Christians and Politics

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for the United States to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas.

"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson told viewers on his "The 700 Club" show Monday. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." He called Chavez "a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. we don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

Robertson accused Chavez, a left-wing populist with close ties to Cuban President Fidel Castro, of trying to make Venezuela "a launching pad for Communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent. This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen." Chavez has said he believes the United States is trying to assassinate him, vowing that Venezuela, which accounts for more than 10 percent of U.S. oil imports, would shut off the flow of oil if that happens.

See the broadcast here.

When I started to write about this article I became frustrated. I believe that Pat Robertson's statement was off-the-cuff and ignorant and should not have been said on broadcast television.

But at the same time I am conflicted on where a Christian should stand on matters of national security and foreign policy, such as the possible actions of the Venezuelan goverment against the United States and also the conflict in Iraq.

My friend Zach wrote in his blog concerning Robertson's statements, "the Sermon on the Mount has been replaced with the Declaration of Independence - "The American Dream" and "The American Way of Life".... takes precedence over the command that came from the mouth of the Living God "Love your enemies". listen for yourself...the voice of the evangelical christian in America"

What he says makes sense to me, but I have a hard time trying to figure out how to turn love into action in these circumstances. Maybe I just need to think outside of the box.

I don't know if I have made any sense and I don't know if anyone reads this, but I would be interested to here what people think.