Stuff Happens
What kind of twisted mind blames victims of a natural disaster for their own suffering? We are all aware of the terrible tragedy taking place in the country of Haiti. The city of Port-au-Prince lies in ruins. Many have died. Others are seriously injured. All are homeless. The people are in dire need of our help. They surely do not need to be blamed for their own dire straits.
Yet Pat Robertson says they are suffering because he claims their ancestors made a pact with the devil 200 years ago to free them from French domination. He says that they have suffered for years because of this. Yes, they have suffered for years but it is not because they made a pact with the devil. They have suffered because their country has been raped by the developed countries of Europe and yes, by the United States. But, no one is to be blamed for an earthquake. Earthquakes happen because of tectonic shifts. Don't blame people. Don't blame God. Yes, and don't blame the devil.
Pat Robertson is the same one who blames terrorist attacks and floods on whatever group he is angry at in any given moment, whether they be abortionists, homosexuals, or what have you. He is not the only one, but right now he is the one in the forefront.
When are we going to begin spreading the true Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth? He preached love, not hate. He preached God's mercy, not God's vengeance. He looked to a time of fulfillment of God's Kingdom, a time when all live together in the abundance of God's grace.
It is time we stopped blaming each other for things that no person can control. Many years ago when my mother was dying of cancer, a friend of mine had the gall to tell me that she was not being healed because of my lack of belief in faith healing. I was already hurting because my beloved mother was suffering and soon to die. I didn't need to have the blame for her illness laid on my back. Neither do the people of Haiti need to bear the blame for what their ancestors may or may not have done.
How much better it would be to vent our wrath on things we can control such as the military presence of the American Empire all over the world. Let's work for peace and bringing war to an end. How much better it would be to build rather than destroy. I do congratulate President Obama for sending troops to Haiti to provide aid to those who are suffering so greatly. I hope that the response in Haiti is more effective than the response was in New Orleans.
- The Old Professor
Copyright © Jay D Weaver - January 15, 2010
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