pinkvoy

Pat Robertson has been criticized for his remarks about Haiti and pact with the Devil. Still, isn't that what the Bible teaches??

I have read parts of the OT and find it very confusing. But from David being punished for taking a census ordered by either God or Satan, to Jeremiah, isn't that what they say? That Israel has forsaken God for idols and immorality and therefore God punishes them and their descendants for what they did, in one example was Samuel ordering Saul to kill all Amaleks for what their ancestors did 400 years in the past. Aren't the lunatic harangues of Jeremiah and Isiaha charging Israel in violation of covenant with God, such as idolatry and Torah observance?

Andykiwi

Usually, yes. But sometimes a whole group suffered for the sins of one (eg. Jonah) or one person suffered for the sin of many (eg Joseph) and sometimes the suffering made no sense (eg Job).

Splarnst

Yep. Robertson has an iron age worldview.

boba123

AND - Pat Roberson - as both he and his followers will claim - is obviously an Inspired Man of God. This certainly says a great deal about all of the writers of the Christian Bible being Inspired by God to write what they wrote!

pinkvoy

You know, Christy, 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. Ahhh...you know, Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said we will serve you if you get us free from the French. True Story. And so the Devil said "Okay, it's a deal." and...uh...they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle, on one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Um, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I'm optimistic, something good may come.


Exodus 32:27-29 (King James Version)

27And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.


"Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." (Numbers 31:16-18)

Toto

Hebrew prophets did think that disasters were punishment for sins in a way, but you would have a hard time finding any who thought that an earthquake was punishment for a deal with Satan made 200 years previously by someone who lived on the same island. There are prophets who explicitly state that children should not suffer for the sins of their ancestors.

If you want a more scholarly discussion, Who is wisest - Jesus, Solomon, or Pat

storytime

And what a man conceived in his mind he was inspired to write and afterwards believe, or something like that. "What was conceived" in in the mind of the writer was Mary's immaculate conception - a new character was invented and said to be of the Holy Ghost." :devil1:

Holly3278

Pat Robertson is a total idiot. Any Christian with half a brain will tell you this.

That said, the Old Testament seems to say a lot of things, most of which need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Failte

Then there are lot of christians with less than half a brain out there, that send this joker money and fully support his ridiculous, bronze-age worldview. Those people scare the crap out of me, as they are usually the most committed and fervent in their beliefs.

No rational person I know thinks Robertson is anything more than a conniving, unethical fraud -- but there are a lot of people out there who agree with him; or, if they don't agree now, are willing to accept his word as somehow 'blessed' and will accept his views as 'true'. Mainstream Christians lump him in with the rest of the televangelist crowd and discount whatever noxious vomit he spews out, but there are quite a few True Believers out there, too.