On “The 700 Club” today, Pat Robertson responded to a question from a viewer who wanted to know what the proper Christian response is to drug addicts in her town who are, she complained, using up government and hospital resources that she has to pay for with her tax dollars. Robertson responded that it was time for some tough love and that drug addicts who refuse to work or seek treatment should simply be allowed to starve to death.

A viewer from Massachusetts cited a Boston Herald article about the strain that addicted and mentally ill “super-utilizers” are putting on Boston’s hospitals and Medicaid system and complained that she’s finding it hard to be charitable toward drug addicts who are intentionally overdosing and wasting resources that she is paying for with her taxes.

Robertson responded by citing 2 Thessalonians 3:10, which says that “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat,” as justification for allowing addicts to starve to death.

“There are a bunch of people who are just bums and they’re trying to ride in on the charity of others,” Robertson said. “Tough love will say, ‘I’m not going to give you something.’ … If these people are out drugging themselves, let ’em starve to death. I know that sounds hard, but that’s the way it’s got to be.”