U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson says Haiti cursed by devil pact

Jan 13, 2010 17:00 EST

christian | devil | haiti | pat robertson | united states

Haiti's Presidential Palace after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, 12 Jan 2010/Reuters TV video grab

Controversial U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson said on Wednesday that earth-quake devastated Haiti was cursed because of a past pact that the island’s inhabitants had made with the devil. The comments, which have spread like wildfire through the blogosphere and eslewhere on the Internet, were made during a broadcast of his Christian Broadcasting Network.

“They were under the heel of the French … and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’ True story,” Robertson said in a matter-of-fact tone on the broadcast.
“And so the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal. .. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another,” he said.

Haiti’s slave revolt led to the establishment in 1804 of the first republic run by freed black slaves and has long been an inspiration for national liberation movements especially in Africa.

Robertson, a former Republican Party presidential candidate, has made controversial comments before. In 2005, he called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Chavez, a constant critic of then President George W. Bush. Robertson later said he was misinterpreted and eventually apologized.

He has also claimed in the past to have a direct line to God. In January 2007 he said God told him a terrorist attack would result in “mass killing” in the United States in the second half of 2007.

Here’s the video of his comments. Let us know what you think of them.