Yesterday, Robertson told "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that he didn't believe Hindus or Muslims should serve as either federal judges or members of the President's cabinet:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
... in your book The New World Order you wrote, "'How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo-Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus or Muslims.' My simple answer is, 'yes, they are.'" Does that mean no Hindu and Muslim judges?PAT ROBERTSON
Right now, I think people who feel that there should be a jihad against America, read what the Islamic people say. They divide the world into two spheres, Dar al Islam Dar al Harb. The Dar al Islam are those who've submitted to Islam, Dar al Harb are those who are in the land of war and they have said in the Koran there's a war against all the infidels. So do you want somebody like that sitting as a judge? I wouldn't. [cite]
Just one little thing stands in Robertson's way. It's called Article VI, Section 3 of the US Constitution:
"no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States"
While he attacks Islam more often, Robertson intensely dislikes Hinduism as well. In 1995 he said Hinduism was demonic, and that Hindus ought not be allowed to enter the United States.
One might see Robertson's decision to block Hindus and Muslims from the judiciary in terms of the importance he places upon it:
On Sunday morning, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson told TV viewers nation-wide that the threat posed by liberal judges is "probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings." When an incredulous George Stephanopoulos asked if Robertson really believed that these judges posed "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?," he responded, "George, I really believe that." [NYT Daily News]
Or you might just decide that he is a total loon who has repeatedly compared liberals (literally) to the Nazis, opposed democracy in South Africa, and compared Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians to the Anti-Christ. The scary thing is that Robertson is still close to the President and is still a respected conservative figure. The Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of The Traditional Values Coalition has come out in agreement with Robertson already.
You can read the whole transcript of Robertson's remarks on his website. He defends his statements about federal judges being the most serious threat to America as well.
