If you ever find yourself wondering about the truth of the saying that only the good die young …
John F. Kennedy died at age 46.
His brother Bobby was only 42 when he died.
Martin Luther King didn’t even make it to 40.
If you want a different sort of proof, consider that televangelist grifter died this week at age 93.
For much of his life, Robertson wasn’t the top grifter in the so-called Christian Coalition. That title belonged to his fellow Virginian, Jerry Falwell, who died in 2007 at age 73. Falwell was the one who started the so-called Moral Majority and pushed right-wing Christians into Republican politics.
The irony is that at the time the MM came around — less than 10 years after Roe v Wade — abortion was no that big an issue to them. The main reason the Bible thumpers got into politics in the ’70s and into the ’80s was a battle to get the government to approve vouchers to help their people pay for the “Christian” schools that were actually founded so that their children didn’t have to go to school with African-Americans.
Falwell was pretty much scum of the earth.. He became famous in 1980 when he said stated that it was impossible to be both a liberal and a Christian.
He wound up looking ridiculous when he said a cartoon character — the purple Teletubby — was gay, but maybe his worst moment came just after the 9/11 attacks when he appeared on Robertson’s “700 Club” and said blame for the attacks must be placed on gays, lesbians, feminists and abortion providers. Because of all the evil in the United States, God had removed his protection from America.
Said Robertson: “I totally concur.”
Robertson actually was a massive grifter. His audience was largely older people on fixed incomes, and he pushed them to make regular donations even when it meant they would have to do without necessities.
God will take care of you, he told them.
He also made big money selling dubious vitamin supplements. His followers might have had to do without, but he certainly didn’t. At the time of his death, he had an estimated net worth of $100 million.
That put him right up there with super-grifter Joel Osteen.
I have no way of knowing who goes where in the afterlife, but I have a hunch Robertson might find himself unpleasantly surprised by his ultimate destination. Of course, his old buddy Jerry might be his roommate.
Just like Jerry, good old Pat won’t be missed.