Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, views on September 11-Truth!

Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson say immorality and anti-Christian groups should share in the blame for the Terrorist Attacks on America-Truth!

Summary of eRumor
There are several different versions of the eRumor. Some say that in an Interview on Pat Robertson's 700 Club telecast, Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell seemed to be resting the blame for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on 9/11/01 on their political and moral enemies rather than the terrorists themselves. Others simply repeat their remarks that gays, abortionists, the ACLU, and the People For the American Way should share in the blame for a spiritual vulnerability that allowed the attack to take place.

The Truth
According to the CBN website, the Interview took place on Thursday, September 13 (Some versions of the eRumor say it was Wednesday).

Both men spoke harshly of the terrorists and clearly blamed them for the attacks.

During a discussion about whether this crisis might bring revival to America, Jerry Falwell said God may have allowed what the nation deserved because of moral decay and said Americans should have an attitude of repentance before God and asking for God's protection. He specifically listed the ACLU, abortionists, feminists, gays, and the People For the American way as sharing in the blame. Pat Robertson responded with agreement.

APOLOGY
The was national publicity over the Robertson-Falwell interview and strong reaction from representatives of some of the groups that Falwell named.

On 9/14/01, Falwell issued an apology for his comments and said he believes that the terrorists alone were responsible for the attacks. He reiterated, however, that theologically he believes that groups that have worked to secularize America have helped remove the nation from its spiritual foundations.

Pat Robertson, on his website, distanced himself from the comments that he had agreed with at the time they were made. He said that during the interview, Falwell suddenly made a "...political statement of blame directed at certain segments of the population that was severe and harsh in tone, and, frankly, not fully understood by the three hosts of The 700 Club who were watching Rev. Falwell on a monitor." Robertson said he considered the comments "totally inappropriate" and that critics had taken the words out of context.

THE TRANSCRIPT
Here are their comments in context:

Pat Robertson began the interview asking Falwell what his response has been to the terrorist attacks. Falwell said there had been a massive prayer gathering of members of his congregation along with students from Liberty University. He told the TV audience that they had humbled themselves before God, prayed for President Bush and his advisers and for the victims of the attacks.

Falwell then likened the attacks to Pearl Harbor and that at that time, Hitler wanted to destroy the Jews and conquer the world. Now, "Islamic fundamentalists, radical terrorists, Middle-Eastern monsters" want to destroy Israel and conquer the world.

The two men then talked about religious revival and whether the events of September 11 might spark spiritual renewal in America.

Then Falwell said, "What we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."
Robertson replied, "Well, Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror, we haven't begun to see what they can do to the major population."
Falwell said, "The ACLU has got to take a lot of blame for this. And I know I'll hear from them for this, but throwing God...successfully with the help of the federal court system...throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools, the abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked and when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad...I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America...I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen."
Robertson said, "I totally concur, and the problem is we've adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government, and so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do, and the top people, of course, is the court system."
Falwell added, "Pat, did you notice yesterday that the ACLU and all the Christ-haters, the People for the American Way, NOW, etc., were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress, as they went out on the steps and and called out to God in prayer and sang 'God bless America' and said, let the ACLU be hanged. In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time, calling on God."

A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

Urgent!

Forward this to all your friends.

Falwell can't seem to figure out that it was terrorists who are responsible for the World Trade Center attack, not gays and abortionists.

Hi-

I sat this morning still reeling from the deaths of my writing/business partner David Angell and his wife Lynn who were on board the first plane to hit the WTC. My sorrow turned to anger when I heard that Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson had blamed gays, pro-choicers, liberals and others for inviting the wrath of God to visited on the US. "I guess we got what we had coming" said one of them on "The 700 Club".

At a time when unity is essential, these two "men of God" have chosen divisiveness. They are sad pathetic creatures, yes, but I have suspected that for a while. Now they have proven it in spades. The great irony is that when we have been the victims of hate borne out of religious extremism, Falwell and Robertson seem to have no problem fomenting the same.

I am forwarding this to everyone on my list from good friends to people who might not even remember ever corresponding with me. Read it if you have the stomach. It is truly sickening. If you are moved to let them know what you think or to pass it on to others, please do. There is so much hurt in the world now, my own included, why must these two add to it?

Best Wishes

David Lee