10 Signs You’re Actually Following TRUMPianity Instead of CHRISTianity
In the Era of Trump’s America , I must admit that I hardly recognize the very people who raised me. I was brought up by the Religious Right, and went on to become a faithful foot soldier for the cause of conservative Christianity and right-wing politics until my mid 30’s. However, long gone is their commitment to the values they tried to instill in me, and so much else that once consistently encompassed their collective identity.
Sadly, my old tribe seems to collectively struggle to realize they’ve done exactly what they spent the entire Left Behind series warning me not to do: they have fallen in line behind a worldly leader who arose to power during a time of “wars and rumors of wars,” who did so by falsely pretending to be a Christian, but who would ultimately lead them to follow an entirely new religion.
To help my former right-wing family out, here’s the top 10 signs you’re now following TRUMPianity instead of CHRISTianity:
10. You spent 8 years criticizing every move of Obama, but the minute Trump was sworn in you started telling everyone that “Christians should respect the president” and that being “divisive” is a sin.
Remember the you of two years ago? That’s okay, because I do– and you certainly didn’t seem to believe that Christians should “respect the president” or that being politically divisive was any sort of sin.
Here I am recalling you taught me that, “sin is always sin” and doesn’t change just because culture changes. Huh!
9. You think, “but we’re a nation of laws” somehow trumps biblical teachings on how immigrants are to be treated.
You didn’t expect me to forget all of those years where you taught me that the Bible is the “final authority for all matters of living,” did you?
Good, because I didn’t– but it certainly sounds like you did. I’m reminded every time you dismiss what the Bible teaches about the treatment of immigrants with, “But, but… we’re a nation of laws!”
I thought you’d said, “We have a responsibility to follow God’s law, not man’s law!” just a few weeks ago. Silly me!
8. Your church is planning a “patriotic worship service” for the 4th of July.
Let me simplify this for you: there’s no such thing as “patriotic worship” unless you’re willing to simply admit you’re worshipping your own country.
You were the ones who taught me that if God isn’t the focal point of our worship, that it’s sinful idolatry. Surely you remember Jesus saying, “It is written: worship the Lord your God and serve him only”?
Apparently there’s now room for two. Strange!
7. You instinctively applaud when Trump threatens to “bomb the shit” out of people, but quickly push back if someone quotes what Jesus taught about violence and enemy love.
Jesus commanded we love our enemies, and that we never repay evil with evil but instead repay evil with good. I mean, it’s right there in the red words. I still have it underlined from 1984.
But now when I quote that in response to your thinking that it’s all cute when Trump wants to “knock the crap” out of a protestor or nuke a country, you tell me that I’m twisting scripture.
Sorry, but I think siding with Trump over Jesus is… as Trump would say: Sad!
6. You think that having a filthy mouth and boasting about sexual immorality is a sign of being unsaved, but when it comes to Trump you all of a sudden have a “Who am I to judge?” attitude.
I mean, c’mon. I grew up under your guidance and I think we both know that neither one of us ever thought we’d see the day when you became an advocate of not judging. You told me that if I had sex before marriage or used the F-word that it would be evidence I was never saved to begin with.
Doesn’t it seem odd to you that it was Trump, and not Jesus who got you to (selectively) soften up on the whole judging others thing? Interesting!
5. You think it’s God-honoring to refuse to bow to a national statue, but that you should be fired from your job, kicked out of the country, or even charged with treason for refusing to stand for the flag.
Let me get this straight: When everyone obeyed the king and bowed down to the national statue and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused– under the pain of death– to pledge their allegiance to anyone except God, they were the good guys of the story…
But fast forward to present day America, and the good guys are actually the ones who want to force everyone to pay respect to the national symbol? Plot twist!
4. You want the nation to return to “biblical values” … except for all those socialist sounding biblical things like caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, giving food to the hungry, etc.
So you really want the nation to return to “biblical values”? You do realize that when Israel lived under God’s law (which you love to quote when talking of same sex marriage) also included laws that mandated the rich be taxed, even down to the food they had, and that the wealth was to be redistributed to the poor and immigrants, yes?
Or is this the one situation where you’d rather not remember that you keep saying, “But God’s law never changes”? Confused!
3. Your church spends one month a year celebrating the story of a refugee family who fled their violent homeland and secretly crossed the border to safety, only to return home years later where their son became another unarmed person of color killed by the state’s violent security forces because they “felt threatened”…
Yet you spend 11 months of the year missing the obvious. Ironic!
2. You claimed Barack Obama’s election was the result of evil forces, but the minute Trump was sworn into office you started quoting verses about how “God picks a nation’s kings and queens.”
For real, how does this work? Did God only get involved and start deciding elections with the past election cycle, or did you just start quoting this verse after the black guy left?
There’s a lot in this world I don’t know, but I do happen to know the answer to *that* one. Easy!
1. You spent the 90’s saying “character counts” but now say, “We don’t vote for a national pastor.”
Ahh, my absolute favorite sign you’re following Trumpianity instead of Christianity.
Version of you from today, I’d like you to meet the version of you from the Clinton administration. You were supposedly so morally outraged that you coined the term, “Character Counts” to explain why you felt Clinton was unfit for office.
The version of you from today? My, my… as I listen to you explain that “We don’t vote for a national pastor…” I am keenly aware of how having the political power changes things. Totally!
…
So you’re a loyal Trump supporter and a loyal Christian?
I’m not so sure.
You might want to take a more self-critical look and make sure you’re following Christianity, and not Trumpianity. Really!
Christ gave us ONE commandment. One.
"Love God and your fellows."
No exceptions, no fine print, no loopholes, ... His sermons and parables are full of examples of inclusion. Christ ministered to Samaritans and Romans. To the poor. And to women. To all!
So if you hear someone claiming to be a Christian, while publicly hating... That person is a liar and a blasphemer.
It's blasphemy to criticize Trump!
I know you're trying to make a joke... but in fact you've described the situation perfectly.
Trump has replaced Christ for millions of American "Christians".
No two Christians think identical or hold exactly the same beliefs. Each is free to think as they please and shouldn’t waste too much time on those that try to control their thoughts and beliefs.
No, Dean.
A "Christian" must follow Christ... and the bedrock of His message is "Love one another."
A Christian cannot be a racist. A racist cannot be a Christian.
This is not rocket science.
And turn over a few tables at the "market" now and again ?
He was human. He got angry at the degradation of His Father's house. How is that a problem?
Yet you keep touting about "Other Humans" should be "Gods"?
These "Humans" are only following in "Jesus's" footsteps....right ?
No.
Actually.....YES !
Christianity is supposed to be the PERFECT Way.....right ?
That statement kind of reminds me of a post on a different article that stated that if someone held some liberal views they cant really be liberal unless they are progressive which didn't make sense to me because as for myself and many I do know and associate with , where they fall on a liberal / conservative line usually is very dependant on the subject being discussed.
Thankfully for me I fall in neither the lefts progressive camp nor the rights ultra conservative camp, though I will catch shit from both sides for giving thought to both sides of an issue.
No one is saying Christians are supposed to be perfect, they're just pointing out the hypocrisy of Christians who for years have been proclaiming a higher moral standard but then turn around and support the antithesis of their proclamations. It's like a professed germophobe who suddenly starts eating food from dumpsters and licking hand rails, door knobs and toilet seats. By your actions you prove you're not just no longer a germophobe, you've become the antithesis greedily shoving every filthy dirty thing you can get your hands on in your mouth. The Christians who once professed high moral standards are now vehemently defending a man who cheated on all three wives, has had numerous affairs with porn stars and playboy playmates, has been credibly accused by at least 19 women of sexual assault, has admitted in his own words that he "doesn't even wait" for consent and just grabs women he finds attractive "by the pussy". They haven't just stopped being Christ-like, they've become the antithesis of Christ-like becoming like the so-called "holy men" of Christ's time, the scribes and the Pharisees who hypocritically proclaimed their self-righteousness while supporting a corrupt temple and rejecting Jesus going so far as to have him arrested and killed on charges of blasphemy.
I can only imagine what the Christ of the bibles words would be watching his supposed followers abandon him to become sycophants of an authoritarian dictator and pretend Christian. I'm sure his words would be the same as they were back then, "Forgive them father, for they know not what they do".
Word is....Mary Magdalen had a couple of his children.
I do not know what a "liberal" is in America. Nor a "progressive" . I know of "progressive policies", so I amalgamate persons who support progressive policies.
The problem, of course, is that there is no normalized "progressive program". For example, we expect a progressive to support universal health-care... but which model?
We don't have the same problem with Christianity. A Christian is a follower of Christ... unless language has become nonsense...
Christ's message is straightforward: "Love one another!" It's not complicated.
There are lots of legends. They're amusing, but not important.
Nope not complicated at all really , but then again , I have never claimed to be a follower of the Christian faith.
That's the key. Each of us is responsible for our behavior. Some of us consider that Christ's message is a good basis.
If others adopt a different referential, they are less concerned by "false-Christian-hypocrisy"... although the presence of impenitent hypocrites in high places should be troublesome for everyone.
I thought the Bible was all about "Legend".
You thought wrong.
Just reiterating what I read here. Good to know they're WRONG !
Beware of unreliable sources.
MOST were just opinions.
Watch out for the "Spaghetti monster".
Is he your god?
Seems appropriate...
I understood it was a GOD for "EVERYONE".
What is it the news says...….ummmmmm…… We/He reports... you decide ?
IMNAAHO, each of us is responsible for our God.
If you want the FSM, go for it!
Ask Her, not me.
I have no pretension of speaking for God.
Actually, "God" makes us responsible for ourselves and our doings...as it should be. What YOU make and do with YOUR life, can make for a great vacation in the end....or not.
You sadden me. You have a brain, but you waste it on stupid stuff like this.
Let's imagine that I take your bait. I go over the top. Perrie suspends me. Is that a good thing in your world? Would that make you happy?
Don't bother, Bf.
Most religions probably think their way is the "perfect" way.
Most religions...
That's a generalization so general that it's kinda meaningless in the end.
Sounds like an analysis of religion too.
True, sometimes!
The reach of The Deceiver is long, His Shadow is longer.
In America and the World, the illusion and allure of Nationalism is on the rise.
In all honesty, I've followed DJT for thirty years. Never thought him honest, had any integrity or was particularly knowledgeable on much of anything, but I never really thought he would be more comfortable in the company of dictators such as Putin, Erdogan, Duarte and now Kim. Not only is this puzzling, it is very revealing.
As far as Trump's base. Authoritarians need a base to succeed.
Very true. And Trumps base would be willing to slit the throat of America as long as it's to prevent a liberal or progressive win. They would rather put a bullet through lady liberties head than admit they were in anyway wrong in electing an obvious narcissist incompetent sexual predator with an IQ smaller than his teeny tiny hands to the highest office in the land.
Why don't you tell us what you really think?
History is riddled with charlatans, liars and thieves that paved the road to misery for their people.
I am still wondering why the jacket, "I don't really care--do you?", as a news conversation disappeared into a black hole.
I seeded the story... and got no traction at all. Team Red was conspicuous by its absence....
Only for Christians.
????
False. I commented, as did many others and the story was off the page by noon. When I went to see my comment, nothing was there. Somebody or something took it down. I personally believe Melania's choice to wear that, especially to that event, meant something. It was a signal. Of what, I do not know.
And as far as current news the 'I really don't care--do you' is like it never happened. Hillary's emails still pop up though. Go figure.
Perhaps someone else also seeded the story... and then deleted it.
My seed is still up ... and still has only my initial Comment.