Editor’s Note: The Christian Broadcasting Network, in comment below the following story, says Pat Robertson was quoting Daniel Lapin’s book, and not voicing his own opinion.
SAN DIEGO — Televangelist Pat Robertson has struck again, recently saying Jews never fix their cars because they’re too busy polishing diamonds. Note that Robertson often comes under fire when he makes jaw-dropping comments like this with many implying that it’s because he’s a man of the cloth. No, it’s because his world view has become so narrow and stereotypical.
Here’s the latest, from a chat he had with conservative activist Rabbi Daniel Lapin:
Conservative activist Daniel Lapin, the Religious Right’s favorite rabbi who was also tied to the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal, appeared on the 700 Club to tell host Pat Robertson about his new book on the “ancient Jewish wisdom” of “making money.”
Robertson introduced Lapin by asking: “What is it about Jewish people that make them prosper financially? You almost never find Jews tinkering with their cars on the weekends or mowing their lawns. That’s what Daniel Lapin says and there’s a very good reason for that, and it lies within the business secrets of the Bible.”
Later in the interview, Robertson said that Jews are “polishing diamonds, not fixing cars.”
Some thoughts for Mr. Robertson:
1. Stereotyping is easy, which is why those who listen to Robertson’s foot-in-mouth comments over the years suggest it’s because he’s so religious. Wrong. There are many learned religious people in ALL religions who don’t stereotype.
2. Not all Jews are religious and not all are knowledgeable about their religion. For years I thought the WW II movie “Tora Tora Tora” was about a triple bar mitzvah.
3. When you look at someone and immediately talk in stereotypes you should realize you are defining yourself, accurately or not. That also happens in emails. I got one email saying “Your Jewish liberal mother should have taught you better.” Actually, my Jewish mother (who now has Alzeheimers) was always non political and voted by how she felt about candidates. Another email called me a “Jewish moron.” Wrong: I’m a REFORM Jewish moron.
4. I don’t have any diamonds, but from what Robertson says, my religion apparently requires me to have them. Will they take my circumcision back?
I don’t have much more time to spend on this post with tips for Robertson about how to avoid stereotypes. As I’m sure he knows, I’m extremely busy controlling the banks, Hollywood, nose-job surgeons, the media and the profits of Chinese restaurants everywhere.*
*
Joe Gandelman is a syndicated columnist for Cagle Cartoons, the editor of The Moderate Voice blog and an entertainer who performs locally and nationally. This article appeared initially on The Moderate Voice.
CBN Responds To Inaccurate Media Portrayal Of Pat Robertson Comments
Recently, Dr. Robertson interviewed his longtime friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, to talk about Lapin’s book, “Business Secrets From the Bible.”
To introduce the author, Dr. Robertson read directly from Lapin’s book (Introduction, page xvii) when he asked why Jewish people “don’t mow their own lawns or fix their own cars,” and Dr. Robertson also clearly stated that these were the author’s words and not his own.
These comments, however, have incorrectly been attributed to Dr. Robertson by some media and are, in fact, directly from Rabbi Lapin’s book. Dr. Robertson, who has an extensive history of love and support for the Jewish people and Israel, did not make these statements himself and the media is flat-out wrong to attribute them to him.
Later in the interview, Dr. Robertson’s aside about “polishing diamonds” was not a slur on the Jewish people. It was a good-natured ribbing directed at the Rabbi, who wrote that the reason he does not mow his own lawn or fix his own car is because the extra time affords him an opportunity to become better at his own trade and make more money. It was a jovial back-and-forth that was directed at the Rabbi, who did not take any offense at this ribbing.
By attributing these statements to Dr. Robertson despite his clearly stating that he was citing the author, the media’s reporting of this has been both irresponsible and shameful. We urge anyone – including the media – who would like to actually watch the segment for themselves rather than to rely on a radical left-wing blog whose mission it is to create this kind of inaccurate controversy, to visit http://www.cbn.com .
Chris Roslan
Spokesman for CBN