during the Summer at Quantico, Virginia . He graduated '' Magna Cum Laude '' with a Bachelor Of Arts degree and was the first person to be Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant at a graduation ceremony at the university. In January 1951, Robertson served four months in Japan, "doing rehabilitation training for Marines wounded in Korea ." In his words, "We did long, grueling marches to toughen the men, plus refresher training in firearms and bayonet combat." In the same year he transferred to Korea, "I ended up at the headquarters command of the First Marine Division," says Robertson. "The Division was in combat in the hot and dusty, then bitterly cold portion of North Korea just above the 38th Parallel later identified as the 'Punchbowl' and 'Heartbreak Ridge.' For that service in the Korean War, the Marine Corps awarded me three battle stars for 'action against the enemy.'"] www.patrobertson.com/militaryservice/ Former Republican Congressman Paul "Pete" McCloskey, Jr. , who served with Robertson in Korea, claimed that Robertson was spared combat duty when his powerful father, a U.S. Senator, intervened on his behalf, claiming that instead Robertson spent most of his time in an office in Japan . According to McCloskey, his time in the service was not in combat but as the "liquor officer" responsible for keeping the Officers' Clubs supplied with liquor. Paul Brosman, Jr., another veteran who had served with Robertson, claimed in a deposition that Robertson had sexual relations with Prostitutes and sexually harassed a cleaning girl. Robertson has described these allegations as "an attack by liberals to discredit me." Robertson was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1952 upon his return to the United States. Robertson then went on to receive a , and was awarded a Master Of Divinity degree in 1959 . Religious career In 1956 Robertson was "led to faith in Christ" by for the first time. He was ordained as a minister of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1961. In 1960, Robertson established the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, Virginia . He started it by buying a small UHF station in nearby Portsmouth . It is now seen in 180 countries and broadcast in 71 languages. In 1977, he founded the CBN Cable Network, which was renamed the CBN Family Channel in 1988 and later simply the Family Channel. When the Family Channel became too profitable for Robertson to keep it under the CBN umbrella without endangering CBN's nonprofit status, he formed International Family Entertainment, Inc. in 1990 with the Family Channel as its main subsidiary. Robertson sold the Family Channel to the News Corporation in 1997, which renamed it Fox Family. A condition of the sale was that the station would continue airing Robertson's television program, ''The 700 Club '', twice a day in perpetuity, regardless of any changes of ownership. The channel is now owned by Disney and run under the ABC Family title. Robertson founded CBN University in 1977 on CBN's Virginia Beach campus. It was renamed Regent University in 1989. Robertson serves as its Chancellor . He is also founder and president of the American Center For Law And Justice , a public interest law firm and education group that defends Christians whose First Amendment rights have been violated. The law firm, headquartered in the same building that houses Regent's Law School , focuses on " Pro-family , pro-liberty and Pro-life " cases nationwide. 1988 presidential bid In September, 1986, Robertson announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for President Of The United States . Robertson said he would pursue the nomination only if three million people signed up to volunteer for his campaign by September, 1987. Three million responded, and by the time Robertson announced he'd be running in September 1987, he also had raised millions of dollars for his campaign fund. He surrendered his ministerial credentials and turned leadership of CBN over to his son, Tim. However, his campaign against incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush was seen as a longshot. Robertson ran on a very Conservative platform. Among his policies, he wanted to ban Pornography , reform the Education system, eliminate Conrail and Amtrak , and eliminate departments such as the Department Of Education and the Department Of Energy . He also supported a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. During the presidential Primary Election season started in early 1988, Robertson's campaign was attacked because of a statement he had made about his military service. In his campaign literature, he stated he was a combat Marine who served in the Korean War . Other Marines in his battalion contradicted Robertson's version, claiming he had never spent a day in a combat environment. Instead of fighting in the war, Robertson's primary responsibility was supplying Alcoholic Beverage s for his officers. (see Education and military service) Robertson's campaign got off to a strong second-place finish in the Iowa Caucus , ahead of Bush. iowapresidentialpolitics.com Robertson did poorly in the subsequent . He later spoke at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans and told his remaining supporters to cast their votes for Bush, who ended up winning the nomination and the election. He then returned to CBN and has remained there as a religious broadcaster, since then, even though he never renewed his ministerial credentials. Libel lawsuit In the late 1980s, Pat Robertson sued now former House Representative Republican Pete McCloskey , for libel over his statements that Robertson's father used his influence to keep his son out of combat. After the trial date was set of March 8,the day of the Super Tuesday primaries, Robertson dropped the suit, possibly fearing the parade of decorated Marine officers who were scheduled to testify against him would scuttle his presidential ambitions. The case was dismissed, and Robertson agreed to pay McCloskey's costs. Personal wealth Robertson has made a number of shrewd business deals. Probably the most lucrative was the purchase of a number of FM radio stations in the 1960s (when they were viewed by most investors as worthless technology) and selling them in the 1980s for massive gains. He also has interests in such diverse assets as a shuttered California refinery. Robertson's books have been very successful and well-selling. ''The Secret Kingdom,'' ''Answers to 100 of Life's Most Probing Questions,'' and ''The New World Order'' were each in their respective year of publication the number one religious book in America. Through his charitable organization, Operation Blessing International , Robertson is found to have invested $1,200,000 in the guise of aid to Refugee s in Rwanda . Warlord Charles Taylor and Pat Robertson According to a June 2 , 1999 article in '' The Virginian-Pilot '', Taylor had extensive business dealings with Televangelist Pat Robertson . According to the article, Taylor gave Robertson (who also had business dealings with Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire ) the rights to mine for Diamonds in Liberia's mineral-rich countryside. According to two airplane pilots who reported this incident to the state of Virginia for investigation in 1994, Robertson used his Operation Blessing planes to haul diamond-mining equipment to Robertson's mines in Liberia, despite the fact that Robertson was telling his '' 700 Club '' viewers that the planes were sending relief supplies to the victims of the Genocide in Rwanda . The subsequent investigation by the state of Virginia concluded that Robertson diverted his ministry's donations to the Liberian diamond-mining operation, but Attorney General Of Virginia Mark Earley blocked any potential prosecution against Robertson. www.thenation.com Business interests He is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc. , and founder of International Family Entertainment Inc. , Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, American Center for Law and Justice, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities. Robertson was the founder and co-chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc. (IFE). Formed in 1990, IFE produced and distributed family entertainment and information programming worldwide. IFE's principal business was The Family Channel, a satellite delivered cable-television network with 63 million U.S. subscribers. IFE, a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange , was sold in 1997 to Fox Kids Worldwide, Inc. for $1.9 billion. Disney acquired the Fox Family Channel in 2001 and named it ABC Family . He is a global businessman with media holdings in Asia, the United Kingdom, and Africa. He is the nation's number three cable operator, behind Ted Turner and HBO . Politicians know him as the head of the 1.7 million member Christian Coalition , widely considered to be the most powerful lobbying group in the United States. He struck a deal with Pittsburgh, PA-based GNC to produce and market a weight-loss shake he created and promoted on the 700 Club TV show. POLITICAL ACTIVISM After his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Robertson used his campaign organization to start the Christian Coalition , a political organization which campaigned mostly for conservative candidates. It became, almost instantly, one of the most influential organizations in American politics. However, the organization's popularity has faded somewhat. It was sued by the Federal Election Commission "for coordinating its activities with Republican candidates for office in 1990, 1992 and 1994 and failing to report its expenditures" www.au.org In 1994, the Coalition was fined for "improperly then Representative Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Iran-contra figure Oliver North , who was then the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia." [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_22_116/ai_55670890 www.findarticles.com Robertson left the Coalition in 2001. While Robertson is primarily popular among evangelical Christians, his support extends beyond the Christian community. In 2002, he received the ''State of Israel Friendship Award'' from the Zionist Organization Of America for his consistent support for a Greater Israel . In that year the Coalition For Jewish Concerns also expressed its gratitude to Robertson for "unwavering support for Israel" and "standing up to evil". CONTROVERSIES AND CRITICISMS Robertson has often been criticized and mocked by liberals for his conservative political views. He has also been criticized by more conservative Christians who have commonly accused him of deception and greed. Robertson is outspoken in both his faith and his politics and controversies surrounding him have often made headlines: Claim that some denominations contain the spirit of the Antichrist On and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist ". Claims about the power of his prayers Robertson claims to have used the power of Prayer to steer Hurricane s away from his companies' Virginia Beach, Virginia , headquarters. He took credit for steering the course in 1985 of Hurricane Gloria , which caused millions of dollars of destruction in many states along the U.S. east coast. He made a similar claim about another destructive storm, Hurricane Felix , in 1995. In 2003, Robertson called on God to prevent . Remarks concerning feminism, homosexuality, and liberalism Among his more controversial statements, Robertson has described were caused by " Pagans , abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the ACLU and the People For The American Way ." After public outcry regarding the dialogue, which took place only days after the attacks, Robertson stated that he had not understood what Falwell was saying during the interview, which was conducted via television monitor. On the June 8 , 1998 edition of his show, Robertson denounced Orlando, Florida and Disney World for allowing a privately sponsored "Gay Days" weekend. Robertson stated that the acceptance of Homosexuality could result in hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombings and "possibly a meteor". The resulting outcry prompted Robertson to return to the topic on June 24 , where he quoted the Book Of Revelation to support his claims. Support for Charles Taylor/Diamonds Controversy Robertson repeatedly supported former President of Liberia Charles Taylor in various episodes of his '' 700 Club '' program during the United States' involvement in the Liberian Civil War in June and July of 2003. Robertson accuses the U.S. State Department of giving President Bush bad advice in supporting Taylor's ouster as president, and of trying "as hard as they can to destabilize Liberia." Robertson was criticized for failing to mention in his broadcasts his $8,000,000 (USD) investment in a Liberian Gold Mine . Taylor had been at the time of Robertson's support indicted by the United Nations for War Crimes , and prosecutors also said he had harbored members of Al Qaeda responsible for the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings . According to Robertson, the Liberian gold mine Freedom Gold was intended to help pay for humanitarian and evangelical efforts in Liberia, when in fact the company was allowed to fail leaving many debts both in Liberia and in the international mining service sector. Regarding this controversy, Richard Land , head of the Southern Baptist Convention 's public policy said, "I would say that Pat Robertson is way out on his own, in a leaking life raft, on this one." Robertson has also been accused of using his tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, Operation Blessing , as a front for his own financial gain, and then using his influence in the Republican Party to cover his tracks. After making emotional pleas in 1994 on The 700 Club for cash donations to Operation Blessing to support airlifts of refugees from Rwanda to Zaire, it was later discovered, by a reporter from The Virginian Pilot, that Operation Blessing's planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the Robertson-owned African Development Corporation, a venture Robertson had established in cooperation with Zaire 's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko . An investigation by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs determined that Robertson "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements and other implications" and called for a criminal prosecution against Robertson in 1999. However, the Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, a Republican whose largest campaign contributor two years earlier was Robertson himself, intervened, accepting that Robertson had made deceptive appeals but overruling the recommendation for his prosecution. www.thenation.com Political statements On his '' The 700 Club '' television program, Pat Robertson has sharply criticized elements of the United States government and "special interest" groups that don't share his views. In interviews with the author of a book critical of the United States Department Of State , Robertson made suggestions that the explosion of a Nuclear Weapon at State Department Headquarters would be good for the country, and repeated those comments on the air. "What we need is for somebody to place a small nuke at Foggy Bottom ", www.worldnetdaily.com Robertson said during his television program, referring to the location of the State Department headquarters. State Department officials said they believed the comments to be in extremely bad taste, and have lodged official complaints against Robertson for his remarks. Robertson has repeatedly claimed that have all contested Robertson's statements. Chinese abortions In a 2001 interview with Wolf Blitzer , he said that the Chinese were "doing what they have to do", regarding China 's One Child Policy , sometimes enforced with forced abortions, though he said that he did not personally agree with the practice. His comments drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. www.worldnetdaily.com Call for the assassination of Hugo Chávez On the day of August 22 , 2005 broadcast of ''The 700 Club,'' Robertson said of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez , "I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war, and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop." Robertson also said that Chávez was "going to make Venezuela a launching pad for Communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent" and called the elected leader an "out-of-control dictator... a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly." mediamatters.org Assassinations of heads of state have been against U.S. policy since an Executive Order against them was issued in 1976; in response, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that "our department doesn't do that kind of thing." Bernardo Álvarez , Venezuela's Ambassador to the U.S., demanded a stronger condemnation from the White House and that the United States "respect our country and its president." On the August 24 edition of ''The 700 Club, ''Robertson asserted that he hadn't actually called for Chávez's assassination, but that there were other ways of "taking him out", such as having Special Forces carry out a Kidnapping . Robertson explicitly denied having used the word "assassination", though the word "assassinate" was present in his initial statement mediamatters.org , mediamatters.org Later that day, he issued a written statement in which he said, "Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him". However, he continued to justify his original stance on the potential threat Chávez posed to U.S. interests. www.cbn.com On Sunday, and the Organization Of American States ". On February 2nd edition of Hannity And Colmes , Pat Robertson once again called for Chavez's assassination. When Colmes asked Robertson "Do you want him taken out?", Robertson replied "Not now, but one day, one day, one day." Message to Dover, Pennsylvania On his November 10 , 2005 broadcast of '' The 700 Club '', Robertson told citizens of Dover, Pennsylvania that they had rejected God by voting out of office all seven members of the School Board who support " Intelligent Design ." "I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city", Robertson said on his broadcast. "And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there." news.yahoo.com In a written statement, Robertson later clarified his comments: "God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever. If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin . Maybe he can help them." news.yahoo.com Remarks concerning Ariel Sharon The lead story on the January 5 , 2006 , edition of ''The 700 Club'' was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon 's hospitalization for a severe stroke. After the story, Robertson said that Sharon's illness was possibly retribution from God for his recent drive to give more land to the Palestinian s. He also claimed former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin 's 1995 assassination may have occurred for the same reason. www.cnn.com The remarks drew criticism from all sides, even from among other evangelicals. For instance, . On January 11 , Israel responded by announcing that Robertson would be banned from involvement in a project to build a Christian tourist attraction and pilgrimage site near the Sea Of Galilee known as the Christian Heritage Center . The plan had called for Israel leasing 35 acres of land to a group of evangelicals (including Robertson) for free to create several tourist attractions and pilgrimage sites in exchange for the evangelicals raising 50 million dollars in funding. A spokesman for the Tourism Ministry commented, ''We cannot accept these statements, and we will not sign any contracts with Mr. Robertson.'' He added that the decision would not apply to all members of the evangelical community: ''"We want to see who in the group supports his (Robertson's) statements. Those who support the statements cannot do business with us. Those that publicly support Ariel Sharon's recovery ... are welcome to do business with us."'' www.jpost.com www.nytimes.com www.haaretz.com On January 12, Robertson sent a letter to Sharon's son Omri , apologizing for his comments. In the letter, Robertson called Ariel Sharon a "kind, gracious and gentle man" who was "carrying an almost insurmountable burden of making decisions for his nation." He added that his "concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness...I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel." www.jamaicaobserver.com While some were satisfied by the gesture, some reporters also accused Robertson of using the apology as a tactic allowing him to make such statements while promoting a public image among evangelicals as a leader who does not compromise on his values. Surprisingly, however, there are some indications that Robertson's latest bit of controversy has alienated even some of his fellow evangelicals, some of whom have charged that Robertson's behavior does serious harm to evangelicals' image, and leads to unfair generalizations and criticism of them. www.mercurynews.com The fallout from Robertson's comments was still visible over a month after the event; after speaking with organizers of the National Religious Broadcasters February 2006 convention, Robertson wound up cancelling his planned keynote speech. A representative from Israel's Tourism Ministry diplomatically commented, "Pat Robertson has been a long-term friend of the state of Israel, and continues to be so." www.news8austin.com In March 2006, Robertson lost a bid for re-election to the board of directors of the National Religious Broadcasters. www.sfgate.com In response to this incident NBC 's satiric '' Saturday Night Live '' broadcast a Robert Smigel Animated Cartoon of Robertson as a children's cartoon character telling children that God wrath was also in store for Dick Clark , Lou Rolfe , and Fred The Baker ("Woe unto him who fills the Body Of Christ {Link without Title} with Bavarian Cream !") Remarks against Muslims More than once has Robertson voiced a negative opinion on the religion of Islam . During a 1995 taping of ''The 700 Club'', he called the religion a “Christian Heresy ”. During a September 19 , 2002 episode of FOX News Channel 's '' Hannity & Colmes '', Robertson claimed that the Prophet Mohammad , the founder of Islam, was “a dangerous wild-eyed fanatic … a robber and a brigand.” He claimed on the September 14 , 2004 episode of ''The 700 Club'' that “Islam is by the gun, by the fire, by the Bayonet , by the torch.” On the July 14 , 2005 broadcast of the ''The 700 Club'', he claimed that “Islam, at its core, teaches violence.” On the power. It is Satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with.” He finished by stating “by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace.” The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United For Separation Of Church And State , which monitors ''The 700 Club'' on a daily basis, called Robertson's new comments “grossly irresponsible.” He went on to say, “At a time when inter-religious tensions around the world are at an all-time high, Robertson seems determined to throw gasoline on the fire.” mediamatters.org www.haaretzdaily.com Remarks Against Hindus Pat Robertson has a long history of making very derogatory statements against Hindus. On March 23, 1995 Pat Robertson led a television programme in which he attacked Hinduism. He called it "demonic" and said that Hindus should be kept out of the United States. He said that they worship "idols" and "hundreds of millions of deities," which "has put a nation in bondage to spiritual forces that have deceived many for thousands of years." He spoke against the doctrines of karma and incarnation. Then not forgetting the practical side, he appealed for funds: "Help us carry the light to a nation in darkness," he said. Later in his book "The New World Order" he wrote: "When I said during my presidential bid that I would bring only Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. `What do you mean?' the media challenged me. `You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, `Yes, they are.'" --from Pat Robertson's "The New World Order," page 218. Liberal professors On the , the subject of which is radical academics in American universities, Robertson went on the say that the 101 professors named in the book are only but a few of "thirty to forty thousand" Left-wing professors in the United States, all of which he accused of being "racists, murderers, sexual deviants and supporters of Al-Qaeda ", further labeling them as "termites that have worked into the woodwork of our academic society". Later in the broadcast he went on to say, "these guys are out and out communists, they are radicals, they are, you know, some of them killers, and they are propagandists of the first order... you don’t want your child to be brainwashed by these radicals, you just don’t want it to happen. Not only brainwashed but also beat up, they beat these people up, cower them into submission." www.pfaw.org In February of 2006, Robertson claimed that he hired a producer - whom he claimed worked at ABC 's '' Good Morning America '' - to monitor whatever he said on the show by whispering to him through an earpeice. Since that producer's alleged hiring however, Robertson attacked Islam as "satanic" and branded liberal Professor s as " Termite s... Communists ... {Link without Title} killers", saying both in March (both see above). BOOKS
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