Quote from The Washington Post article about Pat Robertson’s comments on Haiti:
“Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been “cursed” because of what he called a “pact with the devil” in its history. His spokesman said the Wednesday comments were based on Voodoo rituals carried out before a slave rebellion against French colonists in 1791.”
Ol’ Pat seems to be in a permanent state of psychosis when it comes to all things religious. He obviously believes in God and more importantly a Devil. I’ve always wondered if Christianity and Islam could exist without the concept of a devil. If there is not a devil running around causing all the evil in the world then that leaves it up to the omnipotent, Abrahamic god. To my way of thinking there is a lot not nice things that go on in this world. Of course, that brings us full circle back to Epicurus’ old questions
I begun ruminating on his comments, and I decided that he must believe in Voodoo also. Why else would he think that a ritual performed 219 years ago had the power to eject the colonial power out of Haiti? Makes you wonder about what else Ol’ Pat believes.
The easiest way to control a population is to give them an enemy. The enemy can be blamed for the bad stuff and is someone to fear to keep them in line. I believe Hitler understood this as well.
Pat Robertson is an ignorant dick. Religion has some positive accomplishments over the years, there are intelligent and caring people associated with religion. Pat casts them all in a bad light. People wonder why religion is not as “popular” as it once was-Robertson’s comments and those like it are a major reason, I believe.
My girlfriend came running into the computer room. She thought I was having a seizures since I was laughing so hard and not quite but almost rolling in the floor.
Thanks for sharing.
I thought you might enjoy this – Pat gets a reprimand from his boss. – Deborah
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune
Letter of the day: Haiti suffers, and Robertson sees the hand of Satan
Last update: January 14, 2010 – 6:44 PM
•••
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the
shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people
when they are down, so I’m all over that action. But when you say that
Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil
incarnate, but I’m no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me
leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when
I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth —
glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle.
Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the
earthquake. Haven’t you seen “Crossroads”? Or “Damn Yankees”? If I had a
thing going with Haiti, there’d be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs,
exclusive night clubs, Botox — that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty
rate is so not my style. Nothing against it — I’m just saying: Not how I
roll.
You’re doing great work, Pat, and I don’t want to clip your wings — just,
come on, you’re making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep
blaming God. That’s working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may
need to renegotiate your own contract.
Best, Satan
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS
It took 200+ years for God to payback?? Why so long? Robertson thinks the earthquake was payback? What about the corruption, the lack of infrastructure, the ruination of the ecology of the island, the poverty…just a day in the life to ol’ Pat? This fossil, no pun intended, needs to pack it in. At least the earthquake was a natural event unlike the other disasters mentioned which are completely controllable by humans. These poor people needed this help long, long ago.
AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIFE WE NEED TO STEP DOWN, AND GO HOME.
From an opinion piece in the NY Times by Nicholas D. Kristof –
Link to the original article
“Not everyone is so frank, but the subtext of much of the discussion of Haiti is despair about both Haiti and foreign aid. Pat Robertson, the religious broadcaster, went furthest by suggesting that Haiti’s earthquake flowed from a pact with the devil more than two centuries ago. While it’s not for a journalist to nitpick a minister’s theological credentials, that implication of belated seismic revenge on Haitian children seems defamatory of God.”
Towards the end of his piece Kristof suggests what would help Haiti more than anything would be jobs. A few clothing manufacturers locating shirt factories down there. I, for one, would rather buy a shirt made in Haiti than in China.