Posted on 01/15/2010 8:46:22 AM PST by ZGuy
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, 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.
Chris Roslan Spokesman for CBN
A story comes out saying Scott Brown says he's never heard of Tea Parties and Freepers immediately investigate and report that they took him out of context.
A story comes out about Rush saying people shouldn't donate to Haiti relief efforts and Freepers immediately investigate and report that they took him out of context.
Same thing with the story about Sarah Palin profitting from a Tea Party speech--Freepers investigate and find once again that the reporters weren't to be believed.
Then a negative story comes out about Pat Robertson and most of the Freepers don't bother to honestly investigate, but instead believe the media hook, line and sinker and immediately condemn Pat for his statements.
Many Freepers came off looking really bad on this one, or at least very inconsistent in their responses to what the media tells them to believe. (Just as they have with most if not all of the other Pat Robertson stories over the years which, probably without exception, were taken out of context or twisted to intentionally misrepresent Pat's statements or positions.
Again, I don't watch Pat or his show, but I have researched Pat's actual comments over the years when he was jumped on by everyone and have found that the readers who believed (and still believe) the stories had been had.
Of course I expect a lot of people to now attack me for not being part of the "Pat is an idiot" crowd, so I'm going skiiing. See you on Tuesday.
sorry. if it’s bigger than a soundbyte, ain’t nobody gonna hear it.
You make a compelling case.
I stand with you in agreement. Thanks for posting this.
Well said, enjoy your day.
Nice try. Robertson clearly associated this disaster with a curse brought on by 200-year-old Haitian witchcraft. Do you expect us to believe that Robertson thought some other deity besides God cursed the Haitians?
I have never watched the 700 club. I know very little about Pat Robertson, other than he’s a Televangelist. Most unbelievers I know have the impression that Televangelists live large from donations they guilt-trip out of poor people.
The first I heard of the Pat Robertson-Haiti thing was yesterday in the lunchroom.
I had no facts, just what was told me by my smirking co-workers. There was a lot of knee-slapping laughter about stupid Evnagelicals and their silly superstitions.
Most of these guys know that I’m a Christian.
Among the things I heard were that Pat claimed Katrina was God’s punishment for abortion being legal in the U.S. I also heard that he claimed that the 911 disaster was God’s punishment for the promotion of homosexuality in the U.S.
I had no facts to counter this with, so I had to disavow Robertson and the things he was accused of saying, as I do not believe them.
Pat should be a lot more careful about what he says.
He should be smart enough to KNOW that there is a double standard, and that he will be held, rightfully, by the way, to a much higher standard than the whore press.
As it is, few will remember the good he or any of the Christians are doing in Haiti. Most will only remember that Pat Robertson said the Haitians got what they deserved, regardless of whether such is a mischaracterization of what he said.
You are right Z, people and their knee jerk reactions.
Which he didn't say.
You must know the game by now.
Well the bible is VERY clear that God IS the dispenser of blessing AND curses. No one else. How is it so hard to understand that?? I contend however, that the curse that Haiti has endured is not the earthquake, but rather the oppression and poverty for centuries, which in turn has created a country with no infrastructure, govt., etc. and has made this earthquake one of biblical proportions. San Francisco suffered an earthquake of the same magnitude and only 62 people died. If you read God’s word and believe what He says, this whole thing is not rocket science nor is what Robertson said controversial. You can not worship Satan and expect to be blessed. It flies in the face of who God is!
Pat Robertson is a nut bar. claims he has a direct line to God. remeber Oral Roberts, another nut bar. pat Robertson goes after the elderly encouraging them to develop trust accounts benefitting CBN. Cryptochristain Broadcasting Network
He does this about every 18 months and usually back tracks a few days later.
Forgot to ping you apologists on #14.
> Which he didn’t say.
>
> You must know the game by now.
Yes, I know it well.
Nevertheless, Pat should have just SHUT UP about pacts with the devil or any other such thing. For one thing, he has no evidence of it, secondly, he is not a historian.
He is supposed to be an EVANGELIST.
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Missing was “meekness and fear”.
Hey, I’m guilty, too, but I don’t have a TV program being watched by MILLIONS.
Luke 12:48 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
As an evangelical LEADER, Pat has a RESPONSIBILITY to know and live by these things.
I don’t believe he showed proper discretion, and he has given the scorners and mockers more fuel for their own hellfires.
I would not want to be in Pat’s shoes today. Or any day, for that matter. He has an awesome responsibility.
James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
All born again Christians have a direct line to God!
See my comment #16.
I’m getting hit from both sides of this issue.
:}
so what happens when two of them hear different messages on the same subject?
Not a real Robertson fan, Operation Blessing has been giving support to Haiti for a long time, and has already sent millions of dollars in aid for this disaster.
This, in the midst of a report on the aid he is mobilizing and talking about his aidworkers already on the ground there from prior to the earthquake.
Read the history of the country. Haiti was a tragic place before the earthquake and has been throughout most of its history.
His remarks were describing the aid that is going in, and they were directed to the people who are paying for that aid. And the implication is that there is much to be done there even once the earthquake is cleaned up.
He is not merely a talking head. He was involved in Haiti before the newspeople woke up to it.
An utterly stupid, stupid thing to say. He did damage to the reputations of all evangelicals and should have known better.
‘Seems to me he’s been saying similar stuff about every earthquake for awhile now. What was it here in LA in 94? That God had lifted his hand of protection, or something?
It’s physics, Pat. That’s the way God made it.
there are elements of truth in what Pat said, but spinning this out there now is really kicking them when they’re down
His response is disingenuous. How can their troubles be related to a ‘pact with Satan’ but have nothing to do with God? Pat has always given me the creeps as do all TV preachers, but I’m sure he has done some good along with his scam. I suppose I really don’t care what he said and wonder why people take him seriously, but it’s still a relatively free country. He gets to be stupid just like the rest of us, and we each get to decide who we choose to defend or not.
But, I did see this segment, and indeed Robertson was calling for prayer and help for Haiti. He had a long segment with his head of “operation blessing” in Haiti. The man explained what the ministry was doing, and will do for the people of Haiti in the coming days. They have already given many supplies, and medical help, with more on the way.
Robertson only pointed out the history of Haiti. There is a statue commemorating the sacrifice of the black pig to satan. It isn't superstitious slander. It is a fact. Robertson did not conclude anything from the comment. But one can not help but conclude that the blood of pigs hasn't helped the nation of Haiti, and perhaps they should look to the blood of Christ to cleanse them and save them from the horrors of violence and poverty.
By the way, Robertson knows a great deal about pacts with the devil, as he himself has was a business partner with Charles Taylor, the murderous dictator in Liberia.
Where I get bogged down on this whole “deal with the devil” thing is that the devil doesn’t need to make a deal. Unless you’ve accepted Christ, he’s already got you.
Which isn’t to say that some people may believe that they have done so.
Still, anything you do affect my spiritual welfare, unless I let it?? I don’t think so.
However, I can believe that Haiti is cursed. But by ignorance, poverty, corrupt and contemptible ‘leadership’, and a victim mentality. But that’s just me.
Not in question. Focusing on his ridiculous statement.
If poverty and death are a sign of unrighteousness and curses, and wealth and prosperity are a sign of God's favor in your Pharisaical religion, perhaps you and Pat should think twice about claiming Christ and His disciples, who did nothing but suffer and die as paupers in their righteousness.
Onl;y questioing his remark which you choose to ignore.
Thank you, ZGuy. While I don’t share Robertson’s theology, I admire his commitment to the Bible and his understanding of the Biblical G-d. It has long amazed me how many FReepers will jump on him for the slightest thing, sounding no different than the atheist media.
I clearly remember in 1991 when Haiti renewed it’s pact with Satan. Many thousands in the Evangelical community had bee praying for the entire year previous to August 1991 when the pact was up for RENEWAL. We prayed that the Haitian people would denounce this pact and come out from it’s curse. Unfortunately they did not. The pact was renewed for another 200 years. For those of you who do not attribute any reality to the spiritual realm this is NOT the place you want to even have an opinion about. Unless you know what you are talking about you need to stay away from commenting on this one.
I was vacationing on the Gulf of Mexico the day the pact was renewed and a “unnamed hurricane” is what they called it, blew up suddenly and came across the Gulf. It was unexplainable. I knew the pact had been signed and it was.
Satan is a hard taskmaster. Whether he owns a person’s soul or an entire nation. A person can give themselves to him by rejecting God and you can see the destruction in their lives, Haiti gave themselves over to him corporately and you can see the destruction.
As I said, if you don’t know the full story behind this, best stay away.
Thank you so much for saying this! So many FReepers don't seem to understand this, either blaming natural disasters on pure randomness or on an evil counterpart to G-d. There is One G-d, He kills and He quickens, and from His hand their is no deliverer!
Throughout history people have claimed a direct line to G-d. Many of these people are considered Prophets and saints (Isaiah, Catherine of Siena) and no one calls them "nut bars." I suppose that's because they weren't from Virginia and didn't speak with Southern accents.
And so, does one conclude that his recent cancer is punishment from God for this satanic pact?
Put down the bong.
That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
The so-called "laws of nature" (and all physical reality) are merely a garment behind which G-dliness, the only true reality is concealed. Ask any Chabadnik. To attribute disasters solely to "natural law" or "randomness" is as erroneous as attributing them to an evil counterpart of G-d (dualism).
There is so much eighteenth century deism on this forum I sometimes think its named should be changed to "Deist Republic."
Maybe it's TIME for Christians to educate themselves and inform the world that there is a God, there is an Adversary and there is a War going on between light and dark.
Oh yeah, I forgot, if you talk like this you will be persecuted. Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be persecuted if I am a Believer. Nah, I'll just keep my mouth shut, what's the big deal. I know Jesus, I'm going to heaven. That's all I need.
“There will be many in that day who will say Lord, Lord, and I will say DEPART FROM ME I NEVER KNEW YOU.” Pat Robertson will not be one of those.
Well, to what do you attribute the differing situations between the two countries that share the island? They have identical climates, natural resources and peoples. Yet one is the poorest, most violent country in the world.
What is the difference between the two societies which share the same island, do you think? How do you account for the difference?
BTTT.
Uh... their histories?
Yes he does and that was really at the heart of Robertsons observation.
Pat is nothing more than a parasite. As such, he will do or say whatever he think is necessary to keep those dollars rolling in.
As to how God may act within the context of His "natural law", "If I knew Him I'd be Him", even though I "think" that I can discern certain aspects of His interposition in it in own my life.
As to "attributing them to an evil counterpart of G-d (dualism)", I think you may already know that I don't believe in so-called Satan.
And your point is?
To those of use who believe Sarah Palin when she says her candidacy was part of Gods Plan, Robertson’s words have a ring of truth to them.
His explanation of why Haiti’s history is so different from it’s nearest neighbor continue to have the preponderance of circumstantial evidence behind them.
Robertson made a very small comment in a larger message about compassion for the Haitians.
The treatment of Robertson is injust and unfair.
Hate is constantly directed to him, but Pat is NOT a gold-digger; he has helped to funnel millions to the needy over the years. And he has done MUCH for the pro-life cause.
I don't watch Pat...I find my news elsewhere; but Freepers are grossly wrong to join the MSM in ridiculing this Christian man when he says two words in error when other TV personalities make mistakes constantly. Very, very sickening.
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