Pat Robertson Says ‘pact with the devil’ Caused Quake
Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
He also seemed to blame the nation's pervasive poverty — it's the poorest in the western hemisphere — on a deal with the devil they made to get out of French rule, saying Haitians have been "cursed" since then, while the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola, hosts resorts.
Robertson was relying on an old folk legend, according to Politico which first posted the video. And he was also relying on his considerable talent for provoking attention, says Rice University sociologist Michael Lindsay.
Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "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.' "
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