People Search for Hand of God in Katrina’s Wake

The RNS article of the week (linked above), by Adelle M. Banks and James Varney, reports on the varying views of divine intervention in the Katrina hurricane disaster.

On the extremes:

“Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city,” declared Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America, on the Web site of his Philadelphia-based evangelistic organization that opposed the annual gay “Southern Decadence” festival that was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

and

“How can typical Christians reconcile their belief that their god is all-good and all-powerful with the heartbreaking scenes of devastation being telecast from Louisiana and Mississippi?” asked Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the atheistic group. “Where was their god? … Their omnipotent god was certainly conspicuously absent when two levees broke (Tuesday), submerging the city of New Orleans.”