New Orleans City Council President: "Maybe God's Going To Cleanse Us"

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | John-Henry Westen

[LifeSite News]

NEW ORLEANS, September 1, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The popular adage, "there are no atheists in the trenches" sums up the truth that in times of disaster it is natural for people to turn to God, for help and also for an explanation. The devastation wrought by hurricane Katrina has brought that reality home to the United States, particularly in the affected regions.

. . . New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas after witnessing the horrors first hand and hearing talk of Sodom and Gomorrah commented, "Maybe God's going to cleanse us."

The theme of cleansing or purification has become a frequently discussed topic as the tragedy in the affected states unfolds. European papers have suggested that Katrina was the punishment the US received for failing to sign onto the Kyoto accord, Islamic militants have rejoiced that "private" Katrina has joined in the holy war against the U.S. for - among other things - the Iraq war. Some have even suggested that the hurricane was God's punishment on the U.S. for cooperating in the removal of Jews from the Gaza strip.

However, beyond these speculations is a more general acknowledgement that New Orleans, the epicentre of the disaster, was a "sin city" which harboured few rivals. The New Orleans "southern decadence" festival which was to take place Labour Day weekend, is described by a French Quarter tourism site as "sort of like a gayer version of Mardi Gras" which is "most famous (or infamous) for the displays of naked flesh which characterize the event," with "public displays of sexuality . . . pretty much everywhere you look."

[ChristianDefender]

Lack of teaching of the Ten Commandments"!??!

Could be... but this is America, such teachings is everywhere... perhaps its just lack of Obedience.

[Ken H]

Khmer Rouge embraces Jesus

"The Khmer Rouge followed a harsh brand of communism, killing nearly two million people in their bid to return Cambodia to Year Zero. Now they have a new faith: evangelical Christianity. Hundreds of former fighters have been baptised in the past year."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254908/posts

If these Khmer butchers are sincerely repentant, does your religion say are they saved?

[bootslee]

God does no wrong, there is no darkness in Him at all as matter of fact. If you would take time to read His word, you would understand that God brought death to man on several occasions, often in the thousands. God created it all and reserves the right to destroy it when and if He deems it necessary. He answers to no one! I believe He destroyed the entire earth once (called the flood of Noah's day). Only eight people were saved in that storm and the Bible is quite clear -- it came directly from God.

[Tim Long]

So you think people are going to accept God because He killed thousands of people in a hurricane?

Some people need a good jarring wake-up call to realize their own mortality and humanity.

[King Prout]

see my Profile page (scroll down a bit) for the answer to "what is a ZOT?"
then go to the latest Redheaded Stepchild of the Undead Thread (there's a link on there somewhere) and make yourself comfy.
Be sure to moon user named "Dead Corpse".

[rdb3]

You know your problem, bootlee?

You don't speak the truth in love. I turn your attention to 1 Corinthians 13.

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

The Apostle Paul means "love" when he says "charity." Learn from that.

[Darksheare]

"God does no wrong, there is no darkness in Him at all as matter of fact."

So why are you accusing Him of wrong doing?
Remember, if there had been more than just Lot in Sodom, the place would have been spared.

[bootslee]

Anyone who truly turns to Jesus Christ will be saved. No matter how ungodly he or she may have been. Now, there is a lesson on God's grace.

[bootslee]

When have I accused God of doing wrong? It is the Lord who gives and the Lord who takes, according to Job.

[bootslee]

The world is God's to do with as He pleases. He created it and has the right to destroy all of it or part of it if He so desires. As matter fact, the world as we know it today, He will once again bring to total destruction some day.

[holyscroller]

"Nope. He's just telling you to rebuild on high ground. Don't rebuild on the ruins of your sin city. Pick a luckier location. Lucky for you and lucky for the taxpayers of the United States of America."

Boy you'e got that right. If they rebuild below the water level again, they're crazy. I sure don't want my great, great, great, grandchildren still paying for it.

Pave it all over, plug the dykes and turn it into a National Monument. Move the city miles away to higher ground.

[ChristianDefender]

So you think people are going to accept God because He killed thousands of people in a hurricane?

No. They will accept God because their lives were saved and their souls too.

Sometimes it's hard for me to comprehend why God allows this and that... things that are not always favorable even to Christians... but God is too wise to be mistaken... and He's too good to be unkind... (its a song)lol

[NicknamedBob]

Here's a little more positive way of looking at things.

[Hank Rearden]

I'm sure the plastic-haired, snakefondling TV beggars are going to milk this angle until Doomsday.

And the morons who watch them will fall prey to the hucksterism.

[bootslee]

Thank you friend, well said.

[Darksheare]

How about this: New Orleans got hit by a hurricane not because God willed it as judgement or punishment, but because such things happen in a fallen world because the Earth groans in its agony.

[holyscroller]

"Nope. He's just telling you to rebuild on high ground. Don't rebuild on the ruins of your sin city. Pick a luckier location. Lucky for you and lucky for the taxpayers of the United States of America."

Boy you'e got that right. If they rebuild below the water level again, they're crazy. I sure don't want my great, great, great, grandchildren still paying for it.

Pave it all over, plug the dykes and turn it into a National Monument. Move the city miles away to higher ground.

[bootslee]

I agree----and someday they will answer as well.

[Darksheare]

"The world is God's to do with as He pleases. "

The Earth is under a curse because MAN chose to fall.
And because of this the world was marred.
And man has to live in this world and witness the effects of sin.

Simple.

[King Prout]

well put.