Trump and the Evangelicals

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonder;  insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before.

Where if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert;  go not forth:  behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Matthew 24:24-26

I have often stated that one cannot both follow Trump and be a Christian, or to put it another way, one cannot follow both Donald Trump and Jesus Christ.  This essay will state why, and I will back this up with scripture.

Now mind you, this is not a criticism of ANY religion, and I do not concern myself with the history of Christianity or any other religion.  I only concern myself with Trump and all his followers who claim to follow both him and Jesus.

My own religious views are private, and they will remain so in this essay.

First of all, I am truly amazed how preachers in churches at gatherings for Jesus, all the way to the January 6 insurrection, can claim to be born again Christians and follow Trump, when Trump is one of the most un-Christian people I have ever known.

Trump is a liar, a cheat, a thief, a racist, an adulterer, a rapist, a hate monger, and I will go as far as to say that he is a murderer.  He has a fascination for dictators, and cozies up to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jung-un, and he wants to be a dictator himself, and follow their examples. 

Donald Trump does have plans to become a dictator and a tyrant should he ever get re-elected to the Presidency.  (This is explained in previous essays.)

Trump has plans on abolishing the U.S. Constitution, packing all departments with his followers (consisting of yes-men), and is planning on getting revenge on anyone who crossed him in the past.

I could go on, but with what I have listed above, how can ANY Christian support him?  How can churches, especially the Evangelicals, follow someone as evil (and Trump IS evil) as that?

For decades, thee same Evangelical “Christians” (in quotation marks) have preached the coming of the Anti-Christ, and someone like Trump comes along and gets elected President.  The Evangelicals then choose to ignore all the evils Trump has committed, including the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, and look the other way when he causes any trouble, no matter how bad it is.

All of this is for one reason;  Trump is a Republican.  Any politician, no matter how bad they are, who calls himself a Republican will be swept up by these “Christians.”  These people will overlook all his sins, and give Trump their blessings to commit more, or at least look the other way.

Trump is a cult leader - that’s all there is to it.  His followers are his disciples

These very same people all claim to be Christians.  At the January 6 riots, many of the flags the rioters carried had crosses up in their corners.  One rioter held a sign reading “Christ is my Savior, Trump is my President.”  They later broke into the U.S. Capitol, killed a guard, and chased Congress out of their chamber while they were voting on the electoral college.  The rioters come near some of them, with death threats.

Christianity has always been a cover of the Republican Party since Reagan, and the Evangelicals have followed the Republican Party ever since.  At first, it was mild, and their beliefs had little or no effect on the political situation of the country.  Then Trump came along, backed by Mitch McConnell, packed the Supreme Court with right wing judges, overturning Roe v. Wade, and all hell broke loose.  Ron DeSantis of Florida started to administer censorship in Florida’s Public Schools, and the Party started to cram their religious beliefs down everybody’s throats.

How religious are they really?  Christ taught his disciples to “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and to follow all the teachings of the gospel.

These “Christians” are doing neither.  At the infamous Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, its members rails agains gays, Jews, Muslims, Transgenders, and even other Christian denominations.  They storm funerals at other churches of people they don’t like, yelling obscenities and carrying signs like “God Hates Fags.”  This is a church filled with hate.  Love thy neighbor indeed!

Let’s look at the Ten Commandments, one at a time.

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Trump is now their god, who can do nothing wrong.  They won’t admit it, but he has replaced Christ in their minds as their new savior.

II.   Thou shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that 

is in heaven above, or that is in earth beneath, or that is in the water

under the earth.

A friend of mine driving across country found a giant wooden placard of 

Trump on a farm for everyone to see.  This is a graven image.

III.  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

How many have said that “God wanted Trump to be President,” or that

"God will make him President again.”  What about the afore mentioned

Westboro Baptist Church, using God’s name for their benefit?  (God Hates

Fags).   Last I’ve heard, God loves ALL his children.

IV.  Remember they sabbath day to keep it holy.  

No comment here.

V.  Honor thy father and thy mother.

His father, yes, because he left him a fortune.  HIs mother, I don’t know, 

but I have read stories that he treated her with disrespect, or at least 

talked very litter about her when mentioning his parents.

VI.  Thou shalt not kill.

A Capitol police guard was killed during the January 6 riots, which Trump

incited.  Trump saw it all on TV, and did and said nothing.

VII.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  Self-explanatory.  Trump was married three times and cheated on all

  three of his wives, and bragged about his sexual harassment exploits.

  Remember the phrase, “grab them by the pussy?”

VIII.  Thou shalt not steal.

  Read his latest indictment in New York about inflating property values? 

  How about lying to his creditors and people who worked for him and 

  not paying them their salaries or his debts?!  The Republican Party steal 

  elections all the time, and continue to do so by voter suppression. 

  Whole books can be written here.

IX.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor.

  Trump has lied so many times to the American people and has tried to

  destroy the reputations of many other people by inventing lies about his

  enemies.

X.  Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s house, wife, or anything that is thy

      Neighbor’s.  (Paraphrased)

How many times has he done this?  How many wives of other people did

Trump try to hit on?  Probably more than you think.  Don’t forget him

forcing other people to sell him their properties.  Many businesses do this

but that doesn’t let Trump off the hook.  

For all you born-again Christians, Bible believing Christians, Fundamentalists,  Evangelicals, and other so-called Christians of any faith, is this the man you support?  Is this the man you want to see back in the White House?

Do you really believe that Trump is a man of God and will return America to greatness?  Will Trump return America to a state of righteousness?

How does this reflect on you?

A man who has broken all 10 Commandments and continues to do so without remorse isn’t someone to be followed by devout Christians.  The “Christians” are blinded by the light they think they see in Trump, where even prominent pastors endorse him.  What do they see in him?

“For men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud  blasphemers, disobedient of parents, unthankful, unholy.  Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.  Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

-II Timothy 3:2-7

Who do you see in all that?

Here’s a footnote to all this:

“And I will come near to you to judgement, and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right and fear not me saith the Lord of hosts.”

-Malachi 3:5

Who are these people just described?  Landlords who raise rents to exorbitant rates without improving living conditions, and then running out widows and single mothers with children;  Pharmaceutical companies who raise prices on medicines that mean the difference between life and death for patients, just for larger profits, when they are already making large profits. 

After a massacre, politicians refuse to enact stricter gun laws to please the NRA - National Rifle Association so they can keep funding these very politicians so they will be able to be re-elected.

These very people call themselves Christians, who will do nothing to protect human life, just for money and power.

“For where your treasure is there will be you heart also.”

-Luke 12:34

What about everyday people who claim to be both Christians and Trump supporters?  What about pastors in churches who are Trump supporters, and encourage their congregations to do the same?

Do they every observe Trump and his sins?  Do they really see what he is doing?  Do they read their Bibles, and see the laws of God that Trump and his political supporters are breaking?  Do they see that Trump is a traitor to his country by selling sensitive military secrets to businessmen, just so he can make money?  Do they see that Trump doesn’t care?  Do they see the threat that Trump, and other Republicans who support him, see the threat that they are posing to their freedoms?  Do they see that Trump is doing the Devil’s work?

As for these pastors, their congregations, and all other Evangelical Christians, do they actually read the Bible?  Do they follow the teachings of Jesus?  Do they love their neighbors?  Do they help those in need, even if these people are different from themselves?

Here is one example:  Trump promised that if he is re-elected, he will get revenge on ALL those who crossed him.

“Recompense to no man evil for evil.  Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord.

“Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him:  if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

-Romans 12:17-21

Trump merely practices hate and revenge, and that will destroy this country and you along with it.  You will not be spared should this happen.

“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils:  ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the table of devils.”

-I Corinthians 10:21

There you have it.  Next time you go to a Trump rally, hear him speak, ask yourself, “What does he really mean?  What is he saying?  Is this of God?  Is it Christian?  When he say ‘Make America Great Again,’ does he mean to destroy America and rebuild it up in his image?”

Look at his heroes:  Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, fascist dictators who commit mass murder whom Trump wants to emulate.  

Is this a man of God?  Or does he want to become God himself?  Remember, Lucifer, God’s Light bearer wanted to be God and ended up in Hell!

There are two more things before I close.

First, respect those that are different from yourselves, even if they have different political persuasions (as long as it’s not tyrannical).

As for Jews, gays, blacks, orientals, hispanics, remember :

“There is neither Jew nor Greek (or any other ethnic group), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female (and both are equal, don’t forget that), for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

-Galatians 3:28

Translation:  God loves ALL his children.

Last, I would like to end this essay with a warning.

If you see those who claim to be Christian - who are bigoted, treat other people badly, who support demonic figures like Trump or Putin, or are just plain hypocrites, remember this verse from Matthew.

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  And in thy name have cast out devils?  And in thy name done many wonderful works?

“And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.”

-Matthew 7:22, 23

Alastair Browne

Trump’s Mugshot (Part 4)

Let’s begin this essay with another fable by Aesop:

The Mischievous Dog

There was once a Dog who used to snap at people and bite them without any provocation, and who was a great nuisance to every one who came to his master's house. So his master fastened a bell round his neck to warn people of his presence. The Dog was very proud of the bell, and strutted about tinkling it with immense satisfaction.                                                                                   But an old dog came up to him and said, "The fewer airs you give yourself the better, my friend. You don't think, do you, that your bell was given you as a reward of merit?                                                                                                   “On the contrary, it is a badge of disgrace.”     (Emphasis mine.)

Moral:  Men often mistake notoriety for fame

 (https://www.infoplease.com/primary-sources/fables-fairytales/aesops-fables/aesops-fables-217) 

Mugshot of Trump, #P01135809

So Trump got his mugshot at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, along with 18 other co-defendants, most of them smiling, and like the mischievous dog in the above fable, they all think it’s a badge of honor.

It isn’t!  For all of them, especially for Trump, it is a mark of shame, and it doesn’t matter how many people believe otherwise, and it doesn’t matter if his mugshot is put on T-shirts, coffee mugs, or posters, and commercialized, and one million people buy and wear this merchandise, it is still a mark of shame, and that is how it will be judged by history.  

There is a proverb, “if one million people say a foolish thing, it’s still a foolish thing.”  Take that into consideration.  Also, for those who are spending their money on this T-shirts, etc.,  P.T. Barnum once said that “there’s a sucker born every minute.”  (Of course, maybe all this Trump merchandise will someday become collector’s items.)

Trump’s mugshot has him looking miserable, angry, and defiant, and by now, his mugshot is now on the above mentioned T-shirts, coffee mugs, and posters, some with the words “He’s Innocent,” and people are wearing his shirts and displaying his posters with pride.

They are selling, and every Trump supporter will want one, maybe an entire set.  Too bad the money will only go to Trump’s lawyers for his defense.

This is how different this is from the fable of The Mischievous Dog.  In the fable, no one was impressed, and it was an older, and wiser dog that stated that the bell is not a badge of honor, but a badge of shame.  In this case, it will take many older, wiser dogs, plus the loss of the next election, which I think will happen, for Trump to finally realize this.  It is only then when people walk away in droves, when Trump loses, and is prosecuted, that Trump will be embarrassed.

Trump’s mugshot is nothing for him, or any other criminal, to be proud of, for it stands for all the criminal activity in which he participated.  He violated the Constitution, obstructed justice, lied to the American people and the U.S. government, tried to overturn the election in Georgia, along with the rest of the U.S.,  even incited a coup:

This following is from Wikipedia:

Five people died (including a capitol police guard) during or following the event: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes. Many people were injured, including 138 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months.

All these deaths are attributed to Donald Trump.  Does anyone care?  This was so Trump could stay in power long after his term expired;  and members of the House and Senate are willing to look the other way and return him to the White House?  They even justified the January 16 coup, even when their own lives were at stake, and they are still willing to support him as he runs again for President.

Let’s not forget that Trump also stole secret documents and showed them to guests at his parties at Mar-a-Lago in order to impress them, at great risk to our national security.

That mugshot shows Trump for what he really is, a hardened criminal who got caught.  He is booked and has to stand trial in Georgia and the federal government cannot do a thing to stop it.  

This photo show Trump’s notoriety, his shame of breaking various laws and finally getting caught, and the consequences he will have to suffer.

What of the other defendants?  Are they proud of their mugshots?

Any common criminal would feel humiliated when they have their mugshots taken.  What’s even more humiliating is have one’s mugshot shown to the world.

Remember Manuel Noriega, onetime President of Panama?  He was a dictator until the U.S. invaded Panama and took Noriega to a Florida prison.  He had his mugshot taken and shown to the world, and he looked humiliated.

This mugshot of Trump may backfire.  Only about one third of the Republican Party are hardcore Trump supporters.  The rest are willing to vote for any of his opponents, even a Democratic one, i.e. Joe Biden.  Also, don’t forget the Democrats, and the up and coming Generation Z voters who are anti-Trump.

These people will look at Trump’s mugshot and see the shame and disgrace in the photo, and will have the sense enough not to help reinstate this type of man, a criminal, back in the White House.  They are willing to vote for the present incumbent.  

Republican Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey and presidential candidate, stated in the first Republican debate, “I am not going to bow to anyone when we have a president of the United States who disrespects the Constitution.”  

He was booed by the audience.  No matter, he had the guts to state it and stand by it.  These are the type of people we need.  There is no room for cowardice.

In history, a presidential candidate, if he is nominated in more than one election, will not receive as many votes as he did in his first.  Trump received seven million votes less than Joe Biden in Trump’s election campaign, and if he is nominated again, he will receive even lesser votes than that in 2024 because of his behavior.  

As of the present moment, Trump, his co-defendants, and his followers may treat all this as a joke, but history will take it a lot seriously and will have a different verdict.  Whatever Trumps fate may be, history will judge Trump for what he really is:  a liar, a cheat, a thief, a President with the manners and morals of a spoiled child, and all this will be his place in history.  He will be condemned as a disgrace, with no reconciliation.

History will judge Trump and his followers harshly, and he will never be forgiven.

This is what his mugshot really means!

Alastair Browne