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Depends on how you define "turn away". For Christians that look to people to lead them, perhaps, and very sad. For those grounded in the Bible, they'll just go elsewhere (hopefully). And i pray those considering visiting a church or thinking about their faith will not let one man's ramblings detur them.

You have to careful when you claim to speak for G-d...

People won't turn away from religion. They'll turn away from the likes of Robertson. And a good thing that is.

It is this sort of action that causes people to turn from Christianity in particular but not from other organized relgions. Organized religion covers the other faiths of the world. I would not let this man's remarks cause me to turn from my personal spiritual path or my religious home in the Unitarian Universalist Church. Rightwing fundamentalist such as Pat Robertson are in the same boat as the rightwing fundamentalist of any other relgion. Unfortuntately, they give all people of that faith a bad name.

When Pat Robertson says something that doesn't match the Bible, he doesn't speak for anybody but himself, so he's only giving himself a bad name. The reality is that if you claim to speak for God, and then you can't back up what you just said in Scripture, then it was your word and not God's that was spoken.

Every one of us who claim to follow any religion probably say things at one time or another that don't line up with the teachings of the religion we practice. But that's a reflection on us (imperfect people), not on the religion we espouse.

That's not to say that we shouldn't be responsible for our words, because we should. And if you're going to speak for God, you better speak His Word, and not your own. But having said that, I think it's wrong to turn away from religion because someone says something false (and just ridiculous, really), just like it's wrong for people to say the false (and ridiculous) things in the first place.

"Organized religion" is made up of people. And people say (and do) some dumb stuff, don't we? But don't give up. Hang in there. Just make sure you keep your eyes on God.

First, considering the track record of Pat Robertson, anyone who would give him or his "word" creedence needs serious mental evaluation.

Let the facts of this man and his "word/s" speak for themselves.

And let us look at what the people of Dover, PA did. They did not vote God out. If that were possible, then the omniscience and omnipotience of God are false! Robertson should realize this first and foremost. However, to acknowledge that would mean that he could not garner headlines on such a hot button issue as "intelligent design."

Next, who would teach something like this to the students in a school district? That would cause another fracus. So, one's faith practices need to be dealt with in the home atmosphere rather than in the public arena. That way, one's offspring can be taught the way one desires and espouses.

People need to cease and desist giving Robertson and the like their media "bully pulpits." Once that happens, people will have learned to think for their own selves and not have to listen to the dribble that comes from this type of person, regardless of the faith tradition!

Shalom

Pat Robertson, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Lewis Farrakan, Jerry Falwell and those who wear the label of Rev. to deceive people and to enhance themselves are all in the same group and will be answerable to God in due time. There are many scriptures that tell why people will turn away and most deal with false prophets. Here are just a few ranging from the Old Testement to the New. Warning is given to those who would follow as well as to those who would lead:

1 John 4:1(NKJ)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world

Peter 2:1(NKJ)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

Matthew 24:11(NKJ)
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves

Jeremiah 14:14(NKJ)
And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart

Jeremiah 23:30 (Amp)
Therefore behold, I am against the [false] prophets, says the Lord, [I am even now descending upon them with punishment, these prophets] who steal My words from one another [imitating the phrases of the true prophets].

I can't speak for all who have left their religion behind, but I have to say that for me, leaving it wasn't a simple process, or one that came about due to any single event.

When I was a believer, people like Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker and Jimmy Saggart were embarrassments. It was easy to disown such obviously crackpot loons. What started me well and truly on the path to apostacy was reading parts of the Bible that were outside the bounds set by the church.

Of course, getting told I was wrong to say anything that was "unorthodox" in church didn't help matters. But once you start asking questions and recognizing that the church may not be the place to find the best answers... I think there's little chance of keeping your faith after that.

He's just saying what every fundamentalist Christian believes but is afraid to say. I think we ought to thank him for bringing the craziness of the religious right into the light. Keep talking Pat...you're doing a good job for progressive people of faith! It was these views that lost the school board election in PA and it is those views which will continue the decline of nationalist right wing Christianity in the US.

Now if we could just get Fred Phelps to comment in Kansas...lol.

Pat's the Howard Dean of the far right religious group. His mouth is quicker than his brain.

But let's give him a little slack, after all, age tends to make all of us a little absurd once in a while.

Please G_d keep Pat with us a little longer, he so entertains us at times.

Not sure what you mean about Howard Dean, Jon. I don't think Dean has ever called for the assasination of a leader of another country or called down god's wrath upon a city just cause of the way they voted. And Dean does not claim divine authority.

Robertson uses terrorist rhetoric...Dean does not.

One useful aspect of Robertson's remarks is that they make clear that "intelligent design" is simply Biblical creationism by another name ... else why would Robertson care what Dover, Pa., decided, let alone suggest that the decision deserved, and would draw, God's wrath?