Robertson pleads misunderstanding...

Pat Robertson responds to a letter from Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), regarding his comments on ABC's This Week. In his letter to Sen. Lautenberg, Robertson reasserts his belief that an activist judiciary is still a greater threat to the United States than a bunch of "crazed terrorists".

The real problem with Robertson's statement was not that he believes islamist terrorist are not the society-destroying threat the many make them out to be, its his response to Stephanopolus' attempt to clarify what Robertson said.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But, sir, you have described this in pretty -- this whole battle in pretty apocalyptic terms. You've said that liberals are engaged in an all-out assault on Christianity, that Democrats will appoint judges who don't share our Christian values and will dismantle Christian culture. And that the out-of-control judiciary -- and this was in your last book, Courting Disaster -- is the most serious threat America has faced in nearly 400 years of history, more serious than Al Qaeda, more serious than Nazi Germany and Japan, more serious than the Civil War?

ROBERTSON: George, I really believe that. I think they are destroying the fabric that holds our nation together. There is an assault on marriage. There's an assault on human sexuality, as [U.S. Supreme Court] Judge [Antonin] Scalia said, they've taken sides in the culture war. And on top of that, if we have a democracy, the democratic processes should be that we can elect representatives who will share our point of view and vote those things into law.

The idea that militant islam is not truly a threat to our way of life or our overall security (though it will continue to be a threat to the safety of individuals) is pretty well accepted. However, Nazi Germany, Imperialist Japan and Soviet Communism did truly pose a threat to our society at a bedrock level. Their defeat was essential to the continued existence of our country and the continued existence of democratic governments the world over. Equating that threat with the role the judiciary has played in issues dear to the christian right is truly abhorrent.

Equating the American judiciary with societies that practiced genocide, liquidated millions of individuals and violated every standard of humane conduct not only in war but in the day-to-day nature of their society is beyond belief.

His incendiary comments come at a period marking the 60th anniversary of the Victory in Europe.

Robertson's comments will hopefully bring to light the radical beliefs of these extremist groups. Their ideas lie not only outside the mainstream, but in an area of unreality.

- Murphy