When one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States, hurricane Katrina happened in 2005, some people said the human suffering alone could be a part of God's plan. At a speech in Virginia, Reverend Franklin Graham said, "This is one wicked city, OK? It's known for Mardi Gras, for Satan worship. It's known for sex perversion. It's known for every type of drugs and alcohol and the orgies and all of these things that go on down there in New Orleans.” Reverend Graham continued, "There's been a black spiritual cloud over New Orleans for years. They believe God is going to use that storm to bring revival.”
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston, conservatives praised Houston’s first responders and citizen volunteers. “The ‘Cajun Navy’ is at it again!,” Reverend Graham shared on Facebook, referring to a band of Louisiana boaters involved in the rescue effort. “Out there with their boats rescuing people stranded by #HurricaneHarvey flood waters. I thank God for people willing to step up and help others — real Good Samaritans!”
Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow at People for the American Way, which monitors the religious right, said Kimberly Winston of Religion News Service that the reaction from the usual finger-waggers “is different this time around.” His theory is that any insinuation that God sent hurricane to damage Texas wouldn’t be in their favor because Texas is a Republican stronghold. Gov. Greg Abbott is very popular with conservative Christians, so perhaps they are less willing to suggest God is unhappy with him. Abbott supports tougher abortion access laws and signed the “Pastor Protection Act,” which allows pastors to refuse to marry same-sex couples.
“I think that makes it hard for the religious right to say there is some kind of collective sin in Houston that God wants to punish,” Montgomery said. “But if Harvey had hit New Orleans you still would have had people dredging up decadence in that city, or if an earthquake had hit San Francisco, you would have had people saying it was because of homosexuality.”
Michael Brown, an evangelical Christian broadcaster and a member of President Trump’s evangelical advisory board noted as much in his cautionary remarks, saying: “Houston is one of the few cities that has stood bravely against the rising tide of LGBT activism. Why would God single out Houston for judgment?”
Photo Credits: Defense.gov
