Pharmer went to Mass and heard a priest reference the evangelist who attributed the earthquake to Haitians pact with devil in exchange for freedom from France. The priest contrasted the evangelist with God who is merciful (without knowing that in the same interview, the evangelist requested his listeners to pray for the Haitians and send aid, because they are suffering.)
Yours truly is always in the odd position… having to defend the actual faith of Catholicism to people who see the shortcomings of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, for example, while on the other hand, admonishing this priest (after mass) and others to pay attention to what Pat Robertson actually DOES, though he is known to say politically incorrect things on occasion.
A search revealed that Pat Robertson’s idea about the origins of Haitian independence were not self generated. Whether an actual pact with the devil was involved could not be ascertained from this info. The idea comes from a Voodoo ceremony said to have marked a meeting of people fighting for Haitian freedom at Bois-Caïman near Cap-Haïtien. This idea is repeated by Haitians as well as Christian missionaries who have served in Haiti. Though the claim can’t be established without doubt, we can be certain that Pat Robertson didn’t make it up.
Also, in asking people to pray for Haitians, it certainly appears that Pat Robertson does NOT believe, a theory mentioned by Obama, that God has abandoned Haiti.
http://www.americandaily.com/article/95 -Proponents of the Voodoo = satanism origins of Haitian freedom.
http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=14079 -This author doesn’t like Clinton, Aristide, or voodoo.
http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&p=109761 -This author is one who claims to have heard the story repeated by Pat Robertson from Haitians themselves.
http://www.blackandchristian.com/articles/academy/gelin-10-05.shtml
http://www.blackandchristian.com/articles/academy/gelin-11-05.shtml (still looking for part 3)- This author does not agree with the devil pact theory. It’s worth checking back for it later.
http://momento24.com/en/2010/01/14/obama-haiti-is-a-priority-for-the-u-s/ And here’s Obama;’s speech to the Haitians:
“I want to speak directly to the people of Haiti, you have suffered for a long time and to have to deal with this new disaster will make you wonder why God has abandoned Haiti. I’m going to tell you that we won’t forget you, we won’t abandon you. The United States are on your side, the world is, you’ve endured a history of slavery and your faith has been unwavering”
Update: English version found and double checked by lip reading the video under the spanish translated one at momento24.com
Finally, I want to speak directly to the people of Haiti. Few in the world have endured the hardships that you have known. Long before this tragedy, daily life itself was often a bitter struggle. And after suffering so much for so long, to face this new horror must cause some to look up and ask, have we somehow been forsaken?
To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering.
[shari]
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The truth is that they did make a pact with the devil. Now the significance you put on that pact I guess has to do with whether you believe the devil is real or not.But it is one of Haiti's founding myths.http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/small_axe/v009/9.2laroche.htmlAccording to Haitian national history, the revolutionary war was launched on the eve of a religious ceremony at a place in the north called Bwa Kayiman (Bois Caiman, in French). At that ceremony on August 14, 1791, an African slave named Boukman sacrificed a pig, and both Kongo and Creole spirits descended to possess the bodies of the participants, encouraging them and fortifying them for the upcoming revolutionary war. Despite deep ambivalence on the part of intellectuals, Catholics, and the moneyed classes, Vodou has always been linked with militarism and the war of independence and, through it, the pride of national sovereignty.So, yeah if there is a devil, Haiti made a pact with it. Might explain why even though Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the same island, the Dominican Republic has been far more successful.