- Jun 6, 2007
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Pat Robertson's comments on Haiti that the catastrophic earthquake and after shocks Haiti experienced this week is retribution from God for Haiti making a pact with the devil to gain freedom from France's colonization of Haiti have set off a public firestorm. People in the media have called Mr. Robertson crazy and senile over this, it is probably fairer to say that he is one of these people that is so into religion that they lose perspective on religion ,they take the bible to literal, they view God as this fire and brimstone God. However, to people of religious faith like myself Mr. Robertson touched on a relevant topic with his comments, before I elaborate I would like to offer some insights on Mr. Robertson's comments.
First, God doesn't go around causing natural catastrophes it would be contrary to his nature to do that. What humanity knows about God is that God is all knowing, all powerful and all good (or perfectly virtuous). Someone who is perfectly virtuous doesn't go cause an earthquake that kills thousands of innocent children which this earthquake has done it would be an unjust act to do such a thing these children did no wrong deserving the penalty of death so it is impossible for God to have caused this earthquake because of Gods nature or character.
However, what would be a true statement is to say is that God allowed this natural catastrophe to occur even though he is an all powerful God and thus had the power to stop it. To delve a little deeper into this point one would say that it is the nature of this life that God doesn't ordinarily intervene in natural occurrence, like earthquakes, droughts, hurricanes, floods, etc. to stop these occurrences from occurring and thus the human harm from occurring.
To many people of faith, including myself, a further elaboration of the truth would say that even though God ordinarily doesn't interfere with natural occurrences he can if the faith of the people of a country or a community warrant it. History holds countless personal experiences where people or groups of people through a faith belief, that is can't be scientifically proven, believe that God intervened in nature because of prayer or the virtue of the people involved to stop a drought or to stop rainfall created flooding, etc..
I dont know if the Haitian people were a more prayerful people or a more virtuous people God would have blocked or reduced the intensity of the earthquake that occurred there this week. No human can know what is in the mind of God on such an issue. But I do think there is value in evaluating the virtue or lack of virtue of the Haitian people from the standpoint of how it could potentially affect the blessings from God on the nation of Haiti. And I am not picking on Haiti with this analysis I think there is value in evaluating my own countrys (U.S.) lack of virtue in considering how it might impact blessings from God on America. I think a just and Godly person should conclude that Americas use of twenty percent of the worlds daily oil supply when America has only five percent of the worlds population for decades hasnt been too pleasing to God and could be a cause of a lack of grace coming into Americas energy and related economic problems over the years.
What I am going to say about the lack of virtue of the Haitian people is probably going to sound like its out of left field but there is no animosity or negative beliefs toward the Haitian people in this assessment I would say this about any nations people where the facts existed as they exists with Haiti. I think it is a serious lack of virtue, a serious moral wrong amongst the Haitian people to have the high population growth rate they do in the country of Haiti, the 2009 estimate is a 1.838 % growth rate, and a related statistic is that the average Haitian woman will have 3.81 children over her lifetime (the fertility rate). The country of Haitis economy cant support the current population level what the hell are these people doing increasing the population level. It is a serious moral wrong here when a country cant produce good jobs for their population families should not intentionally be having more than two children mothers and fathers should only be having the number of children equivalent to replace them in the population pool, that is two children families. It is a grave moral wrong because not only are families bringing into the world children generally speaking that are not going to be able to get jobs to earn enough money to have a good quality of life buy food, housing, health care, education, etc. but from a society perspective their taking actions that collectively likely will hurt society over burdening the housing, water, sewage, education, hospital, etc. infrastructure and increase crime, cause political instability, etc..
I not only think the Haitian people have to improve their character in this area but I think the world has to improve its character in this area. The world has all these Christian groups that say funding birth control programs and funding first trimester abortion program (when the fetus doesnt have brain waves so it isnt yet a human being) in developing world countries is wrong. These groups say nonsensical things like one cannot create these programs because they interfere with Gods plan to bring new human life into the world. These peoples view of God is extremely depraved. For one life isnt just not starving to death/ having a heart beat, a truly good persons definition of life is a human existence that offers a good quality of life and if one cant offer a human being such an existence one shouldnt be bringing a human being into this world. Further, these religious and non-religious groups say societal problems are not because of population growth rates it is because of disparity of wealth in the world and unjust and inadequate laws, no doubt there is legitimate issues that lie there but from a practical standpoint these issues are not going to be completely solved and even if they were solved in an outstandingly good manner it is doubtful many countries could successfully deal with unrestrained population growth rates infrastructure is expensive and countries have limited resources and creating jobs is a difficult challenge.
Look at the fertility rates of many of the politically unstable or impoverished countries in the world; it should be a cause of great concern to people that desire peace and justice to reign in the world. Congo = 5.84 children born/women (2009 estimates), Afghanistan =6.53 children born/ women, Sudan 4.48 children born/women, Kenya = 4.56 children born/women, Yemen = 6.32 children born/women, etc.. It would be truthful to say that in these countries from a population growth rate perspective the seeds are being sown for poverty, human suffering, violence and political instability to prevail for the indefinite future. Maybe I am out in left field but I dont see a God who is all knowing, all wise and all good seeing such troubled countries having such high population growth rates and knowing the challenge in caring for such increases in populations being pleased about such growth rates and if God isnt pleased on such an important matter involving a country I cant see God eager to make such an extraordinary act as to contravene major acts of nature for such countries!
First, God doesn't go around causing natural catastrophes it would be contrary to his nature to do that. What humanity knows about God is that God is all knowing, all powerful and all good (or perfectly virtuous). Someone who is perfectly virtuous doesn't go cause an earthquake that kills thousands of innocent children which this earthquake has done it would be an unjust act to do such a thing these children did no wrong deserving the penalty of death so it is impossible for God to have caused this earthquake because of Gods nature or character.
However, what would be a true statement is to say is that God allowed this natural catastrophe to occur even though he is an all powerful God and thus had the power to stop it. To delve a little deeper into this point one would say that it is the nature of this life that God doesn't ordinarily intervene in natural occurrence, like earthquakes, droughts, hurricanes, floods, etc. to stop these occurrences from occurring and thus the human harm from occurring.
To many people of faith, including myself, a further elaboration of the truth would say that even though God ordinarily doesn't interfere with natural occurrences he can if the faith of the people of a country or a community warrant it. History holds countless personal experiences where people or groups of people through a faith belief, that is can't be scientifically proven, believe that God intervened in nature because of prayer or the virtue of the people involved to stop a drought or to stop rainfall created flooding, etc..
I dont know if the Haitian people were a more prayerful people or a more virtuous people God would have blocked or reduced the intensity of the earthquake that occurred there this week. No human can know what is in the mind of God on such an issue. But I do think there is value in evaluating the virtue or lack of virtue of the Haitian people from the standpoint of how it could potentially affect the blessings from God on the nation of Haiti. And I am not picking on Haiti with this analysis I think there is value in evaluating my own countrys (U.S.) lack of virtue in considering how it might impact blessings from God on America. I think a just and Godly person should conclude that Americas use of twenty percent of the worlds daily oil supply when America has only five percent of the worlds population for decades hasnt been too pleasing to God and could be a cause of a lack of grace coming into Americas energy and related economic problems over the years.
What I am going to say about the lack of virtue of the Haitian people is probably going to sound like its out of left field but there is no animosity or negative beliefs toward the Haitian people in this assessment I would say this about any nations people where the facts existed as they exists with Haiti. I think it is a serious lack of virtue, a serious moral wrong amongst the Haitian people to have the high population growth rate they do in the country of Haiti, the 2009 estimate is a 1.838 % growth rate, and a related statistic is that the average Haitian woman will have 3.81 children over her lifetime (the fertility rate). The country of Haitis economy cant support the current population level what the hell are these people doing increasing the population level. It is a serious moral wrong here when a country cant produce good jobs for their population families should not intentionally be having more than two children mothers and fathers should only be having the number of children equivalent to replace them in the population pool, that is two children families. It is a grave moral wrong because not only are families bringing into the world children generally speaking that are not going to be able to get jobs to earn enough money to have a good quality of life buy food, housing, health care, education, etc. but from a society perspective their taking actions that collectively likely will hurt society over burdening the housing, water, sewage, education, hospital, etc. infrastructure and increase crime, cause political instability, etc..
I not only think the Haitian people have to improve their character in this area but I think the world has to improve its character in this area. The world has all these Christian groups that say funding birth control programs and funding first trimester abortion program (when the fetus doesnt have brain waves so it isnt yet a human being) in developing world countries is wrong. These groups say nonsensical things like one cannot create these programs because they interfere with Gods plan to bring new human life into the world. These peoples view of God is extremely depraved. For one life isnt just not starving to death/ having a heart beat, a truly good persons definition of life is a human existence that offers a good quality of life and if one cant offer a human being such an existence one shouldnt be bringing a human being into this world. Further, these religious and non-religious groups say societal problems are not because of population growth rates it is because of disparity of wealth in the world and unjust and inadequate laws, no doubt there is legitimate issues that lie there but from a practical standpoint these issues are not going to be completely solved and even if they were solved in an outstandingly good manner it is doubtful many countries could successfully deal with unrestrained population growth rates infrastructure is expensive and countries have limited resources and creating jobs is a difficult challenge.
Look at the fertility rates of many of the politically unstable or impoverished countries in the world; it should be a cause of great concern to people that desire peace and justice to reign in the world. Congo = 5.84 children born/women (2009 estimates), Afghanistan =6.53 children born/ women, Sudan 4.48 children born/women, Kenya = 4.56 children born/women, Yemen = 6.32 children born/women, etc.. It would be truthful to say that in these countries from a population growth rate perspective the seeds are being sown for poverty, human suffering, violence and political instability to prevail for the indefinite future. Maybe I am out in left field but I dont see a God who is all knowing, all wise and all good seeing such troubled countries having such high population growth rates and knowing the challenge in caring for such increases in populations being pleased about such growth rates and if God isnt pleased on such an important matter involving a country I cant see God eager to make such an extraordinary act as to contravene major acts of nature for such countries!
