The Amityville HorrorThis article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. If you are familiar with the subject matter, please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing sources. The Current Cover of The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror was a best-selling 1977 novel by Jay Anson. The novel is also the basis of two movies made in 1979 and 2005. Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.SynopsisBoth book and film revolve around the Lutz family, who move into the Dutch Colonial home in the village of Amityville, a New York City suburb on the south shore of Long Island, New York village. Thirteen months earlier the house on 112 Ocean Avenue was the scene of a brutal mass murder. The Lutz family, having lived in the house for only 28 days, fled their house with very few belongings, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomenon. The murders
Main Article: Ronald DeFeo, Jr. On November 13, 1974, police found that all but one of the members of the family residing at 112 Oceanside Ave., the DeFeo's, had been murdered in the middle of the night. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the only surviving member, claimed that they had been murdered by the mob until he confessed to the murders. The popular story of ensuing events is that DeFeo’s original claims were that the murders were mob-connected had changed to “hearing voices,” demonic possession, and being handed the murder weapon, a .35 calibre Marlin hunting rifle, by a “pair of black hands”. DeFeo also claimed to have seen shadow figures moving about the house during the murders. He also claimed when killing his parents the weapon made no sound when firing it. However CourtTV's account of the murder case makes no mention of these claims, implying that DeFeo in fact did not contest his confession until the trial [1]. DeFeo's attorney pursued that line of questioning during the trial, only to have it backfire on him when DeFeo testified that he had not heard any voices the night of the murders [2]. He was convicted of second degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence. Story
The house on 112 Ocean Avenue remained empty for 13 months until late 1975, when George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the 2 ½ floor house. George and Kathy were married in July and had their own houses, however they wanted to start a new life with a new home, for a new marriage. Kathy had three children from a previous marriage and a black Labrador named Harry. During their first inspection of the house the realtor told them about the DeFeo murders the previous November and asked if this changed their opinion on wanting to purchase the house. After family discussions, it was agreed that it was not an issue. They moved in on December 18, 1975. When a friend of George’s learned of the house he insisted George have the house blessed. At the time George was a non-Catholic (at the time he was a non-practising Methodist) and had no experience with what a house blessing entailed. Kathy was a non-practising Catholic at the time and explained the process. George only knew of one Catholic priest, named Father Ray, who was also a close friend, who agreed to do the house blessing. Being an ecclesiastical judge at the local Catholic establishment, Father Ray was not in the habit of doing house-blessings but since he and George were friends, he was doing it as a favour. Father Ray arrived to do the house blessing on the day the Lutz’s were moving in and as they busily unpacked outside he went in and performed the house blessing. Much later, after fleeing, George and Kathy learned from Father Ray that when blessing a particular room on the second-storey, which would be referred to as the “sewing room” (formerly Marc and John Matthew DeFeo’s bedroom), he discovered an unnatural coldness in this room, and heard an unearthly voice telling him to “Get Out!” Startled by this, Father Ray was subsequently slapped by an unseen force. When leaving the house, Father Ray did not mention this incident to either George or Kathy, more than likely because he did not wish to cause them unnecessary concern. Instead he told them he felt uncomfortable in that room and would prefer it if nobody spent too much time in that room. Because they planned to use the room as a “sewing room” nothing else was mentioned of it, until much later after George and Kathy had fled the house. The sensations in the house experienced by the Lutz family did not happen at an accelerated pace instantly. Occurrences were subtle and escalated as time went by. The instances of paranormal activity were later described as being “in a three-ringed circus”. Each family member would experience different things as individuals which made such a profound psychological effect that it was difficult to explain them to even other family members that lived in the house, and it was like they “were each living in a different house”. Some of the experiences in the house for the Lutz family are as follows:
When it was apparent to the Lutz’s that something was wrong with their house that they could not explain rationally, it was suggested by a friend of George’s, who had had similar experiences in his house, that he and Kathy do a blessing of their own and open all the windows in the rooms and tell whatever was there to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. When taking his advice and walking around the house doing the Lord’s prayer each of the rooms, George and Kathy would hear a chorus of voices telling them “Will you please stop!” By mid-January of 1976, and after another attempt at a house blessing by George and Kathy, they experienced what would be their final night in the house. To this day, events of this night have not been disclosed fully by any of the Lutz family, as they have described it as too frightening. After getting in touch with Father Ray, he managed to convince George and Kathy to take some belongings and stay at Kathy’s mother’s house in Deer Park, for the time being until they sorted out what problems were in the house. On January 14, 1976, George and Kathy Lutz, with their three children and their dog, Harry, fled the house on 112 Ocean Avenue, leaving most of their possessions behind. CriticismsThis section is a stub. You can help by adding to it.The book and the subsequent movies were promoted as being based on a true story, and for a time Anson's word that "There is simply too much independent corroboration of their narrative to support the speculation that [the Lutzes] either imagined or fabricated these events" held. The popular consensus today, however, among researchers of the incident is that "the facts depicted in the books (and the movies to follow) were written entirely as a profit making scheme" [3]. The story started to fall apart when the Lutz's filed suit against Paul Hoffman (a writer working on an account of the hauntings), William Weber (DeFeo's Lawyer), Bernard Burton, Frederick Mars (both clairvoyants who had examined the house), Good Housekeeping, New York Sunday News and the Hearst Corporation (who had published articles related to the hauntings), alleging invasion of privacy, misappropration of names for trade purposes, and mental distress. Hoffman, Weber, and Burton immediately filed a countersuit alleging fraud and breach of contract. Eventually, the claims against the news corporations were dropped for lack of evidence, and the remainder of the case was tried by Brooklyn U.S. District Court judge Jack B. Weinstein. Weinstein dismissed the Lutz's claims, saying "it appears to me that to a large extent the book is a work of fiction, relying in a large part upon the suggestions of Mr. Weber" [4]. Weber had admitted that much of the story was created over "many bottles of wine" with the Lutz's [5]. Numerous discrepencies have emerged over the years, though the Lutz's continued claims that the book was essentially true help keep the legend alive in the public eye. A recent view of 112 Ocean.See Also
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Numerous discrepencies have emerged over the years, though the Lutz's continued claims that the book was essentially true help keep the legend alive in the public eye. [22]. Weber had admitted that much of the story was created over "many bottles of wine" with the Lutz's [5]. One writer has referred to this as a "strategy designed to place him in the best of both worlds". Weber" [4]. However, Robertson has been accused by some columnists as using the apology as a tactic allowing him to make such statements while sustaining his public image to a degree. Weinstein dismissed the Lutz's claims, saying "it appears to me that to a large extent the book is a work of fiction, relying in a large part upon the suggestions of Mr. "I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel," he wrote. Weinstein. "My concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness," said the letter. District Court judge Jack B. In a letter dated Wednesday and marked for hand delivery to Omri Sharon, Robertson called Ariel Sharon a "kind, gracious and gentle man" who was "carrying an almost insurmountable burden of making decisions for his nation.". Eventually, the claims against the news corporations were dropped for lack of evidence, and the remainder of the case was tried by Brooklyn U.S. According to the Associated Press and the Jerusalem Post on January 12th, 2006, it was reported that Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has sent a letter to one of Ariel Sharon's sons apologizing for suggesting that the prime minister's massive stroke was divine punishment for his withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last year. Hoffman, Weber, and Burton immediately filed a countersuit alleging fraud and breach of contract. are welcome to do business with us." [19], [20], [21]. The story started to fall apart when the Lutz's filed suit against Paul Hoffman (a writer working on an account of the hauntings), William Weber (DeFeo's Lawyer), Bernard Burton, Frederick Mars (both clairvoyants who had examined the house), Good Housekeeping, New York Sunday News and the Hearst Corporation (who had published articles related to the hauntings), alleging invasion of privacy, misappropration of names for trade purposes, and mental distress. Those that publicly support Ariel Sharon's recovery .. The popular consensus today, however, among researchers of the incident is that "the facts depicted in the books (and the movies to follow) were written entirely as a profit making scheme" [3]. Those who support the statements cannot do business with us. The book and the subsequent movies were promoted as being based on a true story, and for a time Anson's word that "There is simply too much independent corroboration of their narrative to support the speculation that [the Lutzes] either imagined or fabricated these events" held. Robertson." He added that the decision would not apply to all members of the evangelical community: "We want to see who in the group supports his (Robertson's) statements. On January 14, 1976, George and Kathy Lutz, with their three children and their dog, Harry, fled the house on 112 Ocean Avenue, leaving most of their possessions behind. A spokesman for the Tourism Ministry commented, "We cannot accept these statements, and we will not sign any contracts with Mr. After getting in touch with Father Ray, he managed to convince George and Kathy to take some belongings and stay at Kathy’s mother’s house in Deer Park, for the time being until they sorted out what problems were in the house. The plan had called for Israel leasing 35 acres of land to a group of evangelicals (including Robertson) for free to create several tourist attractions and pilgrimage sites in exchange for the evangelicals raising 50 million dollars in funding. To this day, events of this night have not been disclosed fully by any of the Lutz family, as they have described it as too frightening. On January 11, Israel responded by announcing that Robertson would be banned from involvement in a project to build a Christian tourist attraction and pilgrimage site near the Sea of Galilee known as the Christian Heritage Center. By mid-January of 1976, and after another attempt at a house blessing by George and Kathy, they experienced what would be their final night in the house. He added, "The arrogance of the statement shocks me almost as much as the insensitivity of it." Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said that "any doctor could have predicted (Sharon's) going to have health problems" and that his illness was medical, not divine retribution.[18] The White House called Robertson's statement "wholly inappropriate and offensive." Robertson was also chastized by Israeli officials and members of the Anti-Defamation League. When taking his advice and walking around the house doing the Lord’s prayer each of the rooms, George and Kathy would hear a chorus of voices telling them “Will you please stop!”. For instance, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said that Robertson "ought to know better" than to say such things. When it was apparent to the Lutz’s that something was wrong with their house that they could not explain rationally, it was suggested by a friend of George’s, who had had similar experiences in his house, that he and Kathy do a blessing of their own and open all the windows in the rooms and tell whatever was there to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. The remarks drew criticism from all sides, even from among other evangelicals. Some of the experiences in the house for the Lutz family are as follows:. [17]. Each family member would experience different things as individuals which made such a profound psychological effect that it was difficult to explain them to even other family members that lived in the house, and it was like they “were each living in a different house”. He also claimed former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's 1995 assassination may have occurred for the same reason. The instances of paranormal activity were later described as being “in a three-ringed circus”. After the story, Robertson said that Sharon's illness was possibly retribution from God for his recent drive to give more land to the Palestinians. Occurrences were subtle and escalated as time went by. The lead story on the January 5, 2006 edition of The 700 Club was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's hospitalization for a severe stroke. The sensations in the house experienced by the Lutz family did not happen at an accelerated pace instantly. When leaving the house, Father Ray did not mention this incident to either George or Kathy, more than likely because he did not wish to cause them unnecessary concern. "God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever. Much later, after fleeing, George and Kathy learned from Father Ray that when blessing a particular room on the second-storey, which would be referred to as the “sewing room” (formerly Marc and John Matthew DeFeo’s bedroom), he discovered an unnatural coldness in this room, and heard an unearthly voice telling him to “Get Out!” Startled by this, Father Ray was subsequently slapped by an unseen force. In a written statement, Robertson later clarified his comments:. Father Ray arrived to do the house blessing on the day the Lutz’s were moving in and as they busily unpacked outside he went in and performed the house blessing. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there," he said [15]. Being an ecclesiastical judge at the local Catholic establishment, Father Ray was not in the habit of doing house-blessings but since he and George were friends, he was doing it as a favour. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. George only knew of one Catholic priest, named Father Ray, who was also a close friend, who agreed to do the house blessing. "And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. Kathy was a non-practising Catholic at the time and explained the process. "I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city," Robertson said on his broadcast. At the time George was a non-Catholic (at the time he was a non-practising Methodist) and had no experience with what a house blessing entailed. On his November 10, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson told citizens of Dover, Pennsylvania that they had rejected God by voting out of office all seven members of the school board who support "intelligent design.". When a friend of George’s learned of the house he insisted George have the house blessed. When Colmes asked Robertson "Do you want him taken out?", Robertson replied "Not now, but one day, one day, one day.". They moved in on December 18, 1975. On February 2nd edition of Hannity and Colmes, Pat Robertson once again called for Chavez's assassination. After family discussions, it was agreed that it was not an issue. government at the United Nations and the Organization of American States.". During their first inspection of the house the realtor told them about the DeFeo murders the previous November and asked if this changed their opinion on wanting to purchase the house. government does not take the necessary steps, we will denounce the U.S. Kathy had three children from a previous marriage and a black Labrador named Harry. "If the U.S. George and Kathy were married in July and had their own houses, however they wanted to start a new life with a new home, for a new marriage. Justice Department to investigate the matter: "My government is going to take legal action in the United States," he said in a televised speech. The house on 112 Ocean Avenue remained empty for 13 months until late 1975, when George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the 2 ½ floor house. On Sunday, August 28, Chávez called on the U.S. He was convicted of second degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence. [14]. DeFeo's attorney pursued that line of questioning during the trial, only to have it backfire on him when DeFeo testified that he had not heard any voices the night of the murders [2]. interests. However CourtTV's account of the murder case makes no mention of these claims, implying that DeFeo in fact did not contest his confession until the trial [1]. is out to kill him." However, he continued to justify his original stance on the potential threat Chávez posed to U.S. He also claimed when killing his parents the weapon made no sound when firing it. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. DeFeo also claimed to have seen shadow figures moving about the house during the murders. [13] Later that day, he issued a written statement in which he said, "Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. The popular story of ensuing events is that DeFeo’s original claims were that the murders were mob-connected had changed to “hearing voices,” demonic possession, and being handed the murder weapon, a .35 calibre Marlin hunting rifle, by a “pair of black hands”. Robertson flatly denied using the word "assassinate" [12] despite video tape evidence that he did. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the only surviving member, claimed that they had been murdered by the mob until he confessed to the murders. On the August 24 edition of The 700 Club, Robertson asserted that he hadn't actually called for Chávez's assassination, but that there were other ways of "taking him out", such as having special forces carry out a kidnapping. On November 13, 1974, police found that all but one of the members of the family residing at 112 Oceanside Ave., the DeFeo's, had been murdered in the middle of the night. policy since an executive order against them was issued in 1976; in response, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that "our department doesn't do that kind of thing." Bernardo Álvarez, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S., demanded a stronger condemnation from the White House and that the United States "respect our country and its president.". Main Article: Ronald DeFeo, Jr. a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly." [11] Assassinations of heads of state have been against U.S. The Lutz family, having lived in the house for only 28 days, fled their house with very few belongings, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomenon. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war, and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop." Robertson also said that Chávez was "going to make Venezuela a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent" and called the democratically elected leader an "out-of-control dictator.. Thirteen months earlier the house on 112 Ocean Avenue was the scene of a brutal mass murder. On the day of August 22, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, "I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. Both book and film revolve around the Lutz family, who move into the Dutch Colonial home in the village of Amityville, a New York City suburb on the south shore of Long Island, New York village. But if there's an erosion at home, you know, Thomas Jefferson warned about a tyranny of an oligarchy and if we surrender our democracy to the tyranny of an oligarchy, we've made a terrible mistake.". . We won in Iraq, and we can contain that. The novel is also the basis of two movies made in 1979 and 2005. We won in Afghanistan. The Amityville Horror was a best-selling 1977 novel by Jay Anson. I think we're going to get Osama bin Laden. The Amityville Horror (2005 film). Robertson went on to say, "I think we're going to control al Qaeda. The Amityville Horror (1979 film). The statement was made as part of a discussion about the long term future of the United States. Later it was theorized that it could have been “Jody”. During an interview on ABC's This Week, on April 30, 2005, Robertson was speaking about judicial activism when he said, "If you look over the course of a hundred years, I think the gradual erosion of the consensus that’s held our country together is probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings." This statement prompted outcry from several September 11th support and survivor groups. When he raced upstairs and to her room there was no sign of this mysterious entity. [10]. While checking the boathouse one night, George saw a pair of “red eyes” looking at him from Missy’s bedroom window. His comments drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. When he got downstairs the noise would stop. In a 2001 interview with Wolf Blitzer, he said that the Chinese were "doing what they have to do," with regards to China's one child policy, sometimes enforced with forced abortions, though he said that he did not personally agree with the practice. George would hear what was described as a “German marching band tuning up” or what also sounded like a clock radio playing not quite on frequency. Lynn, progressive organizations like Media Matters for America [9] and conservative groups such as Focus on the Family have all contested Robertson's statements. Nobody else heard these sounds even though it was loud enough to wake the house. Robertson has repeatedly claimed that Barry Lynn has stated that fire departments cannot put out fires in churches because it would be a violation of separation of church and state. He would race downstairs to see the dog sleeping soundly at the front door. State Department officials said they believed the comments to be in extremely bad taste, and have lodged official complaints against Robertson for his remarks. George would be awoken by the sound of the front door slamming when there was no door slamming. "What we need is for somebody to place a small nuke at Foggy Bottom," [8] Robertson said during his television program, referring to the location of the State Department headquarters. The Lutz’s youngest daughter, Missy, developed an imaginary friend named “Jody” who it was later discovered was not so imaginary and who it would be discovered could change form from a little boy to a demonic pig-like creature. In interviews with the author of a book critical of the United States Department of State, Robertson made suggestions that the explosion of a nuclear weapon at State Department Headquarters would be good for the country, and repeated those comments on the air. There were cold spots and strange odours of scented perfume and excrement in certain areas of the house where there were no wind drafts or any piping whatsoever to explain a source. On his The 700 Club television program, Pat Robertson has sharply criticized elements of the United States government and "special interest" groups that don't share his views. This room had a profound effect on their dog, Harry, who refused to go near it and cowered away as if sensing something negative there. However, the Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, a Republican, (whose largest campaign contributor two years earlier was Robertson himself) intervened, accepting that Robertson had made deceptive appeals but overruling the recommendation for his prosecution. The room was referred to as “the red room”. An investigation by Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs determined that Robertson "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements and other implications" and called for a criminal prosecution against Robertson in 1999. This did not show up on the blue prints of the house. After making emotional pleas in 1994 on The 700 Club for cash donations to Operation Blessing to support airlifts of refugees from Rwanda to Zaire, it was later discovered, by a reporter from The Virginian Pilot, that Operation Blessing's planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the Robertson-owned African Development Corporation, a venture Robertson had established in cooperation of Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. Kathy discovered a small hidden crawl space behind shelving in the basement, the walls painted red. Robertson has also been accused of using his tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, Operation Blessing, as a front for his own financial gain, and then using his influence in the Republican Party to cover his tracks. Kathy would feel a sensation as if “being embraced” in a loving manner, by an unseen force. Regarding this controversy, Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy said, "I would say that Pat Robertson is way out on his own, in a leaking life raft, on this one.". These details were later confirmed when they met with Ronald DeFeo’s defence attorney. According to Robertson, the Liberian gold mine Freedom Gold was intended to help pay for humanitarian and evangelical efforts in Liberia, when in fact the company was allowed to fail leaving many debts both in Liberia and in the international mining service sector. Kathy would have vivid nightmares about the murders, and discovered which order the murders occurred and who was shot where. embassy bombings. Later it would be learned that it was the estimated time of death with the DeFeo murders. Taylor had been at the time of Robertson's support indicted by the United Nations for war crimes, and prosecutors also said he had harbored members of Al Qaeda responsible for the 1998 U.S. George would wake up around 3.15am every morning and then would go out to check the boathouse. State Department of giving President Bush bad advice in supporting Taylor's ouster as president, and of trying "as hard as they can to destabilize Liberia." Robertson has been criticized for failing to mention in his broadcasts his $8 million investment in a Liberian gold mine. They are part of a work of literature alleging supernatural events and have not been independently verified by impartial research. Robertson accuses the U.S. This section contains allegations of events that support the contention that the house was actually haunted. Robertson repeatedly supported former President of Liberia Charles Taylor in various episodes of his 700 Club program during the United States' involvement in the Liberian Civil War in June and July 2003. This section contains information that is a part of the public record separate from specific allegations of supernatural events which form the heart of the book and movies. Robertson stated that the acceptance of homosexuality could result in hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombs and "possibly a meteor." The resulting outcry prompted Robertson to return to the topic on June 24, where he quoted Revelation in an attempt to support his claims. On the June 8, 1998 edition of his show, Robertson denounced Orlando and Disney World for allowing a privately sponsored "Gay Days" weekend. He agreed with Falwell that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were caused by "pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the ACLU and the People for the American Way." After public outcry regarding the dialogue, which took place only days after the attacks, Robertson stated that he had not understood what Falwell was saying during the interview, which was conducted via television monitor. Among his more controversial statements, Robertson has described feminism as a "socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." Many of Robertson's views mirror those of the evangelical activist Jerry Falwell, who has made frequent appearances on The 700 Club. Robertson declared that "God heard those prayers"[7], after the announced resignation of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. In 2005, Robertson launched Operation Supreme Court Freedom, a televised nationwide 21-day prayer campaign asking people to pray for vacancies on the Supreme Court, where "black-robed tyrants have pushed a radical agenda". In 2003, Robertson called on God to prevent Hurricane Isabel from hitting Virginia Beach. He made a similar claim about another destructive storm, Hurricane Felix, in 1995. east coast. He took credit for steering the course in 1985 of Hurricane Gloria, which caused millions of dollars of destruction in many states along the U.S. Robertson claims to have used the power of prayer to steer hurricanes away from his companies' Virginia Beach, Virginia, headquarters. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist.". Nonsense. On January 14, 1991, on "The 700 Club", Pat Robertson attacked a number of Protestant denominations when he declared: "You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Robertson is outspoken in both his faith and his politics and controversies surrounding him have often made headlines:. In that year the Coalition for Jewish Concerns also expressed its gratitude to Robertson for "unwavering support for Israel" and "standing up to evil.". In 2002, he received the State of Israel Friendship Award from the Zionist Organization of America for his consistent support for a Greater Israel. While Robertson is primarily popular among Evangelical Christians, his support extends beyond the Christian community. It was sued by the Federal Election Commission "for coordinating its activities with Republican candidates for office in 1990, 1992 and 1994 and failing to report its expenditures." [5] In 1994, the Coalition was fined for "improperly [aiding] then Representative Newt Gingrich (R., Ga.) and Iran-contra figure Oliver North, who was then the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia." [6] Robertson left the Coalition in 2001. However, the organization's popularity has faded somewhat. It became, almost instantly, one of the most influential organizations in American politics. After his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Robertson used his campaign organization to start the Christian Coalition, a political organization which campaigned mostly for conservative candidates. Through his charitable organization, Operation Blessing International, Robertson has spent $1.2 million on aid to refugees in Rwanda. The Secret Kingdom, Answers to 100 of Life's Most Probing Questions, and The New World Order were each in their respective year of publication the number one religious book in America. Robertson's books have been very successful and well-selling. He also has interests in such diverse assets as a shuttered California refinery. Probably the most lucrative was the purchase of a number of FM radio stations in the 1960s (when they were viewed by most investors as worthless technology) and selling them in the 1980s for massive gains. Robertson has made a number of shrewd business deals. The court ordered that Robertson pay a percentage of McCloskey's court costs, but not legal fees. Robertson ended the lawsuit before trial, asserting that the March 8 trial date, the day of the Super Tuesday primaries, was too inconvenient. Robertson said that he told Hasbrouck what questions to ask and reviewed the hour-long tape before deciding to sue McCloskey. Hasbrouck represented himself as a reporter for "Worldwide News Service" for this interview. During the trial Robertson said he hired John Hasbrouck to interview McCloskey. The trial found letters from Robertson's father on Senate stationery to Marine officials expressing concern with Robertson's preparedness to be a combat officer. In the late 1980s, Pat Robertson sued Congressman Pete McCloskey and Representative Andrew Jacobs for libel over their statements that Robertson's father used his influence to keep his son out of combat. He then returned to CBN and has remained there as a religious broadcaster, since then, even though he never renewed his ministerial credentials. He later spoke at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans and told his remaining supporters to cast their votes for Bush, who ended up winning the nomination and the election. Robertson ended his campaign before the primaries were finished; his best finish was in Washington. [3] Robertson did poorly in the subsequent New Hampshire primary, however [4] and was unable to be competitive once the multiple-state primaries began. Robertson's campaign got off to a strong second-place finish in the Iowa caucus, ahead of Bush. (see Education and military service). Instead of fighting in the war, Robertson's primary responsibility was supplying alcoholic beverages for his officers. Other Marines in his battalion contradicted Robertson's version, claiming he had never spent a day in a combat environment. In his campaign literature, he stated he was a combat Marine who served in the Korean War. During the presidential primary election season started in early 1988, Robertson's campaign was attacked because of a statement he had made about his military service. He also supported a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Among his policies, he wanted to ban pornography, reform the education system, eliminate Conrail and Amtrak, and eliminate departments such as the Department of Education and the Department of Energy. Robertson ran on a very conservative platform. Bush was seen as a longshot. W. However, his campaign against incumbent Vice President George H. He surrendered his ministerial credentials and turned leadership of CBN over to his son, Tim. Three million responded, and by the time Robertson announced he'd be running in September 1987, he also had raised millions of dollars for his campaign fund. Robertson said he would only pursue the nomination if three million people signed up to volunteer for his campaign by September 1987. In September 1986, Robertson announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The law firm, headquartered in the same building that houses Regent's law school, focuses on "pro-family, pro-liberty and pro-life" cases nationwide. He is also founder and president of the American Center for Law and Justice, a public interest law firm and education group that defends Christians whose First Amendment rights have been violated. Robertson serves as its chancellor. It was renamed Regent University in 1989. Robertson founded CBN University in 1977 on CBN's Virginia Beach campus. It is now owned by Disney as ABC Family. A condition of the sale was that the station would continue airing Robertson's television program The 700 Club twice a day in perpetuity, regardless of any changes of ownership. Robertson sold the Family Channel to the News Corporation in 1997, which renamed it Fox Family. in 1990 with the Family Channel as its main subsidiary. When the Family Channel became too profitable for Robertson to keep it under the CBN umbrella without endangering CBN's nonprofit status, he formed International Family Entertainment, Inc. In 1977, he founded the CBN Cable Network, which was renamed the CBN Family Channel in 1988 and later simply the Family Channel. It is now seen in 180 countries and broadcast in 71 languages. He started it by buying a small UHF station in nearby Portsmouth. In 1960, Robertson established the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was ordained as a minister of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1961. Soon afterwards, he 'spoke in tongues' for the first time. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths", which Robertson considers to be the "guiding principle" of his life. Vanderbreggen quoted Proverbs (3:5, 6), "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In 1956 Robertson was "led to faith in Christ" by Dutch missionary Cornelius Vanderbreggen, who impressed Robertson both by his lifestyle and his message. After failing the bar exam[2], he shortly thereafter underwent his religious conversion and decided against pursuing a career in law and went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary in 1959. Robertson then went on to receive a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale University Law School in 1955. Robertson was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1952 upon his return to the United States. Robertson has called these allegations "an attack by liberals to discredit me.". Paul Brosman, Jr., another veteran who had served with Robertson claimed in a deposition that Robertson had sexual relations with prostitutes and sexually harassed a cleaning girl. His time in the service was not in combat but as the "liquor officer" responsible for keeping the officers' clubs supplied with liquor, and that Robertson's father intervened to keep Robertson out of combat. attacked Robertson's record that he served in Korea, but that Robertson spent most of his time in an office in Japan. The Division was in combat in the hot and dusty, then bitterly cold portion of North Korea just above the 38th Parallel later identified as the "Punchbowl" and "Heartbreak Ridge." For that service in the Korean War, the Marine Corps awarded me three battle stars for "action against the enemy." Paul "Pete" McCloskey, Jr. We did long, grueling marches to toughen the men, plus refresher training in firearms and bayonet combat." In the same year he transferred to Korea, "I ended up at the headquarters command of the First Marine Division. Robertson served 4 months in Japan, in January 1951, "doing rehabilitation training for Marines wounded in Korea. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was the first person to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant at a graduation ceremony at the university. He opted for the former, which allowed him to finish college under the condition that he attend OCS during the summer at Quantico, Virginia. In 1948 the draft was reinstated and Robertson was given the option of joining the Marine Corps or being drafted into the army. Robertson has said, "Although I worked hard at my studies, my real major centered around lovely young ladies who attended the nearby girls schools" [1]. He graduated with honors and enrolled at Washington and Lee University, where he majored in history and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, one of the most prestigious honor societies in the country, and joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. McCallie is a college preparatory school that was at the time, but is no longer, a military school. From 1944 until 1946 he attended the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When he was twelve, Robertson was enrolled in the military preparatory McDonogh School outside Baltimore, Maryland. Robertson is also related to Winston Churchill. Robertson is proud of his family history and has traced his family to such relatives as governor of Virginia and signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Harrison V, and United States presidents, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison. He insisted upon being called a "religious broadcaster.". His strong awareness for the importance of names in the creation of a public image showed itself again during his presidential run when he threatened to sue NBC news for calling him a "television evangelist", which later became "televangelist", at a time when Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker were objects of scandal. Gordon" to be affected, so he opted for his childhood nickname "Pat". He considered "Marion" to be effeminate, and "M. As he got older, Robertson thought about which first name he would like people to use. At a young age, Robertson was given the nickname of Pat by his six-year-old brother, Willis Robertson, Jr., who enjoyed patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby while saying "pat, pat, pat". Robertson, and at the time of writing (mid-2005) fourteen grandchildren. His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. He married Adelia "Dede" Elmer in 1954. His parents were Absalom Willis Robertson, a conservative Democratic United States Senator, and his wife Gladys Willis Robertson. Robertson was born in Lexington, Virginia, into a prominent political family. . Christian churches do not have a national leader that represents or speaks for them, a contributing factor to Robertson's ability to claim a position as a leading Christian voice. However, many U.S. As a result of his seeking political office, he no longer serves in an official role for any church. He is a Southern Baptist and was active as an ordained minister with that denomination for many years, but holds to a Charismatic theology not traditionally common among Southern Baptists. Robertson is a partisan of the Republican Party and campaigned to become the party's candidate in the 1988 presidential election. Robertson's strongly conservative views have often provoked controversy, especially his statements recommending the dissolution of the barrier between church and state, the condemnation of groups he believes to be in a state of sin, and his denunciation of perceived communists or radical Islamic followers. He is the host of The 700 Club, a TV program which airs on many channels in the United States and on CBN affiliates worldwide. He is the founder of numerous organizations and corporations including: the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Christian Coalition, the Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, and Regent University. Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an influential Christian televangelist, entrepreneur, and Christian right political activist from the United States. 2002 State of Israel Friendship Award from the Zionist Organization of America. 2000 Cross of Nails award for his vision, inspiration, and humanitarian work with The Flying Hospital. 1994 John Connor Humanitarian Service Award from Operation Smile International. 1994 Defender of Israel Award from the Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign for those who have made major contributions in strengthening U.S.-Israel relations. 1994 Omega Fellowship Award by Food for the Hungry for Operation Blessing's fight against worldwide hunger. 1992 One of America's 100 Cultural Elite by Newsweek Magazine. 1989 Christian Broadcaster of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters. 1988 Man of the Year by Students for America. 1985 National Association of United Methodist Evangelists. 1984 Citation from the National Organization for the Advancement of Hispanics. 1984 Man of the Year Award from the Women's National Republican Club. 1982 Humanitarian of the Year by Food for the Hungry. 1979 National Conference of Christians and Jews - Distinguished Merit Citation. 1978 Department of Justice Award from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 25th FBI Vesper Service. 1976 Faith and Freedom Award in the field of broadcasting. 1975 The Distinguished Merit Citation from The National Conference of Christians and Jews. Courting Disaster. The Ten Offenses. Bring It On. The New World Order (1991). The End of the Age. Shout it from the Housetops an autobiography. Turning Tide: The Fall of Liberalism and the Rise of Common Sense. Beyond Reason: How Miracles can Change your Life. The Plan. America's Dates with Destiny. The Secret Kingdom (1982). Answers to 200 of Life's Most Probing Questions. The New Millennium. Robertson's claims of overseas graduate study turned out to be a summer introductory course for Americans abroad. Robertson claimed he was on a board of directors of a bank, when he was only actually on an advisory board. In a book Robertson wrote, he described himself as a "Yale-educated tax lawyer," though he had not passed the bar. On different occasions, Robertson has claimed an IQ of 159, 139 and 137. |