Can the Power of Prayer Fix the Gulf Spill?

That’s what the Louisiana State Senate believes, anyway. State lawmakers unanimously voted that yesterday should be designated a ‘Statewide Day of Prayer for Louisiana and the population and region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico’.

Yes, it seems that as the clean-up crews and technicians have failed with their secular attempts to kill the oil spill, their hubristic science as nothing in the face of uncaring nature, Louisiana’s elected government have decided to escalate their claim.

The Senate dedicated valuable legislative time to deciding how best to invoke the support of the Man Upstairs, eventually emerging with a nice, concise two-page document.

Proposed by Republican member of the State Senate Robert Adley, here’s a choice exceprt from the resolution:

In times of great distress and need, we, the people of this land, have always turned to private, public, and corporate prayer. A Statewide Day of Prayer provides each of us with a powerful opportunity to humble ourselves before our Almighty God. The citizens of Louisiana are urged to pray for a solution to this crisis, each according to his or her own faith, to pray for God’s continued guidance and protection, and to join in the observance of a day of prayer, seeking God’s blessings upon both our state and nation.

Sarah Palin, America’s favourite nutcase loose-cannon, concurs, with this sage tweet:

“Gulf disaster needs divine intervention as man’s efforts have been futile. Gulf lawmakers designate today Day of Prayer for solution/miracle”

It’s exactly this sort of nonsense which is costing America its premier standing in the world. If all this prayer fails to achieve anything, you can bet they’ll all get busily back to blaming it on Obama’s inactivity, rather than blaming God for his inactivity.

All this, of course, comes hot on the heels of a particularly odious comment on the spill made by another Republican on Thursday. Flabbergastingly out-of-touch Texan congressman Joe Barton actually contrived to apologise to BP for what he called Obama’s ‘$20bn shakedown’ – i.e. money of theirs earmarked to help people whose lives have been devastated by the spill. This was reported last week, but perhaps you’d like to see the video, and the confused reaction from other congressmen.

He was pushed into a hasty apology the day later; there’s no way a sentiment like that would play amongst any voter. Democrats are doing their best to make the most of the gaffe.

Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

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• Joseph Kelsall

  Sarah Palin needs ’sectioning’ for the safety of the world.

• http://www.google.com/profiles/112958927209729731158 Nick B

  I am starting to feel a little sorry for BP – not something I thought I would ever say…

• dwiltsey

  As an American, I can assure you that the only thing the citizens of Louisiana will receive from their corrupt politicians is a day of prayer. I do hope that BP demands an accounting of any funds distributed to Louisiana.

• Midwinter1947

  The USA is just an AMAZING country – in so many ways…

• http://haditinhollandpark.blogspot.com/ had_it

  Can the Power of Prayer Fix the Gulf Spill?
  No.
  Can a government take-over fix the gulf spill?
  No.

• dwiltsey

  To Midwinter1947 – I agree with you. Most days I am simply amazed at what transpires here. Lately I have been wondering what were my ancestors thinking to move here. Were they completely mad? I do not know.

• dwiltsey

  And so it begins: CNN reports NOLA Mayor Mitch Landreiu sent a letter to BP requesting “a grant of $75 million over three years to mitigate any long-term effects the Gulf oil disaster may have on its tourism”.

• http://twitter.com/yvchawla Y V Chawla

  Let us be clear.
  Prayer is not a positive action as doing something.
  To see a fact or challenge without complaining, blaming, feeling guilty is prayer.
  Mind runs to complain, blame, feel guilty on seeing a fact or challenge, prayer is the traditional way to remember the futility of complaining and so on.
  It is to bear the friction of ‘what is’ and ‘what you think should be’ without any comforting idea.
  You will say, what will happen then.
  When one sees this, bears the friction- all such questions drop.
  Now you are simply operating, acting without waiting for relief from tomorrow, future.
  Y V Chawla
  http://www.fundamentalexpressions.com