this disgusts me as much as the opportunism of frank rich... http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/22005b.asp -- 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.
Geez. What a load of pure, unadulterated crap. Thanks for posting that, basso. Fools still roam freely in the South, beyond doubt, some cloaked in the garbs of a church. Keep D&D Civil!!
Is that the "wickedness" that's at the dome now? did we, inadvertently or other, pray for more "wickedness" in our fair city? I'm a Christian (I could lose some of you there), but I don't see how you could put a religious slant on the benefits of HK. That's seems as though they are mocking God; clearly though, that is not their intention. I'm a D&D virgin, so I'll sit down and shut up now.
1. Follow Jesus. 2. Let others know how much God loves them...through words and deed. 3. Love other people...put others first. please stop confusing Christians and non-Christians, alike, with your divisive rhetoric, Bullhorn Guys. seriously. we're all tired of it. in listing all the things NOLA is free of, i notice he didn't mention churches. i'm guessing churches got washed away equally. i don't know what God's up to....but I'm not about to suppose that anyone else has offended Him any worse than I have...and I'm still breathing.
just an fyi, there are plenty of fools in this part of the country too. in fact, there's a great many located here .
If David Carr's preseason is an indicator, God may hate the Texans, too. Just kidding, folks....preseason is meaningless...lets go regular season!!!
No wonder posters like MartianMan dislike Christianity because of fools like Chuck Kelley and Bill Shanks. Reminds me of the old saying - can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, something these 2 jabronis need to look into.
For the record, these moronic fire and brimstone preachers understand Christianity about well much as Muammar Qadhafi does. The idea that the Christian God of Jesus would wash sin from a city is about like trying to claim that the food laws of the old testament apply. They apear to only integrate the words that suit their own particular malevolant spirit. One should not confuse the message in its original form with the diseased foul ravings of someone who twists it to their own end. Suspending any disbelief in its veracity, if you really try and extract what the message is supposed to be it is very clear that the entire message of Jesus is that the old rules of the Old Testament don't apply anymore. Any half-assed reading by anybody with a brain in their head can understand this if they aren't blinded by personal hate.
This is why....I see Manny already beat me to it. Anyways, I know Christianity has many, MANY faults, but I see they have done a lot of good too with the relief work and everything. Their good works cannot be doubted. For the record, it's not that I dislike Christians, or even Christianity, but I don't like the way Christianity is implemented among people. You may argue those people (like Chuck Kelley and Bill Shanks) aren't Christian, but if Christianity is filled with people like them, or not even people as extreme but still annoying, then they are the representatives of Christianity on Earth.
Okay, I understand the jumping on the second guy, but what's wrong with the guy saying there is evidence of God's mercy within the tragedy?
