Comments on: God Is French

By: Lori Stee

Lori Stee — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:39:14 +0000

Irigary, Cixous and Kristeva…a divine trinity of sorts.

By: Glenn W. Smith

Glenn W. Smith — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:47:03 +0000

So, it wasn’t Zola, it was God who first said, “J’accuse!” — to Eve and Adam, I s’pose.

By: Doran

Doran — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:19:41 +0000

I’ve received an email from Andy Borowitz at The Borowitz Report, in which he reports that Robertson has apologized. Apparently, Robertson misunderstood the radio report about the quake, and thought it had struck Hades, which does, of course, have a pact with the Devil. Robertson apologized for his goof, and said he hoped people would not think he was in insensitive asshole.

By: Rita Brock

Rita Brock — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:26:08 +0000

Reba,
Thanks for such a thoughtful response. Robertson tried to soften his comment with the caveat that we should help Haiti in hopes of something good, but his demonizing of an anti-slavery revolt was especially offensive to me, not to mention a theology that makes God closer to the devil (metaphorically speaking) than any idea worthy of worship. Obama’s no great theologian either–very bad choice of words–but I credit him with a quick response and an attempt to say something compassionate. He could use a better theologian on his speech writing team, though…

By: Mary O'Grady

Mary O'Grady — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:44:38 +0000

I am an atheist, but I must admit that the excellence of Epoisses cheese is a fair argument for the existence of a benevolent deity, who of course would then have to be French.

By: Reba

Reba — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:06:29 +0000

Great piece, Rita, and I love the last two paragraphs best. I don’t know if I actually agree with you that Robertson is so terrible when he says ‘maybe something good will come out of this’, meaning better housing when rebuilt with the help that catastrophe often engenders from richer nations. I do think he’s crazy as a bessie bug for saying that years ago Haiti sold its soul to the Devil in return for help with getting out from under the French, and that soul sale was somehow responsible for the crushing poverty the nation has labored under since then. No, Pat, it was just really bad dudes! Not the Devil with a capital D!

I was stunned yesterday, though, when I heard Obama say “For a country and a people who are no strangers to hardship and suffering, this tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible,” as though if tragedy struck people who hadn’t had it so bad already it WOULD be comprehensible and not as cruel. An echo of your comment that “a problematic version of this kind of thinking is the idea that tragedies happen for a reason”. Folks, everything does not happen for a reason. There are chaos, free will, and the impact of butterfly wings at work all the time!

Your thoughts on God and grace mirror mine, and I’ve always felt that God doesn’t do things TO people, God is what helps you deal with the things that happen to you, as God will be there to help those left in Haiti to deal with their suffering and to prick those of us with pocketbooks to help with the money part. Thanks again for a great piece.