Posted on 01/14/2010 12:10:55 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Given where she is, I want her to stay safe. I don’t want her to be nice. It was my error anyway.
Please see 122
Allerga is an icon on FR. She posts from combat zones....
“He is in control of the earth and its movements and He certainly could have spared them this earthquake had He so chosen.”
Is there any country that has never had any natural disasters?
> Right...and tragedies never happen to those who follow Him.
Your point is well-taken. God doesn't promise us an easy life. See Job, for example, as others have noted. I note also evidence of true faith on Haiti, from a pastor from Cap Hatian who preached scriptural truth in my local mainline church in Virginia. First sermon that moved me in years, as the guy preached from the Bible. As much as the Hatians need our U.S. material aid, we need their understanding of Christ even more.
The bulk of Pat Robertson's detractors (outside of this FR board), however, are not arguing that Roberson commited a tactical error of timing, or that he commited an error of presumptuousness of speculating on God's particular involvement in this particular situation. Robertson's detractors are oblivious to the basic biblical understanding that God does indeed ACT, and does indeed act based on a nation's obedience to God, and does indeed act as a vengeful, angry, judgemental God.
Robertson's speculations are within the realm of possibility. (Although the Napoleonic reference is rather much a stretch, it seems to me.)
But remember that, as I understand it, Robertson has and will have and (likely) has had for some time resources on the ground in Haiti. Serving the poor and sharing the gospel.
“Robertson’s detractors are oblivious to the basic biblical understanding that God does indeed ACT, and does indeed act based on a nation’s obedience to God, and does indeed act as a vengeful, angry, judgemental God.”
Count me as one of those who consider him obscenely presumptuous to speculate that God was being vengeful because of Haiti’s lack of belief. Since natural disasters occur in every country, only the monumentally pompous (or stupid) claim to know which ones are acts of devine retribution. Perhaps they all are...perhaps none of them are.
If it were possible for someone to make me embarrassed to be a Christian, Pat Robertson would be the man for the job. He is a total idiot. I really wish he would keep his stupid mouth shut.
Unfortunately, in the minds of the tolerant, multicultural, Progressive (psuedo)intellectuals, Pat Robertson speaks for all Christians, Republicans, conservatives, and “right wingers”, so his stupidity will be used to paint everyone not to the left of Castro as being equally idiotic.
Your understanding is defective, then. Although SOME of the people at the beginning of Haiti's revolution against the French participated in a vodou ceremony (which, as a syncretistic blend of Roman Catholcism and African Animism, would have been no more satanic than the branch of Catholicism practiced by the ruling French at the time). SOME of them reasoned (as it it recorded) "THE WHITE MAN'S GOD IS FOR SLAVERY! THE BLACK MAN'S GOD IS FOR FREEDOM!" Yep, sounds like a recipe for Goat's head soup and pentagrams to me! To infer from this that the "nation was dedicated to Satan" is so stupid as to make my head hurt. Moreover, if even if the whole Island signed their souls over to the Devil, sacrificed a goat, and turned crosses upside down and played Ozzy Osborne records backwards........ IT WAS IN 1804
. To infer from an event which happened 200+ years ago (not that it really happened, but lets not spoil Pat's deep theological insights, ok?), that men and women still languish under the curse of something they don't even know about which their great great great grandfathers did is not only stupid, it is blasphemous to assert this about God.
I have been to Haiti. The country is desperately in need of the gospel. It is oppressive to lay awake in the jungle and listen to the voodoo drums at night, and see the mind bending poverty, despair, and hopelessness of these people. If Pat had simply stated that this is a wonderful opportunity for Christians to show the mercy of Christ to a hurting world, everyone would have applauded....., at least the 34 metamucil drinkers who still tune in to this idiot. As it is, he had to do what he always does, which is do a voodoo-like "channeling" of God, and pretend he understands the comings and goings of God's judgment in this world. He should shut his ignorant mouth and stop lying to people in claiming he understands how this is judgment for that cultural sin. It is not the first time he has been mocked and reviled for this kind of crap. He deserves every bit of it. I am embarrassed to be associated with Christians who spout such ignorant crap.
I think the Bible says that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the 3rd and 4th generations. People do err when they are ignorant of the scriptures. Robertson probably shouldn’t have made the comment he did, but, I’m sick and tired of people butchering every Christian who believes that not only is God a God of love, but, also a God of judgment. He loves us and that’s the reason He sent His Son to die for us. It rains on the just and the unjust. God isn’t a man, and His ways are not OUR ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. Sometimes, he allows calamities so that people can reach out for salvation. Thus, Pat Robertson’s words, that something good can come from this disaster.
It does. The sins themselves reproduce themselves, spiraling downward into societal chaos and hell on earth. Romans 1 is a chapter describing this. My problem with Robertson is not that he believes that sins are trans-generational, which is a biblical truth. It is that he announces so much nonsense mixed in with it that he gives enemies of God very good occasion to blaspheme, like in this situation.
While I agree with you that Pat’s statement gives the enemies of God much ammunition, I might add, so what doesn’t? They look for things. As I said, his words were probably inappropriate at this time, but, once they’re said - they can’t be gathered up again. But, the enemies of God are in full force regardless. They will use any excuse to go on the attack. Jesus said if they hated Him, they’ll hate us as well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.