These religious leaders are a joke

On Sunday, Rabbi Stuart Booth, at San Francisco International Airport to hop on a plane to Israel told screeners he had a bomb on his personal property that would explode and take down the plane.

He allegedly told screeners he was a terrorist.

Of course he was lying, or as he puts it, joking.

He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to six days in county jail. He was also fined $110 for falsely reporting a bomb.

I wonder if this holy man was trying to teach us all a lesson. But what is it?

Was he saying "relax?"

Was he saying "watch out?"

What was this holy man trying to tell us?

Well, I don't care if there was a message to his lunacy.

That kind of behavior in these trying times is inexcusable. He's lucky I'm not a prosecutor or judge, because I'd do everything in my power to punish that man.

Not to be upstaged, another religious leader on Monday called for the outright assassination of the president of Venezuela.

Pat Robertson, a Christian Coalition of America pioneer, said President Hugo Chavez should be "taken out," because Venezuela will become a "launching pad for communist influence and Muslim extremism."

A day later Robertson apologized for his remark. But the damage was done. Robertson, a Bush backer, somehow wields a lot of influence in this country and his comments make Americans look like a barbaric people willing to kill at will.

I openly encourage all supporters of Pat Robertson to immediately stop giving this man money. His power comes from millions of people who believe he does the work of God.

Sad thing is, even if the money stream stopped flowing in today, Robertson and his gang of right-wing Christians would still be sitting pretty because their tax-exempt empire has likely invested millions in real estate.

Who does Pat Robertson speak for?

Certainly not many of us here in the Bay Area.

Lonely old people stuck at home with nothing but the television to keep them company are Robertson's most likely victims.

Go to Robertson's official Web site and you can buy Pat's Diet shake. "It's the most delicious, nutritious shake you will ever taste," and is sold at local GNC stores. Oh, and don't forget to buy Pat's age-defying protein pancakes.

The man is a leech and imbecile.

Just listen to the words that have come out of his mouth.

He said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were God's punishment for "pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians" and the ACLU.

He said Orlando, Fla. would be devastated by natural disaster because Disney World has "gay days."

He said feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

Although the Bush administration has distanced itself from the conservative broadcaster no one in the Bush camp has outright condemned Robertson's comments.

Why?

Bush doesn't have to run for president again. He doesn't have to worry about alienating voters. Perhaps it's because Bush's views on the world more closely resemble those of Robertson's than the rest of us.

Seriously, if your views are aligned with Pat Robertson you clearly must have some kind of problem.

In the Wednesday edition of the Daily Journal letter writer Debra Hubert of Burlingame said the war in Iraq isn't just about oil. "It truly is a modern-day Christian Crusade," Hubert said.

Hubert writes we must "stop this madness before the whole world is destroyed bringing about the Armageddon he is pushing for to prove his version of biblical belief."

Could Hubert be on to something; are there bible prophecies in play that I'm unaware of? Certainly the events in the Gaza Strip the last few weeks could be seen in some sort of biblical context. Watching Israeli troops drag rabbis out of synagogues was surreal to watch. Watching Palestinian children celebrate the ouster of people from their homes was surreal to watch.

What does religious leader Pat Robertson have to say about these events? He's a bible scholar and holy man, after all. Shouldn't he be able to offer some insight into these troubling events. Well, again, and I repeat, if you care about and believe the things that come out of Pat Robertson's mouth then you should go see a doctor or something. Please.

What lessons did we learn today? Well don't joke about having a bomb at an airport. That's just plain stupid.

Bill Silverfarb's column runs every Friday. He can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200, ext. 104. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.