US State Dept. Says Robertson's Comments "Inappropriate"

Pat Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on air during yesterday's broadcast of the 700 Club. Robertson asserts, "If [Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."

Robertson claims that Venezuela could become "a launching pad for Communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent." According to the U.S. State Department, 98% Venezuela is Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Some days I just want to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head in order to pretend that this isn't happening. But then I peek out and realize that it isn't a dream. There really are ministers, big name, powerful ministers, saying some pretty outlandish things - like calling for the assassination of foreign presidents just because they want some oil.

I'm out of witty or interesting things to say about this, so for the moment I'm going to pull the covers back over my head and pray really quietly that perhaps Jesus will forgive us for the ways that we human beings use his name for making our personal political points. I'm reasonably sure that Robertson's personal political point is way off base and doesn't represent the Prince of Peace.