"Haitians Killed by God for Voodoo Pact. Film at 11"
I've talked before about how the Religious Right is its own worst enemy, making itself out to look utterly foolish over and over again. You can always count on some wild-eyed religious crackpot to say something stupid, and upset the vast majority of religious people for making them look bad. Most especially, when something horrible is happening in world, the lunatics are trotted out to say what is "really going on" in the supernatural world into which they allegedly have such "amazing" insights.
In a moment of crisis, we can always count of that windbag Pat Robertson to come out and say something beyond the pale. He did it for 9/11, for Hurricane Katrina, and now for the incredibly destructive earthquake in Haiti:
Transcript of Senor Robertson's nonsense:
And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. 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.”
And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.
This has been a idiotic story going around for a long time. You can do a Google search and find all kinds of misinformation by Christian "pastors" and "teachers" (here is a typical example) who don't do a bit of their own research on the matter, but just rely on pamphlets written by other idiots to gain vital information on this "pact." However, an actual Christian Haitian Minister had this to say back in 2005 about the "sacrifice to Satan story:"
I was born and raised in Haiti, and I am a graduate of the State University in Port-au-Prince. I am also a believer in the Lord Jesus-Christ in accordance with the Bible. In all of my studies of Haitian history, however, I have yet to find a good evidence of even the idea of Satan’s assistance in the Independence War, let alone a satanic pact.
I would not be surprised if the satanic pact idea (followed by the divine curse message) was put together first by foreign missionaries and later on picked up by local leaders. On the other hand, it is equally possible that some Haitian church leaders developed the idea on their own using a theological framework borrowed from those same missionaries who subsequently propagated the message around the world. Either way, because of this message, Haiti has been portrayed as the country born out of Satan’s benevolence and goodwill toward mankind.
Obviously, this fellow is in league with Satan to obliterate the "truth."
What typical Evangelicals don't get is that "Voodoo" (more correctly "voudou") is a syncretic religion incorporating traditional African animism with Catholic beliefs. Voudou practitioners do not "worship Satan" anymore than the typical Catholic does. They do invoke the Loa, the spirits of various African beliefs that have been identified with various Catholic saints. This is a very typical kind of syncretic religion found in Latin American nations where African slaves were brought and mixed with white Catholics.
While there was very likely a ritual of some sort that preceded the revolution in Haiti, it has been given the usual deviant amplification that something disliked is given by its critics. If you want to read a very good, actual historical account, of the night in question and what went on, with eyewitness testimony, Google Books has Haitian Revolution Studies online. Click the link, scroll down a bit, and then click again on Chapter 6: The Bois Caiman Ritual.
This book was written by history professor David Patrick Geggus, someone who actually studied the history of Haiti. The important part is that while a ritual certainly did occur, the actual day it occurred is not clear, nor is exactly what happened known either. Based on the eyewitness accounts written later, it seemed to be a ritual of sacred legitimation for the slave leader Dutty Boukman. That is, the ritual, done by Boukman as a houngan, or voudou priest, with the assistance of a second priestess, made him the legitimate political leader in the eyes of the people.
In the chapter there is no mention of "Satan" or any dark god at all. However, close minded Christian evangelicals and other religious bigots rarely bother to learn about anything that's not Judeo-Christian, so obviously a Voudou ritual has to have something to do with Satan. More likely, the ritual slaughter of a wild pig, and the drinking of its blood, would have been seen as symbolic of the freedom of the people of Haiti binding itself into the revolutionary group, and into Boukman in particular as the rebel leader.
Anyway, even supposing that Satan was invoked and the island was "given over" to him, Satan ain't much of a player. As this rather funny site says (h/t Lex), had Satan made some kind of deal with Haiti, one would expect lots of material wealth and sensual pleasures to keep the people focused on the carnal side of life. This would make sure to get them to hell after death. After the revolution, Haiti was beset with one authoritarian leader after the other, secret police, political murders, incredibly high amounts of poverty, and a standard of living that makes many people in the Middle East look like they are living the high life.
If that's the best the Prince of Darkness can do, the Haitian revolutionary leaders were played. Taken over a barrel I say!
Of course, since there was no "giving over of the island to Satan," regardless of what occurred that night, all of these arguments are demonstrably false. It's sad that normal, everyday Christian folks end up getting lumped in with windbags like Robertson and his ilk, who claim to "speak for God" but continually show a meme of hatred, fear and bigotry.
If that's the "god" they represent, is it any wonder more and more of the world is rejecting this deity? I don't think the Divine does anything so stupid, though, like tossing earthquakes around. Even Robertson's own Sacred Scripture rejects the idea that God punishes people for the sins of the past:
Jeremiah 31:29-30 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity.
Ezekiel18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
But let's not let reason and proper exegesis get in the way of a good harangue, shall we? The Religious Right is always rather fearful of people with high education, and it's no wonder why: once we start actually looking into things, the simplistic, Manichee like arguments of good/bad, Us/Them fall apart. Thankfully.
Want to help Haitians?
Red Cross Donation Page for Haiti
Buy something off CafePress and help Haiti!
-V
In a moment of crisis, we can always count of that windbag Pat Robertson to come out and say something beyond the pale. He did it for 9/11, for Hurricane Katrina, and now for the incredibly destructive earthquake in Haiti:
Transcript of Senor Robertson's nonsense:
And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. 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.”
And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.
This has been a idiotic story going around for a long time. You can do a Google search and find all kinds of misinformation by Christian "pastors" and "teachers" (here is a typical example) who don't do a bit of their own research on the matter, but just rely on pamphlets written by other idiots to gain vital information on this "pact." However, an actual Christian Haitian Minister had this to say back in 2005 about the "sacrifice to Satan story:"
I was born and raised in Haiti, and I am a graduate of the State University in Port-au-Prince. I am also a believer in the Lord Jesus-Christ in accordance with the Bible. In all of my studies of Haitian history, however, I have yet to find a good evidence of even the idea of Satan’s assistance in the Independence War, let alone a satanic pact.
I would not be surprised if the satanic pact idea (followed by the divine curse message) was put together first by foreign missionaries and later on picked up by local leaders. On the other hand, it is equally possible that some Haitian church leaders developed the idea on their own using a theological framework borrowed from those same missionaries who subsequently propagated the message around the world. Either way, because of this message, Haiti has been portrayed as the country born out of Satan’s benevolence and goodwill toward mankind.
Obviously, this fellow is in league with Satan to obliterate the "truth."
What typical Evangelicals don't get is that "Voodoo" (more correctly "voudou") is a syncretic religion incorporating traditional African animism with Catholic beliefs. Voudou practitioners do not "worship Satan" anymore than the typical Catholic does. They do invoke the Loa, the spirits of various African beliefs that have been identified with various Catholic saints. This is a very typical kind of syncretic religion found in Latin American nations where African slaves were brought and mixed with white Catholics.
While there was very likely a ritual of some sort that preceded the revolution in Haiti, it has been given the usual deviant amplification that something disliked is given by its critics. If you want to read a very good, actual historical account, of the night in question and what went on, with eyewitness testimony, Google Books has Haitian Revolution Studies online. Click the link, scroll down a bit, and then click again on Chapter 6: The Bois Caiman Ritual.
This book was written by history professor David Patrick Geggus, someone who actually studied the history of Haiti. The important part is that while a ritual certainly did occur, the actual day it occurred is not clear, nor is exactly what happened known either. Based on the eyewitness accounts written later, it seemed to be a ritual of sacred legitimation for the slave leader Dutty Boukman. That is, the ritual, done by Boukman as a houngan, or voudou priest, with the assistance of a second priestess, made him the legitimate political leader in the eyes of the people.
In the chapter there is no mention of "Satan" or any dark god at all. However, close minded Christian evangelicals and other religious bigots rarely bother to learn about anything that's not Judeo-Christian, so obviously a Voudou ritual has to have something to do with Satan. More likely, the ritual slaughter of a wild pig, and the drinking of its blood, would have been seen as symbolic of the freedom of the people of Haiti binding itself into the revolutionary group, and into Boukman in particular as the rebel leader.
Anyway, even supposing that Satan was invoked and the island was "given over" to him, Satan ain't much of a player. As this rather funny site says (h/t Lex), had Satan made some kind of deal with Haiti, one would expect lots of material wealth and sensual pleasures to keep the people focused on the carnal side of life. This would make sure to get them to hell after death. After the revolution, Haiti was beset with one authoritarian leader after the other, secret police, political murders, incredibly high amounts of poverty, and a standard of living that makes many people in the Middle East look like they are living the high life.
If that's the best the Prince of Darkness can do, the Haitian revolutionary leaders were played. Taken over a barrel I say!
Of course, since there was no "giving over of the island to Satan," regardless of what occurred that night, all of these arguments are demonstrably false. It's sad that normal, everyday Christian folks end up getting lumped in with windbags like Robertson and his ilk, who claim to "speak for God" but continually show a meme of hatred, fear and bigotry.
If that's the "god" they represent, is it any wonder more and more of the world is rejecting this deity? I don't think the Divine does anything so stupid, though, like tossing earthquakes around. Even Robertson's own Sacred Scripture rejects the idea that God punishes people for the sins of the past:
Jeremiah 31:29-30 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity.
Ezekiel18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
But let's not let reason and proper exegesis get in the way of a good harangue, shall we? The Religious Right is always rather fearful of people with high education, and it's no wonder why: once we start actually looking into things, the simplistic, Manichee like arguments of good/bad, Us/Them fall apart. Thankfully.
Want to help Haitians?
Red Cross Donation Page for Haiti
Buy something off CafePress and help Haiti!
-V