On 13 SEP 2001, both Pat Robertson and the Revd Jerry Falwell, in a discusion broadcast on CBN’s the 700 Club blamed the tragedy of 9 – 11 as the consequences of raising the ire of God because of the wickedness of the US. Mr Falwell blamed the ACLU for having God thrown out of US schools, the pro-choice movement for abortions, People for the American Way, pagans, GLBT folks and their supporters, everyone who he feels bear the responsibilty for secularizing the USA.
In AUG 2005 it was Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America, who was quoted as stating, “Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city, ” following the massive destruction of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast. He said it was because of the City of New Orleans’ annual LGBT celebration, Southern Decadence. In 2012, The Advocate published a list of 10 disasters that modern day evangelists have laid at the feet of the LGBT community and others.
Last year when Hurricane Joaquin was barreling down on Washington DC, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said that the storm was God’s judgement on the city because the US Supreme Court had ruled in favor of marriage equality. These are all examples of theodicy – laying the cause of disasters and other horrible things at God’s feet, demonstrating God’s goodness, omnipotence, and righteous judgment.
However, when these calamities hit closer to home there appear the be other explanations for them. Such was the case this week regarding the inundation of Louisiana with torrential rains, attributed by many competent scientists as another example of the exagerated weather patterns brought on by global warming. One of the people affected by the rains was the above quoted Tony Perkins.
Mr Perkins called into the Family Research Council’s radio broadcast, Washington Watch, this past Monday to report that his family’s Baton Rouge LA home had been flooded out. He said that he and his family had to escape their home by canoe. They were able to reach the safety of their recreation vehicle which had been parked on higher ground. He claimed on air, “This is a flood, I would have to say, of near biblical proportions.” He did not claim that God’s wrath was involved in the flooding and desruction. This time he stated that it was an opportunity for the Church. That it was an “incredible, encouraging spiritual exercise to take you to the next level in your walk with an almighty and gracious God who does all things well.”
Information for this story was gathered from Raw Story and HuffPost.
The main photo is from Tony Perkins Facebook page and shows his inundated family home. The other photo is a screenshot from a CBS broadcast.