Special to USAfricaonline.com and CLASSmagazine, Houston
Haiti is suffering, and the only response from Christians and other decent human beings is compassion, love, and all the concrete support we can supply. Tonight I am going to be with students from Haiti, and students who have family there. We are going to offer prayers and support for one another. This disaster has to become front and center in the hearts and minds of Americans. We should all be thinking of how to help.
Instead, Pat Robertson opined on his TV show, the 700 Club that this happened because, in order to gain liberty from the French, Haiti (read: black people) made a pact with the Devil.
“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. 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.”
Go to Hell, Pat Robertson — and the sooner the better. Your ‘theological’ nonsense is revolting. Don’t speak for Haiti, and don’t speak for God. Haiti is suffering a catastrophe and you offer silliness at best, and racism at the worst.
Haiti was the first island in the Western hemisphere to overthrow slavery and white oppression — this is what you call a pact with the Devil? God’s heart is breaking with this tragedy, and ours should be too. You never had much credibility — but now it is all gone.
That is enough time spent on you. Let’s get back to thinking how we can call upon all of the goodness in our traditions and in our country to help the people of Haiti. •Raushenbush is the Religion Editor for the Huffington Post
Pat Robertson is a racist (and has an) evil mind.