Televangelist Pat Robertson said today during a broadcast on his Christian Broadcasting Network that quake-ravaged Haiti made a “pact to the devil.”
“And so the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal,'” Robertson said. “And they kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.
“But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor.”
I have loathed this man since before he became a born-again Israel supporter. I watched his broadcasts when I was young, and he quite clearly told me I was going to hell because I didn’t believe what he believed.
Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m not the one that’s going to have a tough time after I’ve exited this world.
Those poor Haitians. Here’s a place to send donations.
Meyrl – as a Christian pastor people like Pat make my blood boil. He’s willing to add to the suffering of thousands simply for the sake of seeming like he’s more spiritual than everyone else. One thing I learned early in ministry is that it ok to say “I don’t know”, sure you might not wind up looking like a super-apostle but you also don’t wind up looking like a self-righteous soul-dead twit or Pat Roberston (but I repeat myself).
For what its worth I have the feeling that Jesus isn’t real happy with Pat either:
Luke 13:4
Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Jesus is specifically telling those who cast blame like Pat is doing to repent or perish. I certainly wish Pat would avail himself of one of those two options.
Calling this man an idiot is an insult to idiots everywhere. He is a vile cretin of a man.
I wanted to call him an asshole, but I don’t use swears in post titles.
I’m not a Christian, but I have to wonder why Haiti has such a high AIDS rate. Block me if you must, but I think Pat is on to something
You’re not a Christian, but you and Robertson have a lot in common—and that’s not a compliment. That’s the same logic that people used to explain why Jews were responsible for the Black Plague—they didn’t get it, so obviously, they were poisoning the wells. Good for you, to be as advanced as the ignoramuses of the Middle Ages.
I love the way you think that because you disagree with me, I’m going to ban you. Gee, thanks so much for the kind thoughts. No, I think I’ll just let your comment stand for itself.
People are supposed to consider what they as individuals might have done in order to “earn” a punishment and what they can do to improve. This can be as trivial as reaching in your pocket for a quarter and pulling out a nickel or as serious as the most horrible thing you can think of. When something happens to other people, a person is supposed to realize that he himself needs to introspect and do teshuvah. As far as the other people are concerned, when G-d “releases” destruction on an area (for whatever reason), even the righteous among the people of that area are subject to the harm.
It may even be that a number of people have reached their “end date” or that the general wickedness in the world has reached a “trigger point” so that a catastrophe is now due in the world. It does not mean that the individuals harmed are wicked, just that they are not due to be saved by a miracle.
In any case, we are required to act as if it all happened “naturally”.
Why did G-d create atheists?
So that when a poor person comes to us, we should not say, “G-d will help”, but dig down and do our best to help because “it is up to us”.
Meryl
I like fornicating constricting orifice instead.
Blessings for the dead and dying. Protections for the living, especially the children. May wisdom in the rebuilding shine through.
Robertson has his on level of hell waiting for him and no amount of invoking a name for forgiveness will help.
A person must atone and The Big Guy upstairs will let you know when it is enough.
Pat is good for comedic value. What really scares me is that so many take him seriously. How this guy is taken for a leader is beyond me.
You know, Christians may say that Pat Robertson doesn’t speak for them and that he really makes their blood boil, but until Christians stand up to him and QUIT SENDING HIM MONEY, then he DOES represent millions of Christians.
Why do we act surprised when Pat Robertson says something asinine, blaming the victims of a natural disaster for bringing it upon themselves? It’s like acting surprised when the sun rises in the east.
In the unlikely event that one or two people ,worldwide, still believed Pat Robertson is not a complete moron, thanks Pat, for removing all remaining doubt.
Charles,
Think thousands, not millions. The dirty little secret is that all of his air time is purchased, his show is basically an infomercial — don’t confuse his being seen as the same as him being accepted. It doesn’t take that many people to send him money for him to stay on the air. Saying he represents millions of Christians is a bit like saying the Sham-Wow guy represents millions of Americans.
Still if the under lying point is that he’s our problem and we need to deal with him better, you’re probably correct. He’s our crazy uncle who tells kids racists jokes at the reunion but we still need to keep shooing the kids away and telling him to shut up even though its a bit tedious to need to do so every time he opens his mouth.
As for people standing up and saying Pat’s an idiot, I thought that what I was trying to do. Unfortunately I can’t stop people from sending him money although I do discourage it when I have the chance. In fact the reason that you don’t hear more people calling him out is because he’s a fairly impotent force that most of us ignore as a rule. To be honest I think most Christians are a little surprised that anyone takes him seriously anymore.
I’m curious, what kind of response would you like to see regarding Pat? For better or worse we don’t burn our heretics anymore so my first suggestion that comes to my mind really won’t work.
Notably “Reverend Robertson” says Haiti’s pact with the devil was made while under the rule of Napolean III.
Fact:Haiti’s revolt from France began in 1801 and ended with independence in 1804.
Napolean III was not born until ……1808.
The devil is in the details……
To those that think Pat Robertson speaks for followers of Christ, he doesn’t, the only thing that speaks for us are the Gospels of the New Testament and the fact that God loved people, all people so much that he sent part of himself to Earth, to love people, teach people to love one another and to sacrifice for one another as he sacrificed for us. Robertson’s logic, facts and beliefs are in error and he in no way represents God’s love for humanity.
As for the man who quipped about the rate of AIDS among the uneductated and impoverished Hatians, well that’s idiotic too. He states he’s not a Christian, that I can believe, grace is a gift that let’s one easily recognize that people who are sick with disease are not responsible for thier situation, read the gospels, Christ kissed a leper.
I had a “falling out” with the church a while back, but I still have my core beliefs. I do thik that the underlying message of love and tolerance of one another is all that really matters in the end and I have a feeling that “ol Pat is in for a big suprise when his end
comes. Each of us is not only responsible for ourselves but for one another a well and until humanity as a whole understands that concept I am sad to say that people like Pat and any other ultra conservative/ fundamentalist of ANY religion will continue to warp the minds and the governements of our soceity because they have some pretty deep pockets to fish change from….
Here is what an Anglican priest had to say about this. His words are sharp, but this is how strongly he feels about how Robertson blights Christianity. It’s a good read, and I completely agree with him!: http://www.reconnectingthespirit.com/index/embarrassed-to-be-a-christian