Really Pat, A Pact With the Devil?

Pat Robertson’s explanation for this devastating earthquake in Haiti is a 200 year old pact with the devil. He states that Haiti was under the heel of the French government. In order to escape the control of the French government over Haiti, officials got together with the devil and agreed to serve the devil if he arranged their liberation. At about that point in his reporting Robertson interjects with a “true story!” The scary thing is that he believes this to be true. He believes this to be the reason for this devastating earthquake.

First of all, make no mistake, I believe that the Devil, Satan, Lucifer, or whatever other name he is called is real and exists. I do not underestimate the power and the program of Satan one iota. He is real, powerful, and hates God.

Second, there is no doubt in my mind that Satan when given permission can utilize elements that exist in this universe to create terrible disasters. For example, when Satan wanted to prove to God that Job only worshipped God because of God’s blessings, Satan received permission to use the lighting and fire to fall from heaven and burn up the sheep and the servants who were caring for them.

Satan also obtained permission from God to use the wind to strike Job’s oldest son’s house and destroy it. This resulted in the house collapsing and killing all ten of Job’s children. Satan when given permission can cause disease, deformity, disaster, devastation, and even death.

Third, let me say that God is in absolute control of everything in this universe including Satan. Satan can do nothing that God does not allow him to do. The problem with men like Pat Robertson is that they see a devil behind every rock, tree, bush, or disaster. This is very dangerous theology.

When every disaster, devastation, trial, tribulation is attributed to Satan, demons, or the power of evil it alleviates any and all personal responsibility and it negates the design of our sovereign God. Case in point, in Luke 13 when someone asked Jesus about the Galileans who had been murdered while offering sacrifices how did Jesus answer? He asked them if they thought those Galileans were worse sinners than other people? He also asked if they thought the 18 men who had died when the tower in Siloam fell? It is obvious that these were rhetorical questions.

However the answer was no! They weren’t worse sinners and they may not have even died because of any specific sin. The lesson to be learned was, take note of their death. Take note of their premature or early death. Why? Because if you don’t learn from their “untimely” death and repent of your sin, you will die like those men.

The bible predicts that prior to the second coming of the Lord there will be earthquakes. Matthew 24 predicts earthquakes in many places. These earthquakes are a reminder that there is a God with whom we have must give an account to. They are mercy moments calling our attention to the fact that we will die, we are mortal and that we need to repent of our sins.

When we make such an outlandish statement with no evidence or support other than rumor, hearsay, superstition involving an urban myth, we divert people’s attention from seeing the glorious hand of our God in a merciful means of reminding us that we must do business with Him.

The following is extracted from the Thursday, January 14, 2010 post from The Contemporary Calvinist blog site:

Jean R. Gelin, Ph.D., born and raised in Haiti and now serving as assistant pastor at a church in the U.S., covers the legend of the pact in an article entitled "God, Satan, and the Birth of Haiti" (part 1, part 2, part 3). In short, he hasn't found any evidence to support it.

He does, however, offer a reasonable explanation for Haiti's extreme poverty:

Haiti's emergence as a free nation in the New World was similar to the birth of an unwanted child. After winning its liberty through the literal destruction of the entire colonial structure, the new country was simply not welcome in the community of nations. ... Haiti was forced to pay a large compensation to France before its independence could finally be accepted. Many historians believe that this huge financial burden, in the order of several millions and lasting one century, plays a critical role in the country's slow but steady descent into poverty.

Along with France, the United States and even the Vatican initially refused to recognize the new nation. For reasons known only to them, the leaders of the Catholic Church in Europe, who were very much involved in Saint-Domingue, declined to have diplomatic relations with Haiti, even after repeated attempts by several heads of state, and despite the fact that Catholicism was made the official religion of the new country.

To suggest that what we are seeing in Haiti is the result of a 200-year-old pact with the devil is to underestimate the sinful depravity of man. Since when did we humans need any help in being evil?

I quote from the conclusion drawn on the Contemporary Calvinist website:

“Yes, there are dark spiritual forces at work in Haiti, just as there are everywhere else in the world, but let's not give the devil more credit than he's due. Satan may be "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), but the God of all eternity is still in control.”

http://contemporarycalvinist.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti-devil-and-pat-robertson.html

So, really Pat, a 200 year old pact with the devil?