Whats more politically estute: Acknowledge Global Warming or have a public prayer. The drought in GA is bad- the worst in recorded history. I will not deny the existence of God.
I will neither deny the existence of Global Warming. Can I prove Global Warming is responsible for the drought in the South East. Ask Sonny Perdue

November 12, 2007
Ga. Governor Prays for Rain Amid Drought
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:04 p.m. ET

ATLANTA (AP) -- As Georgia descends deeper into drought, Gov. Sonny Perdue has ordered water restrictions, launched a legal battle and asked President Bush for help. On Tuesday, the governor will call on a higher power.

He will join lawmakers and ministers on the steps of the state Capitol to pray for rain.

While public prayer vigils might raise eyebrows in other parts of the nation, they are mostly shrugged off in the Bible Belt, where turning to the heavens for help is common and sometimes even politically expedient.

''Christianity has more of a place in the culture here than in some other region,'' said Ray Van Neste, a professor of Christian studies at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. ''And it's only natural, in a way, for the public to pray for rain.''

Perdue won't be the first governor to hold a call for public prayer during the epic drought gripping the Southeast. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley issued a proclamation declaring a week in July as ''Days of Prayer for Rain'' to ''humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady in times of difficulty.''

The loudest opposition to Perdue's move has come from the Atlanta Freethought Society, a secular group that is expecting about a dozen of its 125 members to protest at the vigil.

''The governor can pray when he wants to,'' said Ed Buckner, who is organizing the protest. ''What he can't do is lead prayers in the name of the people of Georgia.''

Political heavyweights outside the U.S. are known to occasionally plead to the heavens for rain. In May, Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked churchgoers to pray for rain in hopes of snapping a drought that has devastated crops and bankrupted farmers Down Under.

In the U.S., public expressions of faith are often discouraged as a breach of the separation of church and state.

Thomas Jefferson, for one, resisted calls for a federal day of prayer. But he was an exception. From George Washington, who declared ''a day of prayer and thanksgiving,'' to Harry Truman, who established a National Day of Prayer, American politicians have not been shy about associating themselves with petitions to the Almighty.

With rivers and reservoirs dropping to dangerously low levels across the region, a prayer rally at a high school football stadium in the Georgia town of Watkinsville drew more than 100 worshippers last week, and a gospel concert dedicated to rain attracted hundreds more two weeks ago at an Atlanta church.

''We need to try a different approach,'' said Rocky Twyman, who organized the concert. ''We need to call on God, because what we're doing isn't working. We think that instead of all this fussing and fighting, Gov. Perdue and all these others would come together and pray.''

A Baptist, Perdue has several times mentioned the need for prayer -- along with water conservation -- as the crisis has worsened. Over the summer, he participated in a day of prayer for agriculture at a gathering of the Georgia Farm Bureau.

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I have a peruvian rain stick, they could borrow.

Sorry, it is tragic what is happening in the South east, but the hypocrisy of these people is amazing.

Thats not Christian

Has Georgia ever had a drought before?

I am trying to do a history search. This is what I could find

For the first time in more than 100 years, much of the Southeastern United States has reached the most severe category of drought, climatologists said Monday, creating an emergency so serious that some cities are just months away from running out of water. For the better part of 18 months, cloudless blue skies and high temperatures have shriveled crops and bronzed lawns from North Carolina to Alabama ... this drought has broken every record in
Georgia's history" (Brenda Goodman, New York Times News Service, 10/16/07).

Heres the complete link
http://www.ucg.org/commentary/wildfires.htm

Many had hoped that the hurricane season would bring storms that would replenish reservoirs currently at or near all-time lows. But the rains have not arrived. Like several states in the West, over one fourth of the Southeast is in an "exceptional" or worst drought category with little hope of relief as it faces a dry fall. The situation is dire, worsening each week.

To address the crisis, Georgia officials may close businesses that use large amounts of water. This will create employment problems for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Georgia's citizens.

I wonder if they have stopped watering the golf courses, those use a tremendous amount of water, don't they?

The reason I ask. What I have seen is yet another example of New orleans style government.

This problem has heen going on for a VERY long time.
Getting water from the incredible shrinking lake
did you notice: "For the first time in more than 100 years"

So what happened 100 year ago? I mean Georgia was establish in 1788.

All I see is a tiny fix here a tiny fix there, throw in the endangered species act and you got yourself a mess.

I don't believe they have had a drought of this magnitude in their history.
So Pray!

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I don't believe they have had a drought of this magnitude in their history.

I sort of disagree. I think they have been plagued with droughts for a very long time. Something happened 100 years ago that made the statement "worst drought in history" a fallacy.

I will agree on the magitude, because clearly there are a hell of alot more people in Georgia then 10,20,50,100 years ago. There simply is more people drawing on the same water source.

The history is vague at best. I guess as someone who participates on disaster preparedness
"Whats their plan" I have noting against prayer but I cannot get behind that as a total solution.

I am less on the praying side of the thread title then the Global warming side. My praying is severely limited.

Please God, let me get lucky tonight.

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My praying is severely limited.

Please God, let me get lucky tonight.

I have been married too long

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I have been married too long

Maybe you should pray more.

You might need divine intervention

My wife does the praying not me.

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Thats not Christian

good where can I get one ?.

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Thats not Christian

good where can I get one ?.

I saw this on E-Bay

I don't know, I think my peruvian rain stick works, we sure get enough rain here in Seattle.

But seriously, I am sure the problem is quite awful for the people who live there, but I think of all the places in the US that really don't have the water to maintain the ever growing populations. Nevada, California, Arizona, plus I suppose much of the South East.

I remember reading a few years ago, that Bush wanted to tap into the Great Lakes to provide water to these huge "strip malls" in the desert. Fortunately because they also lie in Canada, the Canadian government wouldn't allow it.

The Canadian Government won't allow it and some Great Lakes like Michigan have issues as well.

looks silly. never mind

these people praying for rain are idiots. one cannot 'wish' for rain to just appear, there must be a scientific reason for rain to fall.

the situation in swfla is not much better. we waste water making sure golf courses stay green, yet we cannot find enough water to fill the demand for the ever growing population. i atually started a thread on the subject of a local golf course watering excessively a while back.

green grass or drinking water?

this recent water crisis is partly due to 3 main fators: growing population, drought, and government mismanagement of water supplies. just 14 months ago, lake okeechobee was nearing dangerously high water levels. so the sfwmd deciedes to drain the lake, sending billions of gallons of water a day down waterways. they continued to drain the lake even when weather forecasts called for a drier than normal dry season. i also started a thread on excess water being released down the river, but noone seemed interested in the topic.

sfwmd wasting water

if the sfwmd had stored most of the water instead of flushing it to the gulf, the lake would not be at the record low levels they are now. and the scary thing is, we just started the dry season, meaning the water is going to disappear fast.

adding to this the fact that the population has soared compared to 100 years ago and a very severe drought and you now have the crisis at hand.

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these people praying for rain are idiots. one cannot 'wish' for rain to just appear, there must be a scientific reason for rain to fall.

Does dancing work?

dancing, praying, and wishing for rain wont make it rain. in order for it to rain, there must be moisture in the atmosphere and other ingredients present, like lifting air.

its simple science and logic over superstition and religion.

I think you better tell that to the governor of Georgia...

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these people praying for rain are idiots.

Really? you never hope for anything ?

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one cannot 'wish' for rain to just appear,

yes one can.

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there must be a scientific reason for rain to fall.

what's that, a scientific reason. don't you mean a reason that my be explained scientifically?

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these people praying for rain are idiots.

are they, don't you ever wish for something.

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one cannot 'wish' for rain to just appear,

yes one can.

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there must be a scientific reason for rain to fall.

what's that a scientific reason. dont you mean a reasn that may be explained scientifically? and no there must be a reason, any reason. wheter of not it is scientific is not relevant

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are they, don't you ever wish for something.

wishing for something unrealistic gives people false hopes. perhaps instead of praying or wishing for rain, goverment officials should decrease water usage through restrictions and put a mandatorium on new development.

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yes one can.

ok, people CAN wish for rain, but that certainly isnt going to make it arrive. just another stupid superstition that believing it is makes it true.

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what's that a scientific reason. dont you mean a reasn that may be explained scientifically? and no there must be a reason, any reason. wheter of not it is scientific is not relevant

rain falls for a reason. its all due to atmospheric conditions. it has nothing to do with 'praying' or 'wishcasting'. people who put their trust in higher powers are people who dont want to take responsibility for their actions.

can u name just ONE instance where it has rained because of people praying? i didnt think so.

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can u name just ONE instance where it has rained because of people praying? i didnt think so.

can you name ONE instanc where it has rained becuase of 'scientific reasons'? No Way .