Suck it hippies, you're now on the same page as Pat Robertson

[Whatever]

And we have documentary evidence!

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/23/pat-robertson-wants-to-legalize-pot-video/

Pat Robertson might be the last person you would expect to find leading the calls for legalizing marijuana.

Yet, during a conversation about faith-based rehabilitation on Wednesday's episode of Christian talk show "The 700 Club," the conservative evangelist and media personality did just that.

"We have to take a look at what we are considering crimes," Robertson said. "I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing is costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people."

I'm expecting 50 pages on this before 2011, so get cracking.

Interesting.  I'm wondering who in his famdamily's a user.  Because that's usually what it takes for these guys to come to this sort of conclusion.  Bet one of Pat's kids has been in and out of rehab or something similar (grandkid?).

I think he suffers pretty bad from arthritis.  It may be that he is the user.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

And we have documentary evidence!

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/23/pat-robertson-wants-to-legalize-pot-video/

Pat Robertson might be the last person you would expect to find leading the calls for legalizing marijuana.

Yet, during a conversation about faith-based rehabilitation on Wednesday's episode of Christian talk show "The 700 Club," the conservative evangelist and media personality did just that.

"We have to take a look at what we are considering crimes," Robertson said. "I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing is costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people."

I'm expecting 50 pages on this before 2011, so get cracking.

Interesting.  I'm wondering who in his famdamily's a user.  Because that's usually what it takes for these guys to come to this sort of conclusion.  Bet one of Pat's kids has been in and out of rehab or something similar (grandkid?).

Maybe, though there have been a number of Christian groups come out for legalization or decriminalization in the past few years. Given that Pat holds a unique theology not really Baptist as he once did... it may just be a smart business move. If the great number of your paying customers are poor and/or old/infirm/sick then maybe playing to one of their social issues is a net gain. Also, Robertson considers himself libertarian and without getting into any age old debates, small government/libertarian/conservative (politically) positions simply don't line up with the current laws surrounding marijuana use/possession.

So maybe someone he knows got busted, or maybe he legitimately holds that position... or maybe he figures it will play well with his poor and/or cancer ridden base.

[Adios]

1 Savella
1 Ambien
Several whiskeys
2 hits from the glass pipe I got for Xmas

All the above = pain free sleep with weird assed dreams.

[Jenne]

@Rata & Nimh: Could be.  I grew up with and amongst folks like him--died in the wool Bible thumpers who eschew all drugs, drink and rock-n-roll.   They seem to see users as the deepest DARKEST of losers rather than the everyday folks you see around you.  And they are usually shocked SHOCKED to find their nearest and dearest have been tokin' out since they were knee high to grasshoppers.

And if Roberston's a libertarian than I'm a monkey's uncle.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

@Rata & Nimh: Could be.  I grew up with and amongst folks like him--died in the wool Bible thumpers who eschew all drugs, drink and rock-n-roll.   They seem to see users as the deepest DARKEST of losers rather than the everyday folks you see around you.  And they are usually shocked SHOCKED to find their nearest and dearest have been tokin' out since they were knee high to grasshoppers.

And if Roberston's a libertarian than I'm a monkey's uncle.

Well he claims to be...

I grew up around those same sort of people... though they thought that if you did drugs then you didn't have control of your mind and the demons could get in and take over.

However, there have recently been quite a few religious groups which are not pro-legalization, but rather anti-current drug laws/incarceration etc. which is what he actually seems to be talking about.

[Jenne]

@Rata & Nimh: Could be.  I grew up with and amongst folks like him--died in the wool Bible thumpers who eschew all drugs, drink and rock-n-roll.   They seem to see users as the deepest DARKEST of losers rather than the everyday folks you see around you.  And they are usually shocked SHOCKED to find their nearest and dearest have been tokin' out since they were knee high to grasshoppers.

And if Roberston's a libertarian than I'm a monkey's uncle.

Well he claims to be...

I grew up around those same sort of people... though they thought that if you did drugs then you didn't have control of your mind and the demons could get in and take over.

However, there have recently been quite a few religious groups which are not pro-legalization, but rather anti-current drug laws/incarceration etc. which is what he actually seems to be talking about.

Yeah, well, hence my hypothesis that he's probably been exposed personally to some users, somehow, and has been able to overcome the possibility of serious backlash from his base by coming out and saying this.  According to my VERY strict First Southern Baptist background, the law is the way you PUNISH people secularly for deeds they did against man, and God has redemption and will show the sinner mercy where the law of man will not.  But we are still to pay for our sins against man as the law sees fit--just as Jesus did.  ETC ETC AD NAUSEUM AD INFINITITUM.  Bah.

[the last yatto]

[Cuddlefish]

This certainly is an interesting, and slightly unexpected, bit of information. I can't say how I feel about this. Kinda makes me want to quit smoking pot, because I don't want anyone to assume I'm connected in any way with these people...

[The Good Reverend Roger]

This certainly is an interesting, and slightly unexpected, bit of information. I can't say how I feel about this. Kinda makes me want to quit smoking pot, because I don't want anyone to assume I'm connected in any way with these people...

Stick it to the man.

[Adios]

This certainly is an interesting, and slightly unexpected, bit of information. I can't say how I feel about this. Kinda makes me want to quit smoking pot, because I don't want anyone to assume I'm connected in any way with these people...

Stick it to the man yourself.

[Cain]

This certainly is an interesting, and slightly unexpected, bit of information. I can't say how I feel about this. Kinda makes me want to quit smoking pot, because I don't want anyone to assume I'm connected in any way with these people...

http://lesswrong.com/lw/lw/reversed_stupidity_is_not_intelligence/

[LMNO]

Yeah, that jumped to mind as well.

[Cain]

I posted this entire thread with that in mind.  Seriously.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I posted this entire thread with that in mind.  Seriously.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU THE ENTIRE THREAD!


(sorry couldn't resist the meme...)

[BabylonHoruv]

Pat's always been a proponent of natural foods, organics, and natural medicine in general.  The fact he was going on about that the one time I watched the 700 club amused the hell out of me because he sounded like a lot of the pagans I knew on that particular issue.

Going from being in favor of natural medicine to being in favor of marijuana as natural medicine is not a very big jump.  It just requires assuming that governments often don't know what they are doing when they make laws, which seems to be common knowledge to most conservatives.