Dan Sherrier

By now, you’ve probably heard about tele-evangelist Pat Robertson’s inane comment:

“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. You know, Napoleon III and 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, ‘OK, 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,” he said on The 700 Club.

Was that really necessary?

And here’s the official clarification, in full, from Robertson’s own Web site:

“On today’s The 700 Club, during a segment about the devastation, suffering and humanitarian effort that is needed in Haiti, Dr. Robertson also spoke about Haiti’s history. His comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, 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.

“Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment, Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them. His humanitarian arm has been working to help thousands of people in Haiti over the last year, and they are currently launching a major relief and recovery effort to help the victims of this disaster. They have sent a shipment of millions of dollars worth of medications that is now in Haiti, and their disaster team leaders are expected to arrive tomorrow and begin operations to ease the suffering.”

Doesn’t really make it much better. Sure, there was no malice intended, and his organization aims to help out. But the assertion that the Haitians’ ancestors made a deal with the devil is not historical fact, as the above clarification admits with its inclusion of the word “alleged.”

In any case, it’s ridiculous for Robertson to bring this up at this point in time. The statement is not hateful, just ill-considered and not the least bit productive.

Just last week, I poked fun at some of the name-calling the left hurls at the right, but I have to admit, in the case of Pat Robertson right now, he’s earned the title “wingnut.” If this is the sort of thing he’s going to say these days, my advice for him would be to speak less.

Granted, that’s just my immediate emotional response. Everyone is free to say whatever they like, and crazy people are no exception.

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But here’s the problem: Some people think that Robertson represents conservatism and Christianity. Because he calls himself Christian and has a background in Republican politics, his comments present an easy target to make conservatives in general look foolish.

That leftwing propaganda machine known as Media Matters is using this as ammunition in its self-proclaimed mission of “comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.”

He makes a good bogeyman: Look, kids, if you’re a conservative, this is what you’ll turn into!

Among any group of people, you’ll find some crazies. That doesn’t mean everyone in the group is crazy, and even those who lean crazy aren’t necessarily bad people–just intensely frustrating and cringe-worthy, and probably better off helping out in the background away from public view.

What Robertson said about Haiti has absolutely nothing to do with advocacy for smaller government or greater individual freedom. If you’re a Christian, you’re not obligated to believe or support what he said. He wasn’t quoting The Bible, after all.

Remember: While Robertson may speak as a conservative or Christian, he does not speak for all conservatives or Christians. His opinions and views are his own, and they do not carry the automatic endorsement of every conservative or Christian.

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