Televangelist Pat Robertson on Monday reviewed the case of a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left at least seven dead and came to the conclusion that places of worship were being attacked because "people who are atheists, they hate God."
Robertson opened Monday's 700 Club broadcast with the news that there had been a mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.
"What is it?" the TV preacher wondered. "Is it satanic? Is it some spiritual thing, people who are atheists, they hate God, they hate the expression of God? And they are angry with the world, angry with themselves, angry with society and they take it out on innocent people who are worshiping God."
"And whether it's a Sikh temple or a Baptist church or a Catholic church or a Muslim mosque, whatever it is, I just abhor this kind of violence, and it's the the kind of thing that we should do something about," he added. "But what do you do? Well, you talk about the love of God and hope it has some impact."
U.S. Attorney James A. Santelle on Monday said that the man who murdered six people in Wisconsin before being shot himself was 40-year-old Army veteran Wade Michael Page. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identified Page as a neo-Nazi who led a racist white-power band.
SPLC's Heidi Beirich told the Journal Sentinel that there was "no question" that the suspect was part of the white supremacist movement and had attended "hate events" around the country.
Reports also indicated that Page had a number of tattoos, including one that said "9/11" and a Celtic knot, which is commonly used a symbol of the Christian Holy Trinity. There is no evidence that Page was an atheist.
(h/t Right Wing Watch)
