Pat Robertson on the Haitian Earthquake ...

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

If I can put Robertson aside for a moment, I happened to hear the official Haitian governments response to to the 'deal with the devil'.

They didn't deny it.

Pete

Haiti has its own indigenous religion, Obeah, based on African traditions. It's therefore quite understandable that they would pray to their god/gods for aid against the French. I suppose that it's also understandable that Christianists would equate Obeah with "devil worship".

John

[piece-itpete]

They didn't make that distinction.

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

They didn't make that distinction.

Pete

I didn't see the thing you're talking about but I can imagine reasons why they wouldn't want to open a can of worms right now about "pagan religions". First, Haiti is now a very Catholic country. Heck, they even elected a Catholic priest as president - twice. His name is Jean Bertrand Aristide. Second, mention of their non-Christian past at this point could discourage religious charities from lending much needed assistance.

John

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

If I can put Robertson aside for a moment, I happened to hear the official Haitian governments response to to the 'deal with the devil'.

They didn't deny it.

They may believe it. I can only speak for myself, but for me, that's not the point. Hundreds of years ago they may have built a pentagram of fire and sacrificed virgins calling Satan by name to rise up and defeat the French. I don't really care.

Am I surprised that there are people in one of the most impoverished, uneducated places in the Western Hemisphere who believe in spells, magic and voodoo? Not at all. You expect those things in places that haven't had the benefit of progress and prosperity. At one time those traditions were prominent throughout the world. The Greeks had a hell of a society going and they still believed in a lot of weird magic stuff.

What I am surprised and frightened by is that a prominent television personality who is representative of a large voting coalition who has positioned himself as a political force in the most advanced and affluent country on the planet believes in voodoo, magic and superstition. What frightens me even more is that a not insignificant number of people who run our government believe likewise. I'm not saying it's a majority, but does anyone here think there are *no* members of Congress who would watch that and say, if only to themselves, "Pat is right"?

And think about what that means for a minute- I’m not implicating Christian theology here. That’s not what Robertson was talking about. He was talking about a voodoo ritual. And according to him, it worked. So according to Robertson and like-minded people, not only does God reigns Hell on unbelievers in this world, various other witchcraft, voodoo and satanic worship rituals are indeed effective.

So a man who is active in a significant manner in our political system might well envision terrorists who don’t bother to hijack planes at all but simply hold some pagan ceremony and make a sacrifice. He may see this as a legitimate threat that needs to be defended against. How does one defend against such a threat? I can only imagine. Maybe he would suggest that official American Defense policy is the evangelization of the entire world. If they were all fundamentalist Christians, there would be no more threat of voodoo terror. Mobilize our millitary might as Soldiers for Christ. Not so far off from what a lot of folks in the Middle East think they're doing when they strap bombs to themselves, is it?

By the way, agree or not with what I’m saying here, at least try to understand why this kind of rhetoric scares many of us. This is the kind of thing we’re afraid of when we hear someone like Sarah Palin speak- in tongues or otherwise.

Sorry, I got long winded again. Does anyone ever read these novels I post?

[BlueStreak]

Read the whole thing, Eddie. And I concur wholeheartedly. No argument here.

Dave

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie;15489[QUOTE

Sorry, I got long winded again. Does anyone ever read these novels I post?]

Huh, what was that you said? Oh, yeah, yeah, You're right dear.

But seriously, you make sense. As I have said on these pages before, I would like to see the name of Christianity cleared from all of the baggage that has been dumped on it by those who are actually pursuing secular agendas.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Read the whole thing, Eddie. And I concur wholeheartedly. No argument here.

Dave

Hell, I'm not even done with it. Can't stop tinkering with the words. It's a curse- what I do all day. But it's "good enough" now. Got to let it go. Need to write some crap they're actually paying me to write.

[piece-itpete]

To quote an old friend of mine, 'I see what you're sayin' '

But I'll explain. I don't expect you to agree, but perhaps understand my (our) position.

Satan is real. He does have some power.

There you go

Pete

[Boreas]

Brilliant, Eddie! I especially liked this:

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

And think about what that means for a minute- I’m not implicating Christian theology here. That’s not what Robertson was talking about. He was talking about a voodoo ritual. And according to him, it worked. So according to Robertson and like-minded people, not only does God reigns Hell on unbelievers in this world, various other witchcraft, voodoo and satanic worship rituals are indeed effective.

Part of the the take-away for me her is just how devious that SOB Robertson is. The Haitians actually pleaded with their Obeah gods for help against the French and they won but if Robertson were to acknowledge that fact he would ber admitting that, as you said, other gods are not only real but powerful enough to defeat his god.

We can't have that. No sirree, Bub! (as in Beelzebub). So, Robertson tweaks the story a little bit and Obeah gods become Satan.

Now, every good Christian will recognize the power of the Devil, right? Every good Christian acknowledges the rivalry between the horned one and that old guy with the beard. Et voila! Instant existential struggle between good and evil.

John

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

To quote an old friend of mine, 'I see what you're sayin' '

But I'll explain. I don't expect you to agree, but perhaps understand my (our) position.

Satan is real. He does have some power.

There you go

Pete

I suspect he may also have some taste and would not touch Robertson or Limbaugh with a stick.

What I can't understand is that we go around putting down poor little pit bulls and those two still live.

(Exits left humming "Onward Christian . . .")