Pat Robertson Links 'Hate' of God to Wis. Sikh Temple Shooting
Televangelist Pat Robertson, while commenting on "The 700 Club" Monday about the Sunday morning shooting at a Wisconsin Sikh temple, suggested that such violence occurs because "people who hate God... take it out on innocent people."
"What is it? Is it Satanic? Is it some spiritual thing?" Robertson questioned during his Christian news program this morning.
"People who are atheists, they hate God, they hate the expression of God, and they are angry with the world, angry with themselves, angry with society and they take it out on innocent people who are worshipping God," he said.
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"Whether it's a Sikh temple, or a Baptist church, or a Catholic church, or a Muslim mosque – whatever it is – I just abhor this kind of violence, and it's the kind of thing that we should do something about," he continued.
"But what do you do? Well, you talk about the love of God and hope it has some impact," he added.
Robertson referenced the shooting that took place at a Sikh religious center in Oak Creek, Wis., on Sunday, in which a former U.S. soldier named Wade Michael Page allegedly opened fire during a worship ceremony, killing six before he was shot to death by police.
Page, 40, has been described by police officials as a "frustrated neo-Nazi" who, during his service in the U.S. Army, was accused of going AWOL and drinking while on duty.
Additionally, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that Page has been a part of the white supremacy movement since 2000, according to a blog post published in 2010 on a white supremacy website.
Additionally, media reports indicate that Page was allegedly the leader of a white supremacist band.
It still remains unclear what Page's religious affiliation is, if any.
Sunday's shooting drew comparisons to the Aurora, Colo., shooting on July 20, during which suspect James Holmes allegedly opened fire on a full movie theater, killing 12 people and injuring 59 others.
Several religious figures linked Holmes' rampage to issues of faith.
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said that America has become more secular and therefore Holmes did not understand the magnitude of the sin he was committing.
Evangelical leader Jerry Newcombe suggested that the attack occurred because Americans have lost a strong grasp on the realities of hell.
Several Sikhs who witnessed the Sunday morning rampage in Oak Creek argue that the reason for the attack was a lack of understanding among Americans regarding their faith.
"This is something we have been fearing since 9/11, that this kind of incident will take place," Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Washington-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education, told The Associated Press.
"It was a matter of time because there's so much ignorance and people confuse us [as] being members of Taliban or belonging to [Osama] bin Laden," he added.
