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pat roberston, please…
You’ve already heard what he said: the earthquake in Haiti is the outworking of a spiritual, not a geologic history. A supposed pact made with the devil around the time of Haiti’s birth as an independent nation. The wrong thing to say at the wrong time for so many reasons. But let me just point out one of those reasons: laziness. Robertson was cherry picking historical factoids.
The Bible is a book of the history of nations, in it’s own way. One particular nation, Israel, destined to produce the seed of blessing for all nations, Yeshua, from the line of Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, to whom a promise was given. The book of Genesis is a book of inspired history. The writers, whoever they may have been, moved by the Spirit to discern the key themes and motifs of our inter-generational connections. Envy, rivalry, hatred between and among brothers being a powerful theme. Written in a way to help us draw our own conclusions, not have some preacher reduce it all to a factoid. We read Genesis and wonder if we’re not in the mess we’re owing to the way we treat each other and our grudge holding nature. Hatred begets hatred, violence begets violence, and it takes an inbreaking of the kingdom of heaven to reverse the trend. The Holy Spirit who inspired the book, moves between its pages and its readers of many generations, whispering its meaning.
What do we even know of Haiti’s history? A French colony that was a cash cow for the colonial power: producing sugar for the tea of the wealthy on the backs of brutal slavery. A slavery so severe, the local slaves couldn’t replenish their numbers by reproduction (contrast Israel’s multiplication in Egypt under slavery–so it must have been more brutal than that.) Leading to a new import: African human beings brought in to work the sugar cane fields of what would become Haiti.
A violent uprising of the slaves, overthrowing their white masters, the first successful slave uprising leading to national independence. A threatening turn of events for the United States of America which had it’s own slaves and wasn’t too keen on violent uprisings even though it had one of it’s own at it’s birth. It took 60 years before we recognized Haiti’s independence; Abe Lincoln was the man who finally did it. But in the meantime, the people of Haiti were forced by the Western powers to pay reparations to their former masters, the French, even while laboring under a trade embargo. U.S. troops sent in to quell violence and to enforce the repayment of the debt. Yes, the debt that former slaves were paying their former masters–as reparation.
And on it goes. So which of these facts of history do we select to explain an earthquake? And which earthquake in which country?
I don’t have a clue. My grasp of Haiti’s history is minimal. Laughably inept.
Let us in the face of our ignorance of history remain silent in a time of tragedy. Silent about causes and effects of earthquakes whose proximate cause at least is geologic. The ground beneath our feet is shifting sand, as the hymn reminds us. Our rock is not the one beneath our feet.
As Rich Nathan wrote recently in an Ohio op-ed piece, in the face of tragedy, we should shut up and find a way to help. We should take a lesson from Job’s comforters, whose words were only more pain for their suffering friend.
Tags: genesis, Haiti, history, Jacob, Job, pat robertson, slavery
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 am
Powerfully true and inspiring ~ Thanks, Ken.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Ken,
I completely agree with in, but I can also see where Robertson is coming from–not that I agree with him, but his mentality. I do believe that everything that happens physically in this world also has a spiritual component to it, including natural disasters. All throughout the bible God used “natural disasters” as a judgment against sin- everything from the great flood to the raining of fire (some scientists believe it was asteroids) on Sodom and Gomorrah. In the book of Revelation (6, 8, and 16) those events could very well be described as natural disasters. And while you mentioned that it could be Haiti’s geographic locations making it certainly vulnerable, but the Dominican Republic has the same chance of being hit with an earthquake of that magnitude. Pat Robertson I’m sure would make the argument that because the Dominican Republic is 95% Christian it was sparred by God. Along that same thinking, if we believe that God created everything, then did He not also create the laws of nature? Being that theologically speaking God would choose where those disasters would occur. If you look at the most natural disasters overtime (floods, earthquakes, landslides, Tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions) where the death tolls were high, the majority you could argue have low percentage, if any Christians. Likewise, in looking at diseases, one could also argue in looking at the time periods of history that God was punishing or attempting to get the attention of His people. We often mistakenly forget that God gets angry. So in all that I see where Robertson is coming from, while I don’t agree with his approach (unloving), I do personally believe there is some truth to what he is trying to convey. We can’t be blind in not acknowledging that the physical and spiritual are connected.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
While I hardly think that Pat Robertson’s public words are remotely helpful in this timing, I also think that we should also extend him the same grace we expect of him and be polite in our disapproval.
Young children are constantly told not to tell some one else to “shut up”. “Please be quiet” is usually the encouraged phrase. Perhaps I am sensitive to this since I do have young children.
I appreciate your analysis, Ken. I also remember your unending extension of grace to everyone and appreciating your strong belief not to throw stones at other churches/group. So I was surprised by your chosen title. Gracious disagreement is what you’ve taught me in the past and I have so appreciated. Your title in response to Robertson seems to underscore your words above “hatred begets hatred”.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I get ya Ken. What Pat said is cherry picking, and while it may be true that it could have happened in Dominican Republic, and they may have had some pact with the devil, who knows. But the true fact remains: it was deeply hurtful to Christianity as a whole to say so within days of such a dramatic tragedy. You do not go to the funeral of someone who died of lung cancer and say to those mourning “Well, its his own fault. He should have smoked a pack a day when he was 20 years old.” No, we show empathy for the loss and for the tragic mistake someone made early in life. Its no different for Haiti. The 70,000 + who have died and those still fighting for life deserve our common courtesy and respect.
What Pat did was political grandstanding at its worst. He may have phrased it in religious terms, but it was all about being ‘right’, saying “I told you so” and elevating himself. Well, we all know what Proverbs says about elevating yourself…
In the end all he did was hurt Christianity. Anyone witnessing or working on those nonbelievers around us just watched them take two giant steps back after such vitriol came from one of our ‘leaders.’ Whether I watch Pat Robertson or not is not questioned when working with nonbelievers–they assume he is one of us and that we all lean that way. I now have to play defense on this issue, instead of simply showing the love and care God is bringing to the people of Haiti through his church.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:49 pm
michele, the title was intended as “exasperated, sharp rebuke”…exasperated, because after 9/11 we had leaders including PR blaming the tragedy on liberals and lesbians and whatever other group was mentioned. Of course, you may be right, and I might have been out of line. It wouldn’t be the first time. You’re wise to chew the meat and spit out the bones of anything in this blog.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:52 pm
cassady, I just think it’s perilous to make these connections. Katrina left Bourbon street unscathed but decimated the 9th ward, including many poor believers. The main point wasn’t the truth or error of the assertion made regarding cause and effect, but the need to be silent about such matters and help instead. These kinds of comments do great harm to the gospel.
January 22nd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Ken,
After watching the Pat Robertson clip on YouTube I don’t think he meant any harm in mentioning the dark history about Haiti. I think it was more of a point he was making that God is using this as an opportunity to rebuild a nation. Robertson also encouraged listeners to pray and send money/relief to Haiti. The United States has always been a nation to help other nations in great time of need, there is no doubt in my mind that God is using this to further His kingdom and I believe that is the point Robertson was attempting to make. I think the context many are reading into his comments is incorrect, but that is my opinion.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Here is an article (written before the Pat Robertson utterings) on the Haiti-Devil-Pact theory written by a Haitian pastor in the U.S. http://www.blackandchristian.com/articles/academy/gelin-10-05.shtml
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Ken, you rock! I will definitely repost this on Facebook. So blessed that you’re my pastor!
“Let us in the face of our ignorance of history remain silent in a time of tragedy.”
This reminds me of “Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.”
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I said this after the Katrina disaster, but it bears repeating.
If natural disasters had a connection with a nation’s sin, I think Brazil would have been wiped out long ago.
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval makes Mardi Gras look like a church play and there the way Haiti has Voodoo intermingled with its Christianity is no worse than how many of my compatriots mix Catholicism and several African occultic practices.
I think the Gospels have a section where people question Jesus on some tower collapsing and killing several people and Jesus responds by severing any direct ties between the victims’ sin and their demise.
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Hi Ken. I understand that statements like the ones PR made, due to the way they were construed by the media, can set us back in our efforts to help redefine what following Jesus means in secular culture. And so it’s natural for us to want to distance ourselves from such comments by vehement condemnation. Don Miller, whom I respect along with yourself, did the same thing on his blog. When I actually viewed the clip I was surprised to see that it was much less dramatic and way more positive than I imagined it would be after reading various blog posts and news articles. Now I don’t know much about PR and don’t know for sure whether it was right or wrong for him to have said we he did, but I definitely think what he actually seemed to imply and what he has been roundly accused of are not one in the same. To me, the positive messages that he had, that Haiti has long been suffering under economic oppression and that perhaps this tragedy might turn into an opportunity for a better future with God’s help, have not been mentioned. Nor has much been said about his prayers for the suffering Haitian people or the work being done by the NGO’s affiliated with him. Instead he has been told to shut up by you and been called a shock-jock by Don Miller. It’s not my lot in life to defend PR, I’ve never watched an entire episode of 700 club in my life and I know very little about the man. But I have been suprised at the way some christian leaders I respect, such as yourself, have reacted to this. Perhaps this is due to my own lack of understanding which I am willing to believe could be true. Since Don Miller likely won’t respond to my commnents to help me see my error perhaps you will! Grace…Chip
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Reposted on FB too!
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:47 pm
chip, I’ve no doubt that PR will use his platform to rally support for Haiti. Kudos to brother Pat for that. No doubt, as someone already pointed out, my blog title reflects an anger that is less than pure. Non-kudos to me for that. Statements like this cause little ones to stumble, though. And take a look at what a Haitian pastor says about the premise of PR’s comments, link in David Wild’s comment above.
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Joao,
The scripture you mentioned has been on my mind a lot in response to Haiti:
Luke 13:4
Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
Thanks for bringing this to the discussion.
Cristy
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
“…in the face of tragedy, we should shut up and find a way to help. We should take a lesson from Job’s comforters, whose words were only more pain for their suffering friend.”
Could not agree more.
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 am
The curse of the evil one covers the earth, not just Haiti. The whole creation groans and travails together as we wait for the redemption of our bodies and the earth. What human, besides the Son of Man, can speak of how or what God chooses? Even when God makes a choice, he is not encumbered with a flawed mind and does not speak with a tongue that is unredeemed.
Think of someone close to you that you love. If somehow you knew the choices that they would make would hurt them in the future, would you take away their freedom? No, because in doing so you would be taking away the very essence of your beloved. The mystery of the gospel is bound to this freedom to choose what we love. Jesus died to truly give us the ability to freely love and choose. He has strongly influenced humanity to love, but the choice is truly our own.
God is good. God is not willing that anyone would perish. God is love. In this life we suffer and he goes with us through the suffering. As the birth pangs increase across the planet, we comfort and serve one another knowing that we have been blessed to attend or be close to the birth of a new age. God have mercy on Haiti, on us, and on anyone that thinks the men, women, children that have died or are suffering, are doing so because the ground is anymore cursed than the land that is beneath your feet. Jesus have mercy…
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:53 pm
At his birth, I think Pat Robertson’s foot must have made a pact with his mouth.
January 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 pm
jon, we do suck on our toes in utero…I know I’ve had several mouth-foot encounters in the pulpit as well
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I don’t think he is coming across as judging, although it is difficult to see that when you haven’t viewed the entire program. Frankly, I’m not a Robertson fan and while I personally would not bring up some like that, he did. People are going to interpret things the way they want I guess. For me I always attempt to see the goodness in others and I truly do not believe that Pat Robertson made that comment to be hateful or racist or whichever.
Only we have a choice in what our reactions are. We have to remember that the enemy is always attempting to create division among us. So I choose to believe he meant good not evil. I believe he made the comment to make a point that God sometimes brings wrath to ungodly nations, but that this is an opportunity for Christians worldwide to make a difference, come across in love providing relief and support.
January 24th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Who are we to say Haiti is an ungodly nation? And what about the countless Haitian Christians and missionaries who were killed or injured in the earthquake? Is God punishing them too? I don’t think Pat Robinson’s comments were meant to do evil, but they most certainly do more harm than good. I believe these kind of comments lead many more away from Christ rather than towards Him. The God I know is loving and merciful, nothing like what Robinson portrays.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Darwin can’t imagine how Pat Robertson could have evolved. But more seriously, Robertson’s tongue drips hatred. Not very Christian of him, it appears to me. He gives evangelicals a bad name in the eyes of the non-evangelical public.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Thanks for responding Ken, and for responding the way that you did. I hear what you are saying about the potential for causing little ones to stumble, and that being the case perhaps some angry rhetoric is not completely inappropriate. (A clearing the temple type move perhaps.) In any event I can certainly agree that if one was going to make a ‘pact with the devil’ comment at a time like that, one would want to be well-researched on the validity of such a statement. Cheers!
January 25th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Carl…hatred?
Ignorance and speaking without thinking, sure, but hatred? Did Robertson say anything hateful about Hatians?
It seems like the word hatred is flung around a lot these days.
Could it be that the hatred is really towards Robertson?
And a lot of it, from us, his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Could it be Pat’s openness in his criticism of our (and others) society’s open acceptance of some sinful behaviours is a cause of this backlash against him?
Could it be his many recent inappropriate remarks have just given his critics cause to vent their hatred towards him?
January 25th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
First off I just realized I called Pat “Robinson” instead of “Robertson” in my previous post. Sorry for that.
Also, I may be way off based here as I’m a few credits shy of my theology degree. But didn’t Christ die for us in order to pay the price and do away with these mortal punishments by God and offer us all eternal salvation? Isn’t this the primary difference between the Old Testament God and the New Testament God? If this is true, it stands to reason that God does not punish people at all in this life anymore.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
While I certainly agree Robertson occasionally says things it would better not to say, I have to agree with Cassady and Joao here regarding the animosity toward Robertson. It is interesting that the blog didn’t bother to mention, even once, the significant work that Robertson is doing to try to relieve suffering in Haiti.
It is also interesting that Carl so quickly throws around the word ‘hatred’ even though Robertson’s actions would indicate love rather than hatred.
Joao gets it right in my opinion in questioning whether this unfortunate statement has given Robertson’s critics ’cause to vent their hatred towards him?’
Ken, have you watched the entirety of Robertson’s statements? Carl, have you?
And Carl, what do you think of Danny Glover’s suggestion that the earthquake was a result of global warming, stating “When we see what we did at the climate summit in Copenhagen, this is the response, this is what happens, you know what I’m saying?” Uh, no.
Anyway, I certainly wish Robertson wouldn’t say stuff like this. But if you see what he said in context he certainly comes off different than what his critics are presenting. Seems I remember something about ‘all meaning is context dependent.’
January 26th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I think that a careful reading of Job shows that many of those who seek to explain disaster in terms of sin and judgement end up turning that very judgement on their own heads. God is not ours to rationalize, he is who he is, and he does what he does for his own reasons — which may never be clear to us.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Mark. Yes this is the point–not whether PR was or wasn’t justified (correct) in his assessment, but that the Bible itself urges caution on speaking up for God when it comes to cause & effect when tragedy strikes.
January 27th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Ken,
I discussed this issue of Pat Robertson and God.s wrath on the Haitians with my pastor. His take on it was that it was the Devil who caused the earthquake to happen. I think he believes that the Haitians opened up the doors of darkness because of there occultic practices. To me it sounded like Pat Robertson just a different approach. I don’t know what to say?
January 28th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Commonman’s post is very concerning to me, because it suggests that views similar to PRs are held by many of our pastors. I just don’t see how the story of Christ fits into these viewpoints. They suggest that anything bad that happens to a person must be the result of some invitation or agreement they made with the satan? Should we stop doing missions work and witnessing to these nations for fear we may get caught up in the destruction when satan decides to make good on the deal?
January 28th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Jon, I don’t think either one caused the earthquake. Its in an unstable plate, they have earthquakes a lot in that region. Its also desperately poor, so the buildings are poorly built.
I’ve had a slightly different take on what commonman’s pastor said. PR is assuming that God would do such a thing, which I really don’t believe he does. Removes his hand to allow it? *Maybe* but not cause it. However, so many are assuming that *if* Haiti made a pact with the devil, that the devil has been protecting them. If we know anything about God’s enemy, we know he is the polar opposite of God. God is good, all the time, because that is his nature. Which means Satan is NOT good, all of the time, because that is his very nature. Which means he could very well have a lot of fun killing thousands, pact or no pact.
By no means am I saying that is what happened, because its not at ALL what I think happened. I’m just saying, if people are assuming God did this, why aren’t they pondering the other option? After all, what happened to Job wasn’t done by God, but rather by Satan.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:21 am
I take Carl’s perspective view seriously because whether we agree with what he thinks or says, he represents a slew of the population we don’t see on Sundays, and it seems like folks were quick to jump on his word choice. I think the words that come from anyone (President, Pastor, etc.) who has a lot of influence (a big media microphone as Ken says) should be extremely cautious on how they respond in word…especially in times of devastation.
James uses the phrase “world of evil” in stead of hatred…. Carl may not be that far off or possibly Carl is understating the severity of the words used by PR.
Read James: 3:1-12 (posted below is just part of it)
5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.