Focus on the fundies: God 'purged' New Orleans of sin

Among the stupifying responses, and lack of responses, are the self-serving statements by people on both sides of the red-blue divide, attempting to use the occasion of human suffering to further their own causes. Here's Rev. Bill Shanks, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship of New Orleans:

Shanks says the hurricane has wiped out much of the rampant sin common to the city.

The pastor explains that for years he has warned people that unless Christians in New Orleans took a strong stand against such things as local abortion clinics, the yearly Mardi Gras celebrations, and the annual event known as "Southern Decadence" -- an annual six-day "gay pride" event scheduled to be hosted by the city this week -- God's judgment would be felt.

“New Orleans now is abortion free. New Orleans now is Mardi Gras free. New Orleans now is free of Southern Decadence and the sodomites, the witchcraft workers, false religion -- it's free of all of those things now," Shanks says. "God simply, I believe, in His mercy purged all of that stuff out of there -- and now we're going to start over again."

Previously: Repent America director Michael Marcavage says God destroyed a 'wicked New Orleans'