Televangelist Pat Roberson, the host of
Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club, is stepping up
his anti-gay rhetoric.
On Thursday, the day after Maine became
the fifth state to legalize gay marriage, Robertson called allowing
gay and lesbian couples to marry “the beginning in a long downward
slide” to legalized child molestation.
“We haven't taken this to its
ultimate conclusion,” Robertson told viewers.
“How can we rule that polygamy is
illegal when you say that homosexual marriage is legal. … And what
bout bestiality and ultimately what about child molestation and
pedophilia? … You mark my words, this is just the beginning in a
long downward slide in relation to all the things that we consider to
be abhorrent.”
Last month, after Congress approved a
hate crimes bill that protects gay, lesbian and transgender persons
against violent bias-related crimes, Robertson suggested the bill
would protect someone who “likes to have sex with ducks” or
“little boys.”
“You got somebody, he's really weird,
and his sexual orientation is that he likes to have sex with ducks.
Is he protected under hate crime? Is he protected if he likes to
have sex with little boys?” Robertson asked.
Robertson's anti-gay attacks come in
the wake of a wave of victories for gay advocates, including the
legalization of gay marriage in Iowa, Vermont and Maine, and a recent
upturn of public support for gay and lesbian rights.