Christian morality: Leading evangelical Pat Robertson says “100 billion worth of arms sales” is more important than the life of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

According to reports, Khashoggi, a journalist working for The Washington Post and living in the United States, was tortured, murdered, and dismembered by agents of the Saudi government after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2.

However, in a callous disregard for human life, for human decency, and the rule of law, televangelist Pat Robertson, appearing on his Christian television show “The 700 Club,” said America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is too important to risk over the assassination of a journalist working for The Washington Post.

Pat Robertson responds to reports that the Saudis murdered a journalist by telling everyone to calm down and focus on the important things, like the lucrative arms deal we have with them. pic.twitter.com/06b7s3R6Xe — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) October 15, 2018

Robertson said:

We’ve got to cool the rhetoric. Calls for sanctions and calls for punitive actions against the Saudis is ill-advised … You’ve got a hundred billion dollars worth of arms sales—which is, you know, that’s one of those things—but more than that, we’ve got to have some Arab allies. We have to have it! We cannot alienate a biggest player in the Middle East who is a bulwark against Iran.

When co-host Wendy Griffith questioned Robertson’s apparent willingness to accept the Saudi government killing journalists, Robertson replied:

We’ve had so many people killed. We’ve had CIA people killed in Lebanon. People have been taken hostage over the years. I know it’s bad, but we’ve had all kinds of stuff, but you don’t blow up an international alliance over one person. I mean, I’m sorry.

Robertson said:

We’ve got an arms deal that everybody wanted a piece of. It’ll be a lot of jobs, a lot of money come to our coffers. It’s not something you want to blow up willy-nilly.

As one might expect, many on Twitter were not sympathetic to Robertson’s position:

Corinthians – If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. One would think a faith leader would be guided by this sentiment.

OR empirical evidence NO $100bn deal has been agreed upon https://t.co/EUjuCxsi8W — Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) October 18, 2018

Proof Trump’s evangelical base is a cult: Until Trump excused a Saudi prince murderer who paid him off American Evangelicals would’ve cheered if Trump had nuked Mecca but now Pat Robertson and the gang are defending the Saudi perpetrators of 9/11 (and they called Obama a Muslim!) — Frank Schaeffer (@Frank_Schaeffer) October 18, 2018

Pat Robertson giving a pass to the most powerful Muslim despot on earth for dismembering a journalist because President Donald Trump doesn’t want to endanger arms sales is peak American evangelicalism https://t.co/L9JyATpcNj — Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) October 17, 2018

What goes into my mouth isn’t anywhere near as obscene as what comes out of Pat Robertson’s mouth. https://t.co/jx6ydVsWbr — Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 18, 2018

Dear Pat Robertson: Remember when Jesus said it’s okay to deal with murderers as long as you can make a profit? Me neither. https://t.co/QgFDPEEoQG — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) October 18, 2018

Bottom line: Televangelist Pat Robertson says “100 billion worth of arms sales” is more important than the life of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In other words, selling weapons is more important than justice, and money more important than human life.

Can you feel the Christian love?

(H/T Right Wing Watch)