Pat Robertson: Open mouth, insert foot--again

Citizens of Dover, PA, be afraid. Be very afraid. Pat Robertson says, that, by voting out the school board that tried to introduce the teaching of intelligent design in science classrooms, you have offended God and had better watch out:

On today's broadcast of "The 700 Club," Robertson told Dover residents, "If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God." The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network explained, "You just voted God out of your city."

So let me get this straight. By legally voicing through the ballot box their disapproval of religiously-motivated school board members who tried to get religiously-inspired pseudoscience into the science classroom to be taught to all the children of Dover, whether they share the fundamentalist Christian faith that inspired "intelligent design" creationism or not, and wasted large quantities of the school district's money fighting a lawsuit over their actions that they are highly unlikely to win, given the patent unconstitutionality of the school board's actions, the citizens of Dover have somehow called God's wrath down upon them? Certainly, that's what Pat seems to be saying:

“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. 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.”

What's next, Pat? Fire and brimstone? Floods and tornadoes leveling Dover? How pissed off is God at the citizens of Dover because they were unhappy with their elected officials' attempts to teach religious ideas as science? Do tell us. Or are you going to use your supposed "personal relationship with God" to ask Him to cause some "problems" for Dover or to provide a disaster? If anything bad does happen in Dover, look for idiots like Pat Robertson to proclaim it "God's punishment" for rejecting intelligent design.

This sort of absolutist thinking is a hallmark of fundamentalists. There's no room for rational disagreement. If you don't agree with the religious position, you have "rejected God," and are therefore shunned by believers. And just what was it that Michael Behe and all the Discovery Institute drones are always saying that the "intelligent designer"is not necessarily God, that "intelligent design" is not creationism, not a religious concept? Perhaps they had better have a little talk with Pat Roberts. It would appear that he hasn't gotten the memo. He's wandering off the talking points.

(Hat tip to The Probe.)

UPDATE: Pat Robertson has issued a "clarification":

Later Thursday, Robertson issued a statement saying he was simply trying to point out that "our spiritual actions have consequences."

"God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever," Robertson said. "If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them."

Talk about digging yourself in a deeper hole! I think Pat went totally off the deep end after 9/11, and this is just one more example supporting that conclusion. It's also typical for fundies to try to make the specious claim that evolution is a "religion" (Pat's sarcastic comment about "calling on Charles Darwin).

You know, it occurs to me. The slate of candidates elected in Dover is not actually hostile to ID. They have stated that ID would be appropriate as subject matter in comparative religion or sociology classes, which, of course, it would. (I would certainly have no objection to teaching about ID in such classes.) They simply agree with nearly every biologist that evolution is established science, the underpinning of modern biology, and that ID is not appropriate subject matter for the science classroom (mainly because it isn't science and they don't think we should be teaching religious ideas in the science classroom).

But that's offensive to Pat Robertson and his minions, apparently. It's not enough to Pat Robertson's version of God to allow ID to be taught in public schools. No, it must be taught in science classes as science! And, if you don't agree, well, Pat's version of God will "take care" of you. He'll make you pay.

(Hat tip to Ed.)