The second part of the question is critical: What are we - the religious community - saying about this? It's easy to dismiss Robertson's message, but you can't dismiss the people who watch and support the propagation of his twisted message. A few weeks ago, it was his warning to Philadelphians because of the court verdict on Intelligent Design. Before that, it was a case against the gays whose lifestyle whipped-up hurricane Katrina. And the list goes on.

This weekend we celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of his most poignant messages comes in a letter sent from Birmingham jail in which he remembers clergy who have lost positions and favor because of their alliance with justice. At the same time, he sharply criticized the Christian church for its complacency and non-action in the face of injustice. This can serve as a message and challenge to all people of faith today.

At our church and youth center we are actively working toward exposing the types of myths that will have God favoring one person over another. We bear witness to the Good News that we are all children of God. The consequences of ignoring the hatred or remaining silent are devastating. In the words of Dr. King, "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

Fr. Vazken Movsesian

Armenian Church Youth Ministries

In Context

The remark by Pat Robertson shows how ignorant he is about the faith he thinks he knows. First of all, he is wrong to suggest that when bad things happen to people, God must be angry! Jesus himself said that God sends his sun and rain on both the good and the evil; he made that comment after some of his disciples asked him who sinned when a construction project took a tumble and there were injuries.

The Book of Job was written to challenge the idea that the good always prosper and the wicked always suffer; the author of Job is saying, "Look! Here is a righteous man and he is suffering. Why?" In the second place, Robertson seems painfully unaware that all people are God's people, not only the Israelis.

There is a rabbinical story that is told concerning the ancient Israelites escaping Egypt and the pharaoh's army. The rabbi's name was Johanan. He said, "When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels in heaven were about to break into songs of jubilation. But the Holy One silenced them with the words, "My creatures are perishing, and you are ready to sing!" The truth is that Brother Pat needs our prayers as well as our condemnation. And a fast course in compassion wouldn't hurt, either!

THE REV. C.L. "SKIP" LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Cañada Flintridge

I try not to speak for my congregants. When I answer these questions, I always try to do so from my personal perspective. But, I think I can be relatively sure of this: no one in my church has any respect for Pat Robertson or his peculiar views. As for me, I think Pat Robertson has lost more than a step or two. He is tripping and falling every time he opens his mouth. But, then, I think most people understand that he has always been deficient in his capacity to reason and make good common sense.

I hope someone will tug on my sleeve, if I ever reach his level of inability to function in a good and reasonable capacity, and tell me, "Tom, it is time to hang it up." His remarks about Sharon and his other recent intemperate words about people and/or situations border on the ludicrous. Pat Robertson does not speak for me and he does not speak for most Christians. He is an embarrassment and increasingly so. If Robertson thinks God is giving him these ridiculous ideas to share with the American public he is very mistaken.

THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

I feel it is wrong to attribute Sharon's illness to his policies. To suggest that God punished him with a debilitating stroke because of a stance he took on an issue is a morally flawed approach.

In my opinion it is imperative that now, with Sharon fighting for his life, we should not be discussing policy differences. After all, it is the life of a fellow human that is in danger, and we must be able to distinguish between his policies -- even if we disagree with them -- and the person created in the divine image. We should never let disagreement reach a level where we lose respect for the one we disagree with.

It is not our task to figure out why Sharon became ill. Rather, we must pray and beseech God that he have a full recovery.

Does this mean that I agree with his politics or methods of governance? Not necessarily. There were some Sharon policies that I agreed with, and there were others that I opposed. I wasn't particularly fond of his policy of making Gaza "Juden-rein" as I would be against making Israel "Arab-rein." I fail to understand how peace can be achieved by the expulsion of Jews from every Arab population center, while millions of Arabs enjoy full Israeli citizenship and live in peace and harmony in Jewish neighborhoods.

The late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said "we will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us." I believe that peace will only come about when the Arabs fundamentally accept the Jewish state's right of existence. Until then, all the appeasement, land-giving, hand-shaking and deal-making will lead nowhere.

In closing, I offer a prayer: May God grant Prime Minister Sharon, together with all others who may need it, a speedy and full recovery.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

If anyone is off-kilter here, I don't believe it's Pat Robertson.

Have some of his previously aired opinions "crossed the line"? I believe so. But in this case Robertson simply took the facts of Sharon's actions and compared them with the facts of God's word. He then suggested (nothing more) that God did what He promised to do in such cases.

Contrast the outrage against Robertson's suggestion with the current rage for Howard Stern's new uncensored satellite radio show. The New York Times summarized Monday's debut as, among other unmentionable things, " ... ribald talk, raunchy jokes about celebrities, bickering ... and no small amount of self-promotion."

For this Stern stands to make $500 million from Sirius Satellite Radio over the next five years. Increased subscriptions have already netted him a bonus of $220 million in stock.

Our society is rewarding a peddler of filth with fortune and fame. At the same time it dares to censure "a preacher of righteousness" (like Noah, 2 Peter 2:5). If we continue in this vein we will soon be caught up in a flood of moral relativity, unable to make any distinction between good and evil.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank

This week's question deals with the belief that we can read God's motives by his apparent direct dealing in our lives, and that illness and misfortune is visited on those who deserve it.

There are many who persist in believing that bad things happen to bad people and good people are rewarded in this life with good fortune, to the point that during times of tests, too many will question what they have done to deserve the wrath of God. This premise is not supported in the Baha'i teachings. We are told that God places tests in our paths not as a means of vengeance, but to help us to grow and mature. We are unlikely to progress spiritually in life without working against the resistance of life's difficulties and the effort of overcoming our own fears and personal barriers. Inexplicably, terrible illness, accidents, even malicious acts at the hands of others are visited upon the innocent, and those who would seem to be in need of divine judgment seem to escape unscathed.

No one, no matter how religiously well-versed, has divine insight into God's motives and wisdom. We as Baha'is do not claim to have such insight, as we are told that God is essentially unknowable except by the example of his messagers. The purpose of religion has ever been to unite the peoples of the world, and this unity does not come without the pain of growth. In this country we are granted the freedom to voice our opinions openly. It is incumbent upon all of us, including religious leaders to guard against divisiveness and to promote unity.

BARBARA CRAMER

Secretary

Baha'i Faith

Glendale

This is what gives religion a bad name. Of course, in the context of the Middle East, Robertson is in line with all the other distorted views of the divine.

But looking at it from the orthodox camp, he and his teachings have always been out of line with the essence of Christianity because of the hatred it spews. In the body of faith, he is neither "religious" nor "right."

The second part of the question is critical: What are we -- the religious community -- saying about this? It's easy to dismiss Robertson's message, but you can't dismiss the people who watch and support the propagation of his twisted message. A few weeks ago, it was his warning to Philadelphians because of the court verdict on intelligent design. Before that, it was a case against the gays, whose lifestyle whipped-up Hurricane Katrina. And the list goes on.

This weekend we celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of his most poignant messages comes in a letter sent from Birmingham jail in which he remembers clergy who have lost positions and favor because of their alliance with justice. At the same time, he sharply criticized the Christian church for its complacency and non-action in the face of injustice. This can serve as a message and challenge to all people of faith today.

At our church and youth center we are actively working toward exposing the types of myths that will have God favoring one person over another. We bear witness to the Good News that we are all children of God. The consequences of ignoring the hatred or remaining silent are devastating.

In the words of Dr. King: "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

FR. VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church Youth

Ministries

This isn't necessarily an issue specific to the religious right, although Robertson falls into that category, it's about a particular pop-persuasion among Christians that has people like this past presidential hopeful repeating divine pronouncements (Joel 3:2) that may be true to Scripture, but which really have unrecognized expiration dates.

Robertson isn't anti-Semitic. If anything, he's hyper-Semitic. He doesn't believe that Israel should divvy up its property and relinquish it to people who, by divine right, have no claim to it. Robertson is a preservationist if anything. His problem is that his mouth is starting to run along with his advancing age, and he isn't quite as keen on public perceptions as he was before. Robertson reads the Old Testament and sees God's chagrin over ancient Israel's enemies dividing up the real estate that He had granted them, and Robertson believes that particular sentiment is everlasting.

Christians disagree on this issue, and while most in the West have amicable feelings toward Israel and the democracy they alone represent in the region, I don't think most of us on the right would necessarily recognize any divine dissatisfaction with Sharon, or anyone else, pursuing peace and using whatever means and resources are at their disposal. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9).

Our understanding would be that the cross of Christ has served as the great leveler.

It's the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, whose coming caused all people everywhere to become one (Ephesians 2) where previously "God's people" only pertained to the 12 ethnic tribes of Abraham.

The only stipulation for inclusion is the faithful reception of God's messiah (Romans 9). Is that the case with most in today's Israel? Even so, the American Christian right harbors no anti-Semitism despite our spiritual differences, but considers Israel a good friend. I'm personally traveling there at the end of this month.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Senior Pastor

Light on the Corner