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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Chastisement	Chas	Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Question: I have been hearing from people that the reason the earthquake happened in Haiti was because it was a chastisement from God. I have friends who attended a meeting held by someone who is supposedly well known and even some cloisters nuns took time to go listen to him and that was the main point he was making. Also that Katrina happened in New Orleans for the same reason. Supposed because there is too much voodoo in Haiti and to much sin in New Orleans. I asked what about the earth quake that destroyed much of Asisi and the Church of St. Francis. I asked why God was chastising that small town and the country of Italy. I got no response from them. What is the best way to answer those that say that Pat Robertson was not wrong to say what he said about Haiti?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Chas: The media mis-characterized (as usual) what Pat Robertson said. As reported by Bryan Fischer from AFA: 1) Pat Robertson said that Haiti made a pact with the devil in exchange for freedom from slavery. This is historically true. No one in Haiti disputes this, and Haiti's ambassador confirmed it on U.S. television. 2) Robertson did not say that the earthquake was a result of this curse, or was God's fault. Instead, Robertson attributed Haiti's grinding poverty to this compact with Satan. Jesus himself said that the thief comes only to "steal and kill and destroy." God does not zap people to punish them without a revelation for repentance. The Old Testament does record God punishing a people, even to the death of an entire nation, but this was not without warning. Sodom, for example, was warned before it was destroyed. God commission Lot to find any righteous people in the city. He found none. The prophets of the Old Testament warned leaders all the time that if repentance did not come God would do this or that. Natural disasters, however, are considered, according to Church teaching, to be "material evil". God does not commit material evil, or evil of any kind. He does allow evil, however. And, God can use natural disasters for His purposes. But, natural Disasters are natural disasters. We must remember that God promises in Romans 8:28 that He can and does bring goodness out of all things, including evil things, if we allow Him. The reason for the abject poverty and non-existent infrastructure (which intensified the disaster) may well be a result of a Nation far away from God (e.g., voodoo, satanic pacts). As a result of this distance from God, the dictators who have ruled Haiti have had the opportunity to control and devastate Haiti. Evil will fill a vacuum of righteousness. The reason for this disaster is first, a natural phenomena of earthquakes. Second, the level of devastation is a direct result of corrupt government officials. These officials have, probably, stolen million or even billions of dollars of aid that Haiti has received over the decades that could have strengthened the infrastructure. And third, the pact with the devil and the practices of voodoo ploughed the fertile ground for the corruption and poverty that made this disaster so devastating. The primary effect this spiritual history is the possibility of God withdrawing His blessing upon a nation for its evils. Get ready folks -- the United States is losing its blessing from God, I believe, and the results may not be as bad as Haiti (maybe), but it can be worse than any time in U.S. history, far worse than the Great Depression of the 1930's. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Chastisement

Chas

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Question:

I have been hearing from people that the reason the earthquake happened in Haiti was because it was a chastisement from God. I have friends who attended a meeting held by someone who is supposedly well known and even some cloisters nuns took time to go listen to him and that was the main point he was making. Also that Katrina happened in New Orleans for the same reason. Supposed because there is too much voodoo in Haiti and to much sin in New Orleans. I asked what about the earth quake that destroyed much of Asisi and the Church of St. Francis. I asked why God was chastising that small town and the country of Italy. I got no response from them. What is the best way to answer those that say that Pat Robertson was not wrong to say what he said about Haiti?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Chas:

The media mis-characterized (as usual) what Pat Robertson said. As reported by Bryan Fischer from AFA:

1) Pat Robertson said that Haiti made a pact with the devil in exchange for freedom from slavery. This is historically true. No one in Haiti disputes this, and Haiti's ambassador confirmed it on U.S. television.

2) Robertson did not say that the earthquake was a result of this curse, or was God's fault. Instead, Robertson attributed Haiti's grinding poverty to this compact with Satan. Jesus himself said that the thief comes only to "steal and kill and destroy."

God does not zap people to punish them without a revelation for repentance. The Old Testament does record God punishing a people, even to the death of an entire nation, but this was not without warning. Sodom, for example, was warned before it was destroyed. God commission Lot to find any righteous people in the city. He found none. The prophets of the Old Testament warned leaders all the time that if repentance did not come God would do this or that.

Natural disasters, however, are considered, according to Church teaching, to be "material evil". God does not commit material evil, or evil of any kind. He does allow evil, however. And, God can use natural disasters for His purposes. But, natural Disasters are natural disasters. We must remember that God promises in Romans 8:28 that He can and does bring goodness out of all things, including evil things, if we allow Him.

The reason for the abject poverty and non-existent infrastructure (which intensified the disaster) may well be a result of a Nation far away from God (e.g., voodoo, satanic pacts). As a result of this distance from God, the dictators who have ruled Haiti have had the opportunity to control and devastate Haiti. Evil will fill a vacuum of righteousness.

The reason for this disaster is first, a natural phenomena of earthquakes. Second, the level of devastation is a direct result of corrupt government officials. These officials have, probably, stolen million or even billions of dollars of aid that Haiti has received over the decades that could have strengthened the infrastructure. And third, the pact with the devil and the practices of voodoo ploughed the fertile ground for the corruption and poverty that made this disaster so devastating.

The primary effect this spiritual history is the possibility of God withdrawing His blessing upon a nation for its evils.

Get ready folks -- the United States is losing its blessing from God, I believe, and the results may not be as bad as Haiti (maybe), but it can be worse than any time in U.S. history, far worse than the Great Depression of the 1930's.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum