Shame on us. Shame on us, Shelby County.

Shame on us for electing Alabama State Sen. Hank Erwin.

Regardless of his beliefs, he is not God. Nor is he the son of God.

Sorry, Hank, but you have no more insight into the mind of God than the rest of us.

Last time I checked, nowhere was it stated in the Bible that the division of the sheep and goats would be determined by Hank Erwin.

The very idea that a man would profess to know the mind of God is crazy &045;&045; Jim Jones crazy (you know the guy with the poisoned red Koolaid and thousands of dead followers).

Last week, Erwin wrote in a column that was published in this newspaper that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment on the sin and wickedness in New Orleans.

Frankly, Sen. Erwin, if God were punishing sinners, he would have to look no further than Montgomery, a place where you contend you work for those you represent.

Or maybe he could look to other cities … what about Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlantic City … Birmingham … Montevallo?

What about Montevallo? That’s where Hank Erwin lives. Montevallo can boast the highest number of registered sex offenders in Shelby County.

Get ready, Montevallo, you’re next, if Sen. Erwin is right and God is punishing sinners.

Erwin is not the only one who believes this way. He joins the likes of al-Qaida, the Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan and the Jewish rabbis who claim Katrina is God’s punishment for U.S. support of the Israeli pullout of the Gaza strip.

Since his column, Sen. Erwin has received all sorts of media coverage including an appearance last Friday on FOX News’ Hannity and Colmes.

Perhaps that’s the true reason for Sen. Erwin’s comments. After all, he’s got to run for re-election pretty soon.

In some ways, I hope that’s it. The other alternative is that he’s really arrogant enough to believe he is privy to the mind of God.

I wonder where that sin fits into his hierarchy.

Thank goodness we’ll have an opportunity to correct this mistake at the polls.

Candace Parker serves as news editor for the Shelby County Reporter. She can be reached at mailto:candace.parker@shelbycountyreporter.com