On his Christian Broadcasting Network today, Pat Robertson told viewers:
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 Prince, 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.
Making embarrassing pronouncements that cause evangelicals to cringe is what Robertson does best. But he has topped himself with this one. This is the most crass, insensitive, and downright stupid comment he has ever made.
For decades we evangelicals have been trying to distance ourselves from Robertson. As Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in 2004, “I think he speaks for an ever-diminishing group of evangelicals on most issues.” Dr. Land was being generous. Robertson has been completely out of touch with the mainstream of evangelicalism for . . . well, forever. I don’t know anyone who would claim to be represented by him much less want to be associated with his comments.
The collected lunacy of Robertson could fill several volumes but I thought I’d share a few of my favorite quotes that reveal the breadth of his wit and wisdom:
On Ecumenism
“You say you’re supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense, I don’t have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don’t have to be nice to them.”
—The 700 Club, January 14, 1991
On Pluralism in Government
“Individual Christians are the only ones really—and Jewish people, those who trust God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to Him.”
—Defending his stance that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office, The 700 Club, January 11, 1985
“If anybody understood what Hindus really believe, there would be no doubt that they have no business administering government policies in a country that favors freedom and equality.”
—The New World Order (p. 219)
On the Homosexual Agenda
“[Homosexuals] want to come into churches and disrupt church services and throw blood all around and try to give people AIDS and spit in the face of ministers.”
—The 700 Club, January 18, 1995
“Many of those people involved with Adolf Hitler were Satanists, many of them were homosexuals—the two things seem to go together.”
—The 700 Club, January 21, 1993
“Many observers say that AIDS is the hammer and gun of the homosexual movement, an effective vehicle to propel the homosexual agenda throughout every phase of our society.”
—The 700 Club June 20, 1990
On Feminists
“N.O.W. is saying that in order to be a woman, you’ve got to be a lesbian.”
—The 700 Club, December 3, 1997
On the Flying of Freak Flags
“I would warn Orlando that you’re right in the way of some serious hurricanes and I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you, This is not a message of hate; this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It’ll bring about terrorist bombs; it’ll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.”
—The 700 Club” June 6, 1998 speaking about “Gay Day” at Disney World
January 13th, 2010 | 10:52 pm
::: shaking my head :::
thanks for this post Joe.
January 13th, 2010 | 11:18 pm
is this the same man who discussed telle tubbies? why in the world is this man allowed to preach the word. you talk about a alquida tpye that has twisted the word to fit his evil mind.the way he thinks makes binladen sound like a beginner. all he hate is part of what, the worst part of what is wrong with the world. not a single PERSON in haite asked for this or deserved this.his pulpit is a stand for twisted haatred. he should be striped of his post. what an ass
January 14th, 2010 | 12:07 am
“…and possibly a meteor.”
What a line.
January 14th, 2010 | 8:43 am
Can places and things be consecrated and blessed by spiritual acts?
Can places and things be defiled and cursed by spiritual acts? Can the land itself be defiled by sinful acts? Can spiritual acts really have physical consequences?
When Adam sinned against God, did that not bring curse upon the earth? (e.g., Genesis 3:17)
Can sexual immorality defile a land? Leviticus 18 lists various forms of sexual immorality: fornications, adulteries, homosexuality, and bestiality. Then it says,
“Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 18:24-25)
Can the wrongful shedding of blood defile a land?
“So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.” (Numbers 35:34-35)
Can breaking covenant with God defile a land?
“The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate.” (Isaiah 24:4-6)
Can idolatry defile a land?
“For my eyes are on all their was; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.” (Jeremiah 16:17-18)
If the people of a land make a pact with satan to serve him, can that spiritual act really defile the land?
January 14th, 2010 | 10:23 am
[...] the wake of Pat Robertson’s latest foray into amateur seismology, Joe Carter has compiled a list of the good reverend’s most egregious public statements. Read it and wince. var addthis_pub [...]
January 14th, 2010 | 10:38 am
Quote from Kierkegaard: “Catholicism has a conception of the Christian ideal, which is to become nothing in this world. Protestantism is worldliness through and through”. Robertson always brings this quotation to mind. This man has never been able to decide whether he wants to be a Christian or a worldly success – i. e., a Senator, President, or Media Mogul. He is a divided soul, and his resentments are always bubbling up to the surface.
January 14th, 2010 | 11:00 am
I don’t think it is a division of soul for a Christian to pursue a political office or even to head a media organization. Do the Scriptures teach us to eschew such things?
Nor do I get the sense that Robertson is divided and resentful, although I can see that he himself is the object of much resentment from other Christians.
January 14th, 2010 | 11:32 am
Robertson shares some questionable concepts with the word of faith types that are rife in charismatic circles, but I think the dogpiling going here is unfair.
January 14th, 2010 | 11:54 am
Yeah, I always think posts like this are a little suspect. They come across like: We know what the world thinks of Pat Robertson, and so we’re secretly delighted when he makes insane comments because we get to rush to ridicule him and thereby prove to the world that we think he’s crazy, too. See, World, we’re not so different after all!
The trouble is, the world thinks we’re crazy, anyway, because we believe in idiotic things like the Resurrection.
So at bottom, are posts like this just demonstrating shame at the Gospel in the eyes of the world? I don’t know. Pat Robertson got a whole lot of flak for his comments about Katrina, but the reality is that God is sovereign over nature and decides what happens when, for whatever inscrutable reasons. It’s this belief that is the true scandal to the worldly mind, and when we admit it publicly the world looks at us as no different from Pat Robertson.
Do we really need to go out of our way to prove to the world that we think Pat Robertson is wacky? Really?
January 14th, 2010 | 12:14 pm
I spend a lot of time in Haiti a week at a time several times per year. In my experience, not only have the Haitian people not made a bargain with the Devil, but they have a lot of spiritual wisdom to offer those of us in the “first world”. I’m reminded of the main character in Flannery O’Connor’s short story Revelation when I think of Pat Robertson. Shame on you, Pat.
January 14th, 2010 | 12:17 pm
[...] Joe Carter at First Things: The collected lunacy of Robertson could fill several volumes but I thought I’d share a few of my favorite quotes that reveal the breadth of his wit and wisdom: [...]
January 14th, 2010 | 1:00 pm
[...] http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/01/13/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-pat-robertson/ [...]
January 14th, 2010 | 1:53 pm
” The trouble is the world thinks were crazy,anyway, because we believe idiotic things like the resurrection”
History and the current world are full of brilliant people who believe in the resurrection. I doubt there are very few even moderately intelligent people who would accept any of the Pat Robertson comments quoted in this piece.
Sorry about the grammar error in the first post
January 14th, 2010 | 2:09 pm
It seems everyone is dancing around the basic question (except Jeff), which is: Does God punish sin with retribution here on Earth? If that is true, then it must also be true that God rewards virture and merit with blessings to people and nations. The Bible certainly says both are true.
Like Kindergarteners, it seems we happily accept that a “Good God” showers blessings upon his children, but always argue and dispute the “punishments” we receive.
You may certainly argue Pat Robertson’s ability and wisdom to discern the true meaning of an Act of God. Who can know the intent of God? Robertson may also be very tactless in the prose or timing of his comments – but shouldn’t those of you claiming to be Christians agree with the basic thrust of his comments – that sin and infidelity to God will have material consequences?
January 14th, 2010 | 2:33 pm
I do not believe God “punishes” us for our misdeeds, i.e. “causes” things to happen that serve to punish us. I do believe, however, that he allows us to experience the effects of our actions, which is often much more painful: you usually get what you deserve, and sometimes it’s much worse than that.
January 14th, 2010 | 2:37 pm
PaulR, are you seriously arguing, then, that the Haitian people made a pact with the devil when they overthrew their slavemasters and declared independence?
January 14th, 2010 | 3:14 pm
Does anyone have any documentary evidence for this so-called pact with the Devil? I’ve heard it repeated many times.
I agree, somewhat with some of the posts above. Robertson could be an idiot, or he could be a prophet, but we shouldn’t ridicule the suggestion that acts of Satanic consecration could have devastating effect.
Let’s judge the case on its facts, and be clear about what we are calling silly.
January 14th, 2010 | 3:16 pm
Travis – not at all. I’m asking (not answering): do you believe that God gives temporal punishments and rewards for sin and merit? Robertson may lack tact or wisdom, but frankly put, is his central notion that God punishes sin on Earth just nonsense? It goes to the heart of the Christian Faith, but it seems to me that many here are quite fuzzy on what they believe.
January 14th, 2010 | 3:44 pm
[...] John Mark Reynolds on Pat Robertson’s statement that Haiti is under a curse for making a pact with the devil. Besides being historically inaccurate [...]
January 14th, 2010 | 4:14 pm
“The most crass, insensitive, and downright stupid comment he has ever made” – that you know of… I’m sure it’s up against some pretty stiff competition for that accolade.
January 14th, 2010 | 5:38 pm
Robertsons remarks were taken somewhat out of context, but he really should have displayed some compassion. We have an obligation as Christians.
100 years ago it would have taken us weeks to find out about this info.
50 years ago, it would have taken a few days
20 years ago, it would have taken until the evening newscast or next morning newspaper.
Today, we heard within minutes or hours.
We do have a responsiblity to react with speed since we have been given ‘technology.”
“To whom much is given, much is required”, right?
I blogged about this over at http://www.redletterbelievers.com and have a list of 15 reputable relief agencies.
David Rupert
Red Letter Believers Blog
“Salt and Light”
http://www.redletterbelievers.com
January 14th, 2010 | 5:43 pm
“I think he speaks for an ever-diminishing group of evangelicals on most issues.” Dr. Land was being generous.
So who is watching his show then?
January 14th, 2010 | 5:53 pm
Robertson probably spends too much time behind the microphone. Anyone would eventually say something they later regret and he has not distinguished himself as a great intellect. Still I find your glee in tearing him down to be offputting. Rather than attack the man, why not attack the ideas? They may be weak, but you have not demonstrated why (specifically his pronounments on Haiti — I suspect there may be some mitigating context on some of the quotes) they are weak.
January 14th, 2010 | 6:35 pm
You would not know from the clip cited in the opening post, but Robertson did speak of showing compassion to the people of Haiti and helping take care of their pressing need at this time. Unfortunately, that part was left off — I guess it did not serve anybody’s purpose to highlight that. Only the more controversial part was shown, which serves the stereotype.
January 14th, 2010 | 7:23 pm
Umberto:
“Does anyone have any documentary evidence for this so-called pact with the Devil? I’ve heard it repeated many times.”
I too have heard it a great deal, initially from some Canadian missionaries back in the early 1990s. Specifically, they said that the island was “dedicated to Satan” after the successful revolt against the French.
Whether it’s true or not–and whether Robertson’s assertion is therefore true or not–he’s still ridiculously insensitive to say such a thing at such a time.
January 18th, 2010 | 11:49 pm
[...] left on this Earth. The good Reverend is profoundly cherished by the Evangelical community for his wit and wisdom, his incredible business acumen and his willingness to speak the truth. He has shown so [...]
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