Robertson Voices Support of Swaggart
Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson said Saturday he believes God has forgiven Jimmy Swaggart for his confessed sin of moral failure and he hopes to see the suspended television evangelist back in the pulpit soon.
Robertson expressed his support for Swaggart during a 15-minute news conference at Metro Airport. Swaggart endorsed Robertson’s bid for the presidency a year ago.
“Jimmy has confessed to a moral problem and asked for forgiveness, and I believe that God has forgiven him,” Robertson said.
“In Christianity, we don’t shoot our wounded,” he added. “We care for people, and this is an act of caring.”
Robertson has suggested that the revelations about Swaggart might be part of a plot to discredit the Robertson candidacy.
Swaggart stepped down from the pulpit a week ago, amid reports that he had hired a prostitute to perform obscene acts. Swaggart tearfully admitted unspecified sin and begged forgiveness.
A recommendation that he be banned from the pulpit for three months and be required to undergo two years of counseling was criticized by some as too lenient and is under review.
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