700 Club
Television Program
Thursday,
September 13, 2001
Transcript Excerpts
of
Pat Robertson's Interview with Jerry
Falwell
[Editors note, this program was
only days after the terrorist attack on the United States.
This was Falwell and
Robertson pointing the finger of blame, however, it wasn't only the terrorist
they blamed and said who
were
deserving
just such a
horrific devastating attack.]
PAT ROBERTSON:
Well after Tuesday's attacks, many Americans are struggling with grief, fear and
unanswered questions. How should Christians respond to this crisis? Well joining
us now with some answers is a dear friend of ours, the Pastor of the Thomas Road
Baptist Church and Liberty University, the head and founder of that, Dr. Jerry
Falwell. Jerry, it's a delight to have you with us today.
JERRY FALWELL:
Thanks, Pat.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Listen. What are you telling the church? You called your church together. What
was your response at Thomas Road to this tragedy?
JERRY FALWELL:
Well, as the world knows, the tragedy hit on Tuesday morning, and at 2:00 in the
afternoon, we gathered 7,000 Liberty University students, faculty, local people
together, and we used the verse that I heard you use a moment ago, Chronicles
II, 7:14, that God wanted us to humble ourselves and seek his face. And there's
not much we can do in the Church but what we're supposed to do, and that is
pray. Pray for the President that God will give him wisdom, keep bad advisors
from him, bring good ones to him, praying for the families of the victims,
praying for America. And, you know this thing is not a great deal different than
what I remember and you Pat. We're about the same age. December 7, 1941, when we
entered the war against Japan, Germany, Italy. Hitler's goal was to destroy the
Jews among other things, and conquer the world. And, these Islamic
fundamentalists, these radical terrorists, these Middle Eastern monsters are
committed to destroying the Jewish nation, driving her into the Mediterranean,
conquering the world. And, we are the great Satan. We are the ultimate goal. I
talked this morning with Tom Rose publisher of the Jerusalem Post, and orthodox
Jew, and he said, "Now America knows in a horrible way what Israel's been facing
for 53 years at the hand of Arafat and other terrorists and radicals and
barbarians.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Jerry, I know that you shared several 40 day fasts for revival in America. We
here at CBN had a couple of 40 day fasts during the Lenten season, and Bill
Bright, I don't know, eight or nine. Do you think that this is going to be the
trigger of revival, a real revival in the Church where we truly turn back to God
with all our heart?
JERRY FALWELL: It
could be. I've never sensed a togetherness, a burden, a broken heart as I do in
the Church today, and just 48 hours, I gave away a booklet I wrote 10 years ago.
I gave it away last night on the Biblical position on fasting and prayer because
I do believe that that is what we've got to do now-- fast and pray. And I agree
totally with you that the Lord has protected us so wonderfully these 225 years.
And since 1812, this is the first time that we've been attacked on our soil,
first time, and by far the worst results. And I fear, as Donald Rumsfeld, the
Secretary of Defense said yesterday, that this is only the beginning. And with
biological warfare available to these monsters; the Husseins, the Bin Ladens,
the Arafats, what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule
if, in fact, if in fact God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies
of America to give us probably what we deserve.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We
haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population.
JERRY FALWELL: The
ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Well, yes.
JERRY FALWELL:
And, I know that I'll
hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the
federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools.
The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be
mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad.
I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and
the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative
lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to
secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this
happen'.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Well, I totally
concur, and the problem is we
have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're
responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people,
of course, is the court system.
JERRY FALWELL:
Amen. Pat, did you notice yesterday? The ACLU, and all the Christ-haters, the
People For the American Way, NOW, etc. were totally disregarded by the Democrats
and the Republicans in both houses of Congress as they went out on the steps and
called out on to God in prayer and sang 'God Bless America' and said 'let the
ACLU be hanged'. In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only
normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all
the time- calling upon God.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Amen. I wanted to ask you the reaction. I know that you had a major prayer
meeting last night, and I know your people assembled, just a large gathering at
your church. What was the mood of the people? What did they say and what did you
sense with your congregation?
JERRY FALWELL: A
brokenness that I have not seen. I've been there pastor 45 years, 30 years
Chancellor at Liberty. We had 7,000 gather yesterday in the Vines Center and
filled the Church last night. I sensed a brokenness, tears. People were sobbing
at the alter. And, they have no shame about it. It was the kind of brokenness
that no one could conjure, only God could bring upon us. And, that is to me the
most optimistic thing that I see today as I look across America. And every city,
I called a friend in Springfield yesterday. He said at least a hundred churches,
Springfield, MO, at least a hundred churches have special prayer meetings for
America today and tonight. And, that's happening by the thousands all over
America. This could be, if we will fast and pray, this could be God's call to
revival.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Well, I believe it. And I think the people, the Bible says render your hearts
and not your garments, and people begin to render their hearts and they weep
before the Lord, and they really get serious with God, God will hear and answer.
We'll see revival. I am thrilled to hear that about your church because it's
happening all over.
JERRY FALWELL:
It's everywhere.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Yes.
JERRY FALWELL: In
the most unlikely of places. The general manager at the ABC affiliate in our
area called me this morning and said "we're going to ask for all the churches,
all the people of faith to join us at the D-Day Memorial over in Bedford at
2:00, Sunday. And, Randy Smith is his name, the general manager, and he is
calling central Virginia to healing through prayer and I suspect there will be
thousands there.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Jerry, this is so encouraging, and I thank God for your stand. We just love you
and praise God for you. Liberty is a great institution and I congratulate you
for that wonderful student body, and your church. And, thank-you my dear friend
for being with us.
JERRY FALWELL: God
bless you brother. Let's stand together.
PAT ROBERTSON:
Amen
Pat Robertson's
Comments Preceding the Falwell Interview:
PAT ROBERTSON: And
we have thought that we're invulnerable. And we have been so concerned about
money. We have been so concerned about material things. The interests of people
are on their health and their finances, and on their pleasures and on their
sexuality, and while this is going on while we're self-absorbed and the churches
as well as in the population, we have allowed rampant pornography on the
internet. We have allowed rampant secularism and occult, etc. to be broadcast on
television. We have permitted somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 million
unborn babies to be slaughtered in our society. We have a court that has
essentially stuck its finger in God's eye and said we're going to legislate you
out of the schools. We're going to take your commandments from off the
courthouse steps in various states. We're not going to let little children read
the commandments of God. We're not going to let the Bible be read, no prayer in
our schools. We have insulted God at the highest levels of our government. And,
then we say 'why does this happen?'
Well, why it's
happening is that God Almighty is lifting his protection from us. And once that
protection is gone, we all are vulnerable because we're a free society, and
we're vulnerable. We lay naked before these terrorists who have infiltrated our
country. There's probably tens of thousands of them in America right now.
They've been raising money. They've been preaching their hate and overseas they
have been spewing out venom against the United States for years. All over the
Arab world, there is venom being poured out into people's ears and minds against
America. And, the only thing that's going to sustain us is the umbrella power of
the Almighty God.
Resource:
Transcript
and Robertson Remarks Preceeting Falwell Interview: People for the
American Way:
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