Earthquakes and pacts with the devil

[gwbarry]

I have observed intensely vicious attacks on Pat Robertson with regard to his widely publicized comment that the troubles in Haiti are connected to a pact the nation made with the devil. Granted, the comments are about as sensitive as pointing out to a family grieving over the death of a loved one, that the lung cancer that killed him could be attributed to his addiction to cigarettes. Timing is everything, but it is not helpful to leave truth metaphorically buried in the rubble if voicing it exposes important warnings. A friend on Facebook printed a link to an article published by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune which was essentially a letter to Pat Robertson from the "devil," subsequently posted by npr news, and I could not remain silent any longer. Here is the link:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/201 ... c=fb&cc=fp

I have read a number of reactions to the comment, mostly in support of the writer, and I was compelled to reply:

I'm afraid I have to disagree... I lived in Brazil when I was young - and saw the dire consequences of "macumba" or the black magic that is practiced there - similar to voodoo and some of the devil worship that is prevalent in Haiti. Pacts with the devil do not always result in temporary prosperity as the letter claims - it really depends on the terms of the pact - but they do ALWAYS end with darkness and human despair and ultimately destruction. God has provided a cure, but He won't administer it against anyone's will... The media is twisting the comments from anyone who dares to draw attention to the spiritual warfare raging in that country to imply the earthquake and the desperate conditions there are a "retaliation" from God - and that is not how I read it. True to form, "Satan's" letter deflects attention from the heart of the matter in my opinion...

The way I read it, the writer's point was that because Haiti doesn't abound with beauty, wealth, and power (the materialistic snares America tends to fall for), there is therefore no evidence of a pact with the devil in Haiti, and further, Robertson's comment is without basis and just plain mean in the light of the suffering. My friend argued that the writer was trying to make the same point C. S. Lewis was making in "The Screwtape Letters." I don't think this writer captured the same truth or message Lewis managed to convey because she isn't writing from the same mindset. He was trying to help people see God more clearly by exposing some of the devil's tactics - I believe this writer was just mocking the notion that there are lethal consequences to messing with black magic. I find it interesting that it is OK (PC) to ask God why He would allow a disaster of this magnitude to happen - where is the love and mercy? - but then get really angry at anyone who suggests that there may be some serious spiritual issues being brought to light that we don't want to think about.

Then my friend offered up another perspective - one that I think is worth considering:
http://www.kfax.com/11624996/

There is no question there has been an inconceivable amount of suffering in Haiti. I also know that God never wastes a single tear... I pray that we will not miss the powerful lessons delivered in this pain because the debate is difficult and even distasteful. I have faith stories will emerge that point to God's providence, mercy, and protection even in the midst of this horrific destruction. I pray that people will turn to God, cry out to Him, for deliverance and healing - and find the cure He prepared for us from the beginning of time: our Messiah, our Savior, our Redeemer: His own Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that we, His Church, will have the courage to be His hands and feet, to offer healing in His Name, to speak His truth to a hurting world, and to help the nation rebuild on a solid foundation: the Cornerstone the builders rejected the first time, the Rock of Ages.

Ginny Barry

[christer]

OK, I'll take the bait.

The recent comment by Robertson begs the opposite question: if God punishes countries with natural disasters, does he reward others with prosperous natural resources?

For example, Saudi Arabia? This is a country has been blessed with abundant resources and vast amounts of money, yet it is a strictly Muslim country in which it is illegal for churches to exist.

Many Muslim scholars argue that this country's prosperity is a clear sign of God's approval of their religious practice. Prosperity, they claim, is God's way of rewarding faithful Muslim nations, and natural disasters are his way of punishing other infidel nations. This fits very neatly on the other end of the spectrum of Roberts' reasoning.

Suffering - both for individuals and for nations - is about as logical as that experienced by Job. Job is an analogy for any person, or nation, who experiences suffering for no clear reason, and gets no clear answer from God.

The story of Job is basically God's way of telling people - and nations - that "sh*t happens", and it won't make any real sense until the Judgment Day. So I'm not sure how helpful it is to repeat the explanations of Job's friends to people or nations today.

I think the more embarrassing part of Robertson's comments is his dim awareness of history, when he said that Haiti became independent under Napoleon III. Haiti became independent a whole generation before this nephew of Napoleon ruled.

Mistakes like this doesn't help Robertson's credibility, and they don't help change the stereotype of Evangelicals in this country.

--- Christer (obviously not a fan of The 700 Club...

[gwbarry]

I am not promoting the 700 Club or Pat Robertson or any other specific person or agenda - what I was trying to explain is that it bothers me that any comment remotely pointing to the fact that there are consequences to sin is scoffed and mocked and written off. I don't think the earthquake or any other natural disasters are God's "retaliation" - but the horrific situation resulting after the earthquake is clearly linked to human activity: the flimsy buildings and the absolute squalor, the looting, the oppression and lack of respect for human life - these are the fruit and harvest of a leadership that is aligned with evil. What bothers me is that the consequences of tampering with the occult are being clearly exposed by this tragedy - and the lessons are being dismissed because one of the messengers is deemed offensive. Deals with the occult, regardless of which Napoleon was in power at the time, create an opening for indescribable darkness and evil, and we are clearly warned by God to avoid it. And it wasn't just back 200 years ago, the ousted leader (Aristedes I think is his name) as recently as the 1990's claimed voodoo as a national religion in Haiti. An earthquake of that magnitude would have caused damage almost anywhere it hit, but the disproportionate loss of life can be clearly attributed to choices made by the people who led that nation - and who claimed voodoo as a legitimate part of their culture. As to the current prosperity or poverty of any nation aligned with evil - the timing of their demise is not ours to predict - but God's Word will not be mocked and eventually "every knee will bow."