Televangelist Pat Robertson last week
praised a grandfather's decision to not allow his gay grandson to
bring his “friend” to Thanksgiving dinner.
Robertson, an ardent opponent of gay
rights, made his remarks during The 700 Club's Bring It
On-Line segment, in which he answers viewers' questions.
“Our family is planning a big get
together for Thanksgiving, and our grandson, who is gay, has asked
that he be allowed to bring his 'friend,'” a viewer named Jim
wrote. “We have made it clear in the past that we love him and he
will always be welcome to be a part of our lives, but we will not be
a part of the lifestyle he has chosen. I have told him before that
the presence of his sex partners would not be welcome in our house.
The recent decision made by the Supreme Court does not change God's
word. Some members of the family seem to think my stance on the
subject is a bit harsh, but thankfully most of them agree with me.
Am I right, or should I have handled it differently? Should I allow
his partner to come for holiday dinner?”
Robertson agreed with the viewer,
saying that including his grandson's partner would make him an
“enabler,” and that by not condoning his behavior “there's a
real good chance that he might come out of that so-called lifestyle.”
“I believe that you're taking the
right stand,” Robertson
answered. “Otherwise you become an enabler, and you're
enabling that. The chances are, there's a real good chance that he
might come out of that so-called lifestyle, but if you're going along
with it, he says, 'Well, mom likes it, so it's okay.'”
“He's trying to get you to
affirmatively accept what he's doing. … So, he's trying to force
you to do something.”
Robertson went on to compare the
situation to someone who wants to bring a stripper to Thanksgiving
dinner.
“It's outrageous that he would do
that, but that's what's happening,” he added.