What is Ray Nagin Thinking?

According to Brett Martel of the Associated Press, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin suggested Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that "God is mad at America" and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting. Martel further quoted Nagin as saying "He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country." I'd really like to know what Ray Nagin is thinking. In fact, I wonder if we are even worshipping the same God.

Last I knew, God was loving and benevolent, not vengeful and angry. Yes, it's true that the Old Testament describes a God of vengeance and anger, but only if you don't play by His rules. Of course, this is the same Old Testament that allows for slavery, and required animal sacrifices. When Jesus Christ came to earth, He taught us that God is not vengeful, but kind and loving. And even the Old Testament teaches that God gave us free will.

Based on my understanding of God, He's taken a hands-off approach to the world. After Noah's flood, he made a pact with mankind to NOT do that type of thing again. But let's put God's covenant aside for a moment and approach this from a different angle. Who is Ray Nagin to assume that he has any sort of insight into the thoughts, motivations, ideas and actions of the Almighty? Considering that no man can ever possibly understand the immeasurable knowledge and workings of our Creator, isn't it incredibly arrogant for Nagin to think that he's got some special insight on God?

I mean come on, if God were to be angry with someone, I'd think that he'd be angry at corrupt politicians who invoke His name for the sake of getting their way. I'd think that he'd be angry at the false prophets like Pat Robertson who claim to know for sure that God is striking down America due to our damaged sense of morality. By the way, I say 'false prophets' because the Bible specifically says that if you are incorrect on a single prophesy, you are not a prophet of God. The Bible implies that if you 'reword' your prediction, or back down from it, you are not a prophet of God. Of course I can't know for sure if God is angry with them, because I am just wise enough to know that I cannot understand His thoughts or motives. I possess just enough intelligence to realize that it's foolish to assume that he experiences anger in our sense of the word.

My point is this... no man can possibly even begin to comprehend the unfathomable nature of God, and anyone who claims to have such knowledge is full of crap. Is it possible that God is mad at us? Absolutely! But for someone to claim they know this for certain is arrogance at its finest. God says "No man knows." So if He says that no man knows, how is it that people like Pat Robertson and Ray Nagin know? Either God changed his mind and decided that we could know, God was wrong and we've been able to understand His motives all along, or these people are full of crap. I'd say the third possibility is the most likely.