A hell of a lot of people have taken Pat Robertson to task for his cruel remarks concerning the earthquake in Haiti. Here are some thoughts of Charleston’s leading atheist, Herb Silverman, as they appeared in his most recent Washington Post online column. It’s one of my favorite reads. You should put it on your list, as well.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/herb_silverman/2010/01/natural_not_supernatural_disasters.html
I’m not particularly concerned about flat earthers and Holocaust deniers in this country, because they have no influence. I can’t even name one, and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Pat Robertson, a household name to Americans. Even worse, he is influential and respected by millions. According to the book of Robertson, the reason for every disaster is sin, and the solution usually involves sending him money.
While Haitians may not blame past sins for the earthquake, many have a worldview similar to Robertson’s. Numerous Haitians gave thanks to God for keeping them alive. They, like Robertson, believed that what happened was the will of God.
Here’s an alternative view. The “fault” lies under the Atlantic Ocean, not in the sins of Haitians. The earth’s tectonic plates are neither good nor evil. The more we learn about their shifting, the better we will be able to predict future earthquakes.
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