Pat Robertson on Haiti

The recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, with the death toll estimated between 100,000-200,000, has dominated the news.

Also in the news is the prominent evangelical pastor and TV show host Pat Robertson, and his comments on the earthquake. He suggested Haiti’s problems are rooted in spiritual matters. Here’s Robertson’s quote:

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. Napoleon III. And they got together and swore a pact with the devil they said, “We will serve you if you free us from the French.” True story. And so, the devil said, “Ok it’s a deal.”

They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted, and got themselves free.

But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another. Desperately poor.

That island of Hispaniola is one island that’s split right down the middle. On one side is the Dominican Republic, on the other side is Haiti. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resources, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.

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. But right now we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.

I had never heard of this Haitian pact with Satan.

Doing a bit of research suggests Robertson was referring to the meeting at Bois Caïman, a Voodoo ceremony which took place on August 14th, 1791. In the ceremony, after performing a ritualistic pig sacrifice, Haitian slaves vowed to kill all white men on the island. They succeeded to some extent, and eventually the native Haitians gained their independence. That said, some intellectuals questions whether the “pact with the devil” part ever took place.

Needless to say, virtually everyone shat themselves upon hearing Robertson’s remarks.

Seriously, everybody got angry at Pat Robertson. Newsmakers, secularists, even some religious. There are Facebook groups devoted to condemning Robertson’s remarks. Now, your grandma hates Pat Robertson. Newsmakers are saying Robertson “should be put to sleep.” The Haitian ambassador appeared on television to publicly condemn Robertson’s remarks. I’m told that even baby Jesus hates him now.

Now, it should be said that the context for Robertson’s remarks were not a distant, cold, “God’s sending you to hell”, as some have made it out to be. On the contrary, Robertson has been actively raising funds to aid in the Haitian relief. And Robertson ended his remark not with a cold “let God damn them”, but rather a “we must help them, we must stop the immense suffering”, and backed it up with fundraising for Haiti.

Nobody talks about that part, of course.

Still, my God, what a remark! Hundreds of thousands of people are dead – families crushed under buildings. And some old WASP televangelist is saying it’s God’s wrath for their pact with the devil? Earthquake-as-God’s-judgment? Jeez.

This isn’t the real issue, of course. Robertson’s controversial remarks, I mean. For most, the real issue, and the issue that secular folks will scoff and mock at, is the idea that spiritual darkness brings about God’s judgment. Virtually everyone upset at Robertson also laughs at the idea that God judges anyone. (…and a good deal of them laugh at the very idea of God.)

As Hebrew Christian apologist Dr. Michael Brown put it,

[some have called it] “Theological nonsense.” The idea that voodoo worship or Satan worship could bring on disaster or leave you unprotected is theological nonsense.

Actually, it’s not theological nonsense. It would be a sound biblical principle that if people didn’t worship the one true God – especially if that people had a covenant relationship with him at one point, like the people of Israel – and they gave themselves over to following demons, and the devil, and doing ungodly, destructive things, and raising kids in the midst of darkness – you’re going to tell me that Biblically that wouldn’t bring judgment, Biblically that wouldn’t bring some kind response?

Of course, who’s to say Haiti is such a place? And even if it is, is it really deserving of divine judgment? For ancient Israel, God’s covenant people with whom he has historically intervened, that’s one thing. Haitians aren’t ancient Israel.

Closing Thoughts

My thoughts are that it is awfully confident (arrogant?) of a human to claim to know God’s intentions. Unless there’s engraved writing on the wall, fire from heaven, bare arm of the Lord coming down from the clouds, gosh. Without that, it’s all speculation, isn’t it?

Did Robertson say God revealed this to him? Not that I see. And even if he made such a claim, how do you know whether to believe him? Religious people are famous for making false prophecies.

Religion folk are too quick to lend to the supernatural what can be explained by the natural. Earthquakes happen, folks. Not every catastrophe is divine punishment.

What do you fine blog readers think? Is Robertson’s remark insensitive and wrong? Or is there a possibility God is judging a nation’s sins by killing 200,000 of its citizens?