US televangelist claims Haiti earthquake 'a blessing in disguise' | The Daily Telegraph
AS the world mourns for Haiti and the 100,000 people believed to be dead, a US televangelist said it was 'a blessing in disguise' and a direct consequence of a "Satanic pact".
Pat Robertson, even questioned whether Tuesday's quake - which is thought to have killed up to 100,000 people - may have been a "blessing in disguise", MyFox National reported.
"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," Robertson said during a broadcast of The 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
"They (Haitians) were under the heel of the French ... and they got together and swore a pact to the devil.
"They said 'We will serve you' ... and so, the devil said 'Okay, it's a deal' and kicked the French out."
During an earlier segment with a reporter for Robertson's CBN News, the televangelist questioned whether the earthquake in Haiti was a "blessing in disguise."
"They need to have ... a great turning to God," he concluded, adding that the earthquake may have been a direct consequence of their "Satanic pact".
News of Robertson's commentary spread through social networking websites Twitter and Facebook.com, where outraged users expressed disgust by the statement.
Hours after his comments ignited a firestorm in the news media and online, Robertson's ``700 Club'' TV show issued a statement elaborating on his remarks.
Robertson's comments were based ``on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion ...where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed,'' the statement said.
"Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God's wrath,'' the statement went on.
It added that "Dr. Robertson's compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them."
More than 100,000 people were feared dead after a cataclysmic earthquake struck Haiti, filling the streets with corpses and burying thousands under razed schools, hotels and hospitals.
Religion.
AS the world mourns for Haiti and the 100,000 people believed to be dead, a US televangelist said it was 'a blessing in disguise' and a direct consequence of a "Satanic pact".
Pat Robertson, even questioned whether Tuesday's quake - which is thought to have killed up to 100,000 people - may have been a "blessing in disguise", MyFox National reported.
"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," Robertson said during a broadcast of The 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
"They (Haitians) were under the heel of the French ... and they got together and swore a pact to the devil.
"They said 'We will serve you' ... and so, the devil said 'Okay, it's a deal' and kicked the French out."
During an earlier segment with a reporter for Robertson's CBN News, the televangelist questioned whether the earthquake in Haiti was a "blessing in disguise."
"They need to have ... a great turning to God," he concluded, adding that the earthquake may have been a direct consequence of their "Satanic pact".
News of Robertson's commentary spread through social networking websites Twitter and Facebook.com, where outraged users expressed disgust by the statement.
Hours after his comments ignited a firestorm in the news media and online, Robertson's ``700 Club'' TV show issued a statement elaborating on his remarks.
Robertson's comments were based ``on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion ...where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed,'' the statement said.
"Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God's wrath,'' the statement went on.
It added that "Dr. Robertson's compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them."
More than 100,000 people were feared dead after a cataclysmic earthquake struck Haiti, filling the streets with corpses and burying thousands under razed schools, hotels and hospitals.
Religion.
