Two weeks ago an earthquake literally ripped apart the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti leaving thousands of already-impoverished people dead, severely injured, homeless and, many children orphaned. It has been reported that this level of destruction and devastation is among the worst in world history. The United States is sending aid workers into the country, as well as military personnel, and relief organizations have people on the ground providing food, medicine and drinking water. Baptists of all stripes, including JCBC, have responded to this crisis, as have other religious groups, which is how it should be as mercy and ministry is inherent in our Biblical mandate. It should be a given for Christians to be among the first to provide support to Haiti. It’s a spiritual D.N.A. thing; an automatic response; a duh, it’s in the instruction manual act of compassion. If that’s true, which I wholeheartedly believe it is, then what’s up with Pat Robertson?
Don’t know of whom I speak? If you have been fortunate and are not acquainted with him allow me to fill in the blanks; but do not hold this against me later. In some cases ignorance is indeed bliss. Pat Robertson founded a college and a television ministry in Virginia. He pontificates daily on the 700 Club; a mish-mash of feel good stories, news and his musings on the world order. There are many people who see him as a step beyond self-delusional and as a person who actually believes he represents Christianity in America. I prefer to think of him as a nutcase. O.K., I just sinned and I’ll admit it. I called a famous preacher and television host a nutcase. Forgive me in lots of twelve Lord ‘cause I’m not finished sinning yet. On his television program he stated that the earthquake in Haiti occurred because Haitians made a pact with the devil in order to be freed from French control. He actually said this and followed with the statement, “true story.” France last held colonial control of Haiti in the early 1800’s. In order to continue control in the late 18th century Napoleon sent in Rochambeau to eliminate opposition forces. He estimated that he would have to kill 30,000 natives to reach his objective and to that end he hung, burned alive and drowned native men and women. On one day in 1802 he had 500 prominent men killed; an act that sealed the fate of France on the island. Opposition forces grew and over a short period of time the French were forced to flee. So tell me again who the bad guys are?
If you do the math, which I’m assuming Mr. Robertson is never allowed to do for the 700 Club, it would suggest that Haiti is paying today for a spurious sin committed over two hundred years ago. Toss out the obvious bad theology in play here and do the math; this earthquake was two hundred years late! Since one has to assume that God sent the earthquake (the bad theology part), then God was quite late on this one. Oh yeah, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day…Silly me. God can take His own sweet time if God wants to “by-dingy.” That last sentence is true but the rest is hooey. God does not send earthquakes; nature does. Port-au-Prince is on a large fault line. Bad events occur within the natural order every day. Sin in the form of bad human choices can lead to tragedy. What happened in Haiti was a combination of corrupt leadership and natural disaster. It was a natural disaster, not a supernatural disaster. God loves the Haitians even if self-inflated bozo’s like Pat Robertson do not. Dang, I’ve sinned again. I just insulted Bozo.
Michael McCullar
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I like it MM. You've been there while Pat is in Goofball land. And, please don't insult Bozo. He was the World's Most Famous Clown. He had an awesome wig ! He read to children and had a "Grand Prize Game". He made people laugh. Pat Robertson is the antithesis, he makes people mad. Is Pat so freaked out that people will send money and effort where it's needed instead of his hotline ? Christians and other religions will keep our spiritual DNA and continue to help. The naysayers in this world will receive their judgement.
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