September 5, 2012
The Lord Acts in Mysterious Ways: Anti-Gay Preachers Arrested While Southern Decadence Bathes in Sunshine
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, his wonders to behold. Nine pastors were arrested this week during New Orleans' Southern Decadence festival for holding an anti-gay demonstration during the event, Gay Star News reported. And, despite the fulminations of online preachers and their dupes, Hurricane Isaac not only did not pour God's wrath upon the assembled multitudes in the city's French Quarter, but the sun shone brilliantly on the revelers all weekend long.
The men were arrested under the city's new law, which was passed last year and forbids "any person or group of persons to loiter or congregate on Bourbon Street for the purposes of disseminating any social, political or religious message between the hours of sunset and sunrise."
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, one of the men, Justin Craft, 31, was arrested on suspicion of battery, resisting an officer and interference with a law enforcement investigation.
The other preachers arrested under the measure were: Patrick O'Connell, 45, Rolando Iglesias, 31, Cesar Chavez, 22, Daniel Hoogerhuis, 26, Dan Guevera, 20, Larry Craft, 52, Montes Diego, 32, and Gary Brown, 33.
A police spokesman said they were not allowed to use bullhorns, but continued to use them. Authorities also said they were not sure what organization them belonged to, however.
Southern Decadence is one of the biggest gay street parties in the world. The annual event draws about 120,000 LGBT people.
The arrests come after John McTernan, who is also a pastor, blamed Hurricane Isaac on the gay pride event. McTernan took to his blog and wrote: "The church, city and nation have not repented and the homosexual agenda is far worse than it was in 2005."
"New Orleans is still hosting Southern Decadence with open homosexuality manifesting in the streets of the city. It could be that God is putting an end to this city and its wickedness. The timing of Hurricane Isaac with Southern Decadence is a sign that God's patience with America's sin is coming to an end."
The hurricane, however, missed New Orleans but caused damage to surrounding parishes.
Watch a clip of the preachers getting arrested below:
