Pat Robertson '700 Club' -- Televangelist Says Gay Community Spreads HIV/AIDS on Purpose
Televangelist Pat Robertson is making headlines again for some controversial comments made recently on his 700 Club show. He made a claim that some of the gay community in San Francisco spread HIV/AIDS on purpose.
On a recent episode of the 700 Club on The Christian Broadcasting Network, a woman wrote in to the show explaining a situation where she had been driving a man from church around for months while he was suffering from a terminal case of AIDS and had no idea he had the disease.
The woman asked whether Robertson felt someone with HIV/AIDS should have to disclose their condition in case of an emergency such as a car accident or an injury where an exchange of blood is possible.
Robertson praised the woman for taking care of the man, but reassured that as far as he knew HIV/AIDS was spread by "saliva and other things" and "from sexual contact."
"What to say if you're driving an elderly man whose got AIDS? Don't have sex with them," Robertson said in the clip. "Unless there's a cut or some bodily fluid transmission, I think you're not going to catch it."
From there he want on to talk about people having to disclose their health background and history.
"There are laws now, I think the homosexual community has put these draconian laws on the books that prohibit people from discussing this particular affliction. You can tell somebody you had a heart attack, you can tell them they've got high blood pressure, but you can't tell anybody you've got AIDS," he continued.
He then said, "You know what they do in San Francisco, some in the gay community there, they want to get people. So if they got the stuff (AIDS) they'll have a ring, you shake hands, and the ring's got a little thing where you cut your finger. Really. It's that kind of vicious stuff, which would be the equivalent of murder."
He then concludes answering the questions and says "go back to your church, you'll be fine."
On further broadcasts of the program it appears CBN edited Robertson's remarks out, as the conversation is stopped right before he talks about people purposely spreading the AIDS virus.
See edited clip at 39 minute mark below.