A study in contasts

Floods are judgment on society, say bishops | Uk News | News | Telegraph :

"The bishops argued that while those affected are innocent victims, the flooding was a result of western civilisation's decision to ignore biblical teaching."

Here we have a bunch of staid and stuffy old bishops of one of Christianities oldest denominations saying that this year's floods in Britain are a divine judgment on everything from gay rights to environmental degradation.

Telegraph.co.uk reports it straight, no snarky adjectives like "remarkably," no "balancing" quotes from other religious figures, let alone politicians or spokesmen for gay rights who might presumably be offended. Contrast this to the way our press has jumped on preachers like Pat Robertson for making similar statements.

I'm not saying that natural disasters are divine retribution, although they could be. My point is the difference in press coverage. Amazing.

For a good article on the way the Labor government has failed to implement flood prevention in the areas now suffering, see this article. There are also links to photos and other coverage of the floods.