Pat Robertson: Haiti 'Cursed' By 'Pact to the devil"

--amadeus--

Take one right wing televangelist, add a TV studio and stir gently with a humanitarian tragedy.

Will you get:

A) Sympathy and an urging to the watchers to do all they can to help the desperately poor people decimated by the earthquake?

or

Some crass jibes about religion?

Well?

Congrats all who said B!!

Televangelist Pat Robertson said Wednesday that earthquake-ravaged Haiti has been "cursed" by a "pact to the devil."

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," he said on Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club." "They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."

Robertson said that "ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other" and he contrasted Haiti with its neighbor, the Dominican Republic.

"That island of Hispaniola is one island. It is cut down the middle; on the one side is Haiti on the other is the Dominican Republic," he said. "Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. 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 are helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable."

Linky

krudler

The world is going to be a much better place when that hatemongering fossil is dead

robindch

krudler wrote: »

The world is going to be a much better place when that hatemongering fossil is dead

Robertson's comments are conceited, spiteful, callous and -- in the face of 50,000 deaths -- frankly inhuman too. But that's no reason to wish him dead.

One yellow card for an understandable, but inappropriate, post.

kev9100

How does this guy sleep at night? What a sad human being.

toiletduck

Given his track record, I'm hardly surprised. The main thing that disheartens me is that he's still being watched.

Dades

Twat Robertson.

That is all.

Delirium

A very un-Christian response to such a tragic event.

How does he get airtime when he basically responds with 'It's their own fault' ?!?:mad:

The Mad Hatter

koth wrote: »

A very un-Christian response to such a tragic event.

How does he get airtime when he basically responds with 'It's their own fault' ?!?:mad:

People agree with him.

krudler wrote: »

The world is going to be a much better place when that hatemongering fossil is dead

Sadly, no. American networks always seem to be good at finding the person who goes one step further than what everyone thought was the most extreme possible, as soon as that extreme disappears.

--amadeus--

koth wrote: »

How does he get airtime when he basically responds with 'It's their own fault' ?!?:mad:

He claims a viewership of a million a day. The National Religious Broadcasters (industry group for these people) claims 75 million people watch christian TV each month and teh 2007 Simmons National Consumer Survey reported:

26 million adults say they enjoy watching TV ministries, according the spring 2007 Simmons National Consumer Survey. Latinos, African Americans, and people living in the South and in rural areas are disproportionately represented in this group

Thats a lot of potential ad revenue to get rid of

Bduffman

I wonder did New Orleans have a similar pact with the devil to deserve hurricane katrina?

Mr. Presentable

Bduffman wrote: »

I wonder did New Orleans have a similar pact with the devil to deserve hurricane katrina?

Weren't the French there too? Hmmm............

--amadeus--

Bduffman wrote: »

I wonder did New Orleans have a similar pact with the devil to deserve hurricane katrina?

Nope, that was just plain old sin:

HAGEE: All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.

(link)

It can be good for your career to say that as well, you'll get a promotion off the Pope (link)

A google on "new orleans katrina sin" generates over 400,000 results. I assume some that use the word in a secular sense, the sin of not maintaining flood defences, but even so. I particularly liked this:

"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. From the devastation may a city full of righteousness emerge," he continued.
...
"We must help and pray for those ravaged by this disaster, but let us not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.

(link)

I would have thought that christians would have welcomed teh idea of a love thy neighbour party

robindch

Looks like the Obama is unimpressed. A Whitehouse spokesman said:

Spokesman, Robert Gibbs wrote:

It never ceases to amaze, that in times of amazing human suffering, somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid. [...] But it, like clockwork, happens with some regularity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8460520.stm

stevejazzx

I heard Robertson had just learned of the reality that is tectonic plate activity and has since withdrwan his comments...no wait that's all in my head. Damn gotta stop doing that!

Metacortex

"Something happened a long time ago in America, and people might not want to talk about it," he said on Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club." "They were under the heel of the English. You know, George III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the English. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."

Thanks Pat, for explaining why 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina happened.

Seriously though. I don't understand why people who claim to be Christian can be so hateful.

Galvasean

This is the same guy who said God told him a terrorist attack would kill millions of Americans in 2007. When it didn't happen he basically said people's prayers stopped it from happening.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16442877/

How so many people can be gullible to believe his claptrap is beyond depressing.

LostinKildare

Here are Rev. Pat Robertson and Rev. Jerry Falwell a couple of days after 9/11, apportioning blame. This makes my blood run cold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-CAcdta_8I

eoin5

That guy must really hate Benjamin Franklin for fowling up the lightning thing.

aidan24326

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Seriously though. I don't understand why people who claim to be Christian can be so hateful.

Beacuse the idea that the underlying message of christianity is one of love and compassion is a complete myth. It's the greatest con-job of all time. The bible is overflowing with nastiness, so it should come as no great surprise that it's most fervent adherists should be such nasty individuals themselves.

I just can't credit how so many people in the US revere this Robertson guy, and how he is continually given airtime to spout hatred, bigotry, racism and whatever bit of nasty bile you're having yourself.

In his worldview every bad event is some sort of punishment from god, usually linked in some way to abortion and/or homosexuality (why are these people so utterly obsessed with those two things??). Doesn't really sit well with the idea of a loving and compassionate god though, since he's so busy inflicting earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist attacks on us. If he actually existed I'd be telling him to fcuk off back to whereever he came from at this stage.

Sam Vimes

I see over on the other forum everyone's dismissing him as a nutjob. But since their god has done much worse to people in the past in the way of destroying cities etc I don't see what's so nutty about him

Maybe if all of those believers were around in the days when the old testament was being written where such claims abound then it would have been rejected the same way they are rejecting such nonsense now and Judaism would never have got off the ground

Somnus

I really can't understand the ignorance of some people.

I mean you'd could probably carefully explain plate tectonics, the fault line under Haiti etc and he'd most likely just say it was placed there by God to punish them. It'd have to placed there a good while before humans were around to sin though. Of course that's because God would know they were going to sin.

Still, I can't believe a fool like that gets so much recognition on tv. Wish there was some way to get him off the air.

minusorange

robindch wrote: »

Robertson's comments are conceited, spiteful, callous and -- in the face of 50,000 deaths -- frankly inhuman too. But that's no reason to wish him dead.

One yellow card for an understandable, but inappropriate, post.

I don't think that was an inappropriate post. It's his opinion. **** Robertson!

robindch

minusorange wrote: »

I don't think that was an inappropriate post. It's his opinion.

It wasn't phrased as an opinion and you don't get to make the call about whether or not it was appropriate. That's left to the forum moderators.

minusorange

robindch wrote: »

It wasn't phrased as an opinion and you don't get to make the call about whether or not it was appropriate. That's left to the forum moderators.

I wasn't making the call. I was saying what I think. Is there anything wrong with that? Is it acceptable to have an opinion in this forum?

Dades

minusorange wrote: »

I wasn't making the call. I was saying what I think. Is there anything wrong with that? Is it acceptable to have an opinion in this forum?

This forum is all about opinions - but like any forum on boards if you have an opinion on moderation you either PM the moderator or raise it on feedback. It's that simple.

Mike 1972

robindch wrote: »

that's no reason to wish him dead.

On the other hand his calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez........ ?

robindch

Mike 1972 wrote: »

On the other hand his calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez........ ?

If Pat Robertson ever passes by here, I can guarantee he'll have the shortest posting career here.

EVAR!

dlofnep

Saw it on youtube there yesterday. The guy is a lunatic. Check out his other rants on there.

Zillah

Napoleon or whatever.

Also, "pact to the devil" does even make sense grammatically.

GLaDOS

Zillah wrote: »

Also, "pact to the devil" does even make sense grammatically.

pH

Pat is an easy target, he's an ass, unbelievably stupid, but here's a far more subtle view of religion in Haiti and what should change.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6990002.ece

He said the Catholic Archbishop’s death would confirm in the minds of many Haitians that the Church could not withstand the raw force of nature and the loss of the Catholic cathedral was an even more potent symbol of the same thing.

These guys wouldn't say anything as crass as it's punishment for a pact with the devil, but the message is clear ..

... GO METHODIST! (or at least protestant)

the iceman come

Posted this elsewhere but does nobody else find it shocking that nicolas sarkozy actually believes this stuff too? whilst not saying it was a punishment from god he has stated publicly that haiti is cursed!

rockmongrel

If you guys haven't seen this, it's amazing. Keith Olbermann absolutely tearing Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh a new one.

An absolutely amazing video.

GLaDOS

rockmongrel wrote: »

If you guys haven't seen this, it's amazing. Keith Olbermann absolutely tearing Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh a new one.

An absolutely amazing video.

....hero

Xluna

Metacortex wrote: »

Thanks Pat, for explaining why 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina happened.

Seriously though. I don't understand why people who claim to be Christian can be so hateful.

I can. Using the old testament and revealations is a good excuse to indulge in various forms of bigotry which under any other context would not be tolerated.

MicraBoy

Surely God has the power to override any pact with the Devil? What no? Ok I'll go ask the Flying Spagetti Monster to sort it out. He's cool like that.

Dades

rockmongrel wrote: »

If you guys haven't seen this, it's amazing. Keith Olbermann absolutely tearing Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh a new one.

I don't know Keith Olbermann, but I certainly like the cut of his jib! :pac:

rockmongrel

Dades wrote: »

I don't know Keith Olbermann, but I certainly like the cut of his jib! :pac:

He's usually wittier, more sarcastic and satirical(especially against Bill O'Reilly, some of the videos against him are hilarious), but every once in a while he completely goes to town on someone(again, a video against Bill O'Reilly on American War crimes is a good watch).