(New Orleans, Louisiana) Evangelist Franklin Graham said Tuesday that Hurricane Katrina could lead to a spiritual rebirth of a sinful New Orleans.
Graham, the son and designated successor of the Rev. Billy Graham, said the city's Mardi Gras revelry and ties to voodoo were adverse to Christian beliefs.
"New Orleans has been known for years as a party town," Graham said in an interview with The Associated Press from his office in Boone, N.C. "It is a city that has strong ties to the gay and lesbian movement, and these types of things."
On Monday, Graham delivered a similar message in an appearance in Lynchburg: "There's been satanic worship. There's been sexual perversion. God is going to use that storm to bring revival. God has a plan. God has a purpose."
Graham's comments, reported by The News & Advance of Lynchburg, were made at Thomas Road Baptist Church's Super Conference 2005 at Liberty University. Both the church and the university were founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
But Graham said he doesn't believe the devastating storm was a punishment from God.
"I'm not saying that God used this storm as a judgment," he said.
But, some other religious leaders are making that claim.
Last week a Roman Catholic priest told the first meeting of the New Orleans City Council after the hurricane that the disaster may have been brought on by gays "and other sinners".
The Rev. Robert Guste of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Kenner said that Southern Decadence, the annual gay festival that was to have been held the week the storm hit, and the city's large number of gay bars could have been a contributing factor.
He also blamed the "debauchery" of Mardi Gras, gambling and pornography.
"Does this not invite divine judgment,'' the 78 year old priest told councilors.
In the days immediately after Katrina hit New Orleans a far right evangelical group in Pennsylvania proclaimed that God "destroyed" New Orleans because of Southern Decadence.
"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city." said Repent America director Michael Marcavage.
"From ‘Girls Gone Wild’ to ‘Southern Decadence’, New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. May it never be the same."
On Sunday, New Orleans' historic St. Louis Cathedral held its first Sunday Mass since the hurricane, and Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes suggested the city would rebuild as a community with a stronger moral thread, free of racial tension and rampant self-indulgence. The Roman Catholic leader reassured the congregation that God did not cause the hurricane to punish evildoers, but did not mention father Guste by name.
Ok that last part didn't make any sense at all. And all of this is making me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry. ROARRRRR!!!!!! 
But seriously I tend to hate people like this, the hurricanes are obviously due to a runaway global warming trend which, if goes unchecked, could cause another mass extinction and if you don't think so, tough, because I will be the living paranoid one with a pantry full of dehydrated and canned food.
Any and all comments are welcome
[Edit: oh duh I am so retarded here is the link] [url="http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/10/100405nola.htm"]New Orlens
He who casts the first stone..... First off When I think of New Orleans I think of a state. Secone I think of Mardi Gras. Its just a celibration. Now when the good rear reverand thinks of New Orleans he thinks of gays. Hmm whats wrong with this picture. Why is he thinking so hard about gays?
Those who call themselves Christians are better then we are, don't you people know this by now? These are the people that commetted so much sin in there lifetime that they turned to Jesus when they hit the bottom. I never hot the bottom nor am I ever going to. I think as people as people. There is no color nor black, yellow, white, red or green.
Winds blow and rains come and go. God doesn't hurt people and any so called christian no less a minister should think otherwise or we might just have to think maybe he is not all he is cracked up to be. I just hate people that use weather or other natural disasters to help there dying cause.
They twist the truth to use it for gain. Now thats the real sin here.
Yes this is a descrimination pandemic and this is about as out of control as the global warming trend.
Hmmm... yes, I've gotten several emails that have stated that "only Christians" have stepped forward and helped during Katrina. Yeah, right.
There will always be idiots that attribute things like this to God smiting anyone that they disagree with. Incidentally, Al-Qaeda said this was Allah striking at the US. But let's look at a few interesting little FACTS...
While the city of New Orleans was almost completely underwater... strangely enough, the French Quarter- the home of all this "sin and decadence"- was mostly intact. And the "Southern Decadence" festival DID go on... admittedly only about twenty people were there, but it DID go on. Well.. isn't THAT interesting? Do you think God missed?
The state of Florida has also been hit by several hurricanes... and yet despite what Pat Robertson might say, Disney World and their "Gay Days" have not been affected. But much of the southern section has... you know them? The ones who have difficulty voting. Uh-huh.
I'd, personally, stop attributing these things to God if I were these people. If it IS God, I think his message is pretty plain.
And, no... I don't put this on all Christians... being one myself that would be pretty stupid. It's the ignorant fanatics that are the problem.
I heard about this... when will the damned christans stop with this crap (sorry if i offended anyone) but the reason we invented the use of science and reason is to solve the mysteries of things like this and prove that religon isnt always right... Also you notice that christans are the leaders in discrimanition(sp?)
In the wars they have them kill other people in the name of god...
KKK were killing black people in hte name of god
Women didnt get civil rights as quickly as they could because of preists using the bible saying that women were teh cause of sin...
People who arent christian suffer because of cristans who beilive not being christan is a crime punishable by death... (my POV on this)
Again the list goes on and on... saldy TT__TT
Im not saying all raceists, sexists, religonists, ect... are christans but a lot of them use the bible as an excuse to do these things... (gtg will continue later bye)
There are all kinds of Christians that hold to different beliefs. I don't believe God used hurricane Katrina to destroy New Orleans. The Bible makes it very clear that bad things happen to good and evil people equally. For people to say differently just shows their ignorance on who God is and what His Word says. Otherwise, no Christian would ever suffer pain and we know that is false.
I do however, believe God will take this horrible event and use it for His purpose. Facts are facts and if you are a conservative Christian you will believe that Voodoo, drunkenness and yes even homosexuality is a sin and should be stopped. It is natural and right for all Christians to look to God during times of devastation and to question the purpose for it. Because, even though God might not cause an event to happen he certainly has the power to stop it if He so chooses.
And while there are many Christians that say things that give the faith a bad name and show their ignorance, let’s not forget the overwhelming good they also do. The churches of this country stepped up in a major way after Katrina to give help to those suffering and in need. They opened their doors to their homes and their churches for these people to find refuge. That is what a good Christian or any caring person does in times of crisis.