Thread: Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's 'Pact with the Devil' for Quake

Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's 'Pact with the Devil' for Quake


By Daniel Tencer
Raw Story
January 13, 2010


He's done it again.

Pat Robertson, the televangelist who anchors the 700 Club, has found a way to blame a massive disaster on its many victims.

Speaking Wednesday about the earthquake in Haiti that the country's president estimates has taken the lives of "hundreds of thousands," Robertson implied that the quake, and the general suffering of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, was the result of a "pact with the devil" that Haitian rebels made in the 18th century.

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. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay 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 of Hispaniola is one island. It is cut down the middle on the one side is Haiti the other is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we meed to pray for them a great turning to god and out of this tragedy I'm optimistic something good may come.

Robertson was apparently referring to a disputed historical event referred to as Bois Caiman. In 1791, the story goes, a group of anti-colonialists held a Voodoo ceremony at Bois Caiman, an event that Haitian historians describe as marking the start of the Haitian Revolution against French colonial rule. But many historians dispute its importance to the revolution, and some argue the event never took place.

The notion that Haiti's problems are the result of a Voodoo pact with the devil has been the subject of some Christian conservative arguments.

Robertson appears to be making a hobby of issuing controversial pronouncements in the wake of tragedy. In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Robertson, along with fellow evangelist Jerry Falwell, said the attacks were God's punishment on America for becoming a more secular society.

"I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America ... I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen," said Robertson, who later apologized for the remark.

The idea that God punishes misbehavior with disaster has been a common one for Robertson. In 1998, as he criticized a privately-sponsored "Gay Days" event at Disney World, he said acceptance of homosexuality would lead to hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombs and "possibly a meteor."

In 2005, Robertson told CNN that a recent spate of natural disasters, including the South Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, were a sign that we "might be" witnessing the Biblically-prophetized "End Times."

UPDATE: Michael B. Keegan, president of the liberal group People For the American Way, has issued a statement criticizing Robertson's comments on Haiti.

“Pat Robertson’s comments about the victims of this earthquake are reprehensible," Keegan said in a statement emailed to media. "Unfortunately, they fit right in with his history of mean spirited attacks accusing his opponents of causing natural disasters and terrorism. To blame the victims of this disaster for what they’ve been through is appalling. Regrettably, Pat Robertson can’t be written off as an eccentric aberration of the right-wing — he’s still a leading figure in the conservative movement. ... At a time when our attention should be focused on helping the victims of this disaster, Robertson’s comments are beyond the pale."

The following video was broadcast on Christian Broadcasting Networks' The 700 Club, Wed. Jan. 13, 2009, and uploaded to the Web by MediaMatters:

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201001130024


http://www.alternet.org/media/145147/pa ... age=entire

he is an idiot.

Robertson implied that the quake, and the general suffering of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, was the result of a "pact with the devil"

Yeah, their real "pact with the devil" was made by the US/Haitian "puppet government" to the IMF, World Bank, WTO, multi-national corporations, IBRD, IDA, USAID, NAFTA, etc., etc., etc.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

he is an idiot.

He is an idiot, this is a terrible crisis and the world needs to put it difference's aside and come to the aid of Haiti.

Mr. Robertson, Mr. Limbaugh, your lives are not worth those of the lowest, meanest, poorest of those victims still lying under that rubble in Haiti tonight. You serve no good, you serve no God. You inspire only stupidity and hatred, and I would wish you to hell. But knowing how empty your souls must be for you to be able to say such things in a time of such pain, I suspect the vacant, purposeless lives you both live now are hell enough already.

I bet after this is all over in a couple of years Hatians end up better off than before. They can rebuild and make their country better.

I don't listen to Rush, but Im sure he was right there with the other conservatives slamming ole Pat for these comments also. It's been the talk of the town on radio the last two days.

Pat Robertson has admitted in the past that he sticks his foot in his mouth. Looks like he didnt dissapoint!

Nevermind, I stand corrected:



http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/31502

Rush, Robertson take heat
Buzz up! Send
Email IM .Share
Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks .Print .. Play Video ABC News – Controversial Comment Amid Haiti Tragedy
. Play Video Video:Pat Robertson calls quake 'blessing in disguise' AP .
AP – Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh speaks during a news conference at The Queen's Medical Center …
Andy Barr Andy Barr – Thu Jan 14, 11:57 am ET
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and televangelist Pat Robertson are being scolded for their comments in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake in Haiti that has killed tens of thousands, according to early estimates.

Critics from both the left and right are denouncing their remarks as insensitive to the disaster and attempts to score political points off human tragedy.

Speaking on his radio show Wednesday, Limbaugh said the earthquake has played into Obama’s hands, allowing the president to look “compassionateâ€