Religious Figure: Pat Robertson , Background

Pat Robertson is best known as the Fundamentalist Christian minister and televangelist who serves host of the well-known 700 Club and has founded a variety of organizations. In this article, you will encounter facts and trivia about the man who has been criticized and respected for promoting religious ideas that stray from traditional Southern Baptists’ way of thinking.

Pat Robertson’s full name is Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson. The reason why he doesn’t go by his real first name and where the name ‘Pat’ came from will be explained later.

Some of the organizations and corporations that Robertson has founded include: American Center for Law and Justice (also known as the ACLJ), the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Christian Coalition, Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment Inc., Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, and Regent University , a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Robertson founded the school in 1978.

Robertson was born in Lexington, Virginia on March 22nd, 1930.

As host of The 700 Club, his Christian television program is seen throughout the United States and is broadcast on CBN affiliates located across the globe.

Robertson is a Southern Baptist and was an active ordained minister at one point in time, even though some of his viewpoints do not follow in line with traditional thinking.

In 1988, he campaigned to become a nominee for the Republican Party in the presidential race, but was not elected to represent. Because of his attempt to gain a place in politics, he no longer takes on an official role in any church. Interestingly, Robertson was born into a family with prominent political ties. His father was Absalom Willis Robertson, who served as a conservative Democratic senator for the United States.

Conservative Christians often listen to what Robertson has to say because he has earned a reputation as being influential, as well as controversial.

On August 26, 1954, Robertson married Adelia “Dede” Elmer and the couple had four children together. He has since enjoyed more than 14 grandchildren.

If you’re wondering where the nickname, ‘Pat’ came from , it was given to him by his 6-year-old brother (Willis Robertson, Jr) who took pleasure in patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby while saying “pat, pat, pat”. When he grew older, he actually revisited the nickname and took it as his own. He believed that his real first name (‘Marion’) sounded too feminine and ‘M.Gordon’ sounded too stern, so he chose to go by his childhood nickname.

Just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, Robertson was enrolled in the preparatory McDonogh School when he was 11 years old.

From Pat Robertson’s book, The New World Order (page 218), he stated: “When I said during my presidential bid that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. `What do you mean?’ the media challenged me. `You’re not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?’ My simple answer is, `Yes, they are.'”