Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, June 10, 1998
P.O. Box 449, Norfolk, VA 23501-0449
(Fax (757) 446-2051)(E-Mail: letters@pilotonline.com)
(http://www.pilotonline.com/)

Evangelist Robertson says gays bring about earthquakes, tornadoes, bombs By Tony Wharton, The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Pat Robertson said Orlando, Fla., should beware of hurricanes, since it and Disney World allowed Gay Days to be held there this past weekend.

"I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you,'' Robertson said Monday on his TV show, "The 700 Club.''

Robertson also said the widespread practice of homosexuality "will bring about terrorist bombs, it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.''

Gay organizations sponsor the annual Gay Days in Orlando and Disney World. The flags Robertson referred to, paid for by the gay rights groups, have a rainbow design and flew from Orlando's downtown utility poles during the celebration.

A reporter for ``The 700 Club'' news department did a segment on Gay Days during Monday's broadcast, saying the Christian Broadcasting Network had undercover video that was ``too graphic to show.''

After the news segment, Robertson talked for several minutes about the topic. He added, "We're not in any way, shape or form hating anybody. This is not a message of hate, this is a message of redemption.''

Disney World does not sponsor Gay Days but has said it will not discriminate by refusing to allow the event. The Southern Baptist Convention declared a boycott of Disney products and theme parks last year, in part because of Gay Days.

Hurricanes, and who they would hit, have been a theme of Robertson's career. In 1985, he claimed that his prayers helped steer Hurricane Gloria away from Hampton Roads, and in 1995 he said the same about Hurricane Felix.

Robertson also believes that various natural disasters are signs of God's will and that the world will suffer more of them before the arrival of ``the end of the age.''

He has long campaigned against homosexuality, and said Monday that the Bible's book of Romans considers it ``the last step in the decline of gentile civilization.''

Mitch Rosa, president of Hampton Roads Pride, a regional gay rights group, laughed when he heard of Robertson's remarks.

"I feel sorry for him, I really do,'' Rosa said. "He's taken the word of the Bible and twisted it to fit his needs.

"You know, what comes around goes around. If he's worried about a hurricane, he should worry first about his own roof.''

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which monitors Robertson's statements, said in a statement, "Mickey Mouse had better hit the storm shelter.''

Barry W. Lynn, director of the group, said, "Politicians who take their marching orders from Pat Robertson ought to consider finding a new meteorologist.''

Dayton Daily News, June 9, 1998
45 S. Ludlow Street,Dayton,OH,45402
(Fax 513-225-7302)(E-MAIL: Edletter@dni.com)
( http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/)
DAYTON: Man faces charges in soiling of books
By Jennifer Inez Ward, DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Dayton police have charged a man they claim defecated on library books.

Carl Lenhof was charged with five counts of criminal damaging.

For three years, police have been seeking a man who defecates on books and leaves "hate" notes.

Lenhof of Dayton, who was charged May 22, faces misdemeanor charges of vandalism. An appearance Thursday in Dayton Municipal Court has been postponed. No new date was set.

According to the Dayton and Montgomery County Library, the man, who calls himself "the Mad Sh----," has hit library branches in Dayton, Kettering and Huber Heights more than a dozen times.

The vandalism, which began in early 1995, has cost the library between $500 and $1,000.

Attempts to reach Lenhof at home and work were unsuccessful.

According to police reports, the man, who claims in his notes to be "the righteous guardian of public decency," focuses on homosexual education guides and books about the United Nations.

Soiled books were left in the men's toilet, in the book return area or on a shelf.

In Kettering, books damaged include Zack's Story, a book on growing up with same-sex parents, and Search for Peace: The Story of the United Nations.

The Dayton Lesbian and Gay Center said they believe the same man makes harassment calls weekly. Officials of the center said the same person mailed them dirty underwear.