The Media and Christianity

USA Today is reporting that Televangelist Pat Robertson has come out with some predictions for this New Year. Of special note is Robertson's claim that God told him that there will be a massive terrorist attack on the United States in late 2007.

"I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."

Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.

Before you start crapping your pants and planning your move to Canada, it should be noted that Robertson's past predictions haven't always been spot on.

"I have a relatively good track record," [Robertson] said. "Sometimes I miss."

In May, Robertson said God told him that storms and possibly a tsunami were to crash into America's coastline in 2006. Even though the U.S. was not hit with a tsunami, Robertson on Tuesday cited last spring's heavy rains and flooding in New England as partly fulfilling the prediction.

Wait, stop the presses! How can he sometimes miss? In his own words, God told him what was going to happen. Why doesn't a statement like this get more attention from the mainstream media? Pat Robertson says he personally recieved communications from God that turned out to be wrong.

Since Christianity is a religion based on revelation, shouldn't this cause the honest evangelical Christian to re-evaluate their faith? The Holy Bible is the revealed word of God, but if Pat Robertson can get false revelation from God, doesn't it follow that the Bible could be false revelation as well?

When scientists are caught fabricating evidence and rigging clinical studies, that gets massive amounts of media coverage (just think back to the South Korean scientist that turned out to have fabricated his cloning research). Why does the media not hold religious leaders to the same standards about the claims they make?

Pat Robertson made predictions based on divine revelations. The predictions turned out to be innaccurate. So either Pat Robertson made the whole thing up or God is a big fat liar. Either outcome should shake the foundations of evangelical Christianity. Instead, we get nothing more than a fluff piece about good old Pat and his yearly predictions.