Hi Mark,
No judgment, huh? How about this:
Gen 3:17 — And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.
Gen 3:18 — Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth.
Gen 3:19 — In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.
One of our most fundamental Catholic beliefs is the guilt our first parents (and we) bear for Original Sin, and the subsequent divine judgment(s) which resulted, and which we also bear.
No doubt, God knew exactly what the consequences of that sin would be, and that uncontrolled forces of nature, corruption (spiritual, physical, societal) and various types of kaos would continue to chastise mankind with increasing frequency, until the end of the age. Scripture tells us as much.
Actions have consequences, and every evil in the world is a result of Original Sin.
So, did God decree judgment on the people of New Orleans for their sins?
Absolutely. Just as He has for every sinner of every generation.
Did He personally dispatch the hurricane that destroyed the city? Who can possibly know, except God?
At least, through Scripture, we can be certain about many past judgments and chastisements, as God's Word is often clear and precise.
For example, not long ago, riding the train to work, I was reading the account of Noah's flood from the Bible.
The fellow sitting next to me took notice and asked, rather condescendingly, “Do you really believe Noah's flood actually happened?”
“Sure do!” I replied. “In fact, when I get to heaven, one of the first things I'm going to do is find ol' Noah and ask him to tell me all about it.”
My skeptical friend inquired again, “What if Noah's not in heaven?”
“Then YOU can ask him!” I replied.
Thanks for all your good work, Mark. I hope your new podcast is successful.
Sorry about sneaking in that old joke. The devil made me do it!
Pax Christi,
Larry Douglas
Just Another Faithful Catholic
Dear Larry,
I didn't say there was no judgment. In fact, I very specifically said God does judge. Please go back and re-read the article.
Thanks for writing. The joke's not that old. 🙂
Mark Shea
Senior Content Editor
Catholic Exchange
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