Did the Haitians make a pact with the devil? Did that cause the earthquake?

Answer:

Pat Robertson's statements can be described, at the very best, as being made in poor taste. Closer to reality, he makes claims of knowing what goes on in the spiritual realm that is without foundation. It is just further proof that he is a false teacher.

Many people have trouble with the idea of cause and effect. When something major happens, they jump at the idea that whatever happened shortly before must have been the cause. But in Robertson's case, he pulls an event that happened over 200 years ago and says that was the cause. Really? Upon what evidence? And where is the explanation of why now and not last year or a hundred years ago, or two hundred years ago?

The claim that Haitian leaders made a pact with the devil prior to their revolution that began August 22, 1791, is not verifiable. It is a popular claim in some circles, but I can't find any reliable historical reference to it. All I can find is that some of the Haitian leaders practiced voodoo and that they made offerings to their false gods prior to embarking on their revolt.

"According to UCLA history and anthropology professor Andrew Apter, who spoke to Salon, this idea of a satanic pact comes from a misunderstanding of the voodoo ritual that’s the legendary start of the Haitian Revolution: a sacrifice of a pig to voodoo spirits." [How Stuff Works]

There is a false assumption that their idol worship gave them success. Christians understand that idols, voodoo, and witchcraft are all fakery. "We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one" (I Corinthians 8:4). The Haitians won the conflict because God allowed them to do so. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1). Why it was allowed is a question that can't be answered. God uses governments to accomplish His ends. There are times He uses a wicked power to punish the wicked or to test the righteous. There are times He uses a righteous power to punish the wicked. Without an explanation from God, we are only left to guess.

In regards to the earthquake, we must keep in mind that earthquakes and other natural disasters are always happening. "And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places" (Matthew 24:7). Jesus pointed this out to say that such natural disasters were not signs of his coming judgment on Jerusalem. The same can be said today. There are times that God used disasters, such as earthquakes, for a particular purpose, but every earthquake is not caused directly by God for a particular purpose.

If the earthquake in Haiti was a judgment by God, then what we should expect is to see God announcing this in advance. Yet, there was no advance warning. It took everyone by surprise.

What happened was a grievous natural disaster. Instead of trying to assign a cause through guessing, we should be focused on helping people through this time of tragedy. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

By the way, your conclusions using Leviticus are off. That section of the Old Law was directed to judges to determine the type of sentence they were to give for various crimes. It isn't a statement about what God would do to those who sin in this manner; that is stated in verses, such as Revelation 21:8.