Haiti does have a long history of “dealings with the Devil.” But not in the way the televangelist suggested.
Last week’s earthquake in Haiti has turned the world’s attention to this poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti was rocked to its very foundation by a 7.2 earthquake that decimated its capital city, Port-au-Prince, leaving countless thousands dead and millions more homeless, hungry, and in need of medical care. As much of the island is reeling from the recent devastation, without electricity and water, this is but the most recent disaster in a string of tragedies to hit Haiti’s shores.
Over the past several decades Haiti has suffered famine, civil war, hurricanes, and floods just to name a few of its many unfortunate trials. And now the most devastating earthquake ever recorded on the island has the world watching and praying. Many of us are also taking crash courses in Haitian history in our need to know more about this Caribbean island that has suffered hardship after hardship. We’ve watched the reports from Haiti on CNN and Fox News, listened to scholars and commentators on NPR, and tried to understand the complicated story of this star-crossed nation.
Sadly, not everyone watching the events in Haiti have come away with the normal humane sentiments of shock and grief. As we’ve all heard by now, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is more bothered by the fact that President Obama will be viewed as “humanitarian” and “compassionate” as a result of the tragedy rather than the fact that millions of human beings are in crisis.
But Limbaugh is a political rabble-rouser who thrives on drawing fire with his ridiculous (and often racially tinged) remarks. More disheartening were the comments from TV preacher and erstwhile presidential candidate Pat Robertson, who used his 700 Club platform to offer an impromptu history lesson on why Haiti may be the recipient of such catastrophic misfortune, even as he asked for donations for relief efforts. With his helpless co-host looking on (the poor woman’s face seemed to plead, “Please don’t say something crazy, Mr. Robertson!”), Robertson said this:
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.
Robertson concluded:
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.
By now, most reasonable people have rebuked Robertson for the insensitive tone and poor timing of his remarks. But what about his take on Haitian history? Looking at the events through Christian eyes, did Haiti’s historic grab for freedom truly constitute “a pact with the Devil”?
A Voodoo Legacy?
In his controversial remarks, Robertson seemed to be referencing the legendary Bois Caïman voodoo ceremony that some believe took place in 1791, though scholars now disagree as to the historicity of the event. The ceremony, led by voodoo priest and activist Dutty Boukman, supposedly inspired the Haitian revolution.
That’s one reading of the history, but unbeknown to most Westerners, Haiti’s dealings with the Devil started long before its rebellious slaves overthrew their French oppressors — and it continues to this day. The bargaining for the soul of the island began when Christopher Columbus happened upon this Caribbean paradise and its natives in 1492, supposing it was part of India. He renamed it “Hispaniola.”
In less than a century the Spanish had exterminated the indigenous population, the Taínos, and imported slaves from the continent of Africa to cultivate what would soon be called the “Jewel of the Antilles.” The French, seeking possession of this valuable piece of real estate, went to war with Spain a century later and was only able to conquer half the island. As a result, the island once known as Hispaniola is today divided, with the eastern side now called The Dominican Republic and the western side, Haiti.
A Myth That Keeps Giving
Before the fateful Haitian revolt, the island of Haiti produced half of the sugar, coffee, and indigo consumed in all of Europe. By this time, North and South America, as well as the Caribbean, were engaged in colonization and the slave trade by various European nations — Spain, France, Portugal, England, etc. It is here where we begin to witness the Devil’s doing … or undoing. After many failed attempts by the black people in Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, and the United States to free themselves from the satanic practice of the West called slavery, the Haitian slaves began a revolt in 1791 that eventually surged under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture. The Haitians finally won their independence in 1804.
The Haitian revolution became the first successful slave revolt in history, and Haiti was the second European colony, after the United States, to win its independence. However, many white Christians continue to believe the not only false but ridiculous rumor over the centuries that the Haitians secured their freedom by making a “pact with the Devil” in exchange for their freedom from French rule.
Not long after Haiti declared its independence, Napoleon Bonaparte, the then-leader of France, often hailed an “anti-Christ” by many of Robertson’s peers, failed in his attempts to regain control from the rebels and France lost the war — and, I might add, most every war after that. Why anyone would need to strike a bargain with the Devil in order to beat France in a war is beyond me. Perhaps the thought of “ignorant savages” having the ability to overthrow their white masters to secure their own freedom was too much for some European minds to grasp. Therefore, these “mere slaves” must have required the assistance of some “supernatural power.” And this “supernatural power” invoked by the Haitians naturally must have been of satanic origin because the Christian God served by France and the other European nations obviously smiled upon the slave trade and the many blessings colonial imperialism was inflicting on His other children throughout the world. He certainly couldn’t have come to the aid of slaves who cried out for centuries for God to deliver them; surely there is no biblical precedent for this.
Perhaps, by now, you’ve picked up on my sarcasm.
The Devil’s Triple Play
You don’t have to be a military strategist or have ever read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to know that you never just give up territory to the enemy. “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” said Jesus. And He was not referring to the house of France, but the House of Satan itself. If the Bible be true, and I believe it is, why would Napoleon, a supposed “anti-Christ,” release one of his greatest trophies in Haiti? Especially since he had a “two-for-one special”: 1) One of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean at the time, supplying massive amounts of cash crops to the rest of Europe in the name of “Mammon,” while 2) extracting it at the expense of untold human suffering and carnage in the form of “slavery.”
It is apparent to anyone who knows the history of Haiti that the real dealings with the Devil have been three-fold: First, its initial contact with European colonization and the satanic institution of slavery; second, the nearly century’s long embargo that the West imposed on the island as retribution for liberating itself; and third, the economic exploitation perpetrated against Haiti by those very same Western players in modern times, as well as the poverty prostitution the nation has been forced to perform for the Devil’s spawn — the Bretton Woods system and its minions.
The fact that the Haitians themselves have had a hand in their own suffering is well publicized, sampled, looped, and mixed. But it takes two to tango. I’ll address the second and third aspects of Haiti’s “Dealings with the Devil” more fully in a future article. Until then, Pat Robertson, like the rest of us who profess to be believers in Jesus, should engage in “religion that is pleasing to God.” That means guarding our tongues against saying cruel things; it means coming to the aid of the widowed and orphaned in their distress; and it means keeping oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:26-27).”
Haiti needs our help and prayers at this time, and in doing so we should heed what God has shown us to be good: “to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with Him (Micah 6:8).
Thank you so much for this article. Your presentation at the end of the section “A Myth That Keeps Giving” represents my sentiments precisely. God conspires with the white man to enslave, but the devil conspires with the Black man to liberate himself? Absurd!
The commentary surrounding this catastrophe has also demonstrated how important it is to know more about the history of all the countries in the African Diaspora. I have a new appreciation for Haitian history. It is clear now more than ever, that we do ourselves a disservice when we limit our understanding of history (generally) and Black History (specifically) to what we have endured in America.
I am very grateful for your post. Very well done, and I can’t wait for the continuation. I was going to post on the subject, but now feel I don’t have to, but I will certainly refer people to this one!
Brava! As a writer myself, I normally am not at a loss for words, but your articles is so brilliantly written that I have little left to say…except THANK YOU!
“Act justly” indeed. Pat Robertson’s work will outlive him. Operation Blessing is now the world’s seventh largest aid organization, and it established an office in Haiti a year before the earthquake. In addition to their current aid to Haiti, OB built villages of homes in China for those left homeless by the earthquake, and was the first into Burma to provide help to the population their junta is trying to ethnically cleanse.
I applaud your declaration of slavery as the work of the devil—it is indeed. And thank you for correctly quoting Dr Robertson. However, the tone of your article implied what he never said. The 2010 earthquake was not God’s retribution. Dr Robertson recounted a list of unfortunate trials which Haiti has experienced (those are facts), and concluded with the “unimaginable” current suffering, and his desire to help Haiti, not curse it.
I am sure “most reasonable people” will forgive him for not taking an additional 20 minutes to discuss the entire history of slavery in the Western Hemisphere. Christians should not be attacking other Christians for what they do not say, but that’s exactly what you’ve done. You’ve jumped on the bandwagon with the world which eagerly looks for opportunities to attack the Body of Christ, and used that platform to present your thesis. Fine thesis, lousy use of an elderly gentleman’s unjustified newsworthiness to raise your visibility.
There def is a lack of compassion from some media personalities and many people have felt it was wrong. Honestly though, I had a hard time understanding some statements. Slavery built the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China and provided the Mayans and other civilization with their human sacrifices before the Europe had any of its modern languages or governments. Why say “the satanic practice of the West called slavery.” Why is it of the west? Or, “but unbeknown to most Westerners Haiti’s dealings with the Devil started…when Christopher Columbus happened upon this Caribbean paradise and its natives in 1492.” I think most of us reading know that slavery in Haiti began with Columbus.
I was sure what was meant by the question mark on the section was called ‘A Voodoo Legacy?” Vodu as a religion is specific to Haiti, a tangent of central Afrikan animism. They pray to the Lwa, who control the fates of men and women. Doesn’t it seem natural that they would pray and conduct religious meeting in search of ancestral aid for victory? The slave-trade brought to Haiti was evil, but they still are a mostly vodu/syncretism people. (Now, to say THAT is what brought on all the misery for over a hundred years, I can’t say that, nor really believe it. I attribute it mostly to something no one is really mentioning: The slavery AFTER the French left that kept Haiti poor. )
No one has mentioned how after all European people were taken off the island OR killed, the Haitian elite established a government and economy on indentured servants tied to a plot of land-the closest thing to slavery they could. Fellow Haitians enslaved Haitians. This is not The Lords’s ways. It kept Haiti from rising and being the new society its people fought for. Imperial greed robbed its resources but civil greed hoarded the resources. Sin and injustice kept the nation intentionally poor and illiterate, at least in French – the language of the elite, the language along the road to political power.
Lastly, the woman on the video is not helpless or disagreeing, but saying ‘absolutely’ and nodding at the camera to reinforce what Pat is saying.
Unfortunately, in times like these people often choose sides. In Haiti’s case, people choose whether or not they deserve sympathy and how much. My question is why do we as humans seek attention in the form of some opnionated platform when tragedies strike? In times like these, as Christians, the only discussion that is really important is how to pray, and how to deliver resources. Otherwise, we just end up serving as distractions, working in opposition to the very cause we claim to advocate. This is clearly evident in how the news has turned away from the need of individuals to the commentary of bickering “Christians” – Let us not be so selfish.
To clarify on the statement above:
I found this article to be enlightening which is rare in Christian debate because it was based on historical truths rather than opinions and egos. I thought it was very well executed.
My comments were aimed towards individuals that have global platforms in which they’d rather use to promote an agenda than cause change and the love of Jesus. The bottom line is that prayer changes things…Whatever thing that is to blame, no matter how tender the subject
We are one body of Christ and we must build each other up…even when we fail and as Lakita said, “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly’ with Him.” and this applies to both the justly accused and the unjustly accused
Amen to this article.
But I also have another question. Hopefully it wont distract us from praying for and assisting Haiti.
Is it me or did Haiti receive a much faster response to its disaster from the U.S. than Hurrican Katrina received?
Just thinkin…
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2, KJV)
A man who cannot see is surrounded by men who know a man who has the power to give sight, and the disciples want to have a “philosophical” conversation? Makes no sense to me… The disciples are in danger themselves… running for their lives in fact, but chose to play the blame game instead of taking action and making a difference? Wow.
2000 years later, it is interesting to see that people haven’t changed much. Though we are supposed to be like Jesus, it seems we are more like the disciples. Despite having access to the Holy Bible, too many people are still more reliant on their western education to guide them than Jesus’ teachings.
Many of the comments defending Robertson are ill-timed, irrelevant, and ignorant. Though I am not surprised by the insensitivity in the thoughtless comments expressed by too many Christians both Black and white, I am saddened by the number of people who accept such outrageous notions without criticism. Further, I am confused as to how a “reasonable” supporter of Robertson’s (questionably funded) “humanitarian” efforts is so quick to forgive his “not taking 20 min…” which, by the way, implied a connection between the catastrophic events and the judgment of God; but accuse the writer of this article of attacking Christians? Beyond that, I am floored by the (inaccurate) history of slavery and its usefulness all over the world. It is crystal clear that a person who takes time to express such thoughts has no idea how the pyramids in Ancient Egypt were built or that the American version slavery was the most evil, inhumane, and cruel forms of slavery ever instituted.
I would really like to believe that people mean well. But in times like these, whether intentional or unintentional, people show their true colors and it becomes evident that they don’t mean well at all.
Robertson and his supporters are praying for Haiti, but I would urge them to pray for America. I say this because if he and his supporters really believe they are right (that God is punishing Haiti for serving other gods), then it’s only a matter of time before the idolatrous lifestyle that Americans lead will turn God’s wrath toward America and cause a catastrophe of unthinkable proportions.
While “a house divided against itself can not stand” is true, satan has no more control over human free will than God does. Just as not all Christians do as God desires, not all non-Christians do as satan desires.
Muslims, Bhuddists, and Hindus all war with one another. Does this make Jesus a liar? No. It means that while satan may not work against his own demons, that level of control doesn’t extend to humans.
Even if (and I say IF) all the rumors about Napolean being an anti-christ and Haiti’s pact with the devil were true, that would not preclude them from going to war. If two sides both want to make a deal with the father of lies, you’d better believe he’ll make the same deal with both. And he still won’t be dividing his house. He’ll just betray one side or the other, and probably both. If (and again I say IF) that were true, one could make a good argument that satan DID betray both sides.
Satan may not want his house divided, but he can’t stop us from dividing it for him any more than God can stop us from dividing the body of Christ as we have. God respects our free will, and satan, while he can tempt us, ultimately has no control over free will either.
That’s the answer to your question as to why satan would give up a trophy. Because, he didn’t. Struggle as he might, humans have the final say.