He's not getting a Pat on the back

Jewish leaders and critics of the religious right have criticized religious broadcaster Pat Robertson for his Jan. 5 remarks suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent stroke had something to do with God's ill-will for Sharon's deal with the Palestinians to pull out of Gaza. What do you think of such remarks, and as people of faith, has this been a topic of discussion within your congregations? If so, how do you deal with it?

The remark by Pat Robertson shows how ignorant he is about the faith he thinks he knows. First of all, he is wrong to suggest that when bad things happen to people, God must be angry! Jesus himself said that God sends his sun and rain on both the good and the evil; he made that comment after some of his disciples asked him who sinned when a construction project took a tumble and there were injuries.

The Book of Job was written to challenge the idea that the good always prosper and the wicked always suffer; the author of Job is saying, "Look! Here is a righteous man and he is suffering. Why?" In the second place, Robertson seems painfully unaware that all people are God's people, not only the Israelis.

There is a rabbinical story that is told concerning the ancient Israelites escaping Egypt and the pharaoh's army. The rabbi's name was Johanan. He said, "When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels in heaven were about to break into songs of jubilation. But the Holy One silenced them with the words, "My creatures are perishing, and you are ready to sing!" The truth is that Brother Pat needs our prayers as well as our condemnation. And a fast course in compassion wouldn't hurt, either!

THE REV. C.L. "SKIP" LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Cañada Flintridge

I try not to speak for my congregants. When I answer these questions, I always try to do so from my personal perspective. But, I think I can be relatively sure of this: no one in my church has any respect for Pat Robertson or his peculiar views. As for me, I think Pat Robertson has lost more than a step or two. He is tripping and falling every time he opens his mouth. But, then, I think most people understand that he has always been deficient in his capacity to reason and make good common sense.