It looks like televangelist Pat Robertson has put his foot in mouth yet again and Twitter is disgusted.
On Robertson’s nationally syndicated show “The 700 Club,” he said divorce was OK so long as one spouse has Alzheimer’s disease.
Robertson’s remarks came in response to a question asked by a man named Andreas who has a friend whose wife suffers from the disease.
“That person is gone. They are gone. So, what he says is basically correct. I know it sounds cruel but if he’s going to do something he should divorce her and start all over again,” said Robertson on his program Tuesday. (The comment is made at about the 51:00 minute mark). “Till death do us part. This is a kind of death. So that’s what he’s saying.”
On Twitter, thousands of people, including preachers, have addressed Robertson’s comment with disappointment and disdain. Just in the last couple of hours, Robertson has been mentioned more than 3,000 times, according to statistics from Topsy, a social medias search engine.
“Pat Robertson’s latest craziness isn’t just an embarrassment,” tweeted Russel Moore (@drmoore), who claims to be a baptist preacher from Louisville. “It’s a cruel repudiation of Christianity itself.”
“Pat Robertson said divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer’s is OK. It’s also OK to ignore soulless old men who are asshats,” tweeted Rex Huppke (@rexhuppke).
“#Alzheimer‘s is a heartbreaking disease for patients & their fam. How could ANYONE suggest abandoning your loved one bc they are ill?” tweeted Emily Carter(@emilycarter).
The Daily Dot has reached out to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and the Alzheimer’s Association for a comment and is waiting to hear back.