by: Marceline Donaldson
The experience of having seen and heard Mitt Romney lay out in all its rawness, his reasons for voting to convict Donald Trump was amazing, confirming and an experience I shall never forgot and one for which I give thanks.
In doing so, Romney gave all of us a pattern for how our particular religious practice, our faith, our politics could go together.
We live in a country founded on the separation of religion and politics. In spite of that, we have the religious right demanding that their religious beliefs be the foundation which creates the policies on which this country continues to exist. How do we reconcile all of this? How can you live without your religion when it claims to be all consuming and the basis on which you live, breathe and from which comes all of your life decisions and function in a country which attempts to keep religion and politics separate!
Mitt Romney and Nancy Pelosi have given us one way to walk being able to live our religion with dignity, respect and honesty and function in these United States. In addition, Mitt Romney has opened the door for the acceptance in these United States of all religious beliefs. Who would have thought that would be done by a Mormon. A fairly “new” religion and one still being pushed aside; its believers and belief system ridiculed; and its adherents not often accepted by the rest of the country.
My study of theology over the years gave me an image of Donald Trump and his religious belief system which is clear, unequivocal and straight out of scripture. You have, no doubt, read what other writers in this publication have written as they outlined this belief system and tracked Trump’s walk through it with some clarity and quotes from Scripture.
There is a story in the Christian bible which is incredibly parallel to the walk Donald Trump is taking through his life. It apparently started when he was a young man and has become stronger over the years as he has walked this path with all of its trappings to get to his current post. That is the story of Satan tempting Jesus on the mountain top and offering Jesus all the beauty and power of this world if he will bow down and worship Satan. Jesus refuses and we move on from there.
Looking at Trump’s life you get a clear picture of what would have happened if Jesus had accepted Satan’s offer. Trump is only one of many men who have come along and said – “Let me replace Jesus, I will bow down and worship you Satan and I will do your bidding throughout eternity. Give me the power Jesus rejected.” We have seen and read about the life these men led and their “achievements” along with the power they sought after, grabbed for and finally had to relinquish at the end.
Yesterday, when I was at a very low point, sitting aimlessly in front of the television, there was Mitt Romney saying- my God and my faith are the center of my life and from that comes the decisions by which I live. Those are not his exact words, but that is the meaning of his preface as to why he was voting to convict Donald Trump.
After that short speech by Romney came another one on television by Donald Trump, who said “I do not believe in anything this Jesus – the Christ – person has said, nor do I nor will I live my life making decision that go along with His Gospel – how ridiculous. I will make decisions that go along with my belief and my dedication to the worship of Satan which I have cultivated throughout my life. Given that, I will retaliate in the worst way possible against all of those who did not, do not, will not do my bidding. I will attempt to destroy their quality of life and where possible the very lives of those who do not do my bidding. I will get others to “take them out”. They are horrible people. They are people who have blocked my ability to do Satan’s will and live the life Satan has required of me so I will have absolute power on this earth.
Those are not Trump’s exact words, but they are the meaning of what he said. He clearly abrogated the very core of what it means to be a Christian, to follow, to live into and to attempt to walk the path Jesus – the Christ – laid out for all Christians. He very clearly, loudly and in some detail said to everyone at that National Prayer Breakfast that he was not a follower of Jesus – the Christ; he did not believe in Holy Scripture; he would not live his life following the dictates of what – up to that point – he had called his religion. This weak and out-of-date belief system entraps those tending towards the same power grab that is sending many politicians into the arms of Trump and so into the arms of Satan. Christianity is not going to ‘entrap’ Satan – a few thousand years of experience shows that. It is also not going to entrap Trump he is now far beyond its grasp.
Trump has been able to move many others off the path of Christianity and helped them find the path Satan carved out for him and for those who would follow him. At the same time, in another setting, I watched Trump, still on television, bringing before the cameras, commending and raising up for all of watching, many of those he has been able to corrupt. Or rather, he gave us another lesson on how to recognize and bring into your ‘group’ those already corrupt to combine together to do Trump’s bidding. One such person received a sustained standing ovation when his name was called. The whole scene made you want to vomit.
Those are the people I was struggling trying to understand before this extravaganza happened. It was as though God said – turn on your television I am going to show you the answer to your prayers and relieve your consternation over what is happening in your world. And on came Trump and Company celebrating their “victory”.
God didn’t actually sit next to me and say that. This is my interpretation of what I heard and learned from the unveilings of the past few days.
Donald Trump has, in the past, walked up to the line of destroying Christ for many, but in his talk at the Prayer Breakfast he crossed it and was very clear that he is not Christian, never has been and finds Jesus and his teachings the extreme opposite of who he is and what he is about. That makes me wonder about the White Evangelical Christians who almost rabidly support Trump and all he is about. Donald Trump has been very clear about his belief system, how he lives his life, what he is going to do moving into the future and what he expects from his supporters.
It does not take much to realize what he is planning for those who don’t get in line, join the “team” and follow him.
It was amazing to me that all of this was revealed so quickly and in the context of a National Prayer Breakfast. I heard in my head a little ditty which many repeat – “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times – wow, am I that morally corrupt?:”
So many people have told me over the years – when someone tells you who they are; what they believe; where they are going; and how they are going to treat you if you don’t behave in a certain way- believe them and make your decisions in life including that knowing instead of a hope and a wish that they were otherwise, were going to magically learn lessons which would allow them to be otherwise and better than they seem.
Thank you Senator Romney! I too try live my life by my faith in God and my belief in God’s promises. Lots of people I know live the same way. I just happen to be Episcopalian. My friends, who live the same way, are a gathering of people from Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, Muslim, and many more denominations/religious belief systems. I saw when you were Governor of Massachusetts that out of your belief system came the health care system that we now enjoy in Massachusetts and beyond. Out of the lives of many of my friends have come some amazing achievements – not grand and glorious which the world celebrates, but quiet and necessary and with large contributions to the lives of those around them.
Thank you Nancy Pelosi! As an African American/New Orleans Creole woman my life has been a continuum of one oppression received from this society after another. Not one day passes that I do not have to deal with racism or sexism or a combination of the two. And when those hits come I also have to deal with the denial of that experience by the rest of the world, even at times from my own family. And I know and have seen I am not alone in those experiences – many are forced by others to go through those horrors for reasons they don’t even seem to know or want to know, but which they put out there and demand that many go through so they can keep their identity as ‘better than’ whether that identity has served them for good or for ill.
In the process, I have learned to keep on keeping on and maybe help someone else to do the same. Trying to help someone climb over a particularly large stone they were having a difficult time getting over or getting around. Watching you on a national scale has been one a truly wonderful gift. May you continue and move from great to true greatness as you do your job on a daily basis.
My experience has been – there is nothing in this world stronger than prayer. The miracles I have seen coming from people joining their prayers together have been earth changing. May you continue to find strength in your faith to do what you needs to be done, standing in your own light, without need for the approval of those around you.
Satan is still looking for those to do his bidding who will fall down and worship him. Donald Trump needs to look at the example of those who did just that and how the end of their lives came exposing their evil and sin to the world as they went out in a blaze of horror, filth, agony and huge regrets never able to see the beauty which comes from the love of God and from those around seeing who they really are and caring for them in spite of their failings.
Trump is clear, that is not his way. He showed that for all to see when he walked away from a mentor who spent much of himself and his resources and fortune helping to educate and move Trump to the place he now holds – even moving him and his business from Queens to New York without which help none of what Trump has done would have been possible. When Roy Cohn became ill and in need at the end of his life, the person to whom he had given much and who very greedily accepted everything given to him assuming he could always go back for more and did while giving nothing back in return walked away from him, turned his back on this ‘friend’ and attended his funeral only briefly standing in the back for just a minute before beating a quick retreat out of there.
Throughout life you have to make life affirming, life changing or life destroying choices at many points. I hope the choices which those reading this make will be for good, for love, for kindness, for caring, to help relieve the suffering of others, realizing the humanity -the fragility – the tendency to fall and fail we all share and experience at different times of life is what joins us together.
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DRAFT DODGER as Commander in Chief
Saturday, November 3rd, 2018Donald Trump has a long list of ways he has violated the “norm.” It seems as though he is president to upheaval this country and deliver it into the hands of the fascist leaders of the world. To be one with them is the goal? If it is he is certainly succeeding admirably. Most recently he modified one of the ten commandments – “Thou shalt not kill”. Compromise – if you didn’t hold the gun which shot 11 Jews at prayer; if you didn’t attempt to break into a black church to kill those inside; if you didn’t hold the gun which killed two African Americans which was your fall back position from killing in houses of worship; if you didn’t put the rope around Khashoggi’s neck; if you didn’t wield the bone saw which dismembered Khashoggi then you really didn’t kill? Somehow, my bible doesn’t say that – it has a very opposite view, especially in the New Testament – if you even as much as hold such a thought against your neighbor you are guilty of the act. And don’t most of you claim to hold to the teachings of the New Testament?
Trump has dodged the draft many times. His “bone spur” excuse is a well known joke. What happens when a serial draft dodger becomes president?
He calls the troops into action – the same number as were called up to fight a serious war in, for example, Afghanistan. He gives them orders to shoot if brown and black immigrants trying to cross the border to ask for asylum throws a rock at any one of them. That also gives them the authority to turn the “Caravan” of destitute people into a shooting gallery.
He takes the troops away from their families during the holidays for a very frivolous, political cause. He uses the troops the way his fascist dictator friends use their troops – for his own aggrandizement and to maintain his personal power. He takes them away from training which they need and he costs the country millions of dollars to satisfy his need for power, control, greed and to practice his bigotry against those desperate families who walked over 1,000 miles to get away from the horror of their lives hoping countries including the United States would welcome the refugee. Not in America, however.
Historically? We did the same thing when Jews escaping Germany at the end of the Nazi terror needed a place to go. We saw them on overcrowded ships which were practically sinking and turned our backs. We did, however, take in the scientists and others who could promote America and help make her wealthier. We have still not acknowledged that those Jews who did manage to get into this country even though destitute, poverty stricken, no to little education made amazing contributions to American society.
What else does he do? He demands a parade – a military parade like the ones put on by the likes of Kim Jong Un and other such dictators to show their personal power and strength and to deter their citizens from deposing them and from rioting because they are starving. He planned a military parade for November 11th – a show during which he would stand in the middle as president of this mighty, military country and let his messiah complex out into the light at its full. Tax payers would pay the bill of the multi-millions of dollars with no benefit to themselves. Our military, used in ways it never has been in the past – by a draft dodger who becomes Commander in Chief.
That is just the tip of the iceberg.
All of you folks planning to vote for Donald Trump’s people and causes on November 6th. You know the above is true. You also knew before you voted him in as president – helping Russia to install the man in the presidential chair in the United States for the benefit of all the fascist dictatorships around the world – that he was unqualified both emotionally and by the way he conducted his life before declaring his candidacy, but you voted for him anyway. Why? Because you are people who want to bring in the kind of government Germany had under Hitler. That is your dream – including the part where those who were or thought you were of the ” Aryan race” would be above everyone else and use and abuse the rest of your society for your own gain – ego, economic, et al.
You knew and today know even in more depth that:
Trump is a sexual assaulter. He admitted that on tape. You heard him talk about being able to sexually assault any woman he so desired. Yet you voted for him.
Trump steals from tens of thousands of people to have money for himself. You knew that because you knew about all of his bankruptcies where he built without concern for return on his money because he only had to file bankruptcy, walk away with multi-millions and have the business and building hard working people sacrificed to build for him thinking they would be paid and in many cases they lost businesses they had built, some for more than one generation. Yet you voted for him.
Trump lies and you heard many of his lies before you walked into the voting booth to attempt to vote him in as president. You knew what he was saying was lied and You knew about Trump University – those, even amongst your friends, who again sacrificed much to have an education and to move up financially in this society by paying the substantial amounts of money Trump University demanded and for which they gave back nothing. Yet you voted for him.
You knew about Trump’s involvement in the mafia. His casinos, his family history in the KKK, his father’s partnership with mafia to gain the foothold and the money he accumulated over his lifetime. You also knew that about Donald Trump. Yet you voted for him.
You knew about his involvement and his learning at the foot of Joe McCarthy and McCarthyism and you knew about how Roy Cohn – an anti-semitic Jew mentored Trump and you also knew how badly Trump treated Roy Cohn after Cohn was responsible for helping to bring Trump from Queens to doing business in Manhattan and supported Trump during the rest of Cohn’s life. And yet you voted for him. You didn’t ask – if this is how he treated his friends, supporters and mentors how will he treat us? Yes, you voted for him.
You knew his reputation in New York. It goes on for decades and is well documented – none of it good. Yet you voted for him.
You white evangelical christians knew about Trump’s adultery. You knew about his morals which were in the gutter. You knew a lot more about how Trump violated and still violates everything you claim to believe in and yet you compromised your God and your religion to support him. I should not be surprised because those are the same kind of compromises you made over the years as you built Churches – called them Christian – and made sure Blacks were not allowed into your sanctuaries.
You knew all of the conspiracy theories Trump created to attempt to destroy African Americans – especially the African American president. But he did not stop there. Trump went on to attempt to have the Central Park 5 executed by the state when they were innocent and had committed no crime. He spent a good deal of time and money after they were exonerated, had spent time in jail for a crime they did not commit, Trump knowing that still spent much time and money trying to get them executed. Killed by the state for being black? And after all that, Trump continued making sure as many people as possible turned against these innocent African American young men. And yet you voted for him.
Since he has been president you have seen and heard Trump lie – every single day – about some of the smallest things and go on to lie to manipulate you for his advantage and mostly for your disadvantage. Over 6,000 deliberate lies to gain power, control and riches at your expense. And yet you voted for him.
Since he has been president he could have nominated someone to the U. S. Supreme Court who was conservative and someone who was also an upstanding citizen of whom you could be proud and know that person was doing their best for you and yours. Instead, he nominated a man credibly accused of sexual assault – just like Trump – and who had a very questionable history which included years of public drunkenness and worse, showing he was not the person you would want on the U. S. Supreme Court. You may not feel that touches you, but when you need the Court to be fair and judge without the bigotry Kavanaugh has shown with his clear inability to control his emotions or all of the anger and ugliness in his background you will wish you had considered and not let your need to be better than and vote in someone who would maintain your better than status in this society, but had opted for a better result which did not demand the United States Supreme Court as Donald Trump has done and quite intentionally so.
There is nothing greater than being with people who you feel equal to and who feel equal to you. It is a freedom like no other.
That is far away from where Trump has lived his life and far away from where he is taking this society. The theft, lies, murder that has happened under Trump’s time in office is off the charts. And still you are there supporting him.
What is it you are hiding? How much like Trump are you and what will you do if left to your tiki torches?
I would say good luck to you and vote your conscience on Tuesday. However, from what I have seen you don’t have a conscience just an ability to rationalize and justify the most horrible things if you feel they benefit you and make you over and better than everybody else. However, who will be with you when you discover you have been taken advantage of and destroyed in ways that makes what happened to the Central Park 5, Christine Ford and all the others look pale by comparison to what happens to you.
Your “president” is now threatening violence if his people and his causes don’t win on Tuesday. This is who you voted for in 2016? This is who you follow today? This is who you support? This is not a little evil. This is evil like that which happened 2000 years ago when Jesus was crucified. Remember him? The one you are turning into a fool with your worship of Trump? The one whose teachings you have abandoned for the lies of Trump?
Don’t you think it is time for you to let your knees hit the floor and beg God’s forgiveness? Not just for Trump – he is only the latest and his sins and the sins of his co-conspirators are small and only a tip of the iceberg. But for those sins you and yours have been committing since way before slavery.
May God forgive you!
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Tags: Barack Obama, Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, Guest Comments, Racism, Sexism
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