I felt that Don Miller's response to Pat Robertson's misguided and disturbingly insensitive remarks was well balanced and fair. His comments were also necessary as Robertson is neither biblically on target nor the kind of person who should be seen as the typical Christian response and voice regarding a horrible tragedy and disaster.
As always, some disagree with this kind of public criticism. They think it is unloving and only further deepens the disunity and division among Christians. I respectfully disagree. Somewhere there needs to be room for a brotherly rebuke - not only because Jesus himself did not shy away from harsh criticism of religious leaders when it was called for, but also because of the kind of damage caused by Robertson's remarks. That kind of insanity has got to stop. It reinforces a public picture of Christianity (and along with it of God Himself) that is a horrible distortion of its true character. So in my opinion someone does need to stand up and say something in a case like that. Not as a knee-jerk reaction or through ad hominem attacks filled with self-righteous rage, but concise, to the point and with the intention of truly helping the perpetrator.
If Paul could rebuke Peter for his actions in Galatia (Galatians 2:11) why should we avoid the same kind of intervention at all cost today?
