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Southern Decadence

“Southern Decadence” On Thursday Betsy Sawyer email me: “Rabbi Loren, As I've been looking at the death and destruction in New Orleans, it has crossed my mind that the city is like Sodom and Gomorrah. Its biggest festivals are so blatantly rotten and pander to the worst natures of men and women. ... But then I think about all the true Christians/Messianic Jews there and in the other places affected. And I wonder if New Orleans is really any more sinful than anywhere else in this country. I know that believers suffer along with everyone else when these things occur. And I also am fully aware that even as a believer, I always have sin that I need to repent of. So it does make me tremble when I watch these things occurring - because I wonder what is going to happen next. I take some comfort in knowing that God places us exactly where He wants us so that we can be a light to the people around us. I just want to be a better light.” Is Betsy right? Should we understand this hurricane to be a judgment of God? Do the righteous suffer along with the wicked when God judges a city or a nation? Are there lessons to be learned from this calamity, for the region that was affected, and for ourselves?

Natural Disasters Nature’s disasters can be considered part of ordinary life in a fallen world. The Earth’s crust moves and earthquakes occur and tsunamis happen. Blizzards and tornados occur and people suffer. Hurricanes happen on a regular basis. Natural disasters can be worsened by human pride and ignorance. Why build a city under sea level, or build houses, apartments and buildings so close to the ocean? Why not give adequate resources to strengthen the levees? Why not have the sand bags and heavy helicopters on hand in case a levee breaks? There were plenty of warnings that exactly this kind of disaster could happen, and that it was a matter of when - not if, and that we should be better prepared.

Natural Disasters Can Also Be Considered to be Supernatural Disasters Consider the words of the Lord that come to us through the prophet Amos (3:1-6). Amos spoke to the Jewish people of the northern kingdom who were straying farther and farther from God. He called Israel to return to God, and come back to truth and holiness. Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: “You only have I chosen among all the families of the Earth; I can almost hear Amos pausing for a moment here, and the people thinking: “Ah, that’s true Amos. The Lord rescued us out of Egypt. God chose us. He loves us. He favors us. The Almighty has saved us before. We know God, and He knows us. Therefore, all is well. We’re OK. Nothing bad will happen to us. Preach it Amos!” But that is the wrong conclusion! Then Amos continues his message from the Lord to Israel: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” The right conclusion to draw is not that a nation that has enjoyed the favor of God is immune from the judgment of the Lord, but even more subject to it, because to whom much is given, much is required, and the more you know, the responsible you are, and greater is the punishment for failure. Israel had been given much. Our nation has been given much, and so we are held to a higher standard. Amos continues, teaching us that just as cause creates effect, whenever judgment occurs, we should try to see the hand of the Lord at work in that situation: Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? Yes, they make an appointment to meet at the agreed upon time and place. Because they have made an appointment, they are able to walk together at the same time and place. Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? A lion roars victoriously when he has captured his prey. Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? No - there must be bait which causes the bird to come into the trap. Does a trap spring up from the Earth when it captures nothing at all? No. It needs something to cause it to spring. If a shofar is blown in a city will not the people tremble? Yes, they will tremble, because the shofar is blown to warn people of an approaching danger. Now here is the conclusion that all these examples of cause and effect are building to: If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? Yes. If there is a calamity in a city, whether by invasion of an enemy, or the destructive forces of nature, the Lord of Providence has allowed it to happen. Our duty is not to blame the Lord for the disaster, but find out why He has allowed the calamity to occur in the city, and then make the necessary changes in our thoughts and actions. In an article posted on August 31st , WorldNetDaily.com reports the following: Hurricane Katrina walloped New Orleans just two days before the annual homosexual "Southern Decadence" festival was to begin in the town, an act being characterized by some as God's work. Southern Decadence has a history of "filling the French Quarters section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging in sex acts in the public streets and bars," says a statement from the Philadelphia Christian organization Repent America. This year's 34th annual Southern Decadence festival, which drew 125,000 revelers last year, was set to begin today (last Wednesday) in the Big Easy and run through Monday. As writer John d'Addario explained in "Southern Decadence 2005: A How-To Guide" posted on FrenchQuarter.com: Parades and non-stop parties aside, Southern Decadence may be most famous (or infamous) for the displays of naked flesh which characterize the event - which is only fitting, since New Orleans in early September is generally the closest thing you'll ever experience to walking around in a steambath outside of a health spa. While police have started to crack down on public lewdness and pressure from a local crackpot conservative religious organization has caused the five-day festival to become a little more sedate than it was in years past, the atmosphere of Southern Decadence has stayed true to its name and public displays of sexuality are pretty much everywhere you look. Of course, the massive flooding of the city and evacuation order from Gov. Kathleen Blanco has forced the event's cancellation. "Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage in a statement. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that opened its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. May it never be the same." Repent America says three former and current mayors of New Orleans have issued official proclamations welcoming visitors to Southern Decadence. "Let us pray for those ravaged by this disaster. However, we must not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God." Is Michael Marcavage right? Is there a connection between disasters like this, and the judgment of God? Does New Orleans need to repent? Listen to the words of the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived (Luke 13:1-5). Luke reports: Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Yeshua about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. “Apparently some Galileans were slain by Pilate’s soldiers while offering sacrifices at the temple, so that their blood and the blood of the sacrifices were mixed” (Ryrie). Here is Yeshua’s response to this calamity. And Yeshua said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no. This didn’t happen to them because they were worse sinners than everyone else. They were at the temple worshiping God. They may have been righteous men! Here is the point. When calamity falls, people and cities and nations need to reflect, humble themselves and turn from their sins. The all-wise and loving Son of God continues: but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. That’s pretty harsh Lord? That’s the point that You make from this terrible incident? Our need to repent? Messiah adds another example: Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Yeshua, that’s pretty cold! The lesson You give us from the calamity that befell those eighteen men is that disaster awaits all of us, if we don’t repent? That doesn’t seem very loving or sympathetic. But it is loving, because Love speaks the truth, and repentance is essential for our well-being. When we suffer as an individual, as a city or as a nation, we should seek God, and ask Him if there is a purpose in our sufferings. What should I learn from this? Is there sin that I need to turn away from? Are their wrong attitudes, wrong ideas, wrong practices, wrong thoughts that I need to avoid? What kind of changes do You want me to make? The people of New Orleans, as they are rebuilding their city, need to examine themselves, and the life of their city, and turn away from all sexual promiscuity, abortion, homosexuality, crime and corruption. This calamity didn’t affect only New Orleans. An area the size of Great Britain was decimated. Large areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were affected. The city of Biloxi was severely damaged, and all its lovely casinos destroyed. This calamity also affected the entire nation. New Orleans is our biggest port. Imports and exports flow from there to the rest of the United States, and from the United Sates to the world. It is the source of a significant part of energy production and distribution. When you read the Holy Scriptures, you will find that when a nation turns away from God; when a nation becomes more and more sinful; when a nation loses the fear of the Lord and ignores the Living God and His wise principles for living that are found in the Word of God; then God removes its prosperity; calamities occur: droughts, floods, fires, earthquakes, famines, plagues, wars and invasions take place. When calamity comes to a city or a nation, are the righteous always spared? Even the righteous are affected by the Lord’s judgment on a wicked city, people or nation. In Psalm 74, Asaph asks the Lord to do something about the devastation of the nation by the enemy: God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? ... Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins; the enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary... They said in their heart, “Let us completely subdue them.” They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land... Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever. Consider the covenant; for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. Let not the oppressed return dishonored; let the afflicted and needy praise Your name. In Psalm 80, Asaph implores the Lord to rescue His people from their calamities: O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and You have made them to drink tears in large measure. You make us an object of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Noah and his family lost their home in the Flood. Lot lost his great wealth in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Daniel was exiled and taken from his home in Israel in the judgment of Jerusalem. Jeremiah suffered in the siege of Babylon. The Messianic Jews who survived the siege of Jerusalem around 70 AD lost their homes in the city? Is New Orleans that much worse than anywhere else? Is the Big Easy that much worse than San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, New York, Boston or Detroit, or most of the rest of the country? Is there anything that our nation needs to turn away from? Yes. the idea that the Constitution teaches that there must be a separation of Church and State. Our prosperity depends on God’s blessing on our nation. We must not drive Him out of out public life. We must genuinely welcome Him, and acknowledge Him, and be thankful to Him, and pray to Him, as did most American institutions and leaders until the 1950s and 60s. Let’s turn away from godless evolution and embrace Intelligent Design and Creation. Let’s turn from all false religion and embrace the truth that comes from a pure understanding of the Word of God. Taking God’s name in vain, treating Him lightly throughout our culture. We must not use God’s name as part of our jokes, in cute expressions for emphasis or humor. Encouraging the division of the Land of Israel. We must acknowledge that all of Israel, from the river of Egypt, to the river Euphrates belongs to Israel. We must acknowledge that the rebirth of the modern state of Israel is the providential work of God. We must cease stop killing 4,000 babies each day through abortion. We must love human life, treasure it, and protect it, since it is designed in the image of the precious God. To murder a baby in the womb is to attack God. Our lives, our bodies, our sexuality is not our own. We must submit them to the moral laws of the Creator, and turn from our immorality, adultery, extra-marital sexuality activity, divorce, homosexuality and pornography. We must strive for moral purity, so we can be clean in God’s sight, and have strong healthy families. Let’s turn from our murders, our many crimes, into hard working, hard-studying, generous people. Let’s turn from our alcoholism and drug abuse and be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and the joy of the Lord!

Calamities and Grace One last thought. Think of judgment not only as punishment, but also as grace. Think of the Lord’s judgments on Israel, and on us, as grace. God has loved this country. The Lord disciplines the children that He loves, painful though it the discipline is at the moment, so that we don’t continue in the bad direction, and get worse and worse, almost beyond redemption, like Pharaoh who hardened his heart, like the Amorites whose iniquities became full. It is His grace that brings corrective and redemptive judgment. Let’s reflect the heart of the Lord, who wants people to repent, and be saved, and have a better understanding of what a genuinely successful and meaningful life is all about. Let’s be gracious and generous and helpful during this calamity. Let’s help the suffering. Let’s raise money to send to good Christian organizations that are helping. Let’s pray that the entire area will be rebuilt with a people more willing to follow God and submit to His ways. And, let’s make sure that we turn away from the things in our lives that will bring the judgment of a holy God.

Shalom
Rabbi Loren

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