Pat Robertson: Difference between revisions

| name honorific_prefix = Pat[[The RobertsonReverend]]

| imagename = Pat Robertson Paparazzo Photography.jpg

| captionimage = Pat Robertson inPaparazzo 2006Photography.jpg

| birth_namecaption = Marion Gordon = Robertson in 2006

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|3|22}}

| birth_place = [[Lexington, Virginia]], U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|6|8|1930|3|22}}

| death_place = [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], U.S.

| occupation = {{plain list|

| years active = 1961–2023

| education = {{plain list|

| television = ''[[The 700 Club]]'' (1966–2021)

| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]

| spouse = {{marriage|[[Dede Robertson|Dede Elmer]]|1954|2022|end = died}}

| children = 4, including [[Gordon P. Robertson|Gordon]]

| father = [[Absalom Willis Robertson]]

'''Marion Gordon''' "'''Pat'''" '''Robertson''' (March 22, 1930 – June 8, 2023) was an American [[Media proprietor|media mogul]], [[Televangelism|religious broadcastertelevangelist]], political commentator, presidential candidate, and [[Southerncharismatic Baptist Conventionmovement|Southern Baptistcharismatic]] minister. Robertson advocated a [[christian right|conservative Christian]] ideology and was known for his involvement in [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] politics. He was associated with the [[Charismatic movement]] within Protestant [[evangelicalism]]. He served as head of [[Regent University]] and of the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] (CBN).

The son of [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Absalom Willis Robertson|A. Willis Robertson]], Robertson was a Southern Baptist and was active as an ordained minister with that denomination for many years, but held to a [[charismatic movement|charismatic]] theology not traditionally common among Southern Baptists.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hindson |first1=Edward E. |last2=Mitchell |first2=Daniel R. |date=2013-08-01 |title=The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History: The People, Places, and Events That Shaped Christianity |publisher=[[Harvest House]] |page=289 |isbn=978-0736948067}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Sherrard |first=Brooke |journal=The Journal of Southern Religion |year=2007 |url=http://jsr.fsu.edu/Volume11/Sherrard.htm |title=Review of: David John Marley, Pat Robertson: An American Life |access-date=November 17, 2014 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224132959/http://jsr.fsu.edu/Volume11/Sherrard.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> He unsuccessfully campaigned to become the Republican nominee in the [[1988 United States presidential election|1988 presidential election]].<ref>''The New York Times'': [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/27/us/pat-robertson-a-candidate-of-contradictions.html "Pat Robertson: A Candidate of Contradictions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127064006/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/27/us/pat-robertson-a-candidate-of-contradictions.html |date=January 27, 2017}}. February 27, 1988.</ref> As a result of his seeking political office, he never again served in an official role for any church.

Robertson remained a [[Pat Robertson controversies|controversial]] figure, especially known for evangelical [[religiocentrism]]. While he became a recognized and influential public voice for conservative Christianity in the U.S. and around the world, his opposition to various progressive causes, including [[LGBT rights]], [[feminism]], and the right to [[abortion]], was frequently criticized.<ref name="davidjohnmarley">David John Marley. ''Pat Robertson: An American Life''. {{ISBN|978-0-7425-5295-1}}</ref>

Marion Gordon Robertson was born on March 22, 1930,<ref name="officialbio">{{cite web |url=http://www.patrobertson.com/Biography/index.asp |title=Official biography |access-date=2007-03-31 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125121734/http://www.patrobertson.com/Biography/index.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> in [[Lexington, Virginia]], into a prominent political family, the younger of two sons. His parents were [[Absalom Willis Robertson]] (1887–1971), a [[conservative Democrat]]ic [[United States Senate|Senator]], and Gladys Churchill ([[née]] Willis; 1897–1968), a housewife and a musician. At a young age, Robertson was nicknamed '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". Later, 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".<ref name="davidjohnmarley" />

When he was eleven, Robertson was enrolled in the preparatory [[McDonogh School]] outside [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]. From 1940 until 1946, he attended [[The McCallie School]] in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], where he graduated with honors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.regent.edu/about-regent/leadership/m-g-pat-robertson|title=M.G. "Pat" Robertson|website=Regent University|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=September 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903221225/https://www.regent.edu/about-regent/leadership/m-g-pat-robertson/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Freemasons in America: Inside the Secret Society|last=Jeffers|first=H. Paul|publisher=Kensington Publishing Corp.|year=2007|isbn=978-0806533636|location=New York City}}</ref> He gained admission to [[Washington and Lee University]], where he earned a B.A. in History, graduating [[magna cum laude]]. He was also a member of [[Phi Beta Kappa]], the nation's most prestigious academic honor society.<ref name="officialbio" /> He joined [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] fraternity. Robertson said, "Although I worked hard at my studies, my real major centered around lovely young ladies who attended the nearby girls schools."<ref>[http://www.patrobertson.com/education/ "Education"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050403214328/http://www.patrobertson.com/education/ |date=April 3, 2005 }}, The Official Site of Pat Robertson.</ref>

In 1948, the [[Conscription|draft]] was reinstated and Robertson was given the option of joining the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] or being drafted into the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]; he opted for the former.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/pat-robertson-christian-evangelist-former-presidential-candidate-dead/story?id=99928252|title=Pat Robertson, Christian evangelist and former presidential candidate, dead at 93|website=ABC News}}</ref> Robertson described his military service as follows: "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 [[1st Marine Division|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 Robertson's service in the [[Korean War]], he was awarded three [[Service star|Battle Stars]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130623033105/http://www.patrobertson.com/militaryservice/ "Military Service"], The Official Site of Pat Robertson via [[Internet Archive]].</ref>

In 1986, former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Congressman [[Pete McCloskey|Paul "Pete" McCloskey, Jr.]], who served with Robertson in Camp Pendleton, wrote a public letter challenging Robertson's record in the military. Robertson filed a [[libel]] suit against McCloskey but he dropped the case in 1988 in order to devote "his full time and energies toward the successful attainment of the Republican nomination for the president of the United States."<ref>{{cite news|title=Evangelist sues over combat story|work=The Globe and Mail. |location=Toronto, Ont.|date=October 23, 1986|page=A.16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Robertson's Libel Suit by Judge Ex-Congressman Ruled the Legal Victor|work=Philadelphia Daily News|date=March 7, 1988|page=14}}</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/03/05/robertson-allowed-to-drop-libel-suit-if-court-costs-paid/20244eea-eff7-4af8-a919-76a93036352b/ "Robertson Allowed to Drop Libel Suit if Court Costs Paid"] at ''The Washington Post''; retrieved May 24, 2022</ref>

Robertson was promoted to [[First lieutenant|First Lieutenant]] in 1952 upon his return to the United States. He then went on to receive a law degree from [[Yale Law School]] in 1955, near the top of his class. However, he failed his first and only attempt at the New York bar exam necessary for admission to the [[New York State Bar Association]],<ref>[http://www.patrobertson.com/SpiritualJourney/SomethingMissing.asp "Spiritual Journey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060110151517/http://www.patrobertson.com/SpiritualJourney/SomethingMissing.asp |date=January 10, 2006 }}, The Official Site of Pat Robertson.</ref> which did not deter Robertson because he never intended to practice law anyway. Shortly thereafter he underwent a religious conversion and decided against pursuing a career in business. Instead, Robertson attended [[New York Theological Seminary|The Biblical Seminary in New York]], where he received a [[Master of Divinity]] degree in 1959. He became a born again Christian while having dinner at a restaurant in [[Philadelphia]] with author and World War II veteran, [[Cornelius Vanderbreggen]]. After his conversion, Robertson left the corporate world and went into ministry.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/06/03/pat-robertsons-noble-cause/34cd02ee-1ce9-452f-a52f-a9033f9d3aa4/ "Pat Robertson's 'Noble Cause'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301134852/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/06/03/pat-robertsons-noble-cause/34cd02ee-1ce9-452f-a52f-a9033f9d3aa4/|date=March 1, 2022}} at ''The Washington Post''; by Michael Barone; published June 3, 1986; retrieved May 4, 2022</ref>

In 1956, Robertson met Dutch missionary Cornelius Vanderbreggen, who impressed Robertson both with his lifestyle and his message. Vanderbreggen quoted [[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]] (3:5, 6), "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths", which Robertson considered being the "guiding principle" of his life. HeIn 1961, he was ordained as a ministerSouthern ofBaptist minister theby [[SouthernFreemason Street Baptist ConventionChurch]] in 1961[[Norfolk, Virginia]]. <ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url= Wayne King, [https://www.theguardiannytimes.com/world1987/202310/jun12/08us/pat-robertson-obituary|title=Pats-ex-church-uncertain-on-candidacy.html Robertson's obituary|first=Michael|last=Carlson|date=JuneEx-Church 8Uncertain on Candidacy], 2023|newspaper=Thenytimes.com, USA, October 12, Guardian}}1987</ref>

In 1960, Robertson established the Christian Broadcasting Network in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], by buying the license of a defunct [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] station in nearby [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]]. The station, with the call sign [[WGNT#History|WYAH-TV]], first broadcast on October 1, 1961. The network became known for producing the long-running TV series ''[[The 700 Club]]'', starting in 1966, which Robertson served as a long time co-host. On April 29, 1977, CBN launched a religious [[cable television|cable network]], the CBN Satellite Service, which eventually became The Family Channel. It was the first [[satellite television]] channel in America to connect to cable systems across the country. The venture became soextremely lucrative that it could not continue to be part of a tax-exempt charity, so Robertson spun off The Family Channel as a commercial entity that was sold to [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] for $1.9 billion in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1655&year |title=Student Press Law Center – News Flashes |publisher=Splc.org |date=October 18, 2007 |access-date=2009-07-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212011926/http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1655&year |archive-date=December 12, 2008 }}</ref>

In 1994, he endorsed the document "[[Evangelicals and Catholics Together]]".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/1994/05/evangelicals-catholics-together-the-christian-mission-in-the-third-millennium |title=Evangelicals & Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium &#124; Various |date=May 1994 |access-date=June 8, 2023 |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407131422/https://www.firstthings.com/article/1994/05/evangelicals-catholics-together-the-christian-mission-in-the-third-millennium |url-status=live }}</ref> Robertson announced his retirement at the age of 91 from ''The 700 Club'' in October 2021, on the sixtieth anniversary of the first telecast on October 1, 1961, of what eventually became CBN.<ref>{{cite news |title=US televangelist Pat Robertson says 'God is not a Republican' during TV interview |url=https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/us-televangelist-pat-robertson-says-god-is-not-a-republican-during-tv-interview/60929.htm |access-date=December 10, 2021 |work=Ecumenical News |date=October 19, 2021 |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210221951/https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/us-televangelist-pat-robertson-says-god-is-not-a-republican-during-tv-interview/60929.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

Robertson was also founder and president of the [[American Center for Law & Justice]], a public interest law firm headquartered in [[Washington, D.C.]], associated with [[Regent University School of Law]] in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], which defends constitutional freedoms and [[Christian right|conservative Christian]] ideals. Critics have characterized Robertson as an advocate of [[dominionism]].<ref name="Goldberg2006">Goldberg, Michelle. 2006. Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. 1st ed. W. W. Norton.</ref>

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.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite webnews|url=https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/700-club-pat-robertson/|title=Why 'The 700 Club' Is the Show That Won't Die and Can't Be Killed|newspaper=Lamag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles }}</ref> IFE, a publicly held company listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]], was sold in 1997 to [[Fox Kids]] Worldwide, Inc. for $1.9{{nbsp}}billion, whereupon it was renamed [[Fox Family Channel]]. [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] acquired FFC in 2001 and its name was changed again, to ABC Family. The network was renamed to [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]] on January 12, 2016, though Robertson's sale of the channel continues to require Freeform to carry four hours of CBN/''700 Club'' programming per weekday, along with CBN's yearly [[telethon]].<ref name="auto1"/>

In 1999, Robertson entered into a joint venture with the [[Bank of Scotland]] to provide financial services in the United States. However, the venture fell through afteras progressiveit activistswas protestedmet overwith criticism from civil rights groups in the UK, owing to Robertson's Biblicalcontroversial views on anhomosexuality. The Bank was forced to cancel the deal when Robertson described Scotland as a "dark land arrayoverrun ofby issueshomosexuals".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/361736.stm |title=The Company File &#124; Bank drops evangelist |work=BBC News |date=June 5, 1999 |access-date=2009-07-26 |archive-date=September 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925134924/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/361736.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gay-jibe-may-lead-to-bank-boycott-1097726.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gay-jibe-may-lead-to-bank-boycott-1097726.html |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Gay jibe may lead to bank boycott |newspaper=The Independent |date=June 3, 1999 |access-date=2010-02-01 | location=London | first=Mary | last=Braid}}</ref>

A June 2, 1999, article in ''[[The Virginian-Pilot]]''<ref>Sizemore, Bill. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160224071247/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68443640.html Robertson, Liberian Leader Hope to Strike Gold in Coastal Africa]." ''The Virginian-Pilot''. June 2, 1999.</ref> alleged that Robertson had business dealings with [[President of Liberia|Liberian president]] [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor]], with whom Robertson, according to the article, negotiated a multimillion- dollar contract for gold mining operations in Liberia. Robertson denied any business dealings with Taylor, and he also denied ever speaking to President [[George W. Bush]] about Taylor's alleged activities.<ref name='nationrobertson'>{{cite news | first=Max | last=Blumenthal | title=Pat Robertson's Katrina Cash | date=September 7, 2005 | url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/pat-robertsons-katrina-cash/ | work=The Nation Online | access-date=2020-03-05 | archive-date=May 25, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525085642/https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/pat-robertsons-katrina-cash/ | url-status=live }}</ref> On February 4, 2010, at his [[war crimes]] trial in [[the Hague]], Taylor testified that Robertson was his main political ally in the U.S., while Robertson has denied ever meeting or speaking to Charles Taylor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/02/05/charles_taylor_pat_robertson_was_my_man_in_washington |title=Charles Taylor: Pat Robertson was my man in Washington &#124; Turtle Bay |publisher=Turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com |access-date=2010-08-06 |archive-date=February 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208182505/http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/02/05/charles_taylor_pat_robertson_was_my_man_in_washington |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/pat-robertsons-gold-deal-african-dictator/story?id=9749341 |title=Prosecutor: Pat Robertson Had Gold Deal with African Dictator; Prosecutors in Human Rights Trial Allege Pat Robertson Lobbied George Bush on Behalf of Liberian Warlord Charles Taylor |work=ABC News |date=February 4, 2010 |author=Anna Schecter |access-date=June 28, 2020 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101050852/https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/pat-robertsons-gold-deal-african-dictator/story?id=9749341 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Political servicecareer and activism==

Robertson repeatedly called for the [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|legalization of cannabis]], saying that it should be treated in a manner analogous to the regulation of [[alcoholic beverage]]s and [[tobacco]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/us/pat-robertson-backs-legalizing-marijuana.html |title=Pat Robertson Says Marijuana Use Should be Legal |newspaper=New York Times |date=March 7, 2012 |first=Jesse |last=McKinley |access-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-date=February 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201213518/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/us/pat-robertson-backs-legalizing-marijuana.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Robertson stated that "I just think it's shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison and they get turned into hard-core criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of controlled substance. The whole thing is crazy."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/08/pat-robertson-speaks-out-for-marijuana-legalization/?hpt=hp_c2 |title=Pat Robertson speaks out for marijuana legalization |publisher=CNN |access-date=March 9, 2012 |date=March 8, 2012 |archive-date=March 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311033656/http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/08/pat-robertson-speaks-out-for-marijuana-legalization/?hpt=hp_c2 |url-status=livedead }}</ref> In 2014, he turned against the legalization of cannabis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/08/13/pat-robertson-turns-against-marijuana-legalization/ |last=Somain |first=Ilya |title=Pat Robertson turns against marijuana legalization |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2014 |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814172222/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/08/13/pat-robertson-turns-against-marijuana-legalization/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 1986, Robertson announced his intention to seek the [[Republican Party (United States)|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 would 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.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/pat-robertson-obituary|title=Pat Robertson obituary|first=Michael|last=Carlson|date=June 8, 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In 1987, he left the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] to run.<ref> CNN, [https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/us/pat-robertson-fast-facts/index.html Pat Robertson Fast Facts], cnn.com, USA, March 12, 2017</ref><ref>William H. Swatos, Peter Kivisto, ''Encyclopedia of Religion and Society'', Rowman Altamira, USA, 1998, p. 243</ref>

On August 11, 2017, Robertson was hospitalized after sustaining minor injuries in a fall from a horseback riding incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2017/august/founder-pat-robertson-suffers-minor-injuries-in-horseback-riding-accident|title=CBN Founder Pat Robertson Suffers Minor Injuries in Horseback Riding Accident|date=August 11, 2017|access-date=August 2, 2018|archive-date=August 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802042525/http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2017/august/founder-pat-robertson-suffers-minor-injuries-in-horseback-riding-accident|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/pat-robertson-hospitalized-falling-horse/story?id=49173673|title=Pat Robertson hospitalized after falling from horse|author=David Caplan|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=August 13, 2017|date=August 12, 2017|archive-date=August 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812235226/http://abcnews.go.com/US/pat-robertson-hospitalized-falling-horse/story?id=49173673|url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 8, 2023, Robertson died at his home in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], at the age of 93.<ref name="death">[https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/honoring-pat-robertson-1930-2023-witness-god-sized-world-changing-dream "Honoring Pat Robertson, 1930–2023: Witness to a God-Sized, World-Changing Dream"] at CBN.com; published June 8, 2023; retrieved June 8, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politicsobituaries/2023/06/08/televangelist-pat-robertson-dead-christian-broadcasting-700-clubdies/39544d0e-05f4-11ee-b74a-5bdd335d4fa2_story.html "Pat Robertson dies at 93; founded Christian Broadcasting Network, Christian Coalition"] at ''[[The Washington Post]]''; by Ben Finley; published June 8, 2023; retrieved June 8, 2023.</ref>

As a commentator and minister, Robertson's divisive statements frequently generated controversy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCammon |first=Sarah |date=8 Jun 2023 |title=Pat Robertson, televangelist and a leader of the religious right, dies at 93 |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/584849772/pat-robertson-dies-televangelist-and-a-leader-of-the-religious-right}}</ref>

Robertson's service as a minister included the belief in the [[Faith healing|healing power of God]].<ref>Randi, James (1989). ''The Faith Healers''. Prometheus Books. {{ISBN|0-87975-535-0}} pp. 197–206.</ref> He cautioned believers that some [[Protestant]] denominations may harbor the spirit of the [[Antichrist]];<ref>"'I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist': Right-wing TV evangelist and former Presidential candidate Pat Robertson is the man Bank of Scotland has chosen to spearhead its US subsidiary. Why?", by Greg Palast, Guardian Unlimited, May 23, 1999.</ref> prayed to deflect [[Tropical cyclone|hurricanes]];<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]]|url=https://www.dailypress.com/1995/08/18/robertson-says-prayer-stalled-storm/|title=Robertson Says Prayer Stalled Storm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322014311/http://articles.dailypress.com/1995-08-18/news/9508180069_1_prayer-hurricane-felix-cbn | archive-date=2014-03-22 |date=1995-08-18|access-date=2023-06-09|url-status=live}}</ref> denounced [[Hinduism]] as "demonic"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/july-1995/1995-07-using-tv-christian-pat-robertson-denounces-hinduism-as-demonic/|title=Using TV, Christian Pat Robertson Denounces Hinduism as "Demonic"|author=Valli Guruswamy Julie Rajan|publisher=[[Hinduism Today]]|access-date=2020-02-05|archive-date=2010-01-17|date=1995-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117164329/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3502|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Islam]] as "Satanic".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robertson says Islam isn't a faith of peace: Televangelist calls radicals 'demonic'"|author=Barisic, Sonja for [[Associated Press]]|date=2006-03-14|publisher=[[The Boston Globe]]|website=[[Boston.com]]|url=https://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/03/14/robertson_says_islam_isnt_a_faith_of_peace/|access-date=2023-06-09}}</ref>

Less than two weeks after [[Hurricane Katrina]] killed 1,836 people, Robertson implied on the September 12, 2005, broadcast of ''The 700 Club'' that the storm was God's punishment in response to America's abortion policy. He suggested that the September 11 attacks and the disaster in New Orleans "could{{nbsp}}[...] be connected in some way".<ref>First Read, NBC: [http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/01/13/4436174-robertson-on-haiti-pact-to-the-devil?lite Robertson on Haiti: 'Pact to the devil'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811144555/http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/01/13/4436174-robertson-on-haiti-pact-to-the-devil?lite |date=August 11, 2013 }}. January 13, 2010.</ref>

Robertson's response to the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]] also drewsparked worldwide condemnation.<ref name="assistnews.net">Urban Legend Expert Debunks Haitian 'Pact with the Devil' {{cite web|url=http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2010/s10010104.htm |title=Urban Legend Expert Debunks Haitian 'Pact with the Devil' |access-date=2013-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121151214/http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2010/s10010104.htm |archive-date=January 21, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lauerman |first=Kerry |url=http://www.salon.com/news/haiti/index.html?story=/news/2010/01/13/haiti_robertson |title=Robertson: Haiti had "pact with devil" |work=Salon |date=January 13, 2010 |access-date=March 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604160520/http://www.salon.com/news/haiti/index.html?story=%2Fnews%2F2010%2F01%2F13%2Fhaiti_robertson |archive-date=June 4, 2011 }}</ref> Robertson claimed that [[Haiti]]'s founders had sworn a "pact to [[the Devil]]" in order to liberate themselves from the [[France|French]] [[slave]] owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017511878|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117040729/http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017511878|url-status=dead |title=Televangelist Pat Robertson Says Earthquake Result Of "Cursed" Haiti's Satanic Pact|archivedate=January 17, 2010}}</ref><ref name="rfienglish.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20100113-us-evangelist-says-quake-hit-haiti-made-devil-pact |title=US evangelist says quake-hit Haiti made 'devil' pact |publisher=[[France 24]] |date=January 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116124145/http://www.france24.com/en/20100113-us-evangelist-says-quake-hit-haiti-made-devil-pact |archive-date=January 16, 2010 }}</ref> CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed [[1791 slave rebellion]] led by [[Dutty Boukman]] at [[Bois Caïman]], where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbn.com/about/pressrelease_patrobertson_haiti.aspx |title=Statement Regarding Pat Robertson's Comments on Haiti |publisher=Cbn.com |access-date=2010-01-15 |archive-date=January 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117041858/http://www.cbn.com/about/pressrelease_patrobertson_haiti.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Thylefors, Markel (March 2009). [http://www.lai.su.se/gallery/bilagor/SRoLAS_No4_6.%20%E2%80%9DOur%20Government%20is%20in.pdf "'Our Government is in Bwa Kayiman:' a Vodou Ceremony in 1791 and its Contemporary Signifcations"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722160838/http://www.lai.su.se/gallery/bilagor/SRoLAS_No4_6.%20%E2%80%9DOur%20Government%20is%20in.pdf |date=July 22, 2012 }} Stockholm Review of Latin American Studies, Issue No. 4</ref> Various figures in [[mainline Christianity|mainline]] and [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]]<ref>[http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2010/01/pat-robertson-on-disasters-consistently-wrong/ "Pat Robertson on Disasters: Consistently Wrong"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118092405/http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2010/01/pat-robertson-on-disasters-consistently-wrong/ |date=January 18, 2010 }} Thursday, January 14, 2010, 1:01 pm by John Mark Reynolds</ref> [[Christianity]] have on occasion disavowed some of Robertson's remarks.<ref name="assistnews.net"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/faith/2010/01/guest_post_a_message_for_pat_r.html |title=In Good Faith: Guest post: A message for Pat Robertson – A blog for news and discussion on matters of faith |date=May 17, 2009 |publisher=Weblogs.baltimoresun.com |access-date=2010-01-15 |archive-date=May 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531110855/http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/faith/2010/01/guest_post_a_message_for_pat_r.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|In his published writings, especially his 1991 book ''[[The New World Order (Robertson)|The New World Order]]'', Pat Robertson has propagated theories about a worldwide [[Jewish]] conspiracy. Michael Land raised the issue in February in ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]'', and in April Jacob Heilbrun, writing in ''[[The New York Review of Books]]'', cited chapter and verse of Robertson's borrowings from well-known [[anti-Semitism|anti-Semitic]] works.<ref>Ephraim Radner, [https://web.archive.org/web/20050101091028/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n26_v112/ai_17497869 New world order, old world anti-Semitism – Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition], ''[[Christian Century]]'', September 13, 1995. Retrieved December 11, 2006.</ref>}} In October 2003, Robertson was interviewed by author Joel Mowbray about his book ''Dangerous Diplomacy'', a book critical of the [[United States Department of State]]. Robertson said that Americans could change American diplomacy by ridding America of a large part of the State Department.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-05-14|title=State Dept. Decries Robertson Nuke Quote|url=https://apnews.com/37d46fa038fab525eb4f57925508ba03|publisher=Associated Press|date=12 October 2003|archive-date=May 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514133108/https://apnews.com/37d46fa038fab525eb4f57925508ba03|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Category:American21st-century businesspeopleBaptists]]

[[Category:ChristianEvangelical conspiracy theorists]]