Devil Worship in Haiti

[snakespeare]

What's wrong with donating to a church charity? Or knowing that your tax money is going to the U.S. government whose powerful military is even now engaging in aid to victims of this disaster? Every penny counts. The U.S. military and large private charities are well trained in disaster relief. Small churches band together and send out relief and personnel as well. Whether religious or not, most people get together to help others in need.

I do not think there is anything wrong with it, nor did I say there was. Just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I expect others to be. You do what you have to. And I don't do what I can't.

But I am referring to MOST PEOPLE, who will do nothing. Usually they have an excuse. As far as I am concerned, this is just Pat Robertson's excuse for not helping. And I am saying, it's not that abnormal.

They probably prayed for the departed, too. It makes them feel better. I can't blame them. I have to do something to feel better, too. I have to remind myself that death is part of life, and without death, the world would be worse off.

 

[Misfit Toy]

I don't want to say anything bad about the man, but he is not representative of Christianity.

I wish that others in this thread could be as plain spoken as you.

 

[Amaris]

I do not think there is anything wrong with it, nor did I say there was. Just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I expect others to be. You do what you have to. And I don't do what I can't.

But I am referring to MOST PEOPLE, who will do nothing. Usually they have an excuse. As far as I am concerned, this is just Pat Robertson's excuse for not helping. And I am saying, it's not that abnormal.

If most people did nothing, charities would fail. Citing the U.S. alone in this case:

• Approximately 26.4% of Americans over the age of 16 volunteered through or for an organization between September 2007 and September 2008. This proportion has remained relatively constant since 2003 after a slight increase from 27.4% to 28.8% in 2003.
  (Source: Current Population Survey, September 2008)
• Charitable contributions by individuals, foundations and corporations reached $284.99 billion in 2008, a decrease of 5.6% from 2007 after adjusting for inflation.Of these charitable contributions:
• • Religious organizations received the largest share, with 34.7% of total estimated contributions.
  • Educational institutions received the second largest percentage, with 13.3% of total estimated contributions.
  • Human service organizations accounted for 8.4% of total estimated contributions in 2008, the fourth largest share.

(Source: Giving USA 2009)
​

Individuals gave $229.28 billion in 2008, an inflation-adjusted annual decrease of 6.3%.
(Source: Giving USA 2009)

http://nccs.urban.org/statistics/quickfacts.cfm

They probably prayed for the departed, too. It makes them feel better. I can't blame them. I have to do something to feel better, too. I have to remind myself that death is part of life, and without death, the world would be worse off.

As I quoted above, you can see that religious institutions did more than pray. A lot more. Death may be a part of life, but it's the last part, and I don't want the process sped up, to be quite frank here. Just because we will eventually die doesn't mean we should just accept that there's nothing we can do and move on. If that were the case, we'd still be living to 32 years of age and dying of chicken pox. No, there is always a reason to favor life, and that is why people donate, why people care. Life is the best option.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

It seems they entered into a pact with Satan to free them from the French.

Yeah, it's well known that's the only way

And George Washington was in league with Cthulhu . . . .

And the Boston Tea Party was instigated by Dagon.

Anyway, quote from my mom on this who is about as Christian as you can get:

"Are you serious? This man is evil and insane! How dare he call himself a Christian!"

Also I would love to see Glenn Beck address this, since he appeared on the 700 Club with Pat Robertson plugging his stupid X-mas Sweater book. But I'm guessing he will ignore it.

 

[Tom Riley]

What's wrong with donating to a church charity? Or knowing that your tax money is going to the U.S. government whose powerful military is even now engaging in aid to victims of this disaster? Every penny counts. The U.S. military and large private charities are well trained in disaster relief. Small churches band together and send out relief and personnel as well. Whether religious or not, most people get together to help others in need.

I do not think there is anything wrong with it, nor did I say there was. Just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I expect others to be. You do what you have to. And I don't do what I can't.

But I am referring to MOST PEOPLE, who will do nothing. Usually they have an excuse. As far as I am concerned, this is just Pat Robertson's excuse for not helping. And I am saying, it's not that abnormal.

They probably prayed for the departed, too. It makes them feel better. I can't blame them. I have to do something to feel better, too. I have to remind myself that death is part of life, and without death, the world would be worse off.

Not that I'm trying to seem like I'm arguing for him, but he did say we should help them...
"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." As a disaster relief number pops up on the screen.

starts @ 1:07; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ4dA6kZsEs

 

[RJDiogenes]

I don't actually believe anything, but I do feel it is right to help. So why do I feel that, if I'm an atheist? I don't really know. What is the source of my sympathy?

I'd like another atheist to opinionate, too, if possible.

Compassion, sympathy and empathy are real things, not supernatural in the slightest. A dog will protect his person from danger, a cat will lick his person's face when that person is sick, a gorilla will treat his pet kitten tenderly and grieve when the kitten dies. Human beings can go beyond even that because we have the power to think in the abstract. We can hear of the pain and death and suffering in Haiti and feel a measure of that pain and respond with caring and generosity even without ever having known or seen any of these people. The world is full of countless examples, large and small, of people helping each other for no other reason than we have the built-in capacity to be hurt by another's pain.

And when you say you don't believe anything, you only mean that you don't believe in the occult; I'm sure there are many things you believe in.

 

[Amaris]

I don't actually believe anything, but I do feel it is right to help. So why do I feel that, if I'm an atheist? I don't really know. What is the source of my sympathy?

I'd like another atheist to opinionate, too, if possible.

Compassion, sympathy and empathy are real things, not supernatural in the slightest. A dog will protect his person from danger, a cat will lick his person's face when that person is sick, a gorilla will treat his pet kitten tenderly and grieve when the kitten dies. Human beings can go beyond even that because we have the power to think in the abstract. We can hear of the pain and death and suffering in Haiti and feel a measure of that pain and respond with caring and generosity even without ever having known or seen any of these people. The world is full of countless examples, large and small, of people helping each other for no other reason than we have the built-in capacity to be hurt by another's pain.

And when you say you don't believe anything, you only mean that you don't believe in the occult; I'm sure there are many things you believe in.

Agreed. For myself, I find secular humanism fits the niche nicely. I don't need a god to still have that feeling of empathy and love toward people I have never met.

Oh, and you are such a sweetheart, RJ.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Thanks, J. You are, too.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Maybe you should email this to Pat and not to me? I just based my comments on his stated beliefs. It would NOT be stupid for him to say it, if, according to his beliefs, it was the case.

It's stupid to say it no matter what. Robertson's brand of Christianity is backwards, bigoted, arrogant, and spiteful, and the proper response for anyone - Christian or not - is to condemn what he said in the harshest language and without equivocation. You instead chose to be vague and wishy-washy about it and then backpedal when called on it.

The fact is, I was expecting precisely that kind of response from you when I first saw the topic, and as usual you didn't disappoint. If it's something you actually do disapprove of then I would suggest defying our expectations a bit and coming right out and saying how wrong Robertson is.

I'm not backpeddling at all. He should be allowed to say whatever he wants and I support him in that regard. Doesn't mean I agree with him. Sorry I don't march in step just to be popular.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

^ I agree, he should be able to say whatever he wants. But he should also be called out for saying something so hateful.

I guess some people here are wondering why you are being a bit coy about this. You don't seem to want to come out against what he said. And that is certainly your right. But that kind of makes me wonder if you agree with him.

I don't intend that as an attack, I'm just curious.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

^ I agree, he should be able to say whatever he wants. But he should also be called out for saying something so hateful.

I guess some people here are wondering why you are being a bit coy about this. You don't seem to want to come out against what he said. And that is certainly your right. But that kind of makes me wonder if you agree with him.

I don't intend that as an attack, I'm just curious.

I do not agree with him. I do understand his viewpoint however. And I also think he's not intending it to be hateful either.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5nraknWoes&feature=youtube_gdata[/yt]

Pat Robertson has let all of us know that the people of Haiti are to blame for the horrible earthquake that just hit them. It seems they entered into a pact with Satan to free them from the French.

So yeah according to Pat they had to coming to them.

Thanks a lot Pat!

Pat Roberson cas kiss my Scottish/Irish/Welsh/Christian ASS!!
The Hypocrite
Hey he's so rich from scamming people he should shut his yap and help those people.

To my ability, words can not describe coherently this man.

I have one, "douchebag". Well its a start anyway.

yeah thats a start!
But wouldn't that be "Rev." Douchebag?

It wouldn't be the first stupid thing he said.
The 10 Stupidest Things Pat Robertson Ever Said

 

[the Dagman]

Someone ought to send ol' Pat a copy of the Amazing Spider-Man story One More Day. The story where Spider-Man makes a deal with Marvel's "devil" Mephisto. I'd love to see his response.

 

[Trekker4747]

However, it's not for me to decide who to hold eternally responsible for anything. I'm just saying that, in his view, I can see why he might say what he said.

It is for you to decide the type of God you choose to worship and the religious leaders you choose to admire or follow, and the fact that you'd have no problem whatsoever with worshiping a God who kills tens of thousands of people for the sins of their ancestors so long as there was documentation of a pact with Satan in 1803 (because then it's okay), speaks volumes about you.

What exactly do the Haitian people need to do to get off of God's naughty list, because they're already more than 80% Christian now and were predominately Christian even in 1803, which makes you wonder why they signed that pact with Satan anyway.

Why does Pat Robertson get to decide who is eternally responsible, by the way? Does he think he's God, or did God personally send him a memo about the Haitian situation and told Robertson to speak on his behalf?

Didn't God promise not to pull this kind of shit anymore, anyway?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

While I do not believe the same as you do (I do think we are created separate individuals), I definitely think that the way we treat each other is critical to our spiritual well-being, in addition to our relationship with God.

I don't actually believe anything, but I do feel it is right to help. So why do I feel that, if I'm an atheist? I don't really know. What is the source of my sympathy?

I'd like another atheist to opinionate, too, if possible.

I would say, personally, it's because you're designed that way, as I am, with a conscience that makes it clear what's right.

And for Pat Robertson, all I can say is, he's normal.

I hope you mean ABnormal--because that man is a total freak. And I will not hesitate to say it.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Someone ought to send ol' Pat a copy of the Amazing Spider-Man story One More Day. The story where Spider-Man makes a deal with Marvel's "devil" Mephisto. I'd love to see his response.

That's why Spider-man 4 fell apart.

Also I want to make a deal with the devil. There are some shows I want to save and online petitions aren't working. The devil might be able to talk some sense into the execs of certain networks.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Gotta point out to Mr. Robertson... pacts with the Devil usually have a better benefit. Hasn't he heard the legend of the Devil's Trill or read the story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster?"

 

[Nerroth]

Who does Robertson think they need to turn to, since the population of Haiti is overwhelmingly Christian already?

To his brand of evangelism, of course.

The vast majority of Christians in Haiti are Roman Catholics (around 80 percent) and from his point of view, that simply wouldn't do...



*sighs*

 

[Colonel Green]

^ I agree, he should be able to say whatever he wants. But he should also be called out for saying something so hateful.

I guess some people here are wondering why you are being a bit coy about this. You don't seem to want to come out against what he said. And that is certainly your right. But that kind of makes me wonder if you agree with him.

I don't intend that as an attack, I'm just curious.

I do not agree with him. I do understand his viewpoint however. And I also think he's not intending it to be hateful either.

Then I'm sure you'd have no objection to me crediting 9/11 to a pact signed between Satan and the founding fathers to gain independence from the British.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Pat Robertson is a loon, I recognize this. But I think I will still continue to watch The 700 Club (sorry to disappoint y'all ). His son's a better host than he is anyway. And Gordon's not a loon.