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Ray Nagin: 'God is mad at America'
It will be interesting to see whether the statements of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin get the same degree of media play that Pat Robertson's statements about Ariel Sharon received. One might think that a government official's declarations on the mind of God would be more newsworthy than those of a broadcaster.

But maybe not. The Baton Rouge Advocate plays Nagin's Martin Luther King Day speech with this headline: "Nagin urges rebuilding with unity of residents: Mayor vows to bring black community back." The New Orleans Times-Picayune says, "Evoking King, Nagin calls N.O. 'chocolate' city: Speech addresses fear of losing black culture."

Both are probably reflective of local concerns. Louisianans may care more about what a rebuilt New Orleans will look like than they do whether Ray Nagin invokes God for his political purposes.

But nationally, the headlines focus on Nagin's theodicy. "Hurricanes May Be God's Punishment, Mayor Says," says the Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press goes with "New Orleans Mayor Says God Mad at U.S."

Here are the relevant parts of Nagin's speech:

Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country. … Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves.

Equating the hurricanes with God's wrath is theologically problematic. But it's even more theologically problematic to invoke God directly in your plans to rebuild the city: "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans."

Of course, saying God wants a place to be majority one race isn't just unChristian. It also runs directly against Martin Luther King's dream. We'll see if any op-ed pages talk about it this week.

Theology:

1. Preaching a gospel of wealth in a glittery market, New York | A theology called "prosperity gospel," which connects faithfulness to material riches, is establishing a foothold in New York City, where capitalism has long been religion (The New York Times)
   
   
2. The days of our Lord | There's no end in sight to modernity's shameful exploitations of the Son of God (Patrick Hynes, The American Spectator)
   
   

Pat Robertson:

1. Israel's envoy to U.S. says accepts Pat Robertson's apology | Despite the apology, an Israeli official said Israel has no plans to rescind its ban on Robertson's participation a multi-million-dollar Sea of Galilee tourism project (Haaretz, Tel Aviv)
   
   
2. Robertson comments cause stir | Recent remarks on Sharon and Chavez have led fellow conservatives to speak out (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.)
   
   
3. Robertson crack reverberates | The Christian Heritage Center planned for the hills by the Sea of Galilee is worthwhile and should go forward -- but without the involvement of Pat Robertson (Editorial, Norwich Bulletin, Ct.)
   
   
4. Darned if we dismiss Robertson | Too many people still take Robertson seriously. His beliefs not only attract a large audience. They reflect one (David Waters, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.)
   
   
5. For a change, let's just ignore Pat Robertson | If Pat Robertson were a doctor, we could strip him of his medical license. If he were a lawyer, we could disbar him (Frances Coleman, Religion News Service)
   
   
6. The believers bear the pain | The devout pay a price whenever Robertson characterizes God as vindictive. If Sharon's stroke can be laid at the feet of a displeased deity, then what about Aunt Sue's cervical cancer? (Alfred Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
   
   

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January (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50