Pat Robertson, the Devil, and Helping Haitians Anyway

You can't make up this sort of thing.

"Pat Robertson says Haiti paying for 'pact to the devil' "
CNN (January 13, 2010)

"Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a 'pact to the devil' brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

"Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.

"Robertson, the host of the '700 Club,' blamed the tragedy on something that 'happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it.'

"The Haitians 'were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and 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...."

I am Not Making This Up

The CNN article doesn't say whether Pat Robertson thinks the Haitians living today should be helped or left to suffer the anger of a procrastinating god.

The Haitian revolution, again, was in 1804. This year is 2010. Someone born the same year that pastor Robertson says those Haitians over there made a 'pact with the devil' would be 206 years old this year.

That'd be a really, really old Haitian.

In pastor Robertson's defense, I like to think that he means well.

What he was thinking, I have no clue.

If You Dare, Help the Haitians

Now, if you want to risk the wrath of Robertson, I've assembled a list of aid agencies for 'most everybody. ("Haiti: News and How to Help," (January 13, 2010))

And, since I'm a Catholic (that's right, one of those people), I put a list of aid agencies that are more specifically Catholic in another blog. ("Haiti: Archbishop Dead; Aftershocks; How to Help," A Catholic Citizen in America (January 13, 2010))

Now remember, if you don't want to get Catholic cooties, don't click that second link.

Don't worry, the Lemming will lighten up tomorrow. A little.

Okay, so I've got a post lined up about the first H-bomb test. Then I'll lighten up. [January 13, 2010, 7:21 p.m. - I have got to start getting more sleep: That H-bomb post was today's leader: tomorrow it's 1968. That's what I should have written: 1968. Like, I mean the post's about 1968, man, oh, wow, like that was days ago. Years. Decades.]

• "Haiti Earthquake: Your Parish May have a Second Collection this Weekend"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (January 13, 2010)
• "Haiti: Archbishop Dead; Aftershocks; How to Help"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (January 13, 2010)
• "Haiti Earthquake: A Few News Videos"
  (January 13, 2010)
• "Haiti: News and How to Help"
  (January 13, 2010)
• "Haiti Earthquake: Send Help if You Can, and Pray for the Folks Living There"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (January 12, 2010)