Proof of Delusion

Does Olaf have good timing or what (referring to last night's post)? On the news this morning,

Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson said Tuesday that God has told him that a terrorist attack on the United States would cause a "mass killing" late in 2007.

It's bad enough that allegedly "serious" news outlets like the AP and CNN give this idiot coverage, but they try to justify it in the following chickenshit way:

Robertson said God told him about the impending tragedy during a recent prayer retreat.

God also said, he claims, that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.

Note that they slip in "he claims" as though that rationalizes reporting the ravings of a lunatic. So let's apply a little trick that Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation suggests--insert the words "through his electric toothbrush" after "God said" or other similar utterances. Does that make it sound nutty? Then why does someone claiming that God speaks to him not sound nutty just because he doesn't specify the medium, particularly when God is allegedly speaking in particular dates, places, and numbers, as Robertson babbles.

I mean, if the AP and CNN want to quote Robertson, would it violate journalistic objectivity to refer to him as a religious fantasist (which is charitable at best) or ranting crazy fucker you'd best avoid?

I guess that's why I never made it as a journalist.