I’ve been waiting for some fundamentalist Christian group to claim that God took down New Orleans in punishment for the city’s “sins.”
How many of the religious right did Repent America speak for today when they claimed just that?
"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "From ‘Girls Gone Wild’ to ‘Southern Decadence’, New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. May it never be the same," he continued.
New Orleans is also known for its Mardi Gras parties where thousands of drunken men revel in the streets to exchange plastic jewelry for drunken women to expose their breasts. This annual event sparked the creation of the "Girls Gone Wild" video series.
"Let us pray for and help those ravaged by this disaster. However, we must not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.
The Rev. Martin Reynolds had a good response:
Rev. Martin Reynolds from the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) told Ekklesia, “This is an awful, evil way of interpreting God’s love, it is cruel, criminal and contrary to everything I understand of scripture and the love of God.
“Normally I wouldn’t give them a second thought, but I am concerned for Christians who take this seriously. I wonder if they’ve grasped the basic message of our faith.”
“I hope that those in the area will not judge Christians upon what these people say.”
Most Christians – evangelical and mainline (not to mention Catholic and orthodox) will simply reject Repent America out of hand. They’re a sick bunch. But statements like this must be condemned because believe it or not there are people who will believe them.
You can show your distaste for Repent America by supporting the relief effort.
