The main reason this can be such a poorly debated topic is that not everyone can explain thier views in the length of a post to make it clear to the other people who wish to debate with them.
Personally I find it utterly laughable that Robertson "prayed away" a hurricane. I am a good little episcopalian christian and I've even managed to reconcile evolution with creationism in my own head- and all of those faith/scientific paths to debate. I don't expect anyone to believe the same but heres a thought for you...
Does Pat Robertson really have Gods ear? Does he have a red phone line straight to JC's office in the sky? It's my belief that EVERYONE's payers are listened to equally- I have a working class god- he doens't just listen to the worthy or the special... otherwise I'd have to beleive he didn't listen to me. I'm a little too self centered to believe that.

So my take on it in general? The prayers of hundreds of thousands of people watching as a hurricane barrel down on them may make a drop in the bucket of god's thought. He may steer the winds naturally nd predictably to turn away the strom from ports of call. But he didn't do any miricals, and the hurricane certainly didn't bow down at Pat Robertson's feed and bow mightily.
It's the thought of one man's prayers being listened to and acted upon over all others- that's something I find terribly laughable. The fact that Robertson is conceited enough and vain enough to believe that his prayers alone changed the direction of an act of God.
Sorry *Laughs* but I'd buy that there's no God at all before I bought that Robertson can controll a hurricane through prayer!