Was Katrina's wrath message from God?

[kweerwolf]

The region hit by the hurricane also includes Biloxi, Miss., and its gambling casinos, but the sinful nature of New Orleans has captured the most publicity, and condemnation, since the storm.

The evoking of God's name is common after an overwhelming tragedy, said Stephen O'Leary, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California Los Angeles.

"There is a natural tendency when something like this happens to say it is part of God's plan," he said from Los Angeles. "There is nothing unusual about looking for a biblical meaning. Many people believe that God ordains. Many also are looking for end time." O'Leary has written extensively on the media and apocalyptic theories.

Yet, despite the predictability of people's reactions, New Orleans still seems to be a special case, viewed by many as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah deserving of God's wrath because of the wide perception of debauchery of every sort.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050918/LIFE/509180314/1005

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but it still amazes me that any reasonably sane person would believe that a natural disaster is "punishment" from God.

[Bob3]

1. The storm also hit Mississippi what the hell does that mean

I mean come on - lunatics these people are.

[Lost-in-FL]

2. Yup... RW'er looking for someone to blame...

It is easiers to blame God to blame ourselves for global warming... It is always someonelses fault. How it is not Clintons' this time?

[Crunchy Frog]

3. I stand by the theory

that it was caused by God's wrath concerning the shrimping industry. God makes it crystal clear in Leviticus what His attitude is to that sort of depravity.

[jwirr]

8. Great sarcasm/ In the type of religion they are subscribing to

they take their cues from the old testament and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ mean absolutely nothing. Where does God's love and forgiveness fit into their religion?

[malaise]

4. You are correct but I'm now having fun

with their twisted thought process. Maybe their vengeful god is sending the wicked neocons message after message. Word is that Rita is on her way. Now if she makes it to Texas, I'll let them know that it's punishment for the evil that is BushCo.

[ret5hd]

5. but what about the 80+ baptist churches that were destroyed...

either THEIR god's aim isn't very good, or he's so old he's goin' kinda' blind. I think he might also be a little harda' hearin', cause certainly them people was prayin'.

either way, i ain't afraid of 'im.

[kweerwolf]

7. Maybe God needs a better calendar

From the original article:


Thousands of people had planned to march through the raucous streets of New Orleans in late August to celebrate their perception of the gay lifestyle and culture.

The event was Southern Decadence.

Southern Decadence is a big gay celebration that occurs over the Labor Day weekend. If God was aiming for it, He was off by a week.

Hmmmm ... kind of makes he wonder about the whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing. Maybe God's aim was a little off than and he was actually aiming for a nearby town where the population claimed to be pious, but were actually hypocrites who presumed that they alone knew God's mind and intentions.

[marbuc]

6. Yes it is

"stop fucking with the earth I created! Stop destroying the wetlands that provide a buffer for man and nature. Stop raising the water level by melting glacial ice caps, and please, please, please stop destroying nature's capacity to clean up your messes!"

[Bill McBlueState]

10. yeah?

That's a pretty sick deity that would kill off x,000 people to make a point about environmentalism!

[marbuc]

11. No quite as sick as one that would kill off thousands to prove a point

about homosexuality and general decadence. I don't believe God created the hurricane to make any sort of point, but it does illuminate these environmental deficiencies, no? And if God were trying to make a point, wouldn't he/she/it be more concerned about environmental destruction than lifestyles people choose to live with their own free will?

[daninthemoon]

9. Absolutely not. The thing these fundamentalist neocons always

skip past is Lot's conversation with God. He asks if God will spare the town if even a few righteous people are still found there. Guess what, God agrees. Sooo...even IF homosexuality and what not are grounds for destroying a place, as long as there are still some OK folks living there, God will not destroy it. Further, ours is a God of love and forgiveness, not vindictive destruction. Building below sea level in ahurricane zone coupled with years of environmental degradation and federal neglect of the levees, and the complete ineptness and cronyism of this administration are what destroyed NO.
This was largely a man-made disaster with a little kick from a natural event.

[demigoddess]

12. yeah, the message is "weather happens, evolve"

what more do you need?

[FM Arouet666]

13. Hurricane just hit Las Vegas and Amsterdam

God is at it again. Don't look at the tragedy, however, my friend just caught the story on CNN and was turned into a pillar of salt.

The belief god is the only punishment god has bestowed upon humankind.

[volki]

14. No

I don't believe it.

[MemphisTiger]

15. Yet the French Quarter was mostly spared

where the sinful mardi gras celebration takes place. Ask a fundie that one.