Robertson, Haiti, the Devil and History

02-01-2010 • Stephen Estes

Robertson, Haiti, the Devil and History By: Stephen Estes There was much fanfare and accusation of idiocy following the Pat Robertson statement that suggests Haiti was rocked by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010 as a result of a secret pact between the islanders and the Devil. Admittedly, the timing of his statement was ill-placed, especially considering he made the accusation while an 800 number for relief was visible on the bottom of the screen. The situation leads one to question why an educated and respected televangelist would make such a bold statement. Robertson is known for a long standing policy of heaping blame for disasters on the victims; not a practice in kind with temperate Christian values. Knowing this though, Robertson is normally able to support his accusations with at least some portent of accurate historic record and this, was no exception. A Brief History Haiti’s recorded history begins with Christopher Columbus discovery of the island on Dece