The blogosphere and twitterverse have exploded in response to Pat Robertson's statement that the monster earthquake in Haiti--which caused inconceivable death and destruction--is, essentially God's punishment on a nation for a "pact with the devil" made by the nation's forefathers centuries ago. (You can watch the actual video here.)
In context, I do see that perhaps, his intent is not to directly condemn the Haitians. Rather, he seems to think it important to give a (loose, undocumented) lesson of the country's history and how it has been affected throughout history since said "pact."
I have to ask, though, where was Mr. Robertson's PR team? Was there no discussion about the show that day, no script? Mr. Robertson and his team have been around the media business long enough to know that a statement like this can be chopped, edited, and twisted into the smallest sound-byte possible (not to mention the sensational headlines), and yet, this didn't make it through the vetting process? And yes, I must say, this is a statement that requires much more than a clarification, which is then followed by a Tiger-esque retreat to who-knows-where.
There is no doubt the timing of Mr. Robertson's educational foray was poor. But, we need to move on. At this point there are millions of people in need of our help. We can either choose to be distracted and debate the controversial statements of Mr. Robertson (and, today, Danny Glover), or we can choose to take action along with our fellow Americans.
Today, the Red Cross reported that they had received $10 million in aid through text messages alone. What an excellent use of technology. If you haven't done so yet, text in your donation, or give to the rescue efforts underway in Haiti right now. Through Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, or other reputable organizations.
Let's get busy doing what needs to be done. Lives are at stake.
If you haven't had your fill of the subject, these two titles are worthwhile reads:
*Don Miller wrote an excellent blog post, responding to Mr. Robertson's statement.
*Newsweek came out with an interesting piece titled "Why God Hates Haiti--the frustrating theology of suffering."
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