That’s pretty much my reaction really. Not surprised, but reminded just how vile they are. His inhumanity, especially considering he’s someone who says he seeks to emulate the supposed humanity of Jesus, is quite shocking.

It seems that he likely made that same basic comment several times. It also seems likely that his inspiration for that comment and the idea to start a religion to get rich came from another science fiction writer.

“Scientology is bullshit! Man, I was there the night L. Ron Hubbard invented it, for Christ’s sakes! … We were sitting around one night … who else was there? Alfred Bester, and Cyril Kornbluth, and Lester del Rey, and Ron Hubbard, who was making a penny a word, and had been for years. And he said “This bullshit’s got to stop!” He says, “I gotta get money.” He says, “I want to get rich”. And somebody said, “why don’t you invent a new religion? They’re always big.” We were clowning! You know, “Become Elmer Gantry! You’ll make a fortune!” He says, “I’m going to do it.”

[Harlan Ellison, in “The Real Harlan Ellison” in Wings (November-December 1978), p. 32.]

I’m a pretty serious science fiction reader, have been since 6 or 7 years old. I’ve read LRH and he really wasn’t all that great. Simplistic, juvenile even. He definitely wasn’t up to the level of most of the other writers he used to hang out with before he started religion-smithing. Like Alfred Bester(!), CM Kornbluth, Harlan Ellison himself, and several others that went on to become known as the greats of the Golden Age.

Wasn’t it L. Ron Hubbard who said something like, “If you want to make money you don’t write science-fiction, you start a religion.”?

Why doesn’t everyone see them for the duplicitous, oleaginous, smarmy con-men that they are?

Con men survive – one might even say thrive. From which fact, we can deduce the (possibly upsetting) complex psycho-social fact that there exists a sufficient population of credulous humans for them to prey on. It’s a sad state of affairs that some people really are that stupid, but the continued existence of successful con men (including Robertson and his ilk) is plain evidence that this susceptible population does exist (and also, that Robertson and ilk can find them). It may not be a classical “please fill in this questionnaire before looking at the flashing lights” type of psychology-sociology experiment, but their existence is no less an experimental test of the state of humanity than the Milgram Experiment (the “turn up the voltage and fry the test subject” one).
Which is me analysing Robertson and con men as being a natural hazard like drowning or being eaten alive by camel spiders (I’ve been writing job applications this morning. It puts one in a certain mood.) ; but what makes Robertson and company different – and here I agree with your label of “evil” – is that they use their influence over the young and credulous (a natural state for children – it’s quicker and safer to believe adults than to find everything out by experiment ; see under “drowning” and “being eaten alive by camel spiders”) to prevent the formation of “critical thinking”, so guaranteeing themselves a future supply of victims.
Oh look – a lorry load of lambs drives past the house to the slaughter house. Where they’ll be led into the killing pens by a “Judas Sheep.” I’ve more respect for the professional ethics of the Judas Sheep than I have for Robertson and his ilk.

I’ve always felt that way about any evangelist. Why doesn’t everyone see them for the duplicitous, oleaginous, smarmy con-men that they are? Obviously religious indoctrination can be a disgustingly stubborn thing to kick.