Transcript of Robertson’s statement:
“And you know, Christy, 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, 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 French, true story. And so the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ And they kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free, and ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. . . the Island of Hispaniola is one island 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, same Islands, uh, 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.”
(From the Virginia Pilot)
This is a man that has his own television show. How does he stay on air?
Man says the “N” word he loses his job on talk-radio. Political leader commends about “Negro language” and is now in the ropes, perhaps at the end of his career. Trent Lott lost his job with insensitive remarks, but Pat Robertson has made a career of unsensitive remarks with no wear on his ability to keep doing what he well pleases.
But how is he still relevant, so relevant in fact that the WH felt they had to address the comments of a blow-hard? I think that this shows how while the great majority of Americans think of themselves as “Christians”, those like Robertson and those who support Robertson, are a minority, or majority I don’t know, that may be most un-christian.
How does a nation go about making a pact with devil any way? Could I make a pact with the devil that would hold for the USA? Could the President? Congress? Would it take a majority of the electorate? Is there a statute of limitations on a pact like that? I mean if one generation makes a pact like that how many generations of innocent people are subject to it? And where is Robertson’s documentation? We would all be a little bit wiser if he provided that. Or could it be that Robertson is a fool?
Well, people like causal chains. They are not always true, but they can be consistent. For example, my issue is not with Robertson’s logic, because if you take into consideration how he sees Reality, that is governed by a God who saves sinful humanity by the death of a single sinless man, and conddemns all of humanity for the sin of their parents, you begin to see how the acts of a few condemn or “curse” an entire nation. How? the exact causal chain is less important to them that the explanatory power of the theory. It is funny how Robertson is so scientific by offering the Dominican Republic as a sort of “control group”.
Is Robertson a fool? That goes without saying. But my point is that there is no Christian outcry, no public reprimand, no boycott of all that can be associated with Robertson because no one wants to be associated with a fool. Is he a fool? Absolutely, but the fact that he has an audience and influence shows that we may be a nation of fools.
What gets me is not the open stupidity of Robertson…we know what he is. But it is that this country of ours, with all it’s Christians, still let his comments go without much ado. The WH issued a statement, but why can we expect a statement from the Pope for example? Why don’t all these Sunday preachers openly distance themselves from this “christian thug”, for lack of a better word? Why it is just the secularists who confront this abobination? Where is T.D. Jake? Where is Rick Warren?
Maybe they consider Robertson and his followers to not be worth the effort, but it is sad to see a whole slice of humanity just left in the hands of such maniacs, and when I say “humanity” this includes children.
I wonder how will Haitians react when “help” arrives from the Robertson camp. Will they, out of desperation, take whatever help they can get regardless of it’s source? Or will they say: “Thank you, but no. We don’t care for YOUR help, or the help of those who think that we struggle because we are cursed and in liege, now or at some point, with the Devil.”?
In a sense, if they do accept Robertson’s help, it will be THEN that they will be known, at least to me, as capable of living without principle. Of course, “principles” are nice on a full stomach.
If it wasn’t him…it would be someone else.
There will always be a right-wing political activist Christian extremist somewhere up in the seats in America.
Luckily, most people are too jaded to bother with being capable of being “assimilated”.
Burgers, coffee, laptops, crash diets, quick money, and the pursuit of happiness.
People like Robertson require too much focus for the majority to do more than listen and pretend there is something at stake when he talks; like anyone does to Rush.
Many will send money and consider this their active participation :-& .
Ahhh America; land of the affirming without motive to act.
Speaking of which…I need some chips.
Right. I assume somebody is watching his show otherwise CBN would have cancelled it. They printed this disclaimer:
PRESS RELEASE
Statement Regarding Pat Robertson’s Comments on Haiti CBN.com – VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., January 13, 2010 – 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.
I don’t think so.
I think it assumes that the majority of the audience tunes in for religious entertainment (not meaning humor or sarcasm), and I think that it assumes that the majority of people are average folks, living average lives more or less, and not really extreme adherents desperate for the next word from God through Robertson.