Robertson, Pat

Education and military service

Marion Gordon Robertson was born in Lexington , Virginia in the family of an American senator. Later, he changed his name to Pat - his childhood nickname. In 1940–1946, he studied at The McCallie School , after which he entered the University of Washington and Lee ( Washington and Lee University ). In 1951, Robertson served for 4 months in Japan. He was then transferred to Korea, where, according to Robertson himself, he took part in hostilities during the Korean War . However, as Republican congressman Paul McCloskey , who served with him in Korea, stated, Robertson was primarily responsible for delivering alcoholic beverages to officers' clubs without participating in the battles. In 1952, Robertson was promoted to lieutenant. He received a bachelor's degree in law from Yale University School of Law, but failed the law exam. Robertson abandoned his career as a lawyer, enrolling at the New York Theological Seminary , where in 1959 he received a master 's degree in theology .

Religious activities

In 1956, the Dutch preacher Cornelius Vanderbreggen had a great influence on Robertson’s worldview. In 1961, Robertson was ordained a priest at the Southern Baptist Convention .

In 1960, Robertson founded the CBN Broadcasting Company ( Christian Broadcasting Network , CBN ) in Virginia Beach , Virginia . He began his activity with the purchase of a small radio station in nearby Portsmouth. In 1977, Robertson acquired the local cable channel in Hampton Rhodes, calling it CBN. He visited the homes of believers, urging them to connect to a new channel, and local churches, organizing a collection of donations.

As of 2008, CBN broadcasts in 180 countries in 71 languages. Robertson's founded CBN Cable Network in 1988 was renamed the CBN Family Channel , and then the Family Channel . Robertson was forced to withdraw the Family Channel from the CBN , in order not to violate the status of a non-profit organization, after the TV channel began to bring big profits. He founded the company International Family Entertainment Inc. in 1991 with the Family Channel as the main shareholder. In 1997, he sold the News Corporation channel, which changed its name to Fox Family . The condition of the transaction was an agreement that the channel 700 “ Club 700 ” will be broadcast on the channel twice a day. Currently, the channel is owned by Disney Corporation, its name is changed to ABC Family . On December 3, 2007, Robertson resigned from his position as head of CBN , making way for his son Gordon.

In 1977, he founded the educational institution CBN University , which in 1988 was renamed Regent University ( Regent University ). Robertson is currently president of the university. Robertson is also the founder and president of the American Center for Law and Justice , which protects the rights of Christians guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution .

For a long time, Robertson was a servant of the Southern Baptist Convention , however, due to the adoption of non-traditional for this denomination charismatic theology, as well as the transition to active political activity, he is not currently a cleric of any denomination, while continuing to enjoy prestige among conservative Christians of the United States.

On the Bring It On-Line program, Pat Robertson stated that he did not consider sex change a sin, and transgender people - this is normal. ^[1] He is convinced that it is necessary to legalize marijuana. ^{[2] [3]} In 2010, commenting on the earthquake in Haiti, Pat Robertson said that this was a punishment for a deal with the devil that they made many years ago to get rid of the French expansion. ^[4] Robertson considers murder in video games a crime, and those who kill in the virtual world are murderers. ^[5] In September 2013, Pat Robertson stated that he did not believe in the “permanent” gift of healing. ^[6]

Political activity and business

In September 1986, Robertson announced his intention to run for the US presidency of the Republican Party . He stated that he would nominate a candidate if, by September 1987, 3 million volunteers agreed to work during his election campaign. After a response of 3 million people, Robertson joined the campaign, collecting several million dollars in donations. He spoke with an extremely conservative program, proposing, inter alia, a ban on pornography. However, the primaries were unsuccessful for him, at the start of the campaign he was criticized in connection with allegations of military service in Korea. In his campaign materials, he talked about participation in hostilities, but his colleagues said that it was Robertson’s responsibility to provide an officer’s club with alcohol. In 1988, Robertson called on his supporters to support George W. Bush , who subsequently won the election.

Robertson was the founder of the Christian Coalition ( Christian Coalition ), which consisted of 1.7 million people. The organization supports the conservative candidates in the elections, being in the 1990s one of the most influential and large lobby groups in the United States.

In 2002, he received the State of Israel Friendship Award from the Zionist Organization of America for his support for Israel.

Robertson is the founder and co-chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc. listed on the New York Stock Exchange . In 1997, the company was sold for $ 1.9 billion. In 1999, Robertson began working with the Bank of Scotland , which was met with criticism in the UK because of Robertson’s conservative views on sexual minorities . After Robertson called Scotland "a dark country ruled by homosexuals, " the Bank of Scotland refused the deal ^[7] .

In 2012, Robertson called US President Barack Obama a socialist who wants to destroy America. ^[8] In July 2013, Pat Robertson on the program “Club-700” called on Americans to rebel against Barack Obama . ^[9]

In his TV sermons, Robertson claims to be in touch with God , who tells him about upcoming events in the new year. As Robertson stated, “my predictions are pretty accurate, sometimes I’m wrong.” In January 2004, Robertson predicted that George W. Bush would win the presidential election. In 2004, Bush won the election from John Kerry. ^[10] At the same time, Robertson himself actively supported Bush’s candidacy.

In January 2007, he announced that major terrorist acts would be carried out in the United States, causing massive human casualties. Robertson noted: “The Lord did not say that it would be a nuclear weapon. But I believe it will be something like that ” ^{[10] [11]} . There were no terrorist attacks in the USA in 2007, Robertson explained this by saying that “God in his mercy felt sorry for us” ^[12] . In 2006, referring to the revelation of God, he said that the US coast would be affected by the tsunami , but nothing like this happened. In 1976, Robertson predicted the court coming in 1982, which could be interpreted as a prediction of the “ end of the world ” ^[13] . In 2011, along with other predictors of the end of the world, Robertson won the Nobel Prize in Mathematics ^[14] .

Robertson’s activities and sayings are often criticized. Robertson’s book, The New World Order (1991), was characterized as a collection of all conspiracy theories , where, as critics said, Robertson argued about the existence of a global conspiracy of masons and Jewish bankers ^{[15] [16]} .

• On August 22, 2005, on the air of his 700 Club program, Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez , who had previously accused the US authorities of trying to kill him. Robertson stated:

  I know nothing about this doctrine of murder, but if he thinks that we are trying to kill him, then I think we should go and do it. It is much cheaper than starting a war ... and I don’t think that oil supplies will stop because of this ... We don’t have to spend another $ 200 billion to get rid of the next-to-the-teeth armed dictator. We have a variety of methods that allow you to get to him and end him once and for all.

  Venezuelan ambassador to the United States and Chavez himself protested Robertson’s statements. A spokesman for the US State Department, Sean McCormack, made an official statement, noting that the plans to kill Chávez "are not part of the White House’s policy." The head of the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld, stated that "the liquidation of foreign leaders is not the responsibility of the defense department." According to representatives of the Democratic Party , the authorities limited themselves to distancing themselves from Robertson’s appeals instead of punishment, because he is a Republican supporter and founder of the movement “ Christian Coalition of America ”, which supported Bush ^[17] . Religious organizations of Venezuela condemned the statements of Robertson ^[18] .

• In 2006, Pat Robertson called the stroke of God a stroke that happened to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon . ^[19] In response to this statement, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon criticized the preacher and compared his statement with Sharon’s wish for death from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . ^[nineteen]

• In 2011, Pat Robertson compared Alzheimer's disease with death and stated that this was a reason for divorce. ^[20] In response, the senior pastor of the Northland Church of Orlando, Joel Hunter, stated that it was impossible to compare Alzheimer's disease with death and demanded that they stop interpreting the Scriptures for their own purposes. ^[20]

• My Prayer for You (Fleming Revell 1977)
• The New Millennium: The New Millennium: Wis Group May 18, 1990
• Answers to 200 of the most probable questions (Thomas Nelson Publishers 1985) ISBN 978-0840754653
• The Secret Kingdom (W Pub Group; First Edition edition October 1992) ISBN 978-0-8499-1004-3
• America's Dates with Destiny (Thomas Nelson Inc; 1St Edition edition November 1986) ISBN 978-0840777560
• The Plan (Thomas Nelson Inc; 1ST edition October 1989) ISBN 978-0840772275
• Beyond Reason: How Miracles can Change your Life (William Morrow & Co; 1st edition October 1984) ISBN 978-0688022143
• Turning Tide: The Fall of Liberalism and the Rise of Common Sense (1993) ISBN 978-0-8499-0972-6
• Shout it from the Housetops (The Autobiography of Pat Robertson; Bridge-Logos; Revised edition April 1987) ISBN 978-0882700977
• The End Of The Age (Thomas Nelson September 2002) ISBN 978-0849944147
• Six Steps to Spiritual Revival: (Multnomah Books October 9, 2002) ISBN 978-1590520550
• The New World Order (W Pub Group September 1991) ISBN 978-0849909153
• Bring It on: Tough Questions, Candid Answers (2003) ISBN 978-0-8499-1801-8
• The Ten Offenses (Thomas Nelson, January 1, 2004)
• Miracles Can Be Yours Today (Integrity Pub January 1, 2006)
• Courting Disaster: (Thomas Nelson November 4, 2008) ISBN 978-0785297307
• Money Advice for the Tough Times (FaithWords; May 27, 2009) ISBN 978-0446549585

• Official Pat Robertson Website
• Photos of Pat Robertson's Operation Blessing visit to New Orleans.
• Brian Ross. Some Question Robertson's Katrina Charity , ABC News , September 9, 2005.
• Preacher: God told him about storms, tsunami