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| Pat Robertson |
If you're wondering why Evangelicals and conservative Christians suffer from such a poor image throughout the world these days, then wonder no more.
The Rev. Pat Robertson, who's popularly recognized as the host of the 700 Club, knows what shoe leather tastes like. That's because he's fashioned a career out of sticking his feet in his mouth.
He did that again recently when he urged folks who purchase clothing at thrift shops to wash them before wearing them. Well, what's the big deal about that? Since you don't know who's handled the clothing before you decide to purchase it, Robertson's advice seems pretty sound.
Except that Robertson's not recommending you wash the garments to rid them of dirt and bacteria; he's advising you to wash them because they might be possessed by demons. While demonic spirits can in fact be attracted by amulets, religious medals, rosaries, bracelets, scapulars etc., they normally prefer to possess human beings and animals rather than clothing.
From esquire.com: "And
what if you pick up a T-shirt previously owned by a member of Satan's army of
darkness? What then, huh? Well, you might find yourself the owner of a pesky
demonic goblin in addition to a bad-ass new shirt, free of charge (not
counting your soul's eternal damnation). So you've got to bless it and douse it
in holy water and maybe even burn a little sage around it, too, just in case,
because even bleach can't get those suckers out. And if you thought lice or bed
bugs were bad, well, think of poor old Regan MacNeil. We have a feeling that had
she properly consecrated her second-hand purchases, The Exorcist might
have been a much more pleasant film."
Certainly, demon possession and oppression exists and is a very serious problem. The prime door openers for possession and oppression are hallucinogenic drugs, hypnosis, occultism (Satanism, witchcraft, sorcery, magic etc.) and eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Shintoism as well as Transcendental Meditation.
But clothing is rarely a door opener for demon possession and oppression unless it's previously been used in an occult ritual. It's highly doubtful that clothing sold in thrift shops was once used in occult-pagan religious practices. But there's always that remote possibility.
If the Christian Church in the western world wants to reverse the decades-old trend of seeing its members flee for the exits, then it needs to stop looking for cheap thrills and TV ratings, and get back to preaching the gospel. The apostle Paul said it best in his second letter to fellow apostle Timothy: "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2)
And Paul also said this in reference to provocative teachers who would seek to attract followers via bizarre teachings: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Such as demon-possessed clothing sold at thrift shops.
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