Pitts, Katrina and God's Punishment

Once again Leonard Pitts proves to be one of the best columnists journalism has. As he did after the 9/11 attacks, he picks apart the stupid prejudices people have held regarding news of hurricane Katrina. One of particular interest is the inevitable "God's punishment." Apparently a group called Repent America, Pitt's reports, issued a statement that said the storm was God's way of canceling a gay festival that was to have taken place in New Orleans this week.

Why I'm still amazed at the "God's punishment" theory, I don't know. Anyone who's read the Bible sees the pattern. Piss off God, he kicks ass without taking names. It's a vastly incomprehensible characteristic for a supposedly all-knowing, ever-present, all-loving god to take. Oh, crap! Look at that, the humans I created are way too wicked so I'm going to send a 40-day, 40-night flood and kill everybody--except for Noah, his family and a lot animals. I'm going to destroy my unruly children, instead of trying to show them the way to understanding and compassion.

And, this all-powerful god, if indeed he wanted to cancel a gay shindig, strikes not only the city this "wicked" activity is taking place, but floods several states, displacing or killing thousands of people like the collateral damage (aka civilian murder) of some impersonal military strike. What, for instance, does Mississippi have to do with a celebration of homosexuality in New Orleans, Lousiana? Wouldn't an all-powerful god have the accuracy to pinpoint just New Orleans as he does Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible?

The Buddhist would call such a god "unskilled."

And, wasn't Jesus here, at least to Christian doctrine as I understand it, to wash away our sins so God would no longer have to do such things as sending devastating hurricanes to kill his wicked children?

Well, kudos to Leonard Pitts. If you get a chance, read his column. It's a strong piece.