Christian conservative and Republican congressional candidate Bob Marshall claims that disabled children are God’s punishment for women who have an abortion.

Marshall, a Virginia GOP state delegate and congressional candidate, is standing by his obnoxious, irresponsible and baseless claim about the supposed “divine” link between abortion and disabled children, according to a report issued by Right Wing Watch.

Marshall says that “Nature takes its vengeance on subsequent children,” and that “Christians would suggest,” “It’s a special punishment.”

Back in 2010, at an event calling for an end to state funding for Planned Parenthood, Marshall originally suggested a divine connection between abortion and disabled children, claiming that women who have abortions are more likely to face “vengeance” from “nature” in children with a greater likelihood of having developmental disabilities.

The Wire reports Marshall is “the Culture War’s Four Star General.” And he has the outrageous, Christian conservative credentials to rate such a rank.

Marshall has repeatedly defended his stance against abortion in all cases, even in the case of rape and incest.

Marshall explained in an interview with the Boston Globe in 1989 that he wouldn’t make exceptions for abortions, even in the case of rape and incest, stating: “What if incest is voluntary? Sometimes it is.”

About abortion in the case of rape, Marshall said: “[T]he woman becomes a sin-bearer of the crime, because the right of a child predominates over the embarrassment of the woman.”

Marshall also questioned the sexuality of Supreme Court Justice Kennedy after Kennedy ruled in favor of marriage equality: “For all I know, Kennedy’s a homosexual,” he said. “You can’t be doing some of these things without this kind of conclusion.”

Raw Story reports Marshall has repeatedly introduced “personhood” bills to secure civil and legal rights for the unborn from the moment of conception; and in 2012 Marshall introduced the notorious measure that would require women to undergo trans-vaginal ultrasounds before having abortions.

Marshall is a profoundly ignorant and disturbed man. Claiming that disabled children are God’s punishment for women who have an abortion is simply cruel and perverse.

Marshall faces his Virginia General Assembly colleague Barbara Comstock in an April 26 primary election. Currently the race is too close to call.