Another Zinger from Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson, one of America’s love-to-hate-‘em outspoken rightie tighties, is at it again, this time regarding the decimation of Port au Prince.
In case you are not aware of his track record, know that he:
- Openly concurred with Jerry Falwell’s accusation that 9/11 was a result of “…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 A.C.L.U., People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America…”
- Linked Hurricane Katrina and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion
- Blamed Ariel Sharon’s stroke on policy of “dividing God’s land”
- Said sweat lodge victims sought “enlightenment” in “new-age religion” instead of Bible and death was “the penalty” and the “severe price”
- Warns that Disney World’s “Gay Days” will “bring about terrorist bombs, it’ll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor”
- Called for US agents to assassinate Hugo Chavez, the president of Argentina
Sure, he had his reasons for saying what he did, and has issued some apologies and clarifications.
In the latest controversy, Patty conjectured that the disaster in Haiti may be a “blessing in disguise.”
“…something happened a long time ago in Haiti and the people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know, Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you, if you get us free from the Prince.’ 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’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is, is, prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty.”
Since then, the Haitians have weathered extreme poverty (it’s the poorest country in the western hemisphere) and other hardships. This, of course, is because of the “pact,” and of course is a wake up call (a.k.a. “blessing”) for the Haitians:
“…uh, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. 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.”
This is an easy conclusion to make, sitting comfortably in a nice designer suit in a cozy, air-conditioned, TV studio chair. But Patty needs to set aside the armchair theology and do a little more research rather than making hasty, shocking theories. Apparently, the curse has already been lifted, making the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti simply a natural disaster (though there is nothing simple about it). Here is the translated, first-hand account of the ending of the pact:
“On 14 August 1997, God’s people in Haiti experienced a historic victory over Satan, a milestone in winning our country back for God…We formed a Jericho march, circling the magic tree seven times. On the seventh time around, God gave many people a vision of the devil fleeing from the area. The Christians were overjoyed. We canceled the Satanic contract and broke the curse, before celebrating communion and dedicating the area as a place of prayer…On the same day, several witch doctors were saved during the events in the capital. Three days after our holy invasion, the witch doctors returned to Bois-Caiman to bring their sacrifices and call on the spirits. After days of effort, nothing happened, because we had commanded the spirits never to return and dedicated the area to Christ.”
But wait - uh oh - is the legendary pact even “true”? Not according to Caribbean Scholar Kate Ramsey:
“…the suggestion that Haiti’s historic woes stem from a deal with the devil comes from a 19th-century ‘fabrication’ meant to discredit its slave rebellion and Vodou religion…This is a longstanding trope of anti-Haitian venom…It’s utterly a fabrication, and it’s an extremely offensive one.”
So, Patty, not only did the pact never exist, but some 1997 Christian missionaries issued redundancy by scaring the hell out of any resident devils.
So there you have it. The world is in an uproar, and it’s all based on an ignorant remark by Patty Loose-Lips. If you you are having trouble letting go of your frustration with Pat Robertson, check out Don Miller’s (author of Blue Like Jazz) response to this fiasco.
“…Robertson’s comments further divide people of faith from, well, people of faith. I don’t want to debate the theological ramifications of Robertson’s statements, I only want to point out some perspectives that ease my anger, and instead, cause me to pity him. I consider this a more mature response than I would have had a few years ago. Here are a few perspectives that, hopefully, will keep you from throwing a stapler through a wall…”<read full article>
Watch Robertson’s original broadcast <here>.
