Oh Pat Robertson, you rascally rascal, you cuddly wizened little adventuresome fascist. You who so well plays the wise and gentle Vicar of Grift in the US by day and ruthless African dictator ruler of the blood diamond mines in the Congo by night. What brilliant con will you think of next?

RW Watch — Today on the 700 Club, Pat Robertson told co-host Terry Meeuwsen that gay men in cities like San Francisco attempt to spread HIV/AIDS to others by cutting them with a special ring when shaking hands. However, one could not hear Robertson make the remarks on the episode his Christian Broadcasting Network posted online, as the company once again appears to have edited Robertson’s comments after they aired.

While responding to a question from a woman who wondered if it was wrong for the church not to inform her that a man she was driving to worship services is “dying of AIDS,” Robertson admitted that he “used to think it was transmitted by saliva and other things, now they say it may be sexual contact.”

“What to say if you’re driving an elderly man whose got AIDS? Don’t have sex with them,” Robertson said, “unless there’s a cut or some bodily fluid transmission, I think you’re not going to catch it.”

But Robertson didn’t stop there.

“There are laws now, I think the homosexual community has put these draconian laws on the books that prohibit people from discussing this particular affliction, you can tell somebody you had a heart attack, you can tell them they’ve got high blood pressure, but you can’t tell anybody you’ve got AIDS,” he continued.

I have known many a gay man over the years, even at times shaking hands with a few of them. I now find myself feeling a little left out and having to report not one supposed gay man ever tried to nick me with their secret HIV/AIDS decoder ring. I don’t know what I have to do to qualify, but it’s your loss gay community.