Matt GaspersThis morning, I was pleased to join Dr. Taylor Marshall on his show to discuss the question, “Does God still send plagues to punish?”
The general catalyst for our discussion was, of course, the coronavirus (COVID-19); but more specifically, it was framed in response to Fr. James Martin, S.J. and his current disinformation campaign against the truth about divine chastisements.
Over the weekend, Fr. Martin chose to snipe at Cardinal Raymond Burke on Twitter, quoting from His Eminence’s “Message on the Combat against the Coronavirus” and attempting to pit him against Our Lord:
To which I replied:
In a different thread on Sunday, Fr. Martin counseled his followers:
And yet, the very Gospel passage he cites (Luke 13:2-5) — and from which he quotes selectively — actually proves the opposite, that God does punish sins by means of chastisements: “…but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish,” and, “except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Anyone who has ever read the Bible knows as much!
Moreover, those familiar with Scriptural teaching on suffering know that God our Father does not punish us because He is “monstrous,” as Fr. Martin falsely claims, but because He loves us:
“For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by Him. For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth; and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. … Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield to them that are exercised by it the most peaceable fruit of justice. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees: And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed.” (Heb. 12:4-6, 12-13)
Thus, Dr. Marshall and I counter Fr. Martin’s errors in our latest video with a host of examples from Scripture and Church history. We also cover Cardinal Burke’s message (mentioned above), as well as Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s recent statement, “‘We Glory in Tribulations’ — Living the Faith When Public Worship is Prohibited“. As an added bonus, we conclude by covering Dr. Marshall’s seven-point “Be the Maccabee” action plan, which he originally presented at the 2019 Catholic Identity Conference (see here for my Twitter thread on the subject, which I tweeted live during his talk).
Enjoy and please share it with your family and friends!
Brian McCall
