Earlier this week I had lunch with Josh Stein, an intellectually curious and gifted sophomore attending Fresno State University. Stein's myriad interests include the intersection between religion and science.
A little known ritual observed by liberals, we must bash conservatives for 10 minutes before eating -- it helps the digestive system process and absorb nutrients.
It was during this period of the lunch, when the tragedy of the recent earthquake that struck Haiti came up, I sarcastically quipped: "It's a matter of time before someone suggests that God caused the earthquake in Haiti as punishment for something."
Stein, quickly responded, "It has already happened, Pat Robertson said something to that effect this morning." 
After lunch, clips of televangelist Robertson's theological utterances (and I use that term very loosely) on his 700 Club broadcast had already bombarded my email inbox.
As the number appeared below the screen for those who wanted to send money for earthquake relief, Robertson offered this dispassionate observation:
Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and the people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. And they (Haitians) got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, 'we will serve you if you get us free from the French,' true story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay it's a deal!'
What is it with televangelist and tragedy? I remember when Jerry Falwell, on the heels of 9/11 with Robertson playing the role of Ed McMahon stated:
I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."
It is always problematic when any type of religious discourse offers definitive answers to the complexities of the human condition.
The so-called deal with the Devil that Robertson refers is the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804). If we momentarily suspend reality by granting Robertson's' words a scintilla of legitimacy, is he suggesting the only way Haitians could act on the most basic instinct humans possess, which is the freedom guaranteed by self-determination, was to enter into agreement with Satan?
This leaves us to conclude that God was siding with the French and their desires to occupy and enslave a foreign land.
The U.S. has its own dubious relationship with Haiti. It overlooked the brutality administered by Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier (Papa Doc) against his own people as a Cold War price that had to be paid, given he was a staunch anti-communist.
Papa Doc and his son, Baby Doc, are on the short list of the most brutal dictators the U.S. tolerated in the Western Hemisphere during the Cold War era. Using Robertson's thinking, for the U.S. to be given a pass by God in its dealing with Haiti, would also suggest the almighty is a proponent of realpolitik.
It is this type of Neanderthal thinking as it relates to theology that justified Manifest Destiny, The Trail of Tears, African American chattel slavery, as well as other atrocities under the pseudonym progress.
But Robertson's comments raise another question: Why is it God's wrath is seemingly reserved for the poorest nations in the world?
How is it that Wall Street has been spared from floods as well as infestations of locust, frogs, livestock death, boils, darkness, and the death of its firstborn?
What does Robertson's remarks say about those who, long before this tragic earthquake occurred, consistently gave of themselves to provide aid to Haiti?
At the time of this writing, I personally know people who were in Haiti when the earthquake occurred and they have yet to be in contact with their families in America. If the worst has indeed happened, why would God smite those whose only intent was to bring comfort to the least of these?
Haiti needs financial and physical resources not uninformed heretics offering irrational theological explanations to events requiring a scientific response. I'm quite certain it was a sudden release of energy from the Earth's crust creating seismic waves in 2010 that had more to do with the earthquake in Haiti than some alleged satanic pact in 1791.
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Tom Matzzie: One More Thing Obama Can Do for Haitians (updated)
In responding to the tragedy in Haiti, President Obama wasted no time in initiating one of the largest humanitarian mobilizations in U.S. history.
I grew up in a fundamentalist church all my life
(Assemblies of God); however, folks like this with
a 'mouthpiece' just annoy the socks off of me. And
then they end up wondering why people rebuke God
and religion? Go figure, huh? God didn't make
religion....man did -- for their own needs. God made
FAITH -- faith in Him.
Pat Robertson....when you point your fingers wildly
and judge like this, just remember that the Bible
says,"JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED."
It is also said in the Bible that "to him who much is
given, much is required." It also says that for those
of us who give to the least of them, give to God.
Pat Robertson.....have you NOT read your Bible
lately? I fear you possibly haven't or are only
choosing to find 'compassion' for those YOU think
are somehow deserving of it. God gives his
compassion to ALL, and HE GIVES IT FREELY.
I WILL SAY IT AGAIN SO THAT MAYBE YOU'LL
GET IT........
GOD HAS COMPASSION FOR ALL, EVEN THE
LEAST OF US SINNERS.
As sickeningly, filthy rich Americans, we should
remember this. We run after stupid things pretty
much our entire life that we 'think' are important to us,
and we don't FINALLY realize they're NOT important
sometimes until we die.
Humans are so stupid sometimes.