Fundamentalist Christians, Trump, and Me.
The author of this new book, Bob Woodward, has series credibility. He was one of the journalists who helped take down Richard Nixon. People will have told him the truth because of his level of access- they'll have known he would talk to everyone and cross-check their claims.
From the book:
'Facing intense criticism for saying “both sides” were to blame for deadly neo-nazi violence in Charlottesville in August 2017, Mr Trump was convinced by aides to publicly condemn white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.
Almost immediately after issuing the statement he reportedly told aides it was “the biggest f***ing mistake I’ve made” and the “worst speech I’ve ever given” '
'White House chief of staff John F Kelly frequently vented his fury about Mr Trump and told colleagues he thought the president was “unhinged”, the book claims.
In one small group meeting, Mr Kelly is reported to have said: “He’s an idiot. It’s pointless to try to convince him of anything. He’s gone off the rails. We’re in Crazytown. I don’t even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I’ve ever had.” '
A few people have commented that I focus on Trump too much. I understand their point, but let me explain;
I've been a stay-at-home dad for 5 years. I'm also a writer, and by nature curious. There's a journalistic streak in me too, in fact, I almost went down that path once. Haley keeps me busy during the day, and when she's at school I'm writing, but I've also been blessed with time to read and keep up with the news.
I tend to watch and read widely, and like to double or triple check stories that stand out. I have time to do this, but it's not hard. I usually have multiple windows open on my laptop for research, news, music or simply things I'm curious about.
I've watched the current state of affairs develop across the pond from 2016. I'm somewhat familiar with recent American history, especially from WW2 onwards, having taught cold war history at GCSE level. I also taught German history, focusing on the 1930's and the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Added to this, I'm a Christian, although some may argue the point. I was questioning and disillusioned before 2016, and Trump's rise to prominence only served to amplify my disquiet. I watched in bafflement as fellow Christians here in NI posted unflinching support for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, seemingly without knowing much about either man, blinded by his lip-service to 'Christian values', so blatantly at odds with his words, actions and policies. Do you really think he cares about abortion?
Even if he does, it doesn't excuse your support for him. Why? Because from the early days of his campaign he was nakedly bigoted, divisive, cruel and dishonest. You cannot deny he stoked racist sentiment, and his above statement after his Charlottesville 'apology' speech proves he knew exactly who his core were. White nationalists loved him. David Duke and the KKK loved what he had to say. He lent them legitimacy they didn't dare dream of under Obama. Yet all that mattered to you was that he paid lip-service to 'Christian values.'
Except that he doesn't represent Christian values. Christian values should be Jesus' values. That's what bothers me. Isn't fighting racism a Christian value? What about not mocking disabled journalists? Or respecting the truth? How about respecting women, for that matter? Is separating parents and families what Christ would do? Their only crime is seeking a better life, yet ICE relishes in punishing them like the vilest criminals. Isn't it accurate to say the true sin lies with ICE? Isn't cruelty a worse sin than crossing some arbitrary border in search of better circumstances for you and your family?
And cruelty is the prime sin of Trump's administration, often born of its close cousin, greed. Pettiness too. Trump seeks to guy Obamacare because he hates Obama. The GOP want rid of it because they believe healthcare is a privilege. They are wrong, of course. In a society which can easily provide it, healthcare is a right. Did Jesus charge per healing miracle? Did he order his disciples to do so? No. Yet the GOP would have people leaving hospital after fairly common procedures laden with debt. Pre-existing condition? Forget about health insurance, in spite of the fact you clearly need it more than most. The system is immoral, and by extension so is the political machine that supports the system. Yet Christians continue to support that machine, with Donald Trump at its head. This isn't much of a surprise, of course. NI Christians have long aligned themselves with US Republicans, despite their horrific social policies and disdain for the poor, despite how much the Bible has to say about caring for the most vulnerable in society.
What I'm saying is, this isn't some obsession with Trump I have, it's a deep sense of frustration and disappointment with many (by no means all) fundamentalist Christians. If our churches can produce so many people willing to side with such an administration, I can't help but think that something must be deeply wrong with the church itself. Perhaps a habit of setting aside critical thought, or an unwillingness to grapple with difficult moral questions is to blame? Fundamentalists are by nature (and remember I was one for the better part of 30 years) creatures of black and white thinking. A thing is either completely wrong or completely right in their eyes, with zero grey area in between. In many cases this is true, but in others such ignorance of nuance borders on recklessness.
Perhaps it's down to tribal 'us and them' thinking, the kind that marks, 'liberals,' as, 'the world,' and conservatives as, 'us,' as in Christians. It's not that simple. Not everything liberals want is bad. Universal healthcare, responsible gun control, decent wages, civil rights protections, checks on reckless capitalism...these things are good, and will lessen human suffering. Not everything conservatives want is good. Consider our own conservative government- you support them because you want Brexit, by and large, but turn a blind eye to the suffering their reign has caused million of people across the UK. They want to privatise the NHS, turning it into a US style system. They've cut back police funding. Under the tories, food-banks are all too common. They've even met with far right loonies like Steve Bannon. Yet...you support them. I see it on Facebook, hear it in conversations.
And I don't get it.
It baffles and bewilders me. In fact, it makes me angry. For me, this isn't about politics, it's about morality. Mercy. Compassion. Kindness. And don't get me started on attitudes to immigrants, Muslims, refugees, etc...
Worse perhaps is silence from the Pulpit regarding these monumental happenings in our world. The Free church has never shied from being political. NI politics, gay rights and abortion rights all get liberal mentions, but not one single word about the far-right surge in Europe, the uptick in racism here in the UK, cruelty to immigrants and refugees. Obama got slammed from many Free P Pulpits, but Trump? Not. One. Word. And the problem? Social justice is seen as a 'liberal concern,' not worth pursing at best, actively evil at worst. Yet Jesus was very interested in how we treat our fellow human beings.
It seems fundamentalist Christians have fallen into the trap of equating compassion with weakness. Hence tough- talking 'strongmen' like Donald Trump are admired without scrutiny. I wasn't viewed as strong growing up, owing to my slight frame and quiet nature, and I saw how my peers flocked to the loudest and most athletic in the room, mistaking physical strength and overconfidence for leadership. Some of those guys were genuinely decent, but many were complete a**holes who would step on as soon as look at you, so forgive me if I've learned to take 'tough talk' with a pinch of salt.
One of my largest issues with organised religion, particularly of the more fundamentalist variety, is its devotion to legalism. Ironically it has a lot in common with the worst far- left tendencies. They make a lot of noise about what you say, rather than the meaning, intent or content of said speech. Often they are preoccupied with surface matters; how you dress, the music you listen to, movies you watch, whether you swear or enjoy the occasional drink. How you ACTUALLY TREAT PEOPLE comes way down the list. It's very easy to play the game and look like a Christian, while actually being a pretty horrible human being. I've met plenty. And the danger is, they think they're good people, because being good is all about how you dress, what you listen to, how you speak, whether or not you come to church twice on a Sunday, not how to treat people.
I find it baffling that people get more upset about two men or women being married than about refugee children washing up dead on beaches. How many times have I heard that, 'we're living in the last of the last days,' and, 'the world is in an awful state,' because gay people have equal rights in much of the western world? Really? Things aren't awful because millions of kids are starving, or the Rohingya are being wiped off the face of the earth? How about global warming, which in turn leads to further mass migration, unrest, war and famine? (Of course you most likely subscribe to the Ken Ham school of thought on that issue, in accordance with your American brethren) Aren’t you alarmed by the rise in fascist movements across Europe?
What about a man in the White House, put there, and kept there, by 80% of US evangelicals, (whom you generally align yourselves with in terms of doctrine and worldview) who fills his administration with con-men, white nationalists, criminals, liars, self-interested predators and intellectual dullards? I know of at least one Free P minister who frequently lauds both Donald Trump and Nigel Farage on his facebook page. Does he even grasp the evil he's enabling, even in a minuscule fashion? Does he realise the example he's setting for his flock, for whom he is supposed to be a spiritual guide? Shame on him. How can he lend his voice to such blatant bigots? It makes me wonder if perhaps he isn't just a little bit of a white nationalist himself. If perhaps at the core, that's the real problem.
