The other day, a viewer asked Pat Robertson if it was okay to “like” Facebook photos of same-sex couples.
The “700 Club” host/failed presidential candidate/former Southern Baptist minister crawled out of his cave long enough to reply that Facebook needs a “vomit” button for such pictures.
“You’ve got a couple of same-sex guys kissing, do you like that?” he rumbled.
“Well, that makes me want to throw up. To me I would punch ‘vomit,’ not ‘like,’ but they don’t give you that option on Facebook.”
Then he chuckled, at the absurdity of this wacky 21st-century world. (Click here or below to see Rev. Robertson’s full answer.)
That did not sit well with another religious figure. Rev. Debra Haffner — co-founder and president of the Religious Institute, the Westport-based multifaith organization advocating for sexual health, education and justice in faith communities and society — set up a Tumblr page filled with love, not hate.
“Such comments make it sound as if Rev. Robertson has never seen the love and the joy on the faces of same-sex couples,” the page — called “Show Pat Love!” — says.
The Tumblr invites users to share same-sex couple photos — and promises to forward a link to all submissions to Rev. Robertson’s attention.
Dozens of photos have already been posted. There are male couples, and female couples; white, black, Hispanic, Asian and biracial couples; couples with kids, and couples with dogs; couples posing in churches and temples, atop mountains and on beaches.
In other words: same-sex couples doing just what opposite-sex couples do on their wedding days.
One of the 1st couples to be featured is Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates. The longtime Westporters posted a joyful shot from their wedding ceremony at the Unitarian Church.
The minister is Rev. Frank Hall. Also officiating: Rev. Barbara Fast, of the Danbury Unitarian Church.
Interestingly, Debra Haffner is associated with the Unitarians too. When she’s not running the Religious Institute, she serves as a community minister at the Westport church.
Where, clearly, there is plenty of love to go around.
And enough to spare, even for a grumpy old man living out a different century in a Virginia cave.
(Click here for the “Show Pat Love!” Tumblr.)
Wonderful article, Dan, and as a member of the Unitarian Church in Westport, I am so proud of my church and of Debra Haffner, who I think is one of today’s outstanding women. However, the woman in the photo is not Debra. It is Rev. Barbara Fast of the Danbury Unitarian Church. And I think Pat Robertson is a jerk who doesn’t deserve to call himself a “man of God.”
Thanks, Bobbie. I’ve updated the post to reflect that it’s Rev. Fast.
Pat Robertson is nothing but an old gasbag. He needs to crawl back in to his Virginia cave and stay there!
That’s Rev. Barbara Fast co-officiating with Frank Hall.
We live in a society where seeing men holding guns and shooting at each other is common and acceptable, but seeing men holding hands or kissing is considered appalling. Love, it seems, has somehow become “unChristian-like” to many of these non-Christians posing as Christians.
Just add this to the endless list of stupid things he has said be it; Hindus being demonic, Muslims being Satanic, the ACLU bearing some of the blame for 9/11, Hurricane Katrina a result of America’s abortion policy and the Haiti earthquake due to its founders making a pact with the devil to liberate themselves from slave owners.
This guy is certifiable and why he is given the airtime he is is beyond me
He isn’t “given” the time. He’s chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network. He takes it for himself.
well i don’t know anyone who watches that channel and quite frankly i have no interest in meeting anyone who does…….
The Pat Robertson kind of humans?? (or is he human?) of the world don’t have long to continue that kind of cruelty for which we can all be very grateful. It is truly horrible that he still feels “entitled” to say such things on the public airwaves and call himself a man of God. I go to a Christian church and we have several same sex couples as members. They are some of the finest, most caring , family oriented people around – individuals whom I choose to turn to most when I need support. Maybe it’s because they felt judged at some point in their lives so they don’t judge. Who one chooses to love in their life has no bearing on who they are inside — in their hearts.
I once heard a person of faith say, “Homosexuality is just another expression of God’s boundless creativity.”
By vomiting at that creativity, Pat Robertson defiles God’s artwork. Pat needs to look in the mirror to see what spewing hate looks like. I hope Pat’s God will forgive his bigotry. I know I can’t.
Thanks, Dan, for letting me and Suzanne be the poster kids. We had 300 fabulous friends in attendance at our wedding 8 years ago. I feel sorry for Mr. Robertson that he wasn’t invited. It was a grand party.