My friend and fellow examiner, Hugh Kramer (LA Atheism Examiner), posted a link today to a clip of Pat Robertson suggesting that the earthquake in Haiti (as well as all the other hardships they've experienced) are due to a "pact with the Devil" that the people made during the days when they were struggling to break free from the rule of the French:
"And you know Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True Story. And so the Devil said "OK, it's a deal." And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island is Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc.. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Uh, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God and out of this tragedy. I'm optimistic something good may come."
This line of cause-and-effect thinking, however, is simply not in sync with Christian theology. Jesus Himself corrected His followers when they implied that natural disasters and suffering needed an explanation involving sin or moral failings:
"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5)
Similarly, when Jesus was asked why a certain beggar was born blind and whether it was because of sin or the sin of his parents/ancestors (John 9), He once again repudiated the notion that suffering was a one-to-one result of sin.
Aside from the fact that Robertson offers no historical source or citation for his claim regarding Haiti's supposed 'pact with the Devil'--his declaration of it as a "true story" notwithstanding!--the idea that a country's natural disasters are the result of immoral actions is simplistic at best. If this were the case, one would expect to find countries experiencing high degrees of wealth and abundance to have morally righteous track records. Yet natural disasters are no respecters of national morality.
Pat Robertson is not known for his historical, political or theological accuracy, nor should he be seen as any sort of authorititaive voice within Christianity.
However, the one commendable aspect of his statement on the Haiti earthquake is his insistence that the suffering is real, and that Christians should respond with both aid and prayer. Unlike the rest of his statement, THAT idea is one that resounds loudly throughout the pages of Scripture and one that echoes the call of the Gospel to sacrificially serve "the least of these."
Comments
Although his thinking doesn't make any sense. If he really believes their suffering is divine retribution then helping these people would be undermining God. Robertson is an idiot and expect no less from him.
and I expect no less
I type too fast sometimes.
He's a sadistic old tosser, and so's the fake God he fancies he worships.
I remember, many years ago, when Pat Robertson prayed away a hurricane so as not to destroy the Va Beach area. And with success. He was able to convince God to spare he and his fellow coastal citizens,.... and to then steer the hurricane further north and destroy town after town off the coast of northern Va and into Delaware before heading back out to sea. Obviously they too made a pact with the devil.
Thank you Pat.
James-Michael, I agree that attributing all suffering to sin on the part of the sufferer is simplistic at best. Do you think there is any suffering, even natural disasters, that can be attributed to sin on the part of the sufferers? Specifically, the teaching of Christ re: the victims of the Tower of Siloam and the victims of Pilate's bloody reprisals actually supports cause-and-effect thinking: He doesn't say they were innocent victims, but rather that if His hearers continue in sin, they will likewise perish. Jesus assumes that if they had repented, disaster would have been averted, but that stubborn continuation of sin, even in the face of warnings, will bring more suffering. What do you think?
Kudos for coming out so quickly to condemn Pat Robertson's sentiments, JM. Pat's history isn't much better than his theology. He's off by two Napoleons in the quote (the Haitians fought Napoleon I, not Napoleon III). I suspect that Pat was thinking about the famous Haitian "voodoo" when he was talking about making a pact with the Devil. If there was a pact that was ever responsible for Haiti's poverty though, it was made with the French, not the Devil. While Haiti was the only nation ever to be founded through a slave revolt, the enmity of the French was an ever-present danger until 1825, when the Haitian's agreed to pay a huge indemnity to compensate the French for the loss of their slaves. The loans they took out (from the French to pay the French!) loaded them up with a crushing debt that stifled their economic growth right from the start. They also faced the enmity of their neighbors (including the US) who feared the example of a successful slave revolt (continued)
(continued) and suffered economically from that too. Haiti has never been able to crawl out from under a heavy burden of debt and that, more than anything else, is why she remains impoverished.
I think the earthquake though, had more to do with movement along the Carribean Plate faultline than either the Devil or the debt!
;)
Thank you for your voice of reason. These people need our help and support, not condemnation from a gentleman known for his extreme religious ideologies.
Right Wing Christian leaders try to twist Jesus'words around and make us believe God loves the rich and hates the poor. That poor people suffer because God is punishing them. That if we send a rich preacher our last dollar then God will make us rich too. I am not sure what Bible they are reading - but I do not see that message in mine.
personally, I avoid articles written by Jewish authors as a protective measure.
“….they are the perpetual good guy, beloved by God, …..”
You mean, beloved by a God THEY INVENTED. – And a majority of the world fell for this joke.
The sooner this hogwash called the Bible is laid to rest as the work of fiction that it is, the sooner the world will have peace.
"The sooner this hogwash called the Bible is laid to rest as the work of fiction that it is, the sooner the world will have peace"
Think, a few guys tried to do this very thing. Their names were Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao. So much peace ensued it was ridiculous...
Thank you for bringing up this important subject. Whenever there is a natural disaster, some jump to the conclusion that the people and place deserved it because of past behavior. After Katrina, I had many conversations of this very nature. If we truly got what we deserved, I don't know what that would look like, but I doubt it would be very pretty.
James-Michael, thanks for putting this out there. It's good to have strong Christian voices speaking out against the blame-the-victim superstition.
Thankfully most people, of all religions, know that Pat Robertson is a loon, and doesn't really represent anyone but himself.
To be fair, CBN spokesman Chris Roslan issued a statement Regarding Pat Robertson's Comments on Haiti, saying “On today’s The 700 Club, during a segment about the devastation, suffering and humanitarian effort that is needed in Haiti, Dr. Robertson also spoke about Haiti’s history. His comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed. Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment...
(cont'd)...Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them. His humanitarian arm has been working to help thousands of people in Haiti over the last year, and they are currently launching a major relief and recovery effort to help the victims of this disaster. They have sent a shipment of millions of dollars worth of medications that is now in Haiti, and their disaster team leaders are expected to arrive tomorrow and begin operations to ease the suffering.”
Great article. Don't forget about what we find in Jeremiah too:
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say:
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.
(Jeremiah 31:27-30)
I disagree with Pat's theology that an evil person is repaid by an angry God. However, if I did agree with it, it would fail to explain why he is still around.
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