Haiti, Pat Robertson and theology

In the immediate aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, Pat Robertson the American televangelist reveals that he doesn't read his Bible. The video is on the bottom, but here is the key transcript by CNN.
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and

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whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "

Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.

"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

But the Bible, does not support this. In the midst of the fall of the nation of Israel two of God's prophets made similar statements from God.
Jeremiah 31

v.29 In those days they shall no longer say: "'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' 30 But everyone shall die for his own sin. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Ezekiel goes into more detail. Ezekiel 18

v.1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? 3 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die...

Who is Pat Robertson to tell a Haitian child whose parents were crushed to death that it's the fault of political leaders 10 generations ago? I've been to Haiti. The church is present there. Believers in Jesus are there. Those who believe in Jesus are forgiven and made righteous by his sacrifice.

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In Genesis 18, Abraham pleads for the fate of the wicked city of Sodom. There are more than ten righteous people in Haiti.

23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Here is video from my local paper of Haitians up the road from me interceding for Haitians in Haiti.

This poor theology was used within the church, in its history, to support anti-semitism. In Matthew 27, written by a Jew who was called to be a disciple of Jesus, when Pilate tries, feebly, to reason with the crowd, at Jesus' show trial, Matthew records this exchange.

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood;see to it yourselves." 25 And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

The early success of the church among the Jews proves that this self-imposed curse did nothing. God saved many priests. God saved Paul, a notorious persecutor of Christians. The curse is powerless. The church is wrong to use passages like this to deny human rights to Jews. The Haitian pact with the devil is powerless before the blood of Jesus. Robertson is wrong. He is wrongly representing God, which is blasphemy. Let us pray that God has mercy on his soul as we pray for God to have mercy on the Haitians.

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I've been praying and fasting for the Haitians the last 24 hours. My prayers are simple. I groan (Romans 8:26). I say "Jesus." I say "Let your kingdom come and your will be done in Haiti as it is in heaven." Please pray for Haiti.




Update: A reply to Pat Robertson from the Haitian ambassador to the United States. Video here. HT: Religious News Report.