TV preacher Pat Robertson is, oddly enough, finally feeling the heat. (TP has video)

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said Thursday the wave of scorching temperatures across the United States has converted him into a believer in global warming.

"We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels," Robertson said on his "700 Club" broadcast. "It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air."

This week the heat index, the perceived temperature based on both air temperatures and humidity, reached 115 Fahrenheit in some regions of the East Coast. The 76-year-old Robertson told viewers that was "the most convincing evidence I've seen on global warming in a long time."

What's that old saying? Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Nevertheless, the division among evangelicals on this issue is growing increasingly stark. Robertson joins Rich Cizik and the National Association of Evangelicals on the side of those who acknowledge reality. On the other side we find James Dobson and Jerry Falwell, both of whom reject the overwhelming evidence.

It's hard to imagine the issue causing a serious rift within the religious right movement -- it's not like they care as much about climate change as they do, say, gay people -- but the divisions are certainly worth watching.

--Guest Post by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report