Is Iowa the new New Orleans?

What happened in New Orleans a few years ago is terribly unfortunate; lives were figuratively and literally lost, and if my blog were popular at the "general public" level I'm sure I'd get a lot of hate mail regarding the title of this entry. But rest easy, I'm not making fun of the situation in New Orleans or in Iowa... I'm making fun of religious zealots... because who doesn't love a good bible-beater-beating? (Considering my audience I'll probably get more hate mail from that lovely little tidbit of alliteration more than anything else... but carrying on...)

I was pondering aloud this past weekend with a friend of mine here who's actually from Iowa. In fact, there are three University of Iowa students in Dortmund at present (Tammy, Laila, and Lissy). Anyway, my thought was this: "I wonder how long it will be until some religious group or televangelist comes forward and describes Iowa as another 'Sodom and Gomorrah' that needed to be 'wiped clean' and 'saved through the grace of the Lord'?"

Basically I'm waiting for a conservative nut-job to fall from his or her fundamentalist tree and smack their little shell on the pavement below, emptying their nutty contents for all the passing world to see. The only reason I bring this up is because I find it helpful to vent my dissatisfaction to friends and family... and because I find this sort of "religious reckoning" absolutely appalling. Although I've never been a fan of the popular, "If he brings you to it, he'll get you through it," Christian key chain mantra, labeling natural events and disasters that are for the most part the result of simple, albeit destructive, weather patterns as "acts of God" meant to, "punish the sinner," for, "their evil wickedness and immoral actions" feels a little extreme. So it's legal to gamble in Iowa... is that really reason to flood and destroy more than 400 city blocks? Even thought I'm by no means a proponent of gambling, I still say no.

Of course I'm in Germany and I really have no idea if any cashews or pecans have come forth yet. In fact, I hope my preemptive-rant (I'm calling it a preemptive-rant at this point because I don't know if it has happened, or even if it will happen) is completely uncalled for in the case of Iowa. On the other hand I would like to note that the people responsible for the religious propaganda and condemnation that surrounded the hurricane that effected New Orleans will, by mandate of their own beliefs, burn in hell for all eternity. Why? Because true Christians know that God is the only arbiter come judgment day and that trying to assume the position or duties of the Lord is a more than sizable offense. (Which in turn makes me a hypocrite since I'm judging those who judged, but then again, I don't claim to be a "true" anything.)

Phew... well I feel better.

And in all reality I should. In fact, I shouldn't even be worrying about what Reverend Tithe, Pastor Eve L. Sinner , or Father Call-Our-800-Number-Now could potentially propagandize Iowa for since gay marriage was recently made legal in California.

I'm sure they're all busy fund-raising for a cure for gay.