Televangelist Pat Robertson on Thursday
told a woman not to worry about her daughter's coming out gay because
eventually she is going to be “disillusioned” and want “out of
it.”
Robertson, an ardent opponent of gay
rights, gave his advice during The 700 Club's Bring It On-Line
segment, in which he answers viewers' questions.
“Our daughter shocked us with the
news that she has a girlfriend – yes, a homosexual relationship,”
a viewer named Anna wrote. “Our children were raised in church.
We are battling this and letting her live at home. (No one is
allowed over.) She is 21 and was always very feminine – this came
out of nowhere. I am devastated and also a worship leader in a large
town. Should I step down from ministry?”
Robertson told Anna she should remain
in the church, then went on to suggest that her daughter was gay
because she was molested as a child.
“She needs somebody to help her get
her identity straight,” he said. “She may not be right in this.
She may have thought she has a crush on some older girl along the way
and she’s actually homosexual when she's not. I don't know. Why
is she that way? Was she molested when she was younger?”
Co-host Terry Meeuwsen chimed in,
saying that it's “crazy” that people are “telling kids to
explore.”
“Well, the girl on girl movies, more
and more and more they're getting straight actresses to play lesbians
and straight men to play homosexuals and if you say anything against
homosexuality you are just hooted out of court,” Robertson
said.
“But I do think you need to love your
daughter and give her a chance to work this out,” he added,
“because if she gets deeper and deeper in it, sooner or later she
is going to be disillusioned and say, 'This is wrong. I want to come
out of it.'” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
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