map key: red=higher rates, green=lower rates

Teen Births, 15-19, 2003

Infant Mortality, 2004

Overall State Health Ranking, 2004

Or, perhaps God's smiting the Gulf Coast and the Bible Belt for violating Levitical prohibitions against eating shellfish ? That would make lots of sense given that BP's Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout may well destroy the viability of the Gulf shellfish industry for the next 50 years.

Then, there's former John McCain endorser and Christians United For Israel founder John Hagee, who has claimed that hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans was brought on by a planned gay pride parade but also also has a long track record of attributing American misfortune of every sort on Godly wrath over US policy toward Israel. Not to mention that Hagee has written that "America is under the curse of God" because of legalized abortion and the teaching of Evolution. So much Godly wrath, so little time.

Maybe, just maybe, the Gulf Coast oil disaster is exactly what is might seem to be - the product of corporate greed and carelessness, and America's inability to wean itself off oil.

Take your pick, America.