CREDIT: AP /Pablo Martinez Monsivais.
As per usual, when things are not going well for the Tiny Tyrant, he runs off to Fox or somewhere else where he knows he can get the warm fuzzies. This time, he ran away to Liberty College, that bastion of future hate machines.
PresidentDonald Trump outlined a deeply religious vision of America while speaking to graduates of a conservative Christian college on Saturday, invoking his own version of Christian nationalism and touting policies friendly to right-wing faithful.
I have noted that most journalistic outlets are now using the title of president. I don’t agree with that move, and I refuse to use it, so when it’s in a quote, you can expect to see it struck out here. Trump may be many things, but a president he is not.
“America is a nation of true believers…When the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, they prayed,” he said. “It’s why we proudly proclaim that we are one nation, under God, every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Oh for fuck’s sake. No. I am not a “true believer”, whatever definition you apply to that one. Pilgrims? Nice, invoking genocidal assholes who just couldn’t wait to judge, torture and slaughter. We don’t proudly proclaim any of that utter shit. One nation my arse. A splintery collection of states, most all of whom hate all the others. As for the pledge of allegiance, oh, there’s that vaunted ignorance again. The phrase “under God” was incorporated into the Pledge of Allegiance on June 14, 1954. That little change is a few years older than I am.
“In America we don’t worship government, we worship God,” Trump proclaimed, to thunderous applause. He later added: “We all bleed the same blood of patriots, we all salute the same, great American flag, and we are all made by the same almighty God.”
Oh my. Yeah, you don’t want government worshiped, you want to be worshiped, don’t you, Donnie? As for we worship “god”? No, we don’t. And yes, if you prick me, I bleed,* but I don’t ooze patriotism. Can’t say I’m thrilled by the idea of you being so focused on people bleeding. I am sure as fuck not willing to bleed for you.
The address also appeared to connect religion to the president’s willingness to increase military action in the Middle East, such as dropping the MOAB bomb on Afghanistan. Falwell in particular praised Trump for “bomb[ing] those…who were persecuting Christians,” and the president noted during his speech that Americans will be “hearing a lot about [military actions] next week from our generals.”
* If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison
us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not
revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will
resemble you in that.
– The Merchant of Venice, W. Shakespeare. [Spoken by Shylock.]
Do all those people doing the applauding actually think that Trump is a Christian?
Military action? Considering that all options lead to failure, “oh boy.”0
I don’t like the atheist trope that christians are stupid. But they sure are gullible.
Using a broad definition, Trump is a Christian. In fact, I suspect he’s representative of most American Christians. He has some vague ideas about a god he inherited from his parents, and goes to church once in awhile for appearances and daydreams instead of listens. And he’s certainly pretty close to being a secular version of a prosperity gospel preacher. He even has a few prosperity preachers in positions of authority.
Do the people applauding think he’s “their type” of Christian? I think most do not, but neither do they care. They think he will cater to them and they are probably right. He’s authoritarian and so are they. Theocratic ideals are often a great excuse for authoritarians to exercise power, even if they aren’t strict sectarian adherents.
Most of those Christians have even invented elaborate apologetics to help them rationalize supporting Trump by claiming their god is working through him to do god’s work. This is supported with various bible quotes, taken, as always, partly out of context. But, of course, that’s what a large, complex, often contradictory religious text is good at, which is supporting absolutely any viewpoint a believer wants to support.
Of course the orange trumpeter is a christian. Like every other christian his mind contains a vision of a god that supports that particular person’s personal prejudices. And that is the problem with christianity, as any other religion.
Have you noticed lately that he’s gone from orange to downright pasty?
The bleaching effect of too much public scrutiny?
Hahahaha, oh I wish. I think all the orange commentary got to him, or it got to someone close to him, who convinced him to stop with the orange spray tan business.
Harder to kill than a cockroach, the world needs to turn up the wattage.
Kengi @4:
The latest Gorillaz album has a song that agrees with you! Hallelujah Money
… the title of president. I don’t agree with that move, and I refuse to use it, so when it’s in a quote, you can expect to see it struck out here.
You have a much higher estimation of US presidents than I would have expected.
@1 chigau -- from what I have read, some Christians (of the conservative Liberty U type) acknowledge that DJT is not their kind of Christian (they tend not to have much respect for ‘lukewarm’ Christians). They support him because they think God can and will use flawed tools, and they think DJT was put in place by God. There is even some wild chatter that opposing DJT is opposing God! Hilarious -- do these people have the faintest notion how utterly bizarre that sounds? (Clearly not)
It’s the “those rules don’t apply to me but only the lesser people” variety of christianity, also known as “preaching water and drinking wine”.
Giliell @13:
Or having two scoops of ice cream when everybody else gets one scoop.