HAROLD KELLER

Mardi Gras makes us as fools

Today is the day after what many people refer to as the biggest outdoor paty in the world. Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” has come and gone – over for another year. “Mardi Gras madness,” as some people describe it, is now bigger than every. (As a point of information, “madness” is defined as a condition of being mad. “Mad” is defined as crazy, insane, foolish, senseless.) Many cities outside of Louisiana have decided to copy the celebration for which New Orleans is famous. With the celebration comes the attitude that creates the atmosphere of “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” The Bible says that people with this mentality are fools. In Louisiana, we are famous for the French saying, “Laissez let bons temps rouler,” (let the good times roll. Many people make Mardi Gras a family day. On that day, the family will be exposed to drunkenness, drug use without the fear of arrest, urinating on the streets, people parading half-naked (and some naked), and homosexuals having a public beauty contest, with spectators applauding. Good times? You be the judge. As some of you read this, which is called an opinion column, I sense you may disagree with me and maybe even get a little angry. Before you overreact, I challenge you to ask yourself this question: Is God, our Heavenly Father, honored and pleased with such activity? Am I writing this article as a self-righteous, condemning Christian? The answer is no. Did I ever participate? You bet, I did. I rode on a float – got drunk – and got caught up in the wicked spirit that prevails that day. I thank God that I’ve been delivered. The blinders have been removed. My wife types all my articles and asked me if I realized this article would appear after Mardi Gras. That was my intention. Now that it’s over, people can reflect on the message for the next 350-plus days. HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group. Call him at 652-8477.