So, you want to help? Great. Here’s a list of charities. However if you feel the need to sound anything like Pat Robertson I’m going to need you to go sit down somewhere and be silent. The last thing anyone needs after a crisis is the bigots swooping in with lies to bolster their racism. And after all the things that have been done to Haiti over the years in the name of U.S. Foreign Policy the last thing they need is white American missionaries handing out condemnation and vilification in the guise of help. Aside from the major logical flaws in these arguments; what makes anyone think offering a helping hand in a crisis is dependent on approving of someone’s religious or social status? Oh wait, if you think that way then you’re a bigoted asshole. Stroking your ego by paying lip service to the idea of assisting victims while bashing them for some imagined sin isn’t true charity or particularly Christ-like. If you’re going to claim to be a Christian you might want to act like one.
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On Haiti, Helping and Hurting
If Satan is on the side of rebellious slaves, I guess that makes me a Satanist. Pat Robertson can go Cheney himself.
Jeff, seriously, on which side would you expect to find Satan? And would you be really surprised to find God is still keeping a grudge and punishing Haitians who had nothing to do with the revolution? As religious ravings go, this one is rather logical and even agrees with most observable facts.
One thing I have to say about Pat Robertson – the fact that he is above ground and freely walking around proves that when it comes to free speech, the US is way ahead of both counties I call home (France and the United Kingdom). But we are way ahead on free listening :-)
The heritage movement’s view is even more frightening; http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/003195.html
What the hell?! I study politics for a living and so read all kinds of people saying stupid and callous things, but every once in a while, right when I think I’ve become numb to the horrible things humans can say to rationalise evil, something like this comes along. Fuck you, Pat, and I’m glad I don’t believe in your god – he sounds like a complete asshole.
Political awareness and action in this kind of a situation is appropriate to the extent that you make sure that donated money, materials and labor actually get to the people in need and don’t end up enriching someone instead. That’s one reason why I’ve offered a link to the Episcopal Church’s people who have been on the ground for some time in Haiti and work directly with the people there. The Episcopal Church Relief and Development Fund will get all the money you give them right to work with very little overhead. In fact, during mass yesterday afternoon we ended up offering prayers for a couple of people that we know have been working over there and that no one has heard from since the earthquake.
But to withhold aid until the Haitian government restructures/reforms itself or to use this as an opportunity to remove that government is not appropriate and can fairly be described as un-Christian. So is claiming that one knows the mind of God and sees that a natural disaster is God’s retribution. I haven’t read Pat Robertson’s remarks – I don’t commonly pay attention to him – but if that’s what he’s claiming he’s out of line.