Evangelical media's most well-known figure, Pat Robertson, has sadly passed away at the age of 93. Robertson's retirement was announced by his broadcasting network on Thursday. He is well-known for founding the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and developing the well-known "700 Club" television program.
Pat Robertson, a longtime TV host, religious broadcaster, educator, humanitarian, and even forayed into politics as a presidential candidate, peacefully died at his home in Virginia Beach early on Thursday morning, according to a statement from CBN News, though the precise cause of his death was not made public. His lasting impact includes the many people he touched over his illustrious career.
Religious Broadcaster Pat Robertson Passes Away at 93
According to the article shared in WJAR 10, throughout his professional life, Robertson founded a number of businesses, including the international humanitarian organization Operation Blessing, the American Center for Law and Justice, and Regent University, an evangelical Christian university in Virginia Beach.
Robertson attracted a sizable following when he entered politics in 1988 and ran for the Republican presidential nomination. He used an effective approach of interacting with Iowa's network of evangelical Christian churches, which ultimately helped him defeat Vice President George H.W. Bush and take second place in the Iowa caucuses. Robertson established the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989 after his failed presidential campaign, encouraging thousands of evangelicals to vote in an effort to further the principles of his campaign.
Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Pat Robertson and fellow televangelist Jerry Falwell came under fire for allegedly assigning blame to a number of organizations, including abortionists, feminists, homosexual people, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Robertson caused controversy in 2010 by falsely asserting that enslaved Black people who had signed a "pact with the Devil" during their struggle for freedom from French invaders in the 18th century were to blame for the disastrous earthquake that struck Haiti that year.
According to Pat Robertson's biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden, one of Robertson's famous tactics was his insistence on obtaining three million signatures from supporters across the US before deciding to run for a particular position. According to the Times of Israel, he successfully attracted a sizable support base thanks to this strategy.
Robertson reportedly asked for individuals to promise to work for him, pray for him, and give him money, according to Hadden, a sociologist at the University of Virginia. Some political historians considered this strategy to be one of the most deft and brilliant moves a politician has ever made.
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Anti-Muslim Sentiments
The frequent anti-Muslim sentiments made by Pat Robertson, a well-known American televangelist and former Southern Baptist minister, have just come to light in an article published by Aljazeera. In particular, his remarks received a lot of attention after the horrific events of September 11, 2001. Islamophobia and the marginalization of Muslims have been aided by Robertson's speech, which included calling Islam a "monumental scam" and spreading untrue rumors about Muslim immigrants attempting to rule Western cultures.
One of Robertson's most controversial actions was his oposition to the establishment of a Muslim community center near the site of the World Trade Center in New York City in which he was loudly vocal to the public. By equating Islam to Nazism and espousing inflammatory views, he not only undermined the principles of religious freedom and tolerance but also further fueled animosity towards the Muslim community.
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