The 007 Club
16 Feb 2006
Like James Bond, Ian Fleming’s fictitious super spy, Pat Robertson has been acting like he has a license to kill. Perhaps, Pat ought to change the name of his 700 Club to 007 Club. After all, he did recently call for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. As though the bad press generated by this occurrence of his reoccurring foot and mouth disease wasn’t bad enough, Robertson added insult to injury with his recent insinuation that Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon’s stroke was divine retribution for Sharon’s relinquishing of Gaza to the Palestinians. This latter incident has cost Robertson more than just some bad press; it has cost him his Christian Heritage Center in Galilee.
Robertson has been leading an effort among evangelicals to raise $50 million for the building of a Christian theme park in northern Galilee. Infuriated by Robertson’s poke at their stroke-stricken prime minister, the Israeli government has severed ties with Robertson. Although Israel intends to proceed with the theme park project, Robertson will no longer be one of the players, much less the major player.
I don’t know about you, but I find the building of a theme park in Galilee most unseemly. Why would anyone travel thousands of miles to ride a rollercoaster in the Holy Land? And why dot the landscape where Jesus walked with cotton candy venders and souvenir shops. Such crass commercialism speaks volumes to me about the spiritual shallowness of modern-day Christianity.
It was not too long ago when the Christian community was criticizing Jim and Tammy Bakker for bilking millions of dollars from their gullible followers to build PTL’s ill-fated Heritage U.S.A. Today, however, the carnival mentality has seized the church. Not only are evangelicals looking to build a theme park in the Holy Land, but also to convert their own churches into mini theme parks filled with entertainment, recreation and all-around fun for the whole family.
Seldom heard in today’s church is the challenging call of the lowly Carpenter from Galilee: “Take up your cross and follow me.” Instead, today’s church rings with a rousing chorus of: “Life is a Cabaret, old chum, Come to the Cabaret.” Tragically, while the church sings and dances its way through these last days, the curtain is falling on a Christ rejecting, cross hating world.
Don Walton
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