Trump seems to believe that the answer to chaos is greater chaos. His rhetoric is more incendiary than ever before. He is retreating into a deeper, darker, more aggressive state of mind. Even many of his surrogates are beginning to separate themselves slightly from their master.
All of this causes me to wonder why so many people continue to support this narcissist. In particular, it is the evangelical Christian community that truly baffles me. Declaring allegiance to Jesus while remaining loyal to Donald just doesn't register logically in my mind, as the two represent contrasting values. In an effort to explore this further I decided to go to the Bible and study some of the working concepts of values as expressed by Jesus. Then, I considered the words and actions of Donald Trump. To make things easier for me I put these side by side in chart form. Her is what I came up with, though I confess it could easily be expanded.
Two Takes on
the Beatitudes
JESUS
|
TRUMP
|
Matthew 5:3 (NIV2011)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"the pious in Israel, for the most part poor, whom the
worldly rich despised and persecuted"
(A.T. Robertson) |
Values money above people; displays a genuine disdain for
those who are poor or struggling
|
Matthew 5:4 (NIV2011)
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. |
Shows no compassion or support for victims of violence; remained
silent after death of George Floyd and so many others; response to death of
John McCain
|
Matthew 5:5 (NIV2011)
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. |
Appears to equate “meek” with “weak”; sees the meek as inferior; prefers to display arrogance & pride
|
Matthew 5:6 (NIV2011)
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Prioritizes
morality, integrity, goodness, justice & ethical living
|
Amoral; hedonistic; no concern for justice; seeks only
that which gives him an edge
|
Matthew 5:7 (NIV2011)
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. |
Show no mercy, rather, seek revenge & payback;
|
Matthew 5:8 (NIV2011)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. |
No regard for purity or honesty; habitual liar; dishonest
both in business (think Trump University & Trump Foundation), politics,
and personal life
|
Matthew 5:9 (NIV2011)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. |
If peacemakers are the children of God, are
violence-makers the children of Satan?
Trump stokes the embers of violence through his rhetoric; he “blesses”
police violence, white supremacists, racists, the Confederacy
|
Matthew 5:10-11 (NIV2011)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. |
Seeks retribution when criticized; loves to see himself as
the victim to gain sympathy & support; holds a grudge against anyone who
speaks poorly of him
|
Additional
Contrasts Between Jesus & Trump
Jesus
|
Trump
|
John 13:34 (NIV2011)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. |
Prefers to display animosity; antagonizes others;
|
Seeks unity: John 17:20-21 (NIV2011)
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. |
Thrives on division, competition; seeks to create friction between persons
and groups
|
Loyalty to God above all else.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV2011)
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. |
Loyalty to Trump above all else
|
Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV2011)
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Also: note the parable of the Good Samaritan –
“neighbor” is defined as any human being;
|
Xenophobic; “Muslim ban”;
anti-immigration;
|
Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. |
Trump’s entire life is a contradiction; he is a hypocrite
through and through.
|
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. |
Trump prefers glitz and glitter, bragging – and likely
lying – about his net worth; he seeks attention and flattery
|
James 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. |
tax cuts for the top 1% of the wealthy; hyper-partisanship;
|
The contrast could not be greater.
G. D. Gehr
July 7, 2020
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