Seldom does he fail; if any catastrophic event happens, Pat Robertson is there to inform the world exactly God’s reason(s) for the calamity. Haiti’s bereavements have been quickly met with Robertson’s self-pronouncements of the divine motives behind the disaster: God’s judgment (of course!) for the people allegedly having made a “pact with the devil.”
The guys at The White Horse Inn have done a good job at answering Robertson’s ridiculous remarks and moving readers toward a biblical assessment of the horrible situation that has befallen this impoverished people.
As Christians, we are commanded by the our Lord to intercede on behalf of those in Haiti, and extend relief, according to our means, to those suffering, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ who are there. We should also be prompted to meditate and study the problem of the suffering and evil that is present in our Father’s world, being ready always with a biblical answer to anyone that might inquire of us how we understand and have hope in the face of this such darkness. In this connection, let’s us also not be shy in asking others to do the same; this is a great opportunity to engage nonbelievers with the reality of suffering and evil, asking them for an answer to the problem from their own perspective and presuppositions.
O Lord, Sovereign King, eternal, infinite and unchangeable in power and goodness and wisdom, be ever-present in that power, working out your purposes of glory and good in Haiti; Lord Jesus, you, who knows grief and suffering better than we, comfort and shepherd the hearts of those who are walking through the valley of death; and Holy Spirit, applying the power of the death and resurrection Christ, renew and recreate this void and uninhabitable land and its people, demonstrating that in Christ the old has passed away, death is destroyed in his death, and all things have become new through your infallible, victorious, irresistible and always efficacious regeneration. To the praise and glory of the triune God. Amen.
This was a powerful argument against the kind of thing Pat Robertson was doing:
ReplyDelete"How would Pat Robertson respond to this question? 'Yes, they were worse offenders because they made a pact with the devil.' But how did Christ, the second person of the Trinity respond? 'No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.' Did you catch that? Christ said, 'NO' where Robertson says 'Yes'."
Good article.