Democrats will overturn everything? We can hope.
8
Creating a fear of violence if the mid terms don't Trump's way way is simply ugly and un-American. He appears fearful. What is he afraid of? The decency of the American people? Prison? Shame and failure? Most of America does not like him, his policies or his immoral behavior. Let the people speak. That's what I love about America. No need for Trump to fear - if he really loves America more than himself.
4
Actually, it's not just 'evangelicals' that are concerned about the violence of some groups, such as antifa. And while the thinking person would not believe that Congress would give them a voice, this thinking person knows they will. The Dems have been taken over by the far left in this country, just as the Reps have been taken over by the far right. If you sit on one of those edges of reality, you are happy with Fox, NYTImes, CNN, and talk radio. If you sit at a point of reason and logic, you are freaked out by current events and the divided nature of everything public. Antifa, by the way, is a very violent group of false people making claims to be against fascism. They are fascism.
However, I recall Obama making similar claims during the mid-term and during his run for his second term. 'Republicans want to take away healthcare' 'republicans don't care about the vulnerable among us.' No, he was not the blasting buffoon that is Trump, but his message was equally dividing and misleading. This isn't new, NYTimes, as you well know.
"In the meeting today, we all got down on our knees and we prayed for you because we can’t imagine the pain,” the man said. "You are human beings and when people are lying constantly, accusing constantly, attacking constantly, it hurts.” When I read that out of context I thought he was praying for the American people. But then it seems the person that lies constantly, accuses constantly, and attacks constantly was the person he was praying for. Indeed the most powerful person in the country needs God's help to defend himself, as the meek can fend for themselves.
2
Christians are told to "love thy neighbor". I don't see any Trump policy that is consistent with this command. Separating immigrant children from parents, rejecting asylum seekers and other immigrants, lowering taxes on the wealthy, increasing the deficit, ruining the environment, undermining health care... These policies are the antithesis of Christian values.
8
Democrats “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently....” With, say, executive orders on Day One? Naw, Donald, it'll just be a change in the legislature, which works with greater deliberation than thou.
5
“We were in the 68th floor of Trump Tower and we looked down on the sidewalks and there were thousands and thousands of people,” he said. “They looked like ants, little people going all over — boom, boom, boom — so little, ’cause when you’re 68 floors, they look really small. But there were a lot of them.”
“They looked like ants”. As far as Trump is concerned, the people of this country ARE ants - and have just about as much value.
4
The good news might be that, as the threatened white supremacy march on Washington fizzled a few weeks ago, we will see Trump really doesn’t have the support he says he does. The polls were way off about him in 2016. They can be way off about him in 2018 the other way. As far as I’m concerned, from now on polls are not to be considered. We’ve just got to get a strong GOTV actually happening, and stop giving litmus tests to Dem candidates. Common decency should be enough of a test.
3
I'm in favor of repealing the Johnson Amendment - and also the tax-exempt status of religious organizations.
Tax the churches. It's not like harboring child rapists is some kind of special benefit to society.
8
The President's fear mongering is despicable, not to mention his racial prejudice. The blue wave will come without violence and it will turn a tide but it won't be based on his tactics. We are ready for civil, honest and democratic governance. The separation of church and state must remain central to this country's core mandates.
4
It is deeply disturbing that so far today, I haven't heard a single Evangelical (or self-identified Christian) leader, or GOP elected official at the national level, condemn this fear-mongering. In fact, on the drive to work today I heard an Evangelical minister who was in that room say on CNN radio that Trump was doing an excellent job and that his comments about the "antifa" were accurate.
While most of the GOP establishment is mourning John McCain, the ever-more-radical, overwhelmingly white Protestant Christian community is embracing the message of grievance and victimhood that fed into the "lost cause" and other racist myths.
They embrace Trump because this demagogue tells them what they want to believe: that once, America was "great" because people like they were in charge.
And now, only 11% of Americans identify as Evangelical. They need a leader - unlike Trump - who can bring them a sense of purpose beyond themselves.
GOP, step up. You courted these people; you claimed their votes. Don't leave them to become minions to Trump. If you say nothing, you have yourselves to blame for the violence to come - that won't be coming from the anti-fascists, but from the lashing out of this group when the inevitable fall of this administration occurs.
3
Pastors should recall Jesus admonishment to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Give to God what is God.”
In other words, “Stay out of the political world and stay focused on the spiritual world.”
A priest or pastor who concerns himself too much about this world is not of God but, rather, a charlatan.
7
Besides a tax bill, exactly what accomplishments would be violently overturned? We still don't have an infrastructure program. There is no Kushner Middle East Peace Plan. Race relations have deteriorated. The carnage of gun violence continues. Relationships with traditional allies are in the toilet. There seem to be more alligators in the swamp now than since the last mass extinction. Air and water quality improvements...that's an oxymoron. We won't even mention federal debt and deficits.
So, if everything is "overturned," what's the harm in that?
3
“Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith…”
So, Trump meets with a group of evangelical Christians on an August evening in 2018.
He speaks of violence as a possible outcome if they are not able to convince their congregations to vote for his candidates and agenda.
He desperately wants their votes.
And, unfortunately, this group seems responsive to the call.
But in supporting Trump’s agenda they are dealing with the Devil.
There is little to find in Trump’s life history and persona that identifies with a life that Christ exemplifies. Trump’s life is not an example of what Christ preached.
Making a deal with the Devil to achieve political ends is not what Christ taught.
To all ministers, pastors, and priests I ask that you reflect upon what you are endorsing by supporting Trump’s agenda. Lying, adultery, bearing false witness, egoism, racism, bullying, predatory sexual acts and statements, need one go on?
Religion is supposed to bring people together, not separate them.
“So if you meet me,
Have some courtesy,
Have some sympathy, and some taste,
Use all your well-learned politesse.
Or I'll lay your soul to waste…”
Consider standing at the Pearly Gates and having to answer the question, “Have you ever made a deal with the Devil to do the work of Christ?”
Look deep into your Christian being and do not allow yourself to be deceived by Trump.
3
The guru assembles HIS troops for a final battle.
Usually a bad sign and an omen for a war around the corner and the best argument for keeping all kinds of religion out of politics.
The way it looks, Trump is already in the stage in which he sees enemies everywhere and fears for his might.
In terms of real US politics this usually means a war against a small country like, hmm, let's say, Syria to make him a war president and have a reason to press people into uniting behind their dear leader.
Remember "United we stand" by George W. Bush, which turned out to be short for "Who is not with me is an enemy of mine and my cronies and will be treated accordingly"?
All those wars that had cost millions of lives started with a "For God we do the right thing" and ended in a catastrophe.
The left doesn’t see it as church and state, but church versus state.
1
I was reading an upscale Georgia magazine that covers real estate, local news and restaurants. There was a full page ad taken out by an evangelical church (paid for by donations by members) that was a full blown political statement proclaiming that Trump was the savior of the church, everyone should pray for him, he has been wronged by the media, etc, etc.
Are these organizations getting political favors for free campaign ads? I thought since churches were a 501(c)3 and tax exempt, they were not allowed to campaign for political reasons.
8
What a despicable person, not that that is news.
Democrats should fight his lies about violence and do it now--Congressional leaders should point out that violence is far more likely to occur by those in the party of guns, not roses.
6
So, this is where we are nearing the third decade of the 21st century in the modern era: People who believe fervently in fairy tales hold a significant amount of political power, enough to subject those of us with functioning brains to self serving whims generated by their fantasies instead of purposeful solutions to real human problems.
14
Yeah. For all our sakes, I certainly hope so. Otherwise, out migration of those of us with a functioning brain might be the next best thing.
4
The law that prevents Churches from receiving tax exempt status if they are politically active is called the Johnson Amendment.
Though Trump didn't "overturn" it as he promised the Evangelicals he would do, he DID order the IRS to not use it against churches which are active politically, so he accomplished the same thing.
See: https://www.salon.com/2018/06/24/blinded-by-darkness-how-evangelicals-pu...
8
Trump is running scared that he'll end up in jail (or may have to seek asylum in Russia). His criminal enterprises can't withstand public scrutiny.
8
The only good news out of all of this I think is that the Evangelicals, despite all their protests, are shown to be what they are, power hungry, mean people whose agenda is to gain power by any means. No one with even an ounce of brains can look at their support of Trump, who is about as far from what Christ preached as anyone who has read even the reader's digest version of the Bible can understand, and not see it for what it is. The good news is the evangelicals that support Trump have turned off their own followers, and especially younger ones, and more importantly, has made younger people realize what a bunch of lying hypocrites evangelicals are, when the older, white people who make up the GOP base and are the basis for evangelical churches die off (and they will), there is a demographic wave behind them that likely will leave all churches, but especially the evangelicals, with wind blowing through them. I am no atheist, but the reality is that like the Medieval Church and the Catholic Church today, the evangelicals have blown whatever credibility they have in their lust for power. Take a look at polls of people under 35 with what they feel religion means, it is not a pretty picture.
21
I think the evangelicals in this country have permanently damaged their brand with their blind adoration and support of all things Trump. Once this nightmare is over, I think their numbers will shrink considerably and their political clout will disappear for a long time to come. You can’t display this level of hypocrisy and vileness and survive over the long haul. History is littered with cults like theirs that eventually faded away because of their own machinations.
6
@bill d
What an excellent comment, if only there were more people in USA thinking the way you do. My respects from France and Ecuador.
Promoting fear, violence and hate as a control mechanism is straight out of the Russian and Nazi playbooks. And every GOP candidate and elected official who supports Trump is complicit in the promotion of these tactics. Let's put an end to Putin's reign in our country. Vote the GOP out on November 6th to take back Democracy and return America to the values upon which it was founded.
11
Trump does not know what he is going to do from one minute to the next. How can he prognosticate about what the Democrats will do?
7
They done drunk the Kool-Aid
9
President Trump speaks his own egomaniacal patois. thus, traditionally lower voter turnout for midterm elections becomes "I'm not on the ballot."
4
Trump says he is opposed to ANTIFA because they are anti-fascist. Wake up everyone, Trump is admitting he is a Fascist! If you love democracy and are against autocracy, you need to vote for candidates who are against the enablers of Fascism.
9
A person can only hope we get to hear the glorious words, "And I'm not on the ballot," come tumbling out of Trump's mouth in 2020.
7
I think the violence he is talking about will come from his base attacking everyone who opposes him & who don't go to church on Sundays. Will the people stand against this man who incites evangelical christians to violence? There is suppose to be a separation of religion & government. When did we start putting christian religion into the government? The Democrats will not be violent because they will be in charge to check his agenda as a dictator. He is only surviving on fear & hysteria.
5
The snake oil salesmen and women of the evangelical stripe are afraid that just as they have the laundry list complete it will be taken away by an awakened electorate. Trump is trying to stir them up before the early voting starts. In some states, early voting will start in 24 days.
They have the stolen Supreme Court seat of Gorsuch and are on the precipice of a locked in Hyper-Conservative majority for a very long time, They have their GOP tax scam to pay off the funders of the extremist wing of Evangelicals. They have eviscerated the EPA, OSHA, CFPB and other oversight agencies. They are packing judicial openings as hard and fast as they can with people chosen for political reliability and ideology rather than legal experience and temperament.
Should the Democrats regain control of the Congress and later the White House, it will take a long time to simply undo all the damage wrought by this evil cabal. Part of the problem will be so-called "centrist" Democrats who are far closer to the Republicans on economics and taxation than the party would like to admit.
6
The obvious conflict of the "evangelicals"....i.e.bearers of the" good news of salvation"....is they are seeking leadership and "religion based" business, ethical,and political support
- from a proven adulterer,liar( 3000+public lies documented)......associate of gangsters and international mafia,and a POTUS now under investigation by the US Justice Department...,through a Special Prosecutor, for conspiring with Russian government intelligence to help win the 2016 election and obstructing the Justice Department investigation.
Justification of the Evangelical leaderships support of an .obviously, flawed and incompetent POTUS..........is to be judged by the intelligence and ethical capacity .......of the evangelical flock !
5
In other words he is suggesting that if democrats take power they will behave just as he has done, immediately and brazenly undoing everything accomplished by his predecessor. I hope that is exactly what happens, because that is exactly what he deserves; but to hear him say it in such an accusatory and resentful manner is laughable.
9
Who are these people? Do they live under a rock?
6
Yuck! This hypocrisy is why I’m no longer an Evangelical. That movement now has little in common with the teachings of Christ.
7
When I was an adolescent and later teenager, I remember going to church with my parents to faithfully, and having a politically conservative ideology that reflected little in real world practicality. Thankfully, I went to college (bachelor’s of science) and later medical school. Getting educated is, for many including myself, the first step in escaping the gripping hold religion has on one’s psyche and world views.
Donald Trump is from all subjective measures on the least educated and intellectual Presidents of the modern era. He flames the flames of fear in the Evangical community, inciting many uninformed and deluded followers. I know their are many well intentioned and smart Christian followers, but anyone that is religiously stoked by Donald Trump’s pleas is truly a deficient human being.
Trump is actively assaulting our democratic traditions, human rights, our freedom, the environment, our trust in our common institutions, our individual economic and social mobility, and basic human respect for others. For all that they purport to believe in, the central Evangical community has demonstrated themselves quite hypocritical.
10
I am sitting here (quietly and peacefully) wearing my BE THE WAVE blue tee shirt and hoping November will start the process of (peacefully) undoing all the harm that King Donnie has done and is doing. I am hoping we will reunite families and get kids out of cages. I am hoping we will get the crooks and grifters out of the executive offices. I am hoping we will enact a fair tax policy that reduces the deficit while protecting the poor, the aged, the ill and the weak. I am hoping that we restart the democratic legislative process of discussion and consensus building. I am hoping all young men can walk on the public streets without being afraid of being shot. I am hoping to end the nasty, divisive, insulting rhetoric that pours out of the (demeaned) White House. I want all this done without a single threat to shoot anyone, insult anyone or demean anyone. I am tired of having people seeking justice slandered as violent or labelled as ants. (No true religious leader could support the kind of divisive threatening language (and actions) we suffer daily.) Let the blue wave roll (peacefully).
74
The Republican Party, once again, fully endorses and completely embraces the persistently consistent dog whistle tactic invoked by Trump to telegraph fear, paranoia, and foreboding through subliminally messaging racial and ethnic minority threats to the ever diminishing base. And, directing that fear mongering through manipulating Christian Evangelical servants to convey that message from the pulpit is equally disturbing. This pathetically engineered tactic speaks volumes: adroitly playing the infamous 'race card' to preserve, protect, and defend the GOP from the inevitable Democratic wave destined to crash and inundate the electoral landscape come November 6th. No question Trump and his lieutenants will ramp up and double down various iterations of this ploy to arouse and anger supporters to flock to the polls. The sheer desperation evidenced by this grotesque display readily confirms the apprehension the GOP ruefully predicts of the future. Individuals of diverse colours, ethnicities, religions, and cultures are poised to become the majority in America. Refusing to accept that hard cold reality, playing the 'race card' to the bitter end to hold on to their shrinking position mandates pulling out all of the stops, no matter what. A tragically sad commentary about the party of Lincoln hijacked by shrewd manipulators and tried and true hucksters looking for control to impose their myopic views and beliefs upon America that resoundingly rejects hate. Dean Browning Webb, Atty
47
@Dean Browning Webb, Attorney and Counselor at Law
Well said, though the party of Lincoln stopped being that the second after he was dead. To his credit Ulysses S. Grant actually tried to implement Lincoln's reconstruction plans but the white folk of the South didn't want it, and (quite similar to the craven cowards we have now) the congress ultimately wouldn't support it. The Lost Cause simply won't stay lost nor in some hearts ever really BE lost for a good while yet. See Ron Chernow's excellent biography of Grant for details on the reconstruction effort including Grant's crushing of the original Ku Klux Klan - you know, the "good folks" as the current occupant of the White House would style them.
1
Antifa? Please!
Republicans like to drag out the boogeymen when ever they need to scare the faithful. The only places Antifa protests appear in any numbers are Berkeley and Portland, but they apparently also thrive in the darkened closets and under the beds of God fearing conservatives everywhere.
12
@Wesley Brooks, does anyone want to bet that the Trump re-election super-PAC hasn't paid certain people to pose as "antifa" in order to stir up violence deliberately? Anyone who thinks these "antifa" are actually Democrats and Progressives are WAY out there in Trumplandia la-la land.
1
Dear Lord,
Forgive Trump, the GOP, and these evangelicals for they know not what they are doing.
Okay, clearly they know exactly what they are doing by: trading on ignorance, dividing and turning Americans against each other, taking small children away from their parents, curtailing religious freedom and democracy, lying, making enemies out of friends around the world, and advocating violence instead of peace.
And Jesus isn't the only one weeping.
Heaven helps those who help themselves! So if you detest what is going on in our country under Trumpism, make sure to speak up against such abominations loud and clear, and vote your conscience in 2018 and 2020.
In other words, Throw the Bums Out!
Amen
16
So what have we done with trump that we will lose?
#1- Tax cuts that benefit the top wealthy with no help to the 90% and a new debt of 1.5 trillion. Stop this.
#2- Puling out of the Paris accord to further global warming. Need to stop this
#3- Privatizing schools so more debts for students and less opportunity for lower income kids.
#4- Trade wars that will not add anything but more expenses and loss of jobs.
#5- Helping the Saudi dictators kill as many Yemen people as they can.
#6- Reversing the loss of medical care so the millions can get insured again.
#6- Trying to bring real fairness to the supreme court .
#7- Stopping the loss of respect for our democracy and the clown that the world is afraid of. Reuniting with our partners.
#8- Getting qualified honest people running the government and restore respect to them.
Yes, a few things that will happen if the Dems take over.
17
Trump has unequivocally lifted the mask off the true nature of evangelicals, and of the entire republican as a whole. These folks have all the morality and ethics of the typical cleric in the upper echelons of the catholic church.
Is not the tax exempt status of religious organizations predicated on keeping politics out of the church religious services?
11
I am disheartened by the somnambulism I am witnessing in the Democratic Party. They still don’t know who and what they’re up against. tRump has taken over the country because of Democratic delirium. Now he has incumbency going for him.
Please, please wake up! Fight back. Choose leaders who are not afraid to speak out forcefully against the lies. Media, give them airtime. Stop giving tRump so much. I want to hear other voices — positive truthful ones.
4
If the Democrats take the House it will a blessing from God. Only this way can we rid ourselves of this evil president and his Henchmen. Who knows maybe the Republican Party will heal itself and give up bigotry and return to clean air and fair immigration laws. We who are actually Christians pray for our country’‘s redemption and a return to sanity.
6
“You are human beings and when people are lying constantly, accusing constantly, attacking constantly, it hurts.”
Where was that sentiment during the Obama presidency? What a bunch of hypocrites these evangelicals are!
9
Bigots are so oppressed in this country. Where are equal rights for racists? They are people too.
3
The alliance between the corrupt GOP and the hypocritical evangelicals is truly something to behold ... and to condemn.
9
The fact that Trump even has "ardent supporters in the evangelical community" to begin with is befuddling its own right...
8
Two words - VOTE BLUE
8
Religious evangelical leaders?
Why would anyone have faith in these snake oil vendors?
They smelled a buck a long time ago and they will not let go...
Bought and paid for...
9
What would Jesus do?
3
Directly from the Jim Crow playbook: Replace "democrats" in the sentence with black, Mexican, or any other skin tone or minority and you have a familiar racist talking point.
Blacks “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently” if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Gays “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently” if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Mexicans “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently” if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Easy peasy........ I don't remember how this one goes..... but I am glad it was extinguised from American lexicon.
5
Maybe those same evangelicals should watch the divisive fear mongering conspiracy jibberish that Trump spewed yesterday and consider if antiFa is really a threat from Democrats as claimed by Trump.
“Google is really taking advantage of a lot of people and I think that’s a very serious thing and a very serious charge."
“I think what Google and what others are doing, if you look at what’s going on at Twitter, if you look at what’s going on at Facebook – they better be careful, because you can’t do that to people.”
“Google and Twitter and Facebook, they’re really treading on very, very troubled territory and they have to be careful.”
“It’s not fair to large portions of the population,” Literally thousands and thousands of complaints coming in”
1
Does Trump even go to church? Do evangelicals care?
7
The most immoral man to ever occupy the White House has these fake Christians in his thrall. Hilarious if it weren't so sad.
When are the evangelical rank-and-file going to cast out their false prophets?
5
Please explain to me how evangelicals can follow a man who boasts about being able to kill someone on 5th Avenue and has broken every other 9 commandments?
6
Here we go again. Trump projecting his own foibles and stupidity on someone else. I find it hard to grasp sometimes at the ignorance of anyone who follows his constant flow of gibberish.
6
Are these rallies funded with my tax dollars? I'd like to know.
8
There are probably a lot of things being funded by your tax dollars that you don’t know about. But I bet Mueller does.
1
“But there’s a real question as to whether people are going to vote if I’m; not on the ballot, and I’m not on the ballot.”
At least it seems clear to me that now we can call these 'evangelical churches' as 'the Churches of Trump.'
4
Trump is advising these people to break federal law and use their facilities, financed by tax-exempt "charitable" contributions, to campaign for him. I don't get to write off my political donations the way the evangelical congregants can.
Trump is promoting a conspiracy to violate U.S. law.
9
John Adam in a letter to Benjamin Rush dated June 12, 1812 wrote.
"I agree with you, there is a Germ of Religion in human Nature So Strong, that whenever an order of Man can persuade the People by flattery or Terror, that they have Salvation at thier disposal, there can be no End to fraud, Violence or Usurpation. Œcumenical Councils produce Œcuminical Bishops, and both, Subservient Armies Emperors and Kings."
I think he nailed it.
7
How typical of Trump: Claim victimization by some sinister conspiracy of the Left that he knows will outrage his supporters, then issue a warning to the non-existent enemy that dire consequences will occur if they don't correct their evil ways.
He gets headlines, he gets sympathy from angry whites, and no one can prove him wrong. Therefore it must all be true in the eyes of his none-too-bright supporters.
7
The religious right used to have standing in this country because they had a platform based on family values. They have now become a political force with no moral compass to guide them. The blatant hypocrisy of standing with a religious phony con man who resides in the White House has destroyed any credibility that they may have had.
We may need to update the quote attributed to Mark Twain, “It is easier to fool (con) people than to convince them that they have been fooled (conned)”. Of course this may be wrongly giving the Evangelical community a pass. Maybe they are not actually being conned, but just holding their noses as they lower their heads to pray with Trump, just like the rest of the Republican Party is doing as they serve at his unchristian altar of lies, cruelty, and hatred.
43
And, of course, Trump should be eviscerated for urging his base to get to the polls and vote.
Personally, I don't believe that flipping the House “will overturn everything that [Republicans have] done and they’ll do it quickly and violently”. Trump merely will need to find more creative ways through dickering to get legislation passed, and that legislation will perforce need to be more moderate. But it's not a surprising argument to make, and certainly no more extreme, than Democrats are making to defend that flipping.
But this is an election run-up, and exhorting one's supporters to get out the vote can't be astonishing to news and news analysis that purports to be objective.
Your comment should be submitted to Webster's for inclusion as an example of "obtuse."
Had Trump merely talked up the need to get out the vote (without the scaremongering about violence), this would have been a dog- bites-man story.
4
@Grant
I guess you haven't been listening to and reading the exhortations from Democrats, notably in this newspaper, that unless the House is flipped, the entire world will descend into one of the bolgias of Dante's Hell.
Talk about "obtuse".
Nothing says 'the love of Jesus' like a Snake Oiler inciting fear and loathing to a bunch of fake, phony, fraudulent religious radicals hellbent on Christian Shariah Law blindly supporting a 'drop dead, America !' healthcare policy.
Nice GOPeople.
November 6 2018
26
Which Founding Father would support a president who suborns violence against our government?
16
@HANK Aaron Burr?
It’s losers who become violent, not winners.
9
@Helen Guerrant Toy That's not really true. Some of the biggest riots in American history have been the result of a local sports team WINNING a championship.
To call these people "Christian " is a stretch! They are not! They support the Republicans who are warmongers, fear and hate promoters, who cut essential programs for the elderly, the poor and Veterans! These people only want to end abortion, they want women to be forced to bear children but are not willing to support the mothers raise, house, feed or educate the children! These so-called "Christians" are whom Jesus called a "den of vipers."
PLEASE vote, voting is all we have left. Republicans have sold their souls to Putin and his puppet, Donald!
22
Let Donald Trump's cry of alarm that Democrats "will overturn everything we've done..." ring out as a bellwether to the rest of the country that 'change' may indeed be at hand -- and not the type of change Trump promised when crowing he'd "drain the swamp."
Because it has become all too apparent within his short time in office, that both he and his administration are indeed denizens of it.
13
What a travesty! So-called Christians worshiping someone who puts children in cages. I guess the next step is founding The Church of Trump.
21
Anyone else see the contradiction in inviting this person to the meeting: "...Robert Jeffress, a Dallas evangelical pastor who once said Jewish people were going to hell..."?
Aren't Jared and Ivanka Jewish?
13
Pray tell . . . what would Jesus say???
9
If there is a Christian heaven, I don't want to go there. Not for a day. Not for an eternity. These greedy con artists can have my share.
14
Trump isn't very smart. Why would the anti-fascists become violent if the fascist party loses? They are more likely to throw a big party.
8
@Ronny Because, in this narrative, the anti-fascists are actually fascists, and when they gain power they will begin repressing and persecuting good Christian folk.
You know, because "persecution" to a Christian, is telling him "You may not impose your values on others by force."
2
"I just ask you to go out and make sure all of your people vote". We will Donald, oh yes we will. Thanks for the advice.
16
Mr. Trump said. “Because if they don’t — it’s Nov. 6 — if they don’t vote we’re going to have a miserable two years and we’re going to have, frankly, a very hard period of time because then it just gets to be one election — you’re one election away from losing everything you’ve got.”"
If they swallow, repeat and act on his lies, they deserve to lose everything.
What kind of religion worships lies?
What kind of religion lies?
They know as do all in the world he's a liar.
Why did they bother lamenting the pator who thought because he was prominent, influential, powerful in his church, their leader he could demand sex acts from his flock? They could have run him for president.
I weary of their cries of persecution! -- for decades emitted from the street corner, from TV, the radio, their churches thick on the ground, now their braggart adulterer hush-money president lying to them personally -- and not one of them run over by a vehicle terrorist killer, not one of their prayer groups shot up by left-wingers, not one of them burned at the stake, not one of their churches defaced with hate symbols.
That's their faith? Because it seems to me that weeping and pouting and fearing the demise of their bizarre beliefs at the hands of people in a different political party is less a faith than a kindergarten anger at not being teacher's pet.
That's their religion? No wonder they need lies, flags, and phony enemies to sustain it.
Hallelelujah. Abracadabra. Saved!
10
Mr. Trump said. “Because if they don’t — it’s Nov. 6 — if they don’t vote we’re going to have a miserable two years.....".
IMHO, the past two years have been no picnic.....
3
@Nat Balch
IMHO its been dark & depressingly tortuous.
Anyone who votes for trump is NOT a Christian.
17
We must reform our education system, manly school system. Home schooling and private, often religious, schooling must not be recognized.
One of the reasons for our dismal performance as a democracy is very poorly educated voters. That's why it's so easy to spread lies and false propaganda by crooked politicians and highly dishonest industry lobbies, besides religious organizations, to coerce vast majority of American voters to vote in a certain way. There are reasons why GOP and liars like Trump want to destroy public education by promoting private charter and home schooling, often promoting certain religious and racial ideology, besides protecting/promoting kids from rich families (making college and university education more expensive also serve the same purpose).
Now USA is among the worst, among developed countries, in terms of percentage of college graduates believing the fairy tales of "intelligent design" or "creationism", and not the well established science of evolution. It's despite the fact that our college education is most expensive and we spend the highest in education and research.
29
Fortunately we don't have to hope on Trump's word. In November we can elect a democratic majority in Congress to make good on Trump's worst predictions.
19
I recommend everyone read John Adams's prayers its entirety.
"I Pray Heaven To Bestow The Best Of Blessings On This House And All that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof.”
Honest and wise men. Not Trump.
40
@Brian
John Adams must be rolling over in his grave, and regretting his role in the founding of our government. Trump is just such the kind of demagogue he feared, as did many of the founders, someone whipping up 'the common people' (which Trump called mob rule, rightly), and he also hated Evangelical Christians of his era (Methodists/Presbytyrians) for their public piety and lack of compassion or understanding for anyone but themselves. More importantly, he would bemoan that for example, the electoral college, once designed to prevent someone like Trump being elected,has been gamed to allow it, and that the 'great compromise' has allowed minority population, rural voters to dominate politics. He would take one look at Trump and know what he was, a liar and a cheat and a dangerous demigogue.
7
He probably shorten the quote so he could remember it.
@Brian, John Adams was warning of religious extremism such as that we are experiencing now. Just go to the national archives and look up the letter from John Q Adams to Benjamin Rush on Benjamin Rush, 12 June 1812. Much to the consternation of the devout, It was then as it is now.
In 1812 in Europe the were still burning people at the stake for heresy. Today the evangelical just want to keep muslins from flying here.
As James Madison's wrote to Robert Walsh,
"The civil Government, though bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success, whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people, have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State.”
Without a state religion, the constitution has given the gift to evangelist to prophesize to whom ever may follow. But by extolling fear and anger, they mock what a comfort having faith is.. And unfortunately, there's no device that will put a governor this action. It is strictly a matter of belief and not reason.
"when people are lying constantly, accusing constantly, attacking constantly, it hurts.”
Well, yes - I wish Trump would stop.
26
Violence would let him declare Marshall law. Then we are finished as a democracy.
3
@mina grace martial
2
Why does Donald Trump only ever appear truly satisfied when he’s taking advantage of other people’s gullibility?
And why does it seem as though the only moral exemptions that the Evangelicals offer are to men in positions of power? If Donald Trump is a believer, then I’m the King of America. Highly implausible. Almost like human parthenogenesis.
15
The embrace of Trumpism by the evangelical right is doing more to destroy organized religion in this country than anything else that's happened in the past 240 years. The hypocrisy and blatant white nationalism these people espouse is turning millions of young people away from the church - any church. And deservedly so.
25
@markymark
I agree, I used to respect religious belief, being one of the things a person can call their own, but no longer. The fact that people who can claim to be "Christian" can support someone like Trump tells what they are, not people of faith wanting to live their lives according to their own beliefs, but a bunch of angry, hateful people whose only goal is to make the rest of society reflect them, ignorant, angry, hateful and all so controlling. Worse, though, are the people who moan how these aren't really 'Evangelical Christians' (a label they gave themselves) and bemoan how religious has now come to mean angry, mean and stupid people in many people's minds, that that is unfair to them; but they refuse in turn to denounce these Charlatans (for example, the black minister in the picture, supporting Trump despite the fact that he himself is racist, and has legitimized white supremacy and neo nazism as "valid" beliefs), claiming "I can't denounce my Christian brothers and sisters" or the liberal churches who tell their people and give a ton of excuses for the evangelicals, like they don't have much, they need something to believe in, they are 'good people', etc. Young people under 35 thing religious=hater, and unlike prior generations, between the evangelical stupidity and the abuses of the Catholic Church, are not likely to 'come home' when they have families;the fastest growing group is those who believe, but don't identify as any one faith, as it should be.
1
“I think we’re doing very well, and I think we’re popular, but there’s a real question as to whether people are going to vote if I’m not on the ballot,” he said. “And I’m not on the ballot.”
Me, me, me.
24
I guess all those evangelical churches will no longer be exempt and will have to start paying taxes
26
Enact change quickly and violently, pot meet kettle.
11
If you look at Proverbs 6:16-19, Trump is an abomination to the Lord, possessing all the negative character traits listed, except murder -- but then he has assured us that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his supporters would still love him, so he has laid claim to that sin in word, if not deed.
Then turn to 1 Corinthians 13, where it becomes clear that the lying, cheating, boastful Trump is the antithesis of love, and we are warned that whatever powers a loveless person may possess, they mean nothing, and whatever words the loveless person says, they are as sounding brass.
This is what preachers should be preaching on Sunday.
28
Maybe Betsy DeVos should hand out guns to both pastors and teachers.
6
Why does DJT keep putting me in mind of the Biblical story of the Golden Calf? It’s not just desperate people seeking someone to save them from their hard won freedom and its perils. It’s more like straight-up idolatry of a false golden “god.”
16
There is not a man or woman among evangelicals who support Trump that Jesus would recognize as a kindred spirit. They have made a deal with the devil; a hateful, corrupt, faithless demagogue who has promised them power in return for their loyalty. They may win some battles, but they will loose the war and be forever known as corrupt enablers. If there is an afterlife, they will also join him where devils dwell.
10
@Penner
If Jesus came back today, and preached what he did according to the bible, the evangelicals would be the first ones to denounce him as a charlatan, a fraud, a 'dammed communist' for preaching love, and would lead the mob that would grab Christ, with the blessing of the GOP, and nail him to a cross again, I guarantee it. They denounce the very things Christ taught, they preach what they belief is the 'proper' beliefs but don't live into them, they support false prophets, and otherwise show they don't understand what it means to be Christian, despite that being some of the more clearer parts of scripture.
2
Appears that rather than following Christ, these "evangelicals" plan to follow Trump, like a Pied Piper, straight into Fire and Brimstone.
14
As a religious person, I am disgusted by this display from so-called religious leaders. They have surely sold their souls.
15
In truth, they don’t give a darn about their souls because they don’t believe a word they preach. Most religion is just a heavy-handed way of keeping gullible fools in line—and the leaders are as self-serving as Trump is.
1
Didn’t Orson Welles’ notorious character Harry Lime say something like this inside the Ferris wheel in “The Third Man”?
— [Trump]: “We were in the 68th floor of Trump Tower and we looked down on the sidewalks and there were thousands and thousands of people,” he said. “They looked like ants, little people going all over — boom, boom, boom — so little, ’cause when you’re 68 floors, they look really small. But there were a lot of them.”
6
If Jesus had been invited to this dinner, I suspect he would have turned over a few tables.
24
Trump threatens violence against those who do not support him! What third world; tin pot dictatorship do we live in? Vote out Republicans for health care; jobs and a living wage. Ray Sipe
17
Evangelical leaders? what kind ? These are fake, fraud and phony. They love Trump more than Jesus Christ. They love money more than the Bible. They worship powerful rich people and enrich themselves. Jesus Christ would throw these bums out and would never approve Trump as a Christian. Love, compassion and humanity are the basic foundation of Christianity and Trump lacks all of these qualities. Trump has a big problem with truth. He will never grow up as an adult. It will long time to recover after Trump leaves office.
6
It is hard to imagine the oceans of blood that will be shed by Trump supporters when they find themselves assaulted with Medicare, overwhelmed by the number of well-paying job opportunities when infrastructure projects are fact not promises predicated on tax breaks to the 0.1%, and still able to attend any church when and where they wish.
Yes, unimaginable carnage is certain when Democrats gain the majority in both houses of Congress.
4
If evangelicals voted in line with their religious beliefs they wouldn't pay trump 5 seconds of attention.
21
Hey, what happened to Separation of Church and State??
17
Let's remember who was really talking about violence after elections: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/us/politics/donald-trump-voters.html
8
The value paradox of evangelical Trump voters: the 1% are economically “raptured”, while everyone else becomes a “left behind”-
8
Trump just HAS to keep ramping up the fear and hatred....
He apparently wants a fascist state led by him.
HOW can anyone NOT see this?
9
He does! Did you read, Paul Krugman's op-ed yesterday in NYT? That was his point.
2
Do we need any more evidence that so-called “evangelical leaders” are drunk on power and have literally sold their souls to a heinous lying con man?
6
Trump illustrates clearly that he is a dangerous and truly unhinged person. He will use the threat of violence to make people accept him as a Putin-like dictator. Trump is absolutely the biggest threat to our national security. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He needs to go as quickly as possible.
12
Not quickly enough for this concerned citizen
He can keep his threats of violence
3
Paul Krugman may well be thinking, "Dang! I should've held onto my 'Why It Can Happen Here' post from Monday and added this in . . . and then there's Bonespur's self-Googling rages . . . "
Get out and work for your local Democrats, everybody, and VOTE VOTE VOTE!
7
Yep...GOP and Trump be afraid. Karma is returning your nasty projection onto the world.
I’ve always wondered why small minded, darker hearted people fail to see that the evil intentions they apply to others will in fact be returned and become their ruin. You simple can’t make good the evil that you sow.
7
1) Yes. That's what happens when party control changes in government. Much like you are undoing anything related to Obama (good or bad...just related to Obama is sufficient cause to dismantle).
2) When does this kind of speech become incitement to riot? Because we are going to hear more of this as the midterms get closer and we should try and figure this out in advance.
9
Are they so dumb they will fall for the scare tactics?
He is the most heathen President we have ever had, so this is quite a spectacle.
I am curious: can Trump successfully recite even half of the Beatitudes? What about the Lord's Prayer? Any of these evangelical leaders tried to see if they need to work on these basics with Trump?
10
You're correct, he is a heathen. These so-called "Christians " have one goal: Overturn Roe v Wade. For this, they will sell their souls!
4
They probably can’t remember them. They've long lost their belief.
2
"...we love you and we BELIEVE IN YOU", said one of the ministers. Jesus, move over, the new first family will take your place.
Seriously.
Democrats and New York Times readers, pay attention. Churches bowing before the new King of Heaven and Earth do not just preach his reign, they deliver the voters in CHURCH BUSES. And, sometimes, even, the Church hall or building is used as a voting place. Just saying. Do the Democrats have any ground organization as powerful as that?
51
@chichimax
The same can be said for those that supported Sheldon Silver. The Rabbis got their brethren together to vote in a bloc, I don't recall anyone protesting that.
1
No, we don't have busses filled with people to bring to the polls. But, remember 2008?! We, the People, were fired-up! Why? The Republican president had brought our nation to the brink of another Great Depression and we went to the polls in record numbers. I'm hoping that Donald's ongoing unhinged behavior, his ongoing obstruction of justice in all its forms will fire up people. Independents, Liberals, Moderates will join together to put a stop to #45!
3
@chichimax
Yes. It's called the A.M.E (African Methodist Episcopal) and the Baptist Church -- and don't underestimate the power of the Black Church.
2
Using religious leaders for political means is absolutely corrupt. These leaders should remember that God belongs to NO political party. Political parties belong only to the human realm. With that in mind, religious leaders should not try to guilt their followers into voting by party as if the religion required it.
15
I clearly remember the expressions of fear among many white voters who claimed that there would be bloodshed if Obama became President. Some feared for their lives; they spread the word that black Americans would rise up and literally murder white people in some frenzied sense of revenge.
Voters didn't fall for that swill then but that was prior to eight years of constant Fox-washing, eight years of relentless propagandizing to undermine the legitimacy not only of a black president, but to demonize Liberal thought itself.
Now, apparently, it's not solely black Americans who are an existential threat, it's any American citizen who disagrees with Trump. Now all political opponents carry within them the threat of some larger evil.
The President just put millions of American citizens in the cross-hairs of his most rabid followers. Talk about an existential threat.
16
"...will Enact Change ‘Quickly and Violently..." Because this is how DJT operates so he thinks everyone will operate in his image.
12
A bit of Project Fear and Project Intimidation on the part of the President. You would expect that from a person who has hardly a Christian impulse in his body. The question for the Evangelical Pastors is can they look themselves, much less Jesus, in the eye because of the pact they have made with the devil. Compassion, love and tolerance are at the core of the New Testament and it is hard to see any of this in words and deeds coming out of the White House. Separating children from parents and imprisoning them is hardly Christian. Supporting gun violence, particularly against young people is not Christian. Polluting the environment is not Christian. Excessively rewarding the rich and penalizing the poor is not Christian. Cozening up to murderous autocrats is not Christian. Having affairs with porn stars and then buying their silence is not Christian!
Being conservative and Christian are not incompatible at all, and a true conservative Christian shares little with Trump's person. I don't believe Trump is either a Christian or Conservative. Again how the good Pastors can look in the mirror and not see the Faustian pact they made is astounding.
8
This is why religion, with all of its doctrines, beliefs, theologies, etc..., including the belief in a supposed "Higher Power" or "Deity", for which the term "God" is commonly used, must die. Full stop. Enough is enough!
2
Do these evangelicals REALLY believe that Trump is a Christian!? I mean, honestly, the man has absolutely no morals. He's basically the biggest serial cheater on earth, and he rips people off, left, right and center. Nothing about him, would leave me to believe he's found god. He can't ever admit any shortcoming, and he has no humility at all. There's nothing caring, compassionate, or wise about him. He's just in love with himself, and a bully to anyone who doesn't exalt him. I mean, he's like god, but in the old testament, rather than the new one. Maybe that's it...? Maybe the evangelicals are really all about the old testament, rather than the new, and so they've found their fire and brimstone, when the world is trying to head in a more peaceful, gentle direction? I'll never understand why everyone can't see right through Trump.
8
Unlike separating children from families, which is literally violent, any Democratic Party reforms will be done legally and peacefully.
9
@The Buddy
what happened to the separation between church and state. If they preach politics in church they should loose their tax relief
4
Yeah. The first thing that I hope Democrats do is to immediately pass a Bill to tax all churches that engage in political discourse. Let’s make sure that we keep Church and State separate.
Is that violent enough for you?
13
But that’s what trump is promising them — the end of the church/state separation. The end of tax laws prohibiting churches from endorsing and promoting politicians, on pain of losing their tax exemption. Trump promises to repeal that regulation. One more reason this coming election is the most important one of our lifetimes.
1
@JuQuin
Make it across the board. ALL religious entities must be taxed and now.
"A lot of them like, and some don’t and that’s O.K. But this group really liked me.”
Did we elect Sally Field when I wasn't looking?
8
i work very hard every day to be and let be, to accept others as they are, and to not judge.
but i can't help but believe these people have fallen under the spell of a carnival barker. they are so ruled by their fears they've jumped in bed with the devil.
i feel sorry for these "evangelicals," because they won't be punished for their fear and anger, they will be punished BY their fear and anger... products of their own making.
4
They just don’t get that a lot of Americans don’t want to go to their church.
7
@Dixie
And they also don't get that a lot of Americans aren't welcomed in their church.
3
If I was an American I would seriously consider making plans to emigrate to a sensible country. If this gang gets their way good luck.
3
A delusional man speaking to a crowd of people with different delusions.
They scare me the most.
4
Moving to curtail authoritarianism in America would be a loving, compassionate act, not a violent one.
And on the subject of violence... this wasn't a warning, but a call to arms to the more imbecilic in his cult. Trump may have blood on his hands to add to his many legal and moral transgressions.
8
Well, the WaPo fact checker can add this bunch of whoppers to the list.
Somebody ought to send those evangelicals the spreadsheet that the Republicans have developed listing all the investigations that various committees will begin if under Democratic leadership. Doesn’t seem a bit violent to me, although perhaps Donald will blow a gasket when his taxes are released.
Whatever happened to the truth shall set you free?
5
Well said. Unfortunately, all these fake Christians want is to overturn Roe v Wade. They will sell their souls to the devil to achieve this. Despicable!
2
I was never a believer, but back in Europe I was open minded and never had any issue with people of real faith. It all changed when I moved here, considering the level of hypocrisy from so called evangelists that I witnessed in this country. Lots of them already had no shame, the ‘coming’ of Trump just gave them a friendly voice in the White House.
5
It's odd that Republicans would be encouraged to vote in order to prevent a process prescribed by the Constitution from being carried out.
3
@DSL
No. There's nothing "odd" about it -- especially when you look at the lengths Republicans have gone to in order to abrogate the Voting Rights Act, gerrymander Election Districts, and cull Voter Registration logs, while supporting a president who consistently holds himself above the rule of law.
1
It's hard to believe that people buy this line but they do. This whole "Trump thing" has been revelation about our electorate.
2
Trump encourages churches and non profits to break a law that he will ignore.
Doesn’t this country have a legal/tax system that isn’t governed by the political motives of politician (Trump).
Trump implies, along with Giuliani, that there will be violence if his political adversaries are not sufficiently suppressed.
In the mobster world, isn’t this called extortion?
5
As if he hasn't already overturned the nation. The ascendency of Democrats would simply be a correction in the direction of rationality and bring back the checks this "President" sorely needs. If God's on our side the Democrats will prevail in November and if not we're doomed as a nation.
1
President Trump makes unwarranted desperate claims about the election. And yet another outrageous matter comes to light:
Despite consensus from the our intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in 2016's elections, Trump blocked a bipartisan senate bill to secure our elections.
The White House gave no specifics on what parts of the bill it objected to. In another suspect turn, no one in the senate would deny that GOP Majority Leader McConnell had a hand in stopping or altering the bill known as The Secure Elections Act.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-house-blocks-bill-protect-elections-173...
How is it that organized religion in the US has turned into a political action group? And that people still believe what comes out of this person's mouth? We need a big mirror placed in front of him every time he speaks in public or tweets - the violence he speaks of is a reflection of his heart and belittles all spiritual and religious practices.
2
Perhaps Trump is just signaling the fact that he knows his actions should be met with violent opposition. Maybe he does know just how divisive his words and actions have been. Perhaps he's just saying that if someone had done to him what he has done to others, he would react violently.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
1
The first thing Democrats would do - and quickly - is get rid of Trump - a foul stain on the presidency and this country. After that, a slow rebuilding of the country and a healing would follow.
The thought of evangelical pastors agreeing to stand in front of their congregations and spread lies at the behest of Trump speaks to the evangelical fear of unwillingly loosing all their earthly possessions. Leave out the word "Christian," it's the gospel of prosperity at all costs.
3
So what did Trump say about abortion?
Regarding violence - I think Trump is projecting. It's his own people he's really concerned about getting violent.
1
The Pope is also having trouble. DJT is not exempt.
I don't know, but an executive order directing a federal agency not to aggressively pursue a certain type of enforcement case sounds a lot like DACA. And President Obama never claimed his order actually "got rid of" a federal statute, the way Trump is talking about his order's effect on the Johnson Amendment. The President is unhinged.
Hilarious that one of the Christians in the room was motivated to tape Trump's comments (the ones made after the press left) and made it public. So much for Trump's lock on Evangelicals--at least one has broken ranks.
How desperate is Trump? He knows his tax cuts for corporations & the 1% haven't played too well, and that Mueller is closing in, and even the Christians are tiring of his shenanigans. They've got their Supreme Court picks locked down, so they don't need him anymore. All he has left is threatening that Democrats will bring some reason and sanity back to the White House. Ooooooo. Scary.
3
@Ms. Pea
trump's mental state is crumbling like cheap cement. We will reach a point where even the republican Congress will be forced to act and remove him from office.
1
Dear Evangelicals....Your version of religious freedom, the one you want to enforce by law, is not the Constitution's version. It violates everyone else's religious freedom. We are NOT a Christian nation. We are a nation of many beliefs. Please, just live your own lives according to your own beliefs and let the rest of us live according to ours. Otherwise, you're proving that you no longer accept and support the basic tenets of our democracy.
116
Antidisestablishmentarianism from a demagogue pandering to a dominionist. Could there be anything in that that doesn't qualify him as a domestic enemy of the Constitution?
42
@Rhys:
>>>"Antidisestablishmentarianism from a demagogue pandering to a dominionist."
The line of the day! You win the Internet, Rhys.
If only.
8
YUP. If Democrats take the house, they'll quickly wrest control of the House Intelligence Committee from the incompetent do-nothing Devin Nunez. Following that, one of Adam Schiff's first actions will be to subpoena the President's tax returns. Once that happens, Trump will go down quickly.
77
@Mike
I agreed with you an Iam interested in hearing what the comptroller of Trump company has to say for himself. That would be the story of how all of this corruption started with the Trump daddy and have moved to this generation of entitled family relations.
The only good thing that has come from this entire experience is that we see the lack of character, great deal of meanness and stupidity in the GOP. How they have just been laughing and gutting the American public for generations.
The prayer meeting that is all about violence its a hard to believe concept but the master in charge can say anything he wants and people just nod there heads and support this nonsense.
1
I don't know, but when/where I was brought up, people leading a prayer had to wear slightly more prayer-worthy clothes.
Just sayin'...
15
@Whatever So true. At the church where I was raised, a church member would have already provided a shawl or something.
1
@Whatever
We are planning a trip to Italy later this year. All of the tours advise that to be allowed to enter a church (I think they are all Catholic), shoulders and knees must be covered. Guess evangelical leaders don't have the same standards. And they probably look down on the Catholic church!
@Whatever
sort of a missing forest for the trees statement, just sayin'.
Does creating your own militia as the president of the country count as treason? Does inciting violence among supposedly non-violent Christians count as just plain evil? How about just plain inciting violence?? Is that presidential? Not even Nixon went that far.
CONGRESS! WAKE UP!
63
@TrumpLiesMatter
They've SEEN others who dared to criticize, however gently, Trump and his minions destroyed by Trump "true believers".....
Yes, ideally they should stand up anyway....but, reality?
Now Trump is suggesting a theocracy of evangelical Christianity, with anti-fascists as the enemy and a threatening storm of violence from the Left?
This is what is terrifying!
50
Trump is purposefully fostering a crisis mentality among his core. The introduction of the idea of violence is yet another "dog whistle." It is a clear suggestion to some of his partisans that they be prepared to take up arms if the people he supports are defeated in November. I would caution Democratic candidates to exercise extreme caution on the campaign trail. All this may strike some as paranoia but what I see is President who is suborning violence.
38
President Trump should read the Constitution. If the Democrats somehow take over both Houses of Congress, it will likely be by razor thin margins. Trump will still be President and will be able to veto bills he doesn't like...and the Democratic margins won't be big enough to override any vetoes. So...any talk of quick and violent changes in our laws is just plain scare talk
75
@Andy Wiessner
True, but you are forgetting that neither Trump nor most of his base reads anything...they listen to / watch Fox news at most....some listen to/ watch Alex Jones' Infowars.....
1
Calls to violence are the last bleatings of a loser. How do we make sure no permanent damage is done at the end of this political and social tragedy as the perpetrator flies apart?
27
If only Trump were right and Democrats, retaking the House, could "overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently."
However, laws, regulations and policies -- things a Democratic House might at best check -- are not what's on Trump's mind. He barely understands what those are, apart from their toss-away usefulness as red meat for his unending white nationalist rallies and early morning tweet storms.
The only thing Democrats can and will do "quickly and violently" is haul every last member and associate of this grifter Administration and the treasonous Trump Campaign before the proper House committees.
Only Trump knows how much there is to be discovered. And he's acting like, so far, we've only picked up stray nuggets on the surface. Evidently, we've yet to strike the mother lode of his life of scofflaw malfeasance. And that has Trump squirming and lashing out in every direction in panic. Expect that to get worse as we get closer.
28
Donald J. Trump is the least Christian man to ever hold the office of POTUS. How he can appeal to Evangelical Christians shows just how un-Christian and hypocritical the Evangelical movement in America really is. When the Trump-supporting leaders of the Evangelical churches in America today finally meet their Maker they will have a lot of apologizing to do, but that will probably not be enough to keep them from ever entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
30
@RLW
As we all know, the Christian Right is neither. Hypocrites one and all.
1
DT doesn't have to be christian, evangelical or anything else. They are supporting him because he promised to halt/slow diversity; work in completely legal ways to slow women's rights to control their own bodies; and has made it clear in both deed and action that he supports more religious visibility in our daily lives. As long as he can show in some way he is doing these things, the evangelicals and others will vote for him.
And yes, shooting somebody on Fifth Ave could somehow be justified.
These people may call themselves Christians, but they don't seem to understand the teachings of Jesus.
55
@Glassyeyed They don't seem to understand the teachings of Sesame Street.
5
Exactly!
1
Arguably the least, “christian” President this country has ever seen, glad handing a room full of power hungry bible thumpers who would like to turn this country into a theocracy. Trump has “his” evangelicals” and they have their “golden calf.” Perfect!
54
What a jerk!
He's signaling to his "no snitching" buddies that violence is fine in defense of his lies and the way he is dismantling our democracy, cheat by cheat by con.
29
Despite Trump's fear mongering, this is not true, mostly because Democrats won't be able to undo some of the damage quickly and they definitely won't do it violently.
As usual, Trump is lying to his base. He is talking about his own fear that all he's undone, which is his basic legacy so far, will be redone by Democrats.
Democrats will work to re-establish basic American values, like truth, fairness and equality. They will work against Trumpian politics. They will work for good jobs, good pay and better education for all.
Trump knows that if Democrats take control of the House, he won't be able to push through tax bills that harm ordinary Americans and benefit his wealthy backers. Worse, from his viewpoint, he will be exposed as the grifter and charlatan that he is.
126
@Barbara Thank you. This is the hopeful reassurance/action plan that I/we need. (And your 3rd paragraph here could be the straightforward yet compelling message the Dems need to unite and rally. Love it.)
1
@Barbara Fortunately, because Trump's greatest skill is repeatedly and very publicly shooting himself in the foot, there is less damage done than he claims. John Brennon still has security clearance because White House hasn't fill out paperwork to revoke it. And Trump cannot operate his own desk phone to call Mexico on live TV.
2
@Barbara
Tell me if I'm mistaken but Obama had the majority of both houses his first two years why no meaningful tax reform then?
"The blunt warning — delivered to about 100 of the president’s most ardent supporters in the evangelical community — was the latest example of Mr. Trump’s attempts to use the specter of violence at the hands of his political opponents and to fan the flames of cultural divisions in the country."
The Trump ironies just keep coming day after day.
Yes, of course, isn't this exactly what Jesus would recommend? Portray the Democrats as a violent menace to Trump's authoritarian reign of terror; gin up hatred for refugees, immigrants, and people of color; and (wink, wink) imply violence is the solution if Trump candidates don't win in 2018.
Then violate one of the deepest worries--a lack of religious freedom in the new nation--by the key Founding Fathers, who reflected Enlightenment values (rationality, logic, truth, tolerance, belief in human progress, science); believed religious faith was a private matter; and advocated for the separation of church and state.
Of course, that Trump thinks his hyperbole will play well among this group of religious leaders also says a lot about the kind of men leading evangelical religious organizations, who have taken Jesus values and flipped them on their head. Did they not study Jesus's Sermon on the Mount?
What ever happened to Blessed are the poor, the merciful, the peacemakers in these evangelical groups?
Newsflash to Trump and these evangelicals: Violence is the problem, not the solution.
24
Can we really say that evangelical leaders and preachers are silenced and still keep a straight face? Even if they don't actually say it from the pulpit, I think most people know where their preacher is coming from. IRS rules or not, there have been no secrets for a very long time.
I like the Orthodox rule in this country. Their bishops actually forbid the priest from even voting. They are there for the next kingdom, not this one.
13
Since the first decades of the nation, the rule has been that churches get tax exemptions, to keep government out of religion, but the churches must then stay out of politics. The Evangelicals would have the exemption, and yet be free to be openly political. That is a clear violation of the establishment clause in the Constitution, and they know it. Hence the number of Evangelicals claiming that separation of church and state is a myth.
The Evangelicals claim to want "religious freedom"; what they really want is political dominion. "Religious freedom" for them, not so much for everyone else.They want the very separation of church and state that, given the power, they would gleefully destroy.
28
@franko
Just to clear up matters, you are confusing the establishment clause with tax policy, and the two have nothing to do with each other. The Establishment clause forbids the establishment of a state religion and also forbids the government from interfering in the running of churches, it also (outside conservative Christians) forbids civil law based on religious belief alone, because that would be the government favoring one religious belief over another (for example, take same sex marriage, if you make that illegal, it nullifies those of faith who believe it is fine, it is giving official power to one religious view over another).
The reason churches have a tax exemption is because they are non profit, and the rule on taxes applies to any non profit (501c3 designation, not 'not for profit' which is different). The Johnson amendment applied to all non profits, and it was designed to stop lawmakers from threatening to pull their tax exemption if they didn't work for them getting elected, if non profits couldn't work political campaigns, that threat would be hollow. Non profits are not supposed to endorse candidates, or use church (tax free) funds to support a campaign, but they can speak out on issues. Obviously with churches it is a joke, especially with GOP rule, and few people think the religious reich churches are adhering to the law, they aren't. They run phone banks promoting a candidate,voter transport that only is accessible to religious right voters, etc.
I am a Unitarian Universalist. We are not strictly Christians, fundamental or otherwise. We are of several faiths. We are people who believe that our primary job on this earth is to be good to one another and make this planet as happy a place for as many people as we can. My church is growing so big so fast that we have had to add services and a shuttle service because the parking lot isn't big enough.
Christianity as we have known it in this country is in the death spiral, because of these fundamentalists who have sold their soul to the devil and don't seem to be worried about it. The God you profess to believe in will have the last word, and if he is as jealous and tough as the Old Testament says, you characters are in big trouble for eternity.
29
@Brookhawk The only way these Philistines are going to go away is if congregations like yours start making some noise. If they do not represent people of true faith then you need to get up on the rooftops and start shouting it.
Because from where I sit, just standing there waiting for your God to have the last word is not good enough. We do not have the luxury of time to wait for devine judgement.
These fundamentalists present a very real danger to our society. Get your house in order and do something about it.
2
If you are appalled at the current state of affairs in this country, the very best thing you can do is motivate people in your life to vote in November. Stop typing here, and start texting, calling, emailing. Most all of us know a few people who don't vote, but who would if encouraged through thoughtful conversation.
19
@Liz
that unfortunately comes very close to NAGGING.....
Trump's linking of violence with elections is the stuff of totalitarian regimes and banana republics worldwide. He is no longer taking baby steps towards an authoritarian state; he is confidently striding there. But here's the deal: by seeking to divide the people of this country, he also seeks to bring out the very worst impulses on both sides. So far, both sides have taken his poisonous bait. I suggest we do something different: ignore this taunting. Were he not president and wielding such power, I wouldn't spend a millisecond considering this pathetic loser.
As Democrats, instead, let's focus all your energy on inviting people to vote for the best candidates who can make positive change in this country and again move us forward together.
130
(1) the church in NYC that Trump claimed to be a member of, during the 2016 campaign, said they had not seen him in some 2 years.
(2) the antifa are a very small faction, and not significant in electoral politics.
(3) why evangelicals are consorting with an unprincipled, unethical person like Trump, who could be reasonably considered the opposite of Christ, I'll never know. Are they just holding their noses and taking the ride for the sake of a strategic advantage for their churches? They seem pretty sincere. Be careful what you pretend to be . . .
15
They have one goal, and one goal only: To overturn Roe v Wade. This is why they pretend to like Donald.
§ Trump Warns, Democrats Will Enact Change ‘Quickly and Violently’
-
Resistance is futile. We are coming anyway.
6
“will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently” - just like he's done to Obama's accomplishments.
24
I sure hope Democrats win the midterms and overturn each and every Trump act, from the tax overhaul to immigration, to trade and more.
27
Please make this horror go away. I can't believe the words that come out of this man's mouth, never mind the blind worship (and evil anger and hate) among his base.
19
Trump’s cynicism in invoking Evangelical support for his political defence is beyond contemptible. For Evangelicals to rally to his aid, amid his perfidy and immorality, is even beyond that contempt. 200 million people of faith should reject this false idol.
144
@Marcus Brant -- I think there are around 60 million that call themselves Evangelicals in the USA. How many of these really support the evil Trump I don't know but in my book if they follow Trump they are not Christians but just in for the money and power.
3
Reading stories such as this one leaves me wishing that there truly was a God who would mete out Justice to all in the afterlife.
But alas, I don’t, and neither do these charlatans who profess to know the will of God. All they know is how to fleece their sheep.
11
A preening fool, with his accomplices. Period.
26
So Donald Trump believes he has proven to be "the greatest leader for Christianity." As paradoxical as that sounds, perhaps there is a hidden truth in his claim. Anyone who follows the teachings of Jesus knows that the core instruction is to love deeply and forgive "70 times 7." And that all humans are needy and imperfect and broken. And that we are connected to each other and we suffer when we don't feel that belonging. Trump reminds us what it looks like when a human feels hopelessly and desperately alone. Who somehow feels that the only way people will love him is when he "wins." Trump's outward behavior and words reveal his inner hell. And therefore the greatest call for Christian compassion.
I believe Christians must do everything in their power to remove Trump from office, ever mindful that he is a beloved child of God.
7
WWJD
5
@James Carlisle
WWJD?
Some options could include...
Impeach him
Put him on trial
Vote him out of office.
6
Nice. They currently own the government, have SCOTUS backing to openly discriminate under the sham of "religious freedom," don't pay a freakin' penny in taxes while raking in millions, and have the gall to claim they're being persecuted. They need to meet some hungry lions.
45
So now we are reduced to Evangelicals secretly taping the president and providing us with the remarks he made after the press was removed from the room. Omarosa, Michael Cohen, and now Evangelicals have felt the need to secretly record POTUS. That speaks volumes to this president’s relationship with truth.
As to his message, telling religious folks that if they don’t vote for GOP candidates then Democrats will violently overthrow everything he has done for them is not only hogwash, it is a lie upon a lie. He claimed that he overturned the Johnson amendment which prohibits churches from actively campaigning and endorsing candidates if they wish to preserve their protected tax status. He did no such thing. That is a lie.
He then takes one of his favorite scary words (Antifa) and starts throwing it around. Here is where I boil over. Do people just lose their mental faculties in his presence? Does nobody speak up when he is lying? Certainly most people in that room knew the Johnson amendment still holds. Certainly most people in that room were aware of the peaceful transfers of power we have enjoyed for more than two centuries.
Previously, the president stood in a room full of military spouses and said that the military had not gotten pay raises in ten years, but thanks to him they finally were getting one. Every spouse in that room knew it was a lie, as they had gotten raises every single year.
Wake up folks! If you stand silent in the face of such lies you are complicit.
44
@Joanna Stasia
Trump didn't overturn the "Johnson amendment" but did tell the IRS to NOT prosecute those churches which are politically active.....not a lot of difference.
1
Are there no limits to this persons idiocy? We're looking forward to getting everything Trump undone quicker than quick come 2019 and beyond, however long it takes to get the reeking stench of Trumpism out of our lives again.
13
Unsurprisingly Mr. Trump is wrong as usual. His name may not be written on the ballots, but it is omnipresent. And not in a good way.
10
I fear for this country now being run by a man (boy really) who has no morals, conscience or clue as to what he is doing. Now he is preaching to the choir, a bunch of bible thumping people who want to turn back women's rights to the Dark Ages. No idiot boy the Dems will not turn things back "violently" you rabble rouser. Election day can't come soon enough. Your days and your lies are numbered. The Dems will take back both Houses.
17
Trump is a race-baiting fascist doing Russia's dirty work for them. Dividing our nation only serves Russia's interests.
We need checks and balances. Midterms matter.
16
Great photo: Is Trump praying or thinking about his next sexual conquest with a porn star?
17
Remember the "old" GOP mantra of the McCarthy days, "Kill a commie for Christ!" That is so against Jesus's teachings on so many levels.
11
Dear Religious Leaders,
There will be a moment today that you find yourself in quiet contemplation. Know this -- God is there. You can lie to your congregation about how Christian Trump is. You can convince yourself that you're doing God's work by overlooking the evil in our President because the end outweighs the means in your calculations.
But, in the silent moments, you will know the truth. God knows it, too. Don't fool yourself. God does not condone your unquestioning support of an evil man. He will not stand for you leading your sheep to slaughter.
As always, I will pray for you. Here's hoping you get your heads out of your keesters before it's too late.
27
@Sarah Many of my truly religious friends are shocked by all this, but seem to feel that increasing their prayers will affect the necessary change of heart in our Dear Leader.
Feel free to pray, but it wasn't praying that got us here. It was organization, footwork, gerrymandering, lying, and flaunting our laws against churches being used for political actions that is part of their tax exemptions. Start there -- clamor for any house of worship that acts as a pulpit to organize hate inspired political action to lose their tax status as the law requires, for starters. Shame those fellow "Christians" who publicly defy Jesus' teachings to love and accept each other, in the form of trump's hatreds and worship of himself.
3
@Entera
Let's start at Rev. Wright's house of worship first.
If you close you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that he's praying.
7
@Jim Cricket
Praying he won't go to jail.
Trump is essentially yelling FIRE! in a crowded theater. Of course, he has never read any Shakespeare, but it might be beneficial to those evangelicals in attendance to read Antony's funeral oration in the Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
Note: this play is not titled a TRAGEDY for nothing.
16
Expecting Trump and his supporters to propose reeducation camps for dissenters.
13
Trump's modus operandi is to behave badly and then indignantly accuse his opponents of that exact behavior.
He is now signaling to his strongest supporters the behavior he will expect of them if the election does not go his way -- violent opposition -- and is laying the groundwork for shifting the blame to the other side.
This is a savvy approach for an autocrat facing a challenge to his power, and is absolutely appalling coming from an American president.
15
A Christian country? How dumbed down do these fake christian proselytizers have to get before their followers awaken?
Feudalism is the new American fascism - Pharaohs building pyramids in the sky while the slaves are forced to worship fake Gods. Sounds more Russian than Russia
10
He's saying that if the left wins, there will be violence from the left.
What he means, is that if the left wins, the right should do violence.
With hundreds of millions of guns in this country, gun lovers are itching to use them, I suppose. Their 19th century fantasy won't work, because a civil war will be a cyber war.
If they think they can shoot up those that they hate, then return home to turn on the computer or television, they'll find they have no power. All hell will break loose with a cyber war.
The early predictions of Trump being Hitler-like, are sadly coming true.
17
Reading this article disturbs me on several levels—the first being that Trump holds the bully pulpit. His rhetoric is devoted to two things: spreading fear and inciting violence. I can’t recall any former American president having used the power of the office for evil purposes, which seems to be Trump's primary goal.
Also disturbing is that evangelical leaders are encouraging his hateful, fearful messages. Granted, their own message seems to be somewhat similar: follow "god's word" the way I interpret it or you will burn in hell for eternity. These are the people who are supposed to be the experts on good and evil and spread the message of god's love. I question their intentions . . . or their intelligence.
It is equally disturbing that these people—Trump and the evangelical clergy—speak to masses of people who won’t or can’t think for themselves and accept their messages without question. It's not surprising that Trump speaks of witch hunts. How far away is the day he calls for the burning of his enemies at the stake? And how will these men (and women) of god react?
Perhaps most disturbing of all is that our elected members of Congress allow this man continue in this way unchecked. How many of his former henchmen have to testify against him in order for our representatives do their jobs and hold him responsible for the hatred he spews, the crimes he perpetrates, and the chaos he is causing?
There are barbarians at the gate and no one is brave enough to stand-up to them.
22
If G.O.P. Loses Hold on Congress, Trump Warns, Democrats Will Enact Change to Make the USA a Third-World Nation
Yes, Mr. Trump, the Democrats will indeed overturn everything you have done. Don't worry though, your place in the history books will be preserved in all it's obscene glory alongside the descriptions:
"Worst U.S. President"
"Most Corrupt Presidential Administration"
"First Sitting President to be Imprisoned by his own Attorney General Pick"
9
The lower case president as an upper case Seditionary.
13
Trump is as familiar with the Bible as he is with birth control.
11
From the story:
"Robert Jeffress, a Dallas evangelical pastor who once said Jewish people were going to hell, had observed that Mr. Trump “may not be the perfect human being, but he’s the greatest leader for Christianity.” "
Wow. Talk about moral relativism. If that's his concept of Christianity, he can keep it.
Mr. Jeffress was also on NPR this morning, playing the poor, put-upon Christian card for all it's worth, lamenting how nativity scenes and prayer in public schools went away.
News flash, Mr. Jeffress. You have structures called churches in which you are free to practice your religion in any way you please. Nobody is stopping you.
Just as I am free not to have your - or anyone else's - religion imposed on me. As far as I'm concerned, religious dogma like that espoused by the evangelical right is one of the biggest hindrances to humanity's progress.
27
@Larry M -- so dang true.
Fundamentalism is the boulder that keeps on crushing.
Say, that reminds me -- didn't the 9/11 hijackers
all come from some Fundamentalist country?
2
If the transcript is correct, it shows just how far Trump will lie to win praise from an audience, but worse are the people in the audience who knows they're lies and still buy them as fact. Trump has broken 9 of the 10 Commandments, even boasted about some and never repented or sought forgiveness, and still they have audicity to call him a good christian. They have some seriously warped views of christian values and the Bible.
21
@Scott
They have no view of Jesus.
They never say his name except as whining mantra meant to show their piety " Jesus is my savior".
What Jesus ever did, taught, said, preached?
Silence.
The bible is all punishment, all pre-Jesus.
And they olomger even care about God.
Adultery? Fine. Bragging one can kill and pardon oneself and it's forgiven, not by god but by oneself? Fine.
False testimony? Fine. Coveting others property @#Smart!
Don't let them fool you.
Not followers of Jesus of Nazareth anymore than the KKK terrorists who tortured and murdered.
1
Religious leaders applaud Trump's boast that he's "the greatest thing for Christianity," while hundreds of traumatized children remain separated from parents seeking refuge at our borders. The hypocrisy is stunning. If ever there was a case for atheism, this is it.
22
I sure hope the evangelicals are getting their money’s worth. Because hitching their wagon to the most corrupt, most mendacious and least Christ-like human on the planet is not doing their brand any good. And let’s face it, at this point their version of Christianity is a brand and nothing more. It’s a hollow but well-marketed appeal to those who are insecure about their place in our cultural future and need to feel superior to others.
7
His prediction of violence following a Democrat controlled House after the November election is not the first time Mr. Trump has sought to disrupt our country’s history of a smooth transition of leadership, a great hallmark of our democracy.
During the campaign he was asked at the last debate with Clinton whether he would accept the outcome of the election if he lost. He refused to say he would.
Again, Mr. Trump broke no law by his response; instead, as has so often been the case by his words and his action, he strayed from historic norms and traditions that for centuries have defined who we are. In this instance and in his threat of violence following the 2018 mid-term elections he has again sought to undercut the very soul of our representative democracy.
And where is the congressional outcry? Non existent.
11
@Regards, LC "During the campaign he was asked at the last debate with Clinton whether he would accept the outcome of the election if he lost. He refused to say he would."
Apparently, Hillary and other smug Democrats didn't accept the outcome of the election and have been doing their best ever since to unseat Trump. What hypocrisy!
@MCH
WHAT ???
So, you're saying a person who loses an election cannot speak out?
Um....isn't that fairly totalitarian?
1
Fea-rmonger-in-chief plys his legally suspect trade. Are we at all surprised?
8
Would Jesus vote for Trump?
10
The credibility of the Christian leadership is at its low point with all the sex scandals. I am not sure, there will be much value for their endorsement. If at all, their endorsement of Trump knowing his sexual behavior and snatching babies from mothers will only lower their credibility reaching an all time low. The evangelicals are better off by not being in bed with Trump.
6
"What would Jesus do?"
4
It’s too much to take some days. What kind of person, other than a despot, would say such inane things. But worse than Trump himself are the evangelical and elected Republicans who enable Trumps assault on truth, honesty, honor, democracy, justice, the rule of law. History will not judge you kindly, nor will the God you profess to have faith in. May God have mercy upon you.
20
More of Trump's leadership by fear. And his base claps and cheers and nods their heads in approval.
12
As Trump becomes sicker and more sadistic than ever, we the majority, good people all, must take over the reins of government. That the Republican enablers support this excuse for a human being for their own greedy purposes makes this a truly scary time.
We must take control! We must win.
15
Evangelicals like Trump because what they do in their private lives when the shades are drawn he does in daylight.
10
Nice move Trump. Use religion to manipulate the masses... That ploy comes right out of the playbook that autocrats and kings have been using for thousands of years. Sadly enough, this ruse is used precisely because it works on far too many.
Not terribly surprising that the Republicans and Trump couldn’t come up with something better like, for instance, actually doing something good for the people they are supposed to be serving. No, continue to be your corrupt greedy selves and just try to convince people that the Democrats are evil and some “god” somewhere thinks the Republicans have to be in charge.
17
Combative, inflammatory speech by POTUS, trying to create fear and mistrust among the pusillanimous 'evangelical leaders' who have betrayed their faith by placing politics above Christian principles. Trump will continue to fuel the divisiveness among the citizenry.
Trump has no concept of what shame is, and now he has added the so called evangelical leaders to his list.
May God have mercy on this country.
6
Shame on any religious person who follows this Golden Calf.
10
Wow, this is problematic on many fronts. The Johnson Amendment isn't just about taxes; by hacking away at the concept of separation between church and state, he is priming his followers to conflate what he wants and what God wants.
Furthermore, by warning of the hypothetical future violence that "antifa" and "the left" might do to Christians, he is setting them up as the "victims" in this context and pre-justifying their actions when they use violence themselves. It's a quick step to the notion that anyone who doesn't agree with them deserves to be treated with violence.
Stormy Daniels and Kim Jong Un are merely distractions, people: what President Trump is doing is unraveling civil society.
37
Clearly, this President is fomenting a race war in order to save himself!!!
16
I don't understand two things:
Why is it that Christian pastors are cow-towing to an obviously un-Christian man and his actions,
and on a different plane - churches/pastors are deliberately barred from weighing in on politics if they want to preserve their tax-exempt status. Is there a whole new I.R.S. code to protect them?
26
@Karin
The whole world has the exact 2 same questions.
Christian pastors actually listening to Trump, one of the most immoral men on this planet, is enough to make Jesus come back down on this earth and give these pastors a real throttling.
8
@Karin, real Christian leaders were not at the WH, they were working in shelters, hospitals and war zones to comfort the fallen. The people at the WH with their $1000+ suits are charlatans. I guess they keep proving the atheists right that there must not be a God or how could these people continue to thrive.
1
@JM The actions of these "evangelicals" that started in the 1970's with the "I found it" campaign started to repel me from their faith. Before that, I was never assaulted in public places by "Christians" who would approach strangers like me, and demand to know "Have you found it?", meaning Jesus as Savior.
When I would remind them of the "Let not they right hand know what they left does when praying or doing good works", they seemed confused and even questioned that the biblical statement even meant anything.
That's when I began drawing away from any practice of Christianity. The current crop of these followers have finished the job for sure.
No wonder the story of Jesus has him resurrecting from the dead. If he was a real person in a grave, he'd be twirling with rage at what his followers have done to his teachings. They've definitely shown me that they have zero positive affect on followers, especially since few "real" Christians have risen up against this heresy in any significant or public manner.
1
So the idiot president who likes to spread fear and hatred is now spreading doom and gloom.
There is nothing to suggest that the democrats will change anything so radically that what he's predicting would come true, however his opinion of things has to match his ego which we all know is larger then life.
We need to have an adult in this job not a six year old.
10
So that's his pious face. Trump and Evangelicals are a perfect match, they are pre-screened for gullibility and " uneducated ". Party before the real teachings of Jesus. Hypocrites and fools. Seriously.
7
Quickly? I hope so. Violently? Very unlikely, president liar.
13
He has learned a new word, "plateaued" and yet another bold face lie this time about how many floors his glass monstrosity in the city has. Pathetic, just pathetic.
5
Where's the audiotape?
1
@Jack Kennedy, there is a LOT of audio and video of him saying this.
2
It is sickening the way Trump speaks to groups in order to win their support. He spews lies, exaggerations and divisive hateful conspiracies and then promises them the world.
The fact that ANY Christian organization supports this man after all his anti-Christian behavior should be embarrassing to the leaders of those organizations.
Face it, this is about money and power. The ONLY reason these groups support him is because they want to have a 501(c)3 nonprofit, be exempt from taxes, but also act as a political backer for specific candidates who will promote their organization more. That way, they can elect judges and congress who will adhere to their dogma and belief systems.
Whatever happened to separation of church and state?
19
@Carson
Yikes, and Pence will be even worse.
5
@Carson
though Trump didn't overturn the "Johnson Amendment" as he promised the Evangelicals he would do, he did order the IRS to ignore churches that were / are politically active.
Isn't it about time we put religion back into the Church - and put a stop to the hypocrites using God as political leverage to divide us in our secular lives in America - Land of the Free to live but not persecute in God's name.
9
"President Trump warned evangelical leaders Monday night that Democrats 'will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently' ”
Can't wait!!!
Overturn, definitely.
But I think I'll keep the "violence" to playing Música Norteña (tuneful and emotion-drenched music of the US/Mexican border) really really loud. There will be dancing in the streets, the forests, the oceans, "everywhere around the world," like the song says.
Vote! Thank you.
18
I plan to violently insert my mail-in ballot into the mail box with a big grin on my face.
18
I am shocked, shocked, to see the real character of evangelicals become transparent as they rally behind every mother
s nightmare for a person. Their hollow words are ringing in the background as they worship a narcissist, a compulsive liar, a serial adulterer, a cheat. We see them now as pure hypocrites.
13
Fearmongering to the faithful. Funny how these so-called evangelicals can ignore the fact that the message comes from a lying, cheating, serial adulterer who, if I recall my Biblical readings properly, should be the subject of sermons of what NOT to do with your life, not unalloyed praise. Hypocrites.
11
As the Catholic church has surely sowed its decline by backing deplorable priests and covering up moral rot to maintain power, so have the evangelical churches. Young people today see the hypocrisy of backing a morally bankrupt president just to get power to oppress the rights of women and racial and sexual minorities. This shall lead to the further decline of the Christian religions they espouse to worship.
8
Red meat for the evangelical constituency, who come in with a predisposition to apocalyptic pronouncements. Is anyone really surprised by this? It's just the Daily Outrage. Somehow, we have to get past the idea that he's stupid, that he's crazy. He's not. The people who voted for him looked past his persona and went for his big policy idea: To be a bull in the D.C. china shop. They got their wish.
8
Hopefully, they laughed Trump out of the room. Nothing evangelical, christian or conservative about the man.
Oh, and in case he forgot - there's separation of church and state - it's in the constitution............................... that he's sworn to uphold.
5
He can’t read and if he could he can't rub two ideas together and come up with a logical conclusion.
3
@mid-leveler They clearly did not laugh him out of the room. These "evangelicals" have done more to kill the teachings of their Jesus than all the Roman purges of history.
Do they have any idea how many people they are causing to reject their religion?
1
@mid-leveler
The law that prevents Churches from receiving tax exempt status if they are politically active is called the Johnson Amendment.
Though Trump didn't "overturn" it as he promised the Evangelicals he would do, he DID order the IRS to not use it against churches which are active politically, so he accomplished the same thing.
See: https://www.salon.com/2018/06/24/blinded-by-darkness-how-evangelicals-pu...
1
Have we ever learned how the Evangelical Christians justify their support of Donald Trump? Os there a clear explanation of what they see in this person who never attended church unless he was forced to?
10
@NRS It's all about power. That is all.
I always suspected that evangelicals were evil , un-American hypocrites...now I know.
14
A stunning display of faith leaders held in thrall to a false prophet.
9
Trump speaks the truth. Groups in the Democratic ideological orbit (BLM, antifa, campus SJWs) already are committing considerable violence. I'm sure they are capable of more.
Am I mistaken, but I don't think so! "Google eyed Julie" public mouth piece to the current holder of the office of President and the office holder himself have been strongly hinting of armed insurrection if they and their gang of misfits don't win in 2018 and 2020. Have they committed a crime yet? Possibly yes and then could be when they mention time and time again riots in the streets and worse to their right-wing and further right brighter tassels of the idiot fringe.
If and when the jack boots hit the streets and gun fire erupts how will the nation as a whole react. Gee! I wish someone would bring up this "whispering of fire in a crowded theatre of politics!"
6
Trump will weaponize anything — including religion — to advance his evil brand of National Socialism. Stoking fear among his vacuous, cult-like base while feigning piety might, he convinces himself, resonate and help the GOP succeed in the fall midterms. Trump will invoke anything in his scorched-earth juggernaut to upend democracy. This is all very dangerous, and patently un-American. But he cares not, as long as he triumphs in fomenting hatred and anger within the populace.
17
Once again the liar in chief uses bullying and alt facts to try and scare alleged religious people to vote for his racist, sexist , nativist , mysoginist agenda and allude to violence as the outcome of Democrats taking over majority in Congress. THat these alleged God fearing people would be caught in the same room with this serial adulterer , liar, tax cheat , fraud and abuse purveyor is in itself a wonder. A room full of hypocrites listening to the groper in Chief who 6 yrs ago was a Democrat and pro choice person is evidence of the apocalypse and how polarized DC and the Country are and Trump is the worst example of this disconnect and discord.
9
Every Dem running in November must mention these crude fear-mongering threats and rebut them fiercely.
the DNC and congressional leaders also, must speak out about these fascist tactics to claim what Dems are going to do, or not do.
War in Christianity? Mobs and violence? Absurd--weaponizing religion and fomenting violence are more used by the far right, especially white nationalists.
Dems: Stop the timidity! You gotta fight Trump hard, because there is nothing he won't say or do or lie about.
22
Donald Trump will make every hysterical warning he can to avoid having his power checked and balanced by a Congress that actually does something instead of acting as his rubber stamp, and only those who dance on the knife's edge of being fair-and-balanced give any credence to his threats. He is terrified of losing power even slightly, and he will say anything to keep that from happening.
14
Robert Jeffress on Trump, “[He] may not be the perfect human being, but he’s the greatest leader for Christianity.” In what way? He fails all the requirements for Christian leaders (read the letters to Timothy and Titus) and even fails the key qualifications for salvation - no repentance and a lack of humility. Christians are told to have nothing to do with such people (Eph 5:7-9). Note that this is for people who claim to be Christian, like Trump. There is no requirement to act that way with non-believers (1 Cor 5:10), and yet these people are doing the opposite.
I hear people comparing him to the Persian Cyrus the Great who was the means that God used to bring the Jews back to Israel from the Babylonian exile, but that is a very different situation and Cyrus is not a venal liar.
This cosying up to power and untruth is immoral and ungodly and there will be judgment. To these Christians I say, remember Ananias and Sapphira.
43
“They looked like ants, little people going all over ...boom, boom, boom, so little ‘cause when you’re 68 floors, they look really small. But there were a lot of them.”
This magnificent observation by the president of the United States is only surpassed by his obvious disrespect and indifference for the “ordinary people.” As Mitt Romney outed himself six years ago with his timeless “47%,” this president just admitted that the rest of us are “ants.” I’m so surprised that quotation wasn’t followed by something like “I’d like to step on them.”
And I wonder if any one—perhaps just one—of the 100 or so pastors who will guide their flocks of evangelical “Christians” to the November polls had the stuff to ask him, “Mr. President, is it really true that you paid hush money to a pornographic film actress so you could win the White House?”
I wonder if he’s read the Constitution and its warnings about separating the church from the state. And these evangelical pastors are the direct descendants of a Protestant America that was aghast at the very prospect of a Catholic president nearly 60 years ago; were scared to death that America’s foreign and domestic policy initiatives would be routed through the Vatican in Rome?
But back to the (hypocritical) present: “‘ants...little people...cause when you’re 68 floors...boom, boom, boom...” These words were actually spoken by an American president?
Priceless!
93
Kind of scary, isn’t it?
4
Perhaps this John Adams quote should instead be carved on the fireplace, "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” It is a slippery slope to allow Evangelicals to have such an influence over politics. To implore them to sway the political decisions of their congregants is both immoral and unpatriotic.
To this I might add that there are many things that the current Republican party supports that could easily be considered contrary to Christianity. Jesus preached caring for the sick and the poor. He taught forgiveness and compassion. He warned against judging others.
It's hard to find the Christianity in the Evangelical community today. They seem to be singly focused on money, power, and political influence. I don't think Jesus would have approved. At least, not the Jesus I learned about as a child.
329
@Andy
Indeed. Jesus would not have approved.
Jesus was in favor of separation of Church and State. He said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."
10
@Andy
Your last paragraph speaks volumes. At a very early age, it became apparent to me the discrepancy between Christian values and morals and those members in the community most loudly espousing them. The overwhelming level of hypocrisy opened my eyes to Christianity. For over a thousand years, so many unspeakable and horrific acts all in the name of Christ.
4
@Andy
"To implore them to sway the political decisions of their congregants is both immoral and unpatriotic."
...and still illegal for them to do so.
2
It’s not enough that this president thinks he’s a king and a ruler. Now he wants to be worshipped as a savior!
15
The behavior of M. Trump is one deep evidence that there is no god, just a strange need to find a absolute fondantion from inhumane believe, like that death punishment is a solution, that control the body of others, especially if they are women is the right, that the real is not the real if it doesn't match with your wishes and ideas, like there is no climate change caused by human activities.
4
Is this a script for a"fake" documentary on Hypocrisy? I wish.
10
As if we needed any proof of the complete and utter corruption of the Evangelical movement. After their support for the child-molester Roy Moore, this is hardly surprising.
25
A house divided against itself cannot stand. A faith community that has for its standard-bearer a liar, a sinner, a thief, has cynically betrayed its own beliefs. When have we had such a person as our “leader”; one who seeks not to be president of all Americans, but who pits us against one another even in the context of supposed “brotherly love”? The hypocrisy, dishonesty, and disdain for our ideals is both suffocating and pathetic.
33
When you've sold your soul once, how difficult is it to do it again?
29
Great accompanying picture of the President recalling the good old days when he could just reach down and.............because he's famous and they let you do anything.
15
Trump praying? Trump, "the greatest leader fro Christianity?" I don't think so. Christianity is a full time job, and Mr. Trump doesn't do full time jobs.
42
So much for separation of church and state. Trump is trying his best to trash every part of the Constitution as fast as he can.
61
So much for the separation of church and state…
10
To say the Democrats will become violent if they win is a non sequitur. Much of what this president says is nonsense, but I hope this isn't a dog whistle.
24
@Jennifer It clearly is a statement intended to spur violence from the base.
8
just plain sickening. full stop.
47
YES!! And I hope they do!! But it won't be violently that is YOUR word here! It will be by voting you out of office! Simple. Voting you out of office!
16
"Evangelical community"........ I wonder if any of them have ever read the Bible. I'm pretty certain Trump hasn't.
22
I would hope these people can see right through his sheeps clothing. Vote for Trump, listen to his logic, and all your dreams will come true. Ah, a deal with the Devil.
13
How hilarious, to see this philandering, lying, very un-Christian sexual predator with his hypocritical head bowed in "prayer".
Not hilarious, though, is this evangelical support of Trump. That is a vast abhorrence.
Hopefully, this is the era where Trumpvangelicals finally are roundly rejected by the truth-seeking majority of the electorate.
76
Is it a national hypocrisy championship tournament? Who is more deceiving? Trump pretending to be deeply religious, or clergy pretending that Trump is a "good man"?
42
Fire and brimstone. To them he is Jehovah. To him they are false prophets, as he knows a con game when he sees it; he is one and he has perfected it.
8
@Ed M Not Jehovah ... Santa Claus. He's willing to give them whatever they want in exchange for support. They're willing to take it from him because they have no principles. They share the values of narcissism and a lust for power.
when will we tax churches as political action committees?
26
Yes. We will undo EVERYTHING. And it won’t be by executive order. It will be done by a Democratic Congress.
20
He's right. We will. This religious hatred, racism and bigotry of all kinds must be stopped. The plundering of workers to give more to the wealthy must be stopped. The mean spirited, ignorant, hateful occupant of the White House must be stopped.
37
These religious hucksters support him even though he's dismantling the ACA, environmental protections, the public school system, low income housing and food stamps as well as eroding civil and consumer rights.
All this for the chance to rescind Roe vs. Wade,lgbtq progress, access to birth control, and to "get prayer back into (public) schools".
They're as amoral and corrupt as he is.
74
And prayer never was in the public schools to begin with. It’s another fallacy of the MAGA cult-like belief built upon what never existed.
8
@Deborah Nystrom
In 1957 and 1958 I attended Katella Elementary in Anaheim. Every day at lunch their was a compulsory prayer. This was a public school. So, prayer in public schools did occur, just not in every school.
1
Just another day in Trumplandia where up is down and down is up and truth isn’t truth.
28
@Aaron Kirk Douglas
Donald in wonderland!
2
This is what the beginning of a theocracy looks like. Count on Trump not to let the facts get in the way of political self-aggrandizement. From mis-representing the number of stories in Trump Tower to falsely claiming he changed the law to allow tax-free religious groups to make political statements, this man simply can not and will not speak the truth. The man who said there were "good people" among the Charlottesville pro-Nazi demonstrators predicted that if the Democrats win the mid-terms, they would be "violent" in implementing their platform. Urging Christian evangelical leaders to use their pulpits to preach Trumpism reverses the historical protection of separation of church and state. It may already be too late to save American democracy.
22
None of these people are Christians. They could all stand to read the bible.
13
He's right, we will. Violently is the wrong term though, we will do so abruptly, and his impeachment is looming.
11
With all his "advisers" hasn't anyone told him he represents all Americans. And he wonders why there are no positive Google results with respect to him.
16
Trump wasn't warning of violence if republicans win in November, he was encouraging violence when the republicans lose in November.
206
@RP Smith Clearly.
3
@RP Smith -- that's a BINGO.
An inciting to Riot is what it is.
6
The president is at it again with fear-mongering and dire warnings about the country’s future if Republicans lose control of the House. He doesn’t run on his administration’s accomplishments, such as they are, but visceral issues of race and immigration that will only stoke fears and concerns in the country.
The president isn’t on the Midterm ballots but these elections will be a referendum of his first two years as president. If all the president can do is demonize "those other people" he's admitting that he doesn't have a positive message for the country. He's running on fear and hate as he did in 2016.
14
Is there anything Trump won't say or do to gain and hold on to power? I can only imagine what threats he'll invent in the run up to the next presidential election.
On the bright side, the evangelical Christians have lost all moral authority in this country. They have shown their true colors and no longer will I be tolerant when they try to preach to me on how I should live my life.
172
@Chad
Heard one of these evangelaicals on NPR today, I thought I was hearing things when the reporter asked him about Trump's sleeping with a prostitute and paying off a porn star. He said that those in the room and even evangelicals themselves could forgive the man. Unbelievable, you can't make this stuff up.
9
The minister added: “Now we have a warrior at the helm who is willing to stand up and fight. Amen. Sir, I commend you for your courage. It is an amazing thing. So, team — let’s fight and we’ll win. God bless you.”
I am not an Evangelical, but I gather that they are willing to go with this abomination of a DEAR LEADER because (I am paraphrasing) "we are all sinners and we will be forgiven for our sins if we believe in Jesus."
If that is the logic, then there is no reason to adhere to any principle at all, and most certainly not even to one of the ten commandments, because in the end "we are all sinners and we will be forgiven for our sins if we believe in Jesus."
Following a DEAR LEADER who is heading off the cliff makes no sense.
Following a DEAR LEADER who lies when he isn't making it up from thin air makes no sense.
But these people will be "forgiven," right? (Not for their civic sins, but maybe for their religious sins.)
Just sayin'.
16
@Joe From Boston Absolution, the original Get Out of Jail Free card. Just sayin' too!
4
What has happened with the separation of church and state. It appears that if your Trump and the GOP it has become one in the same.
32
Interesting to invite tax exempt evangelicals to the White House to urge them to get out the vote. Maybe it’s time to start taxing overtly political religious institutions, and then move on to all of the others.
46
@Bag
Tax all religious entities. Muslim, Lutheran, Scientology, everyone.
11
@Margo Channing No exemptions. Absolutely.
1
So religious leaders of all stripes can tell their congregations in the names of their deities who to vote for. Frankly, now that it’s legal and the line between church and state is being erased, I think there are many more religious leaders who regard Trump not as their anointed leader as do evangelicals, but regard him as a tool of humanity’s crudest, greediest and bigoted impulses. All those religious leaders can also now use their religious authority to advocate for and against politicians. Amen.
24
Conservatism is a character fault that denies and forestalls the inevitability of change.
6
Desperate actions from a desperate man. No one has more to loose in the mid-terms than our President. He knows that if the House flips, Democrats in the House will initiate the kind of oversight the Republican House Leadership has studiously avoided...and he knows, better than anyone else what they might uncover.
He doesn't care about what he's selling here to the Religious Right. Conservative policy? The survival of the Republican Party? The reputation of the White House? Feh! These are nothing to him. His self-esteem and maybe even his freedom are at stake here. The Narcissist in Chief will do anything between now and November. Just watch.
13
I was in the "evangelical Christian" community for 30 years of my adult life before I finally "saw the light" and removed myself from that nonsense. I can say without doubt, this is a community that is fueled by fear, and Trump's message to them is on-point to motivate them to action.
169
@David, What are they afraid of, themselves perhaps.
1
@David
"I can say without doubt, this is a community that is fueled by fear, and Trump's message to them is on-point to motivate them to action."
Republicans have been using fear as a motivator since at least 1988 (Bush-Dukakis).
My question for fearful Republicans is this:
For decades, you have tried to frighten people with the specter of towns being overrun with crime, and with foreigners. Where is even one such town? If you cannot point to such a situation, stop pandering.
2
"President Trump warned evangelical leaders Monday night that Democrats 'will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently' if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterm elections."
You mean, the way Trump and the Republicans have tried to overturn everything Obama and the Democrats did?
109
It is long past time for churches to lose their tax exempt status.
178
@FDNYMom
AMEN!
2
For once, Trump may be right. There could be violence if Republicans lose the Congress (or if we finally get sensible gun control laws).
But it will be primarily his fault...and will be well worth any temporary trouble.
7
Trump himself has tried to bring about changes quickly and violently.
11
"President Trump warned evangelical leaders Monday night that Democrats “will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently”"
Most of what Trump has done involves "quickly and violently" overturning everything Obama did.
11
So the Democrats "will overturn everything that we’ve done and they’ll do it quickly and violently”. You mean like what you did to almost everything that Obama did in his 8 years in office"
When are the evangelists going to wake up and see this fear mongerer for what he is? How to they reconcile this poster child for hedonistic behavior as a leader to hold up to their children to emulate. If Trump is any indication of what the religious right looks for in a leader then they can keep their religion as they've lost their moral compass.
28
In psychology, this is known as “planting seeds”; and, as I see it, this type of speech by POTUS is irresponsibly inflammatory, and will only lead to trouble. And, if the elections should turn the tide, and the many non-thinkers amongst the voting public take this to heart, it could be the first step toward a police state, if it get’s to the point where the military starts being called in to quell violence in order to restore “law and order”.
32
The hypocrisy is dumbfounding. I am literally speechless.
26
It's more likely there will be violence from the far Right if Democrats should win Congress. All those Trump supporters with their guns and their anger is more frightening. Just the way they attack and provoke online, publishing the home addresses of journalists or politicians they dislike, or threatening rape or death to women who dare to speak out. Just the rhetoric used in some comments is chilling--not in the NYT, which is pretty well moderated, but on some other forums the threats and taunts are disgusting. All in service to Donald Trump, I might add. We have much more to fear from the continuation of Trump's reign than we do from Democrats, who just want people to have better health care and students to have a way to pay for college. What's to fear from them?
131
@Ms. Pea I disagree, sad to say. It is more likely that the far left engage in violence as we've seen over the past few years. Much more likely. Even the fraction of far right in Charlotte were not as violent as the masses that showed up and attacked those legally protesting. But, under the newly defined progressive movement, it's okay to attack anyone that disagrees with you, and it's right to silence them on campus, etc. Just 'cause. I'm starting to wonder if all of the immigrants that have been coming, legally, from other countries do not know what 'free speech' means. Or maybe it's all of those raised in the US public school system over the last 20 to 25 years? I mean, when you are told you cannot dress up for Halloween in a costume of your choice, we're in really deep trouble. When you're told you cannot sing the words to a rap song that has the n word because your not black, we are in really deep trouble. Trump is in office because of the far left and the media that could not ignore his idiocy and kept his face on the front page daily, not the far right that makes up < 3% of the country.
Trump finally said something that wasn't a bold-faced lie.
And our first order of business, mr. president will be to revoke tax exempt status for religious institutions.
Ifin' the religious wanna' to wade into politics, then they gots to pay!!!
12
How else does a republican rule other than by fear?
17
I think this clearly omits a very important point: There are many evangelical pastors and leaders that are Democrats/Liberals. These leaders speak a message against marginalization, helping your foreign neighbor, and loving one another regardless of race, creed, or gender - which are topics that speak against the current administration.
11
Donald is sounding more like a mob boss with each passing day and these evangelicals only add to that impression. At first, I thought of them as another special interest group looking for favors. I was too kind. A more accurate description is that they are racketeers looking for protection from the boss, and the Don is trying to oblige. It seems that his mid-term strategy is coming down to this: "Vote Republican if you want to protect this thing of ours"...
11
@Rick
"We're all family here."
3
This makes me sick! Pandering to religious leaders and asking them to endorse Trump to their congregations is a blatant violation of the Johnson Amendment. Make religious institutions pay taxes if they choose to participate in politics! Imagine the revenue and the myriad of ways that revenue could be used for the common good.
25
having read the article: a simple sincere question.
You say the nyt was provided an "audiotape" of Trump's
remarks to the evangelical supporters.
Is it too much to ask that the NYT digital platform
provides ACCESS to my ears, since i pay you get your
data.
Or i'm a just supposed to take your SPIN on the excerpts
that you provide.
Crazy me, as an educated american citizen, i really think
i can handle hearing the PRIMARY source, and not just
the NYT secondary analysis.
Isn't this what a robust first AMENDMENT was intended
to empower for each citizen, not just the "FREE" Press?
3
@Marcus Aurelius - You pay money every month for a publication you seem to have a lot of contempt for. Why is that?
3
@DR
Maybe he doesn't pay. You can read several articles for free. If you have several devices or erase history you can read even more. Marcus quite possibly doesn't pay for anything.
@DR Not necessarily. Marcus Aurelius might have been invited to share digital access to the NYTimes by another subscriber. Last I checked, there are still a few households in which the bread earner is a Democrat and the stay at home dad is a fomenting Republican.
All these "religious" people, who do not recognize the American concept of separation of church and state, who practice intolerance and bigotry, who lack compassion, are a stain upon America.
107
@Michael Richter You are the same. You are essentially saying that you are intolerant, and your bigotry towards those that are 'religious' is obvious and equally problematic. It is far past time for the 'right' and 'left' extremes to be left to minimal coverage at best. They are not what America is about. Freedom means you can say what you want/believe regardless of position or even facts, and tolerance means you can ignore what you hear or disagree with, but are willing to defend one's rights to talk. PS Trump is further from 'evangelical' than my dog. I think you know that. So, don't condemn; tolerate.
It still does not compute that many evangelicals, particularly their leaders, are Trump supporters. Have they read the Bible? Trump is the absolute embodiment of the 7 deadly sins.
59
@J
I think to many evangelicals, religion is a way to feel good about yourself.
5
They read the abbreviated large print pocket edition of the "evangelical" bible which takes up very little room in one's shirt pocket.
1
Jesus said:
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(Matthew 5:5-9, KJV)
16
And these "evangelical leaders" and their churches don't pay taxes like everyone else because they are non-partisan and only do good works that benefit all society. Got it.
94
“I know when people like me,” Mr. Trump said. “I know when people don’t like me. You know, pretty good at that stuff. A lot of them like, and some don’t and that’s O.K. But this group really liked me.”
The usual vain, pompous, me - me - me from this odious man, pandering to a group of zealots.
And he will be proved so very wrong on November 6th, when we exercise our rights by voting.
139
@Tim - Vain, pompous, odious zealots - a fitting description of Trump's audience as well.
7
As usual Trump projects himself on his opponents. Unrestrained he would overturn everything in his way violently and quickly. Luckily for the US Putinizing the Federal government is very hard and not something that can be achieved during one Presidential term.
113
@serban
We hope.
2
@serban: "Putinizing the Federal government is very hard and not something that can be achieved during one Presidential term."
Ah, but what if -- what if you have a totally-complicit, far far 'right' wing Congress, whose only fealty* is to their corporate and wealthy Masters? Who believe the selling-off of America to be THEIR higher purpose?
Surely that'll help speed up the process.
*with a great big Thank You! to "Citizens United."
3