God's hand in Haiti?

[Kountzer]

Recent comments by Pat Robertson:

[SivartM]

Cursed? That just sounds superstitious to me. Why would God be punishing these people for a supposed "pact with the devil" that completely different people made a long time ago? "Gr, your ancestors made a pact with the devil, so I will punish you with an earthquake!"

[abelisle]

Recent comments by Pat Robertson:

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Frankly I don't know what to make of his statement that "the people" made a pact with the Devil? How does he know this? Can it be verified? And if God allows this to happen due to this arrangement, how does Pat Robertson explain natural disasters happening in other places - or do they all (other nations) also have a dark past?

When I created this thread this morning, I never expected to hear something of this nature to be expressed by a celebrity Christian such as Mr. Robertson. I don't know what to make of this?

How do the rest of you understand this?

Alex

[Overaged]

One thing I have learned is to not say what I don't know or am not sure of. It is far too easy to give our cliche' religious answers as to the why's of a disaster like this quake in Haiti.

The only "religion" the victims of such a disaster will understand is the one where hands are reaching into the rubble to save trapped loved ones, or the one where hands are helping to feed, to rebuild, and to help where needed. And many of those hands, there even now, are not "one of us."

God meets us at the point of our need; and we must do the same with ALL others, regardless of what we think we know. Like ADRA and others, we need to join with our neighbors and help.

Although I have told others when they ask me about "natural" disasters that the insurance companies are wrong; it is not "an act of God;" it is an act of the devil, I cannot bring myself to label each disaster in the world as something specific which we have no way of knowing.

In the Christian's worldview; we can know that crises=opportunity, and that is why some of us can see Romans 8:28 even from our distant view of Haiti; but there is only one thing we can tell the people there now. Stan said it best in his post on page one.

[abelisle]

Overaged,

Your post is very insightful and to the point. What we as Christians have here is one of those "teaching moments." Pat Robertson's comment about Haiti's pact with the Devil is all over the news as I write this. I predict in the following days that Christians are going to come under the microscope as to how we Biblically explain these horrifc natural disasters and I'm afraid God is going to come out as the one to blame.

Alex

[abelisle]

What do you make of this?

Pat Robertson: Haiti made a pact with the devil or something

posted at 4:10 pm on January 13, 2010 by Allahpundit

He may be a crank, but he’s consistent in his crankery. Anywhere there’s human misery — after 9/11, after Katrina, even after Ariel Sharon’s stroke — Reverend Pat will be there to explain to the victims why they deserved it. (And he’s not the only one.) He’s taking a beating on Twitter right now for having said this, including/especially from Christians who don’t want to see the faith smeared by his latest Old Testament thunderbolt theory. No worries there: Other Christian leaders, starting with the Pope and Franklin Graham, are taking a more New Testament view. But even conceding that he doesn’t speak for most Christians, he does still command a sizable following, no? Even after years of barfing up stuff like this.

If you’re wondering what the “pact with the devil” is all about (fact check: roughly 95 percent of Haitians are Christian), Tapper has some quickie background. Tongue-in-cheek exit question from MKH: According to the Harry Reid standard, shouldn’t Robertson’s charitable works absolve him from any and all offensive utterances?

Here's a link to the history behind this so-called "pact with the Devil"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutty_Boukman

Alex

[phkrause]

Overaged,

Your post is very insightful and to the point. What we as Christians have here is one of those "teaching moments." Pat Robertson's comment about Haiti's pact with the Devil is all over the news as I write this. I predict in the following days that Christians are going to come under the microscope as to how we Biblically explain these horrifc natural disasters and I'm afraid God is going to come out as the one to blame.

Alex

Good point Alex, and a very interesting topic.

pk

[GreatLakesGramma]

Mr. Robertson needs to read this:

Quote:

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-5.

[Steve Billiter]

What do you make of this?

Pat Robertson: Haiti made a pact with the devil or something

posted at 4:10 pm on January 13, 2010 by Allahpundit

He may be a crank, but he’s consistent in his crankery. Anywhere there’s human misery — after 9/11, after Katrina, even after Ariel Sharon’s stroke — Reverend Pat will be there to explain to the victims why they deserved it. (And he’s not the only one.) He’s taking a beating on Twitter right now for having said this, including/especially from Christians who don’t want to see the faith smeared by his latest Old Testament thunderbolt theory. No worries there: Other Christian leaders, starting with the Pope and Franklin Graham, are taking a more New Testament view. But even conceding that he doesn’t speak for most Christians, he does still command a sizable following, no? Even after years of barfing up stuff like this.

If you’re wondering what the “pact with the devil” is all about (fact check: roughly 95 percent of Haitians are Christian), Tapper has some quickie background. Tongue-in-cheek exit question from MKH: According to the Harry Reid standard, shouldn’t Robertson’s charitable works absolve him from any and all offensive utterances?

Here's a link to the history behind this so-called "pact with the Devil"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutty_Boukman

Alex

When disasters come in quick succession, and they will; Evangelicals like Robertson will go the next step after the papacy's lead and say all these events are because God is angry the Sabbath...Sunday is not being kept. Then comes the national Sunday law, and the mark of the beast.

Did Haiti's involvement with voodoo bring God's judgments? Who knows.Perhaps trampling on the Sabbath is OK for Robertson, but other sins are out of vogue.

1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Men in responsible positions will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but from the sacred desk will urge upon the people the observance of the first day of the week, pleading tradition and custom in behalf of this man-made institution.

They will point to calamities on land and sea -- to the storms of wind, the floods, the earthquakes, the destruction by fire -- as judgments indicating God's displeasure because Sunday is not sacredly observed. These calamities will increase more and more, one disaster will follow close upon the heels of another; and those who make void the law of God will point to the few who are keeping the Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the ones who are bringing wrath upon the world. This falsehood is Satan's device that he may ensnare the unwary. {SW, June 28, 1904 par. 4}

When this happens, it will not be just the lunatic fringe like Robertson that even the media can see through,it will be the most well respected leaders in protestantism. The people themselves will then demand a Sunday law.

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: abelisle

What do you make of this?

Pat Robertson: Haiti made a pact with the devil or something

posted at 4:10 pm on January 13, 2010 by Allahpundit

He may be a crank, but he’s consistent in his crankery. Anywhere there’s human misery — after 9/11, after Katrina, even after Ariel Sharon’s stroke — Reverend Pat will be there to explain to the victims why they deserved it. (And he’s not the only one.) He’s taking a beating on Twitter right now for having said this, including/especially from Christians who don’t want to see the faith smeared by his latest Old Testament thunderbolt theory. No worries there: Other Christian leaders, starting with the Pope and Franklin Graham, are taking a more New Testament view. But even conceding that he doesn’t speak for most Christians, he does still command a sizable following, no? Even after years of barfing up stuff like this.

If you’re wondering what the “pact with the devil” is all about (fact check: roughly 95 percent of Haitians are Christian), Tapper has some quickie background. Tongue-in-cheek exit question from MKH: According to the Harry Reid standard, shouldn’t Robertson’s charitable works absolve him from any and all offensive utterances?

Here's a link to the history behind this so-called "pact with the Devil"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutty_Boukman

Alex

When disasters come in quick succession, and they will; Evangelicals like Robertson will go the next step after the papacy's lead and say all these events are because God is angry the Sabbath...Sunday is not being kept. Then comes the national Sunday law, and the mark of the beast.

Did Haiti's involvement with voodoo bring God's judgments? Who knows.Perhaps trampling on the Sabbath is OK for Robertson, but other sins are out of vogue.

1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Men in responsible positions will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but from the sacred desk will urge upon the people the observance of the first day of the week, pleading tradition and custom in behalf of this man-made institution.

They will point to calamities on land and sea -- to the storms of wind, the floods, the earthquakes, the destruction by fire -- as judgments indicating God's displeasure because Sunday is not sacredly observed. These calamities will increase more and more, one disaster will follow close upon the heels of another; and those who make void the law of God will point to the few who are keeping the Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the ones who are bringing wrath upon the world. This falsehood is Satan's device that he may ensnare the unwary. {SW, June 28, 1904 par. 4}

Some very good points Steve.

pk

[LifeHiscost]

"Many donors for Katrina"

I love my country for what it gives me and others, but it is a fact that of all donor countries, the U.S. was 17th in giving when considering GNP.

Regards!!