Trump Cabinet Bible leader blames coronavirus on God's 'wrath'

A minister who has been leading a weekly Bible-study group for members of President Trump's Cabinet has posted online his belief that amid the coronavirus, America is not experiencing God's "forsaking wrath" but, rather, his "consequential wrath."

"Some leading evangelicals believe and teach that America is now experiencing God's judgment," wrote Ralph Drollinger, a former NBA player and the founder of Capitol Ministries, which provides Bible studies, evangelism and discipleship to political leaders.

"If that is the case, as a public servant who is sacrificing so much in your attempt to turn our nation around, it would stand to reason – if those evangelical leaders are correct – that you are wasting your time. Are you laboring against a foregone conclusion? I think not. But let me qualify that: I do not believe America is experiencing the forsaking wrath of God, but yes, America is experiencing the consequential wrath of God," he wrote March 21 in a preface to his Bible study on the subject.

In the study, Drollinger explains the Bible is full of examples showing that the satisfaction of God's violated justice is His judgment, but that is balanced – "often placated" – by His mercy.

But Drollinger raises the prospect of mercy being "expended."

"Since God is just and sin must and will be paid for, wrath—the righteousness of God revealed against sin—is an inevitable consequence," he said.

He listed five forms of God's judgment, including eternal wrath (hell), eschatological wrath (the day of the Lord) and cataclysmic wrath (Sodom & Gomorrah).

Then there is the forsaking wrath (removing restraint) and consequential wrath (sowing and reaping).

Drollinger concludes that America is facing consequential wrath, pointing out it's not the same as the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Old Testament cities destroyed by fire from the heavens over their homosexuality.

"In fact to the contrary, America today is populated by tens of millions of faithful followers of Christ!" he wrote. "Many are those who have glibly postured, 'If God does not judge America, then he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology!' But such thinking fails to take into account what went on between Abraham and God in Genesis 18:22–33 before He judged Sodom and Gomorrah!"

Drollinger wrote:

Abraham, if he were to plead with God for America, would have a much stronger case than he did pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, today’s America is not by in large characterized by people who are unfaithful to God’s precepts. Conversely, there is only a small minority of individuals who are grossly disobedient to God.

Unfortunately for the vast majority of faithful individuals in America, too many of the unfaithful have been allowed by the faithful to gain high positions of influence in our culture: high positions in our government, our educational system, our media and our entertainment industry. This is tragic, unfortunate, and costly.

Those individuals who are rebuked by God’s forsaking wrath are largely responsible for God’s consequential wrath on our nation.

That needs to change—and that is something we can change with God’s help! What is a great encouragement to me, ministering here in our nation’s capital, is witnessing the groundswell of faithful individuals who have been voted into office. If my calculations are correct, and I believe they are, there are more believers in Congress and the executive branch now than at any other time in modern American history! And they are beginning to reach a tipping point!

He predicted: "I think great days lie ahead for our country as more and more evangelicals rise in their influence—you godly public servants— who are working so hard to deliver us from the consequential wrath we are undergoing as a nation due in large part to the misdirection of those who are rebuked by God’s forsaking wrath."

He cited a verse in Proverbs that states, "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan."

Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald's publication The Intercept said Drollinger's "evangelical lessons are carefully catered to conservative ideology, with a focus on interpreting current events through a partisan lens."

The study meets every Wednesday with members of Trump's Cabinet, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Health Secretary Alex Azar.

The report said another 52 Republican lawmakers have taken part in Drollinger's Capitol Hill Bible study.