But as I dug into it for myself in order to make sure I was getting the straight story, I found out that Robertson was being railroaded.
Here are Robertson's actual comments followed by a transcript:
And you know, Christy, 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, uh, you know, Napoleon the third and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the devil, they said, we will serve you, if you get us free from the French, true story. And so the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' And they kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free, and ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. . . the Island of Hispaniola is one island cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is, is, prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty, same Islands, uh, 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.
A careful reader, which leaves out those with an agenda and the mainstream press, but I repeat myself, will notice something important; not once did Robertson mention the wrath of God. He didn't even come close to it, nor did he even imply that the earthquake was a judgment on the people of Haiti. You can read it or listen as many times as you would like, and you won't find it because it isn't there.
What is there is another clear example of people who know nothing about Christianity, or who are actively biased against it, trying to write about it, and getting it wrong.
Rev Robertson said nothing about the wrath of God, or a curse from God; instead, he noted that Haiti has been a nation that has suffered affliction after affliction throughout modern history, and he linked it to a "deal with the devil." He went on to say that what Haiti needed was more of God, not less. The only legitimate implication you can take from these remarks is that the people of Haiti are suffering from the wrath of Satan, not God.
This is not an unprecedented in the Bible. Revelation 9:3-5
3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.
The locusts are allowed to torment everyone except those who are sealed to God as recorded in Revelation 7:3
If you subscribe to a premillenial eschatology, the Church has already been raptured, and the servants of God who got His seal are the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel. The only people left on earth at this point are those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and they are the ones singled out for torment by the agents of Satan.
Not God.
Satan.
Robertson is saying the same thing about Haiti. They aren't suffering from the wrath of God, but the torments of Satan, which is why he and his organization are rushing to help the survivors with food, water, and medical supplies. He wants to show them that God's love can protect them from Satan's torments.
Robertson is being attacked for something he didn't say, or even imply. The reason for that attack is an exercise I'll leave for the student.