Simple Answers

[via catholicnews.org]

BATON ROUGE, LA. -- The horrific hurricane-force winds, rain, flooding and storm surges the U.S. Gulf Coast region experienced Monday night were caused by a hurricane, according to The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.)

"People have been trying to figure out what caused this devastation," said Dr. Phil Mixon, chief meterologist at NOAA. "Some believe it was caused by all the partying done at Mardi Gras, others blamed the huge Catholic population in New Orleans, and some attributed it to President Bush's decision to invade Iraq, but after careful research, we figured out that what actually caused the damage was just a really big hurricane."

Some were not convinced, however. In a new TIME Magazine/CNN poll, the overwhelming majority of conservatives and liberals believe that somebody on the Gulf Coast probably angered God. Responses given for the destruction ranged from "gambling sinners" to "too many gas-guzzling SUVs on the roads" to presidential policies gone awry.

"So you mean to tell me they are saying a hurricane caused that destruction?" asked Cindy Marshall, a buyer for Marshall Fields in Chicago. "Even so, somebody must have done something to provoke the hurricane, right?"

The Rev. Warren Martin, of Friendship Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn.,also has doubts the destruction was caused by a hurricane. "If you are truly one of God's children, He will bless you," said Martin. "They weren't blessed, so what does that tell you." Martin and a team of lay missionaries will minister to refugees at some of the shelters in Louisiana and Texas. Martin and his parishoners will distribute food, clothing and diapers once refugees agree to ask Jesus "into their hearts," and commit to Christ. "Spiritual hunger is what we are really fighting here, and we have the answer," he said.