Drea Knufken
It’s fine to make a living sharing your religious opinions. But when a humanitarian disaster the size of Haiti’s strikes, putting a on temporary muzzle and helping relief efforts is probably the best option. Case in point: televangelist Pat Robertson. Here’s what he said on today’s Christian Broadcast Networks’ 700 Club:
…something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heal of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. 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, okay it’s a deal.
And 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 is cut down the middle on the one side is Haiti the other is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we meed to pray for them a great turning to god and out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now we are helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.
So Haitians are suffering because they made a pact with the devil? Pat, you’re not renowned for keeping your mouth shut, but for Christianity’s sake, stop here.
Rush Limbaugh comes in at a close second for instantly politicizing the Haiti quake, saying “Obama will use Haiti to boost credibility with ‘light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.'”
From an economic standpoint, Robertson and Limbaugh make their money by imparting opinions. Clearly, gaining detractors is a tried-and-true part of their publicity machine. People hate them for their lack of civility, and they thrive from the recognition.
It’s a cheap trick. I’m sorry it happened so soon after such a serious disaster.
