Lead religious right group promotes theory that God wiped out NOLA on purpose

[PUGalicious]

From Agape Press:

New Orleans Residents: God's Mercy Evident in Katrina's Wake
By Jody Brown and Allie Martin
September 2, 2005

(AgapePress) - Two Christian leaders in New Orleans are testifying to God's mercy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One suggests that the death toll could have been much higher had it not been for God's mercy -- and the other that God may have used the hurricane to purge wickedness from the city.

Chuck Kelley is president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with facilities located near the southern banks of Lake Pontchartrain and in Chalmette, east of the city. Baptist Press reports that Kelley now finds himself homeless and with only a few personal belongings following Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow to the New Orleans area. But the seminary leader says he is able to discern God's hand in the situation.

"Imagine what would have happened if [New Orleans] had taken a direct hit," he tells BP. "The levee did not break until after the storm was clear and the winds had died down and the rescue workers were able to get out." Had the levee given way during the hurricane, he says, "untold thousands of people" would have been killed.

"It's a terrible tragedy," Kelley says of the devastation in and around New Orleans, "and we still don't know the scope of it -- but the evidences of God's mercy are there. We rejoice in the fact that He has got the whole world in His hands, including the city of New Orleans and [the seminary]."

Kelley's faith, despite his personal situation, remains steadfast. He explains to Baptist Press that he is confident of God's provision. "When we get to the end of this story," he says, "the last paragraph is going to be a testimony to the greatness and glory of our God, who is able to do all things well, and able to provide every need."

Rev. Bill Shanks, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship of New Orleans, also sees God's mercy in the aftermath of Katrina -- but in a different way. Shanks says the hurricane has wiped out much of the rampant sin common to the city.

The pastor explains that for years he has warned people that unless Christians in New Orleans took a strong stand against such things as local abortion clinics, the yearly Mardi Gras celebrations, and the annual event known as "Southern Decadence" -- an annual six-day "gay pride" event scheduled to be hosted by the city this week -- God's judgment would be felt.

“New Orleans now is abortion free. New Orleans now is Mardi Gras free. New Orleans now is free of Southern Decadence and the sodomites, the witchcraft workers, false religion -- it's free of all of those things now," Shanks says. "God simply, I believe, in His mercy purged all of that stuff out of there -- and now we're going to start over again."

The New Orleans pastor is adamant. Christians, he says, need to confront sin. "It's time for us to stand up against wickedness so that God won't have to deal with that wickedness," he says.

Believers, he says, are God's "authorized representatives on the face of the Earth" and should say they "don't want unrighteous men in office," for example. In addition, he says Christians should not hesitate to voice their opinions about such things as abortion, prayer, and homosexual marriage. "We don't want a Supreme Court that is going to say it's all right to kill little boys and girls, ... it's all right to take prayer out of schools, and it's all right to legalize sodomy, opening the door for same-sex marriage and all of that.”

Shanks heeded warnings to evacuate New Orleans, and is currently staying with friends in the Jackson, Mississippi, area.

[windowphobe]

What makes them "lead" groups? There have been cranks like this since William Jennings Bryan had cavities. It's just another part of the endless freakshow that today's 24/7 news cycle demands.

[PUGalicious]

What makes them "lead" groups? There have been cranks like this since William Jennings Bryan had cavities. It's just another part of the endless freakshow that today's 24/7 news cycle demands.

Agape Press, which distributed the press release, is the propaganda arm of the American Family Association, a non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization founded in 1977 by Don Wildmon. According to their website, "the American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society." There website claims to be "America's Largest Pro-Family Action Site," with "2,165,407 members strong and growing."

AFA is one of the most vocal of all Christian activist groups, which is why many consider them one of the "lead" groups.

[windowphobe]

AFA's primary tool is the boycott. How many AFA boycotts do you know of that actually succeeded?

Cranks. (And they've padded their "membership" rolls before, so I take their claim of two million with a couple of kilograms of salt.)

[PUGalicious]

I don't disagree.

I was simply pointing out what some will ascribe to the work of God, and that in a time of death and suffering, some would use the tragedy as an opportunity to kick people while they're down, saying their suffering was at the hand of God.

In my mind, it's nothing short of heresy. That was my ultimate point.

[bandnerd]

NATURAL DISASTER, people. Natural.

Christie's Toybox made it through May 3rd. If "God" had something to do with that natural disaster, wouldn't he have taken that place out?

It's people like that (the second guy...the first one isn't too bad, at least he's optimistic) that turn me away from organized religion.

[Karried]

It's always so interesting how people interpret events - whatever works for them I guess.

I'm sure that people who lost loved ones will relish the thought that God punished their family members for sinning. That's just adding salt to a wound.

It just keeps getting worse.