Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 10-03-2002, 03:48 PM

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35217-2002Oct2.html" target="_blank">Robertson Charity Wins 'Faith-Based' Grant </a>

Quote:

Early this year, Pat Robertson denounced the Bush administration's "faith-based" initiative, warning that the program is a "Pandora's Box" that could make legitimate religious charities dependent on government and finance cults that "brainwash" prospective adherents.

Today, Operation Blessing International, a Virginia Beach charity created by Robertson, is to get $500,000 in the first wave of grants to be distributed under the faith-based initiative, which gives federal money to religious organizations that provide social services.

. . .

The $500,000 grant award to Operation Blessing is one of 25 to be announced today by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. The money comes from what the administration calls the Compassion Capital Fund, which has $30 million available this year.

. . .

{Barry} Lynn also cited media reports, that "investigators with Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs wanted to prosecute Robertson in 1999 for making deceptive appeals about [Operation Blessing] but were overruled by the attorney general's office."

More on Operation Blessing:

<a href="http://www.au.org/press/pr021003.htm" target="_blank">Americans United press release</a>

Quote:

Robertson's Operation Blessing, a $66-million-a-year agency, also has a controversial history. According to news media reports, investigators with Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs wanted to prosecute Robertson in 1999 for making deceptive appeals about his charity but were overruled by the attorney general�s office. Lawyers in the attorney general�s office agreed Robertson had made inaccurate statements but decided against prosecution.

The controversy over Operation Blessing stretches back to 1994 when Robertson used his "700 Club" daily cable television program to raise funds for the charity. Robertson told viewers Operation Blessing was using cargo planes to aid refugees from Rwanda who had fled into the neighboring nation of Zaire (now known as Congo) to escape a violent civil war.

In fact, Robertson was using the planes to haul mining equipment in and out of Zaire for African Development Corporation (ADC), his for-profit diamond-mining company. Robertson later said the planes had proved impractical for relief work and insisted he had reimbursed the charity for ADC�s use of them.

The Virginian-Pilot newspaper noted that state officials criticized the charity for sloppy bookkeeping and for mixing non-profit and for-profit activities. It also pointed out that Robertson reimbursed Operation Blessing for ADC�s use of its airplanes in two stages. Investigators determined that ADC owed Operation Blessing $468,773. Robertson ultimately gave the group $572,597, but $400,000 of that came two months after the official investigation began.

<a href="http://www.ifas.org/fw/9907/pat.html" target="_blank">Robertson's "Operation Blessing" guilty of sloppy bookkeeping</a>

<a href="http://www.skeptictank.org/robem2.htm" target="_blank">More on the Diamond Mines</a>

crazyfingers · 10-03-2002, 04:00 PM

Well that's just dandy.

Mageth · 10-03-2002, 04:09 PM

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7027/business.html" target="_blank">More on Robertson's business practices</a>

<a href="http://www.gregpalast.com/columns.cfm?subject_id=13&subject_name=Pat%20Rober tson" target="_blank">More interesting stuff on Sir Pat and the Bank of Scotland</a>

Talk about throwing your pearls before swine...

RufusAtticus · 10-03-2002, 04:53 PM

Couldn't Dubya just give Pat some head instead of sodomizing the taxpayers?

uhcord · 10-03-2002, 05:23 PM

Oh great, I live right next to Virginia Beach ...

Edit: Er.. how this will effect me.. I don't know... but I do know it will.

We already have tons JW's riding their little bikes around bothering me daily (get off the fucking road!)... Though, I do admit, it is fun to mess around with them

Anyways, I do not want to know what the followers of Pat Robertson will do to Hampton Roads (the general area that I live in, that includes Virginia Beach) with $500,000 at hand .... *shudder*

[ October 03, 2002: Message edited by: vonmeth ]</p>

gsx1138 · 10-03-2002, 07:31 PM

Come on now, religous Nazi's need love too.

By the way, I was a Jehovah's Witness for 15 years, they don't ride bikes that is the Mormons. Of course you can run them over as well.

Tom Sawyer · 10-04-2002, 12:40 PM

Why do Mormons ride bikes? I have a Mormon friend and he drives. Is he a heretic or something?

braces_for_impact · 10-04-2002, 12:59 PM

Great, not only do my taxes get used for religious purposes without my consent, but there are apparently no safeguards built in to help keep money away from bigoted self-indulgent 'holier than thou' bastards like Roberston!

Rant mode off, only because otherwise I'm about to throw a MAJOR fit over this.

Glory · 10-04-2002, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by peteyh:
<strong>Why do Mormons ride bikes? I have a Mormon friend and he drives. Is he a heretic or something?</strong>

They are cheaper than cars. Most mossionaries can get where they need to go on bikes so they don't need cars. Usually the supervisor(I have no idea what his official title might be) has a car provided by the church. It's the same with the white shirts, black pants, and black ties. They are inexpensive and bought in bulk. This way they can spend church money on the mission instead of the missionaries.

The things you pick up when you live next the temple.

Glory

Toto · 10-04-2002, 04:43 PM

Riding bicycles is one of the best things Mormon's can do.

Back to Pat's political payoff:

<a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--robertson-charity1003oct03,0,7064345.story?coll=dp%2Dheadlin es%2Dvirginia" target="_blank">Robertson's Operation Blessing receives $500,000 federal grant </a>

Quote:

. . .

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, issued a statement Thursday saying Robertson should not receive the grant because of comments he has made about Islam.

For example, in 1997, Muslim leaders demanded that Robertson apologize for saying on his program that converting to Islam "is nothing short of insanity" because it is the religion of those who sold Africans into slavery. A spokeswoman said at the time that Robertson's remarks were taken out of context.

"Anyone who exhibits such bigoted views is unworthy to receive taxpayer dollars," CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said. "Mr. Robertson should be repudiated, not rewarded, for his Islamophobic hate speech."

Awad also said it was hypocritical for Robertson to condemn the program and then accept a grant from it.

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10-03-2002, 04:00 PM	#2
crazyfingers Contributor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 13,699	Well that's just dandy.

10-03-2002, 04:09 PM	#3
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	<a href="http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7027/business.html" target="_blank">More on Robertson's business practices</a> <a href="http://www.gregpalast.com/columns.cfm?subject_id=13&subject_name=Pat%20Rober tson" target="_blank">More interesting stuff on Sir Pat and the Bank of Scotland</a> Talk about throwing your pearls before swine...

10-03-2002, 04:53 PM	#4
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	Couldn't Dubya just give Pat some head instead of sodomizing the taxpayers?

10-03-2002, 05:23 PM	#5
uhcord Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,158	Oh great, I live right next to Virginia Beach ... Edit: Er.. how this will effect me.. I don't know... but I do know it will. We already have tons JW's riding their little bikes around bothering me daily (get off the fucking road!)... Though, I do admit, it is fun to mess around with them Anyways, I do not want to know what the followers of Pat Robertson will do to Hampton Roads (the general area that I live in, that includes Virginia Beach) with $500,000 at hand .... shudder [ October 03, 2002: Message edited by: vonmeth ]</p>

10-03-2002, 07:31 PM	#6
gsx1138 Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Bremerton, Washington Posts: 379	Come on now, religous Nazi's need love too. By the way, I was a Jehovah's Witness for 15 years, they don't ride bikes that is the Mormons. Of course you can run them over as well.

10-04-2002, 12:40 PM	#7
Tom Sawyer Talk Freethought Staff Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Toronto, eh Posts: 42,293	Why do Mormons ride bikes? I have a Mormon friend and he drives. Is he a heretic or something?

10-04-2002, 12:59 PM	#8
braces_for_impact Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In a nondescript, black helicopter. Posts: 6,637	Great, not only do my taxes get used for religious purposes without my consent, but there are apparently no safeguards built in to help keep money away from bigoted self-indulgent 'holier than thou' bastards like Roberston! Rant mode off, only because otherwise I'm about to throw a MAJOR fit over this.

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