The Church of Trump

[NxNW]

NYT - Ending many of his rallies with a churchlike ritual and casting his prosecutions as persecution, the former president is demanding — and receiving — new levels of devotion from Republicans.

Long known for his improvised and volatile stage performances, former President Donald J. Trump now tends to finish his rallies on a solemn note.

“The great silent majority is rising like never before and under our leadership,” he recites from a teleprompter in a typical version of the script. “We will pray to God for our strength and for our liberty. We will pray for God and we will pray with God. We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God.”

Mr. Trump’s ability to turn his supporters’ passion into piety is crucial to understanding how he remains the undisputed Republican leader despite guiding his party to repeated political failures and while facing dozens of felony charges in four criminal cases. His success at portraying those prosecutions as persecutions — and warning, without merit, that his followers could be targeted next — has fueled enthusiasm for his candidacy and placed him, once again, in a position to capture the White House.

Mr. Trump has long defied conventional wisdom as an unlikely but irrefutable evangelical hero. He has been married three times, has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault, has been convicted of business fraud and has never showed much interest in church services. Last week, days before Easter, he posted on his social media platform an infomercial-style video hawking a $60 Bible that comes with copies of some of the nation’s founding documents and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the U.S.A.”

Last year, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and a close Trump ally, said both the former president and Jesus had been arrested by “radical, corrupt governments.” On Saturday, Mr. Trump shared an article on social media with the headline “The Crucifixion of Donald Trump.”

“He’s definitely been chosen by God,” said Marie Zere, a commercial real estate broker from Long Island who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in February outside Washington, D.C. “He’s still surviving even though all these people are coming after him, and I don’t know how else to explain that other than divine intervention.”

 

[Arcangl86]

For some of Mr. Trump’s supporters, the political attacks and legal peril he faces are nothing short of biblical. “They’ve crucified him worse than Jesus,” said Andriana Howard

This is wild to me. Jesus was arrested, convicted of high treason without trial, beaten, striped naked, had nails driven though his hands and feet and was then lifted on a cross to die an agonizing death by suffocation. Donald Trump was arrested, released on bail, still is waiting to stand a jury trial and at most faces incarceration for a few years. The two are nowhere near comparable.

 

[NxNW]

This is wild to me. Jesus was arrested, convicted of high treason without trial, beaten, striped naked, had nails driven though his hands and feet and was then lifted on a cross to die an agonizing death by suffocation. Donald Trump was arrested, released on bail, still is waiting to stand a jury trial and at most faces incarceration for a few years. The two are nowhere near comparable.

It makes you wonder how much Trump supporters understand about Christianity.

 

[durangodawood]

It makes you wonder how much Trump supporters understand about Christianity.

Christianity, as a religion, is what people make it.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

NYT - Ending many of his rallies with a churchlike ritual and casting his prosecutions as persecution, the former president is demanding — and receiving — new levels of devotion from Republicans.

Long known for his improvised and volatile stage performances, former President Donald J. Trump now tends to finish his rallies on a solemn note. Soft, reflective music fills the venue as a hush falls over the crowd. Mr. Trump’s tone turns reverent and somber, prompting some supporters to bow their heads or close their eyes. Others raise open palms in the air or murmur as if in prayer. In this moment, Mr. Trump’s audience is his congregation, and the former president their pastor as he delivers a roughly 15-minute finale that evokes an evangelical altar call, the emotional tradition that concludes some Christian services in which attendees come forward to commit to their savior.

“The great silent majority is rising like never before and under our leadership,” he recites from a teleprompter in a typical version of the script. “We will pray to God for our strength and for our liberty. We will pray for God and we will pray with God. We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God.”

Mr. Trump’s ability to turn his supporters’ passion into piety is crucial to understanding how he remains the undisputed Republican leader despite guiding his party to repeated political failures and while facing dozens of felony charges in four criminal cases. His success at portraying those prosecutions as persecutions — and warning, without merit, that his followers could be targeted next — has fueled enthusiasm for his candidacy and placed him, once again, in a position to capture the White House.

Mr. Trump has long defied conventional wisdom as an unlikely but irrefutable evangelical hero. He has been married three times, has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault, has been convicted of business fraud and has never showed much interest in church services. Last week, days before Easter, he posted on his social media platform an infomercial-style video hawking a $60 Bible that comes with copies of some of the nation’s founding documents and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the U.S.A.”

Last year, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and a close Trump ally, said both the former president and Jesus had been arrested by “radical, corrupt governments.” On Saturday, Mr. Trump shared an article on social media with the headline “The Crucifixion of Donald Trump.”

“He’s definitely been chosen by God,” said Marie Zere, a commercial real estate broker from Long Island who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in February outside Washington, D.C. “He’s still surviving even though all these people are coming after him, and I don’t know how else to explain that other than divine intervention.”

For some of Mr. Trump’s supporters, the political attacks and legal peril he faces are nothing short of biblical. “They’ve crucified him worse than Jesus,” said Andriana Howard, 67, who works as a restaurant food runner in Conway, S.C. A Trump rally in Las Vegas in January opened with a prayer from Jesus Marquez, an elder at a local church, who cited Scripture to declare that God wanted Mr. Trump to return to the White House. “God is on our side — he’s on the side of this movement,” said Mr. Marquez, who founded the American Christian Caucus, a grass-roots group.

And at a rally in South Carolina in February, Greg Rodermond, a pastor at Crossroads Community Church, prayed for God to intervene against Mr. Trump’s political opponents, arguing that they were “trying to steal, kill and destroy our America.”

Russell Moore, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy arm, said Mr. Trump’s rallies had veered into “dangerous territory” with the altar-call closing and opening prayers from preachers describing Mr. Trump as heaven-sent. “Claiming godlike authority or an endorsement from God for a political candidate means that person cannot be questioned or opposed without also opposing God,” Mr. Moore said. “That’s a violation of the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain.”

That's some serious propaganda spin there. No "Church of Trump" exists. Paywalled though. I would have liked to have read about how altar calls actually play into this at rallies, if that is accurate. NYT isn't known for its impartial recitation of truth.

I found another source: (similar wording)" In this moment, Trump’s audience is his congregation, and the former president their pastor as he delivers a roughly 15-minute finale that evokes an evangelical altar call, the emotional tradition that concludes some Christian services in which attendees come forward to commit to their savior."

Um, that's not an altar call. That's a comparison of style that some writer made.

He is just another candidate, that's all.

 

[NxNW]

That's some serious propaganda spin there. No "Church of Trump" exists. Paywalled though.

No, I shared the entire article.

I would have liked to have read about how altar calls actually play into this at rallies, if that is accurate. NYT isn't known for its impartial recitation of truth.

Is anything inaccurate?

I found another source: (similar wording)" In this moment, Trump’s audience is his congregation, and the former president their pastor as he delivers a roughly 15-minute finale that evokes an evangelical altar call, the emotional tradition that concludes some Christian services in which attendees come forward to commit to their savior."

Um, that's not an altar call. That's a comparison of style that some writer made.

He is just another candidate, that's all.

No other candidate is selling Bibles and comparing himself to Jesus.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Like with many populism movements, it seems to be rooted in a combination of valid frustrations (that people feel aren't being taken seriously), and a "cult of personality" type that's willing to "validate" those frustrations by pretending to care about them.

That's then compounded by that "cult of personality" figure identifying people/groups to "other" as the "source of the problems" so people have an outlet for their frustrations. (most of the time to no fault of the group being "othered")

If you look at what's going on around the world (both in terms of past cult-like followings, and present ones), there's a definite pattern.

It's not a coincidence that several countries have had their own versions of "Trump" that right-leaning populists have rallied behind. (with similar timeframes from "initiation of frustration" to "this is our guy!, we defend him and his actions at all costs")

"The US has baked-in systems derived from historical racism/sexism/<xyz-phobia>" has become a convenient answer to people who want to be dismissive and pretend that "nothing's changed, the right-wing has just moved further right", but the reality is...

UK had Nigel Farage
Netherlands has Geert Wilders
Argentina has Milei
India has Modi
etc....

Those countries don't have our same recent sordid history, yet ended up following some of the same patterns.

I think the lesson to be learned is that if you label too many people as "not legitimate participants in our democracy/republic...so their opinions don't matter and we'll talk about them like they belong at the kids table" combined with "Every culture has the right to be respected, except yours", they'll rally behind whoever they see as the most effective counter-puncher against the people who they deem to be condescending.

Regardless of which people/philosophies are right or wrong about various issues, you can't have a functioning democracy/republic where one half (patronizingly) says "you're stupid, your opinions don't matter, go sit over there in the corner while the adults talk, we went to college", and the other half says "oh yeah, we got this guy with a long red tie and a silly hairdo that's gonna shove it in your face, and we're going to vote against everything you want out of spite just so you don't win"

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

No, I shared the entire article.

Is anything inaccurate?

No other candidate is selling Bibles and comparing himself to Jesus.

Thank you for sharing the article. For whatever reason, I could not read the entire thing.

Yes, several statements are inaccurate and twisted, most particularly the headline, used to demonize a candidate.

There IS no "Church of Trump"

No "altar calls" were given.

He's not selling Bibles. He licensed his name to someone else to sell Bibles; he gets none of the money. To disparage someone for advocating reading scripture is an odd flex on a Christian site.

No, instead another candidate is literally violating his own purported faith openly by advocating abortion at will, something that eliminates a member from being in good standing with the RCC. Biden also violated the First Amendment, silencing disparate voices outside the Democrat narrative utilizing social media as an agent to do what it could not do directly. Murthy v Missouri. Not to mention the open borders, so there is no leg to stand on here on any point.

So I guess each person has to figure out who is the best candidate. Don't forget there is an Independent running as well.

 

[essentialsaltes]

He's not selling Bibles. He licensed his name to someone else to sell Bibles; he gets none of the money.

The license to use his name is not free. He does get some of the money.

 

[Elliewaves]

I have a high school friend on my social media. She's under 40 but is a trumpster. She posted a meme comparing trump to Jesus being crucified, for Easter. This way of thinking is just wild to me and seems blasphemous. Not just that it's trump being compared to Christ and that she and others seem to wholeheartedly believe this (and defend it); but that any human is being compared to Christ or held up as a Christ figure. It reminds me of Shift and Puzzle in the Narnia series.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

The license to use his name is not free. He does get some of the money.

No one is on record stating that he is taking the money. If you can update because someone has verified this assertion, let me know. One should disregard as a matter of policy and principle anything that cannot be verified by any independent source, but only anonymous sources. (Unless I watched it happen myself; that would be an exception).

The New York Times and ABC News both reported Trump was receiving royalties from purchases of the Bibles. The Times cited as its source "a person familiar with the details of the business arrangement."

To confirm these reports and other specifics about the paid licensing deal, Snopes contacted both the Bible company and representatives for Trump by email on March 27. We did not receive a response by the following morning. This story will be updated should any further information come to light.

Snopes. MSN

 

[essentialsaltes]

No one is on record stating that he is taking the money.

GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.

CIC Ventures, though, is a conduit to Trump — personally, if not politically. In his financial disclosure released last year, he's identified as the company's “manager, president, secretary and treasurer” and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is identified as a 100 percent owner of the business.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.

CIC Ventures, though, is a conduit to Trump — personally, if not politically. In his financial disclosure released last year, he's identified as the company's “manager, president, secretary and treasurer” and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is identified as a 100 percent owner of the business.

Yes, I read that, and I cited sources indicating that the sources quoted are off record.

Is he taking money for this, or is it gratis? Donating it? No one is saying, but anonymous sources.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Yes, I read that, and I cited sources indicating that the sources quoted are off record.

I'm doubting you clicked the first link. The first source is the website for the Bible itself. It is on the record, publicly proclaiming, that it has paid the licensing fee to a corporation that is a legal fiction standing in for Donald Trump.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

I'm doubting you clicked the first link. The first source is the website for the Bible itself. It is on the record, publicly proclaiming, that it has paid the licensing fee to a corporation that is a legal fiction standing in for Donald Trump.

I read it before you posted it. Yes, well aware of the typical licensing fee: my question remains. As stated:
The New York Times and ABC News both reported Trump was receiving royalties from purchases of the Bibles. The Times cited as its source "a person familiar with the details of the business arrangement."

To confirm these reports and other specifics about the paid licensing deal, Snopes contacted both the Bible company and representatives for Trump by email on March 27. We did not receive a response by the following morning. This story will be updated should any further information come to light.

Do you have details on record?

 

[stevil]

He's not selling Bibles. He licensed his name to someone else to sell Bibles;

he has partnered to sell bibles. Added his name as a brand for a price. We don't know if this is a fixed sum or a split of sales or both. But the name is wholey intended to increase sales.

he gets none of the money.

they stated no money goes towards his election campaign, which is very different from saying no money goes to D Trump. No one in their right mind thinks he let them use his name for free.

No, instead another candidate is literally violating his own purported faith openly by advocating abortion at will, something that eliminates a member from being in good standing with the RCC.

Biden isn't advocating abortion. He is advocating government staying out of the decision. Perhaps the rcc would but upset if Biden had an abortion himself.

Biden also violated the First Amendment, silencing disparate voices outside the Democrat narrative utilizing social media as an agent to do what it could not do directly.

There is no truth to this. Private media companies are free to moderate their content as they see fit.

Not to mention the open borders,

USA does not have open borders

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

he has partnered to sell bibles. Added his name as a brand for a price. We don't know if this is a fixed sum or a split of sales or both. But the name is wholey intended to increase sales.

they stated no money goes towards his election campaign, which is very different from saying no money goes to D Trump. No one in their right mind thinks he let them use his name for free.

Biden isn't advocating abortion. He is advocating government staying out of the decision. Perhaps the rcc would but upset if Biden had an abortion himself.

There is no truth to this. Private media companies are free to moderate their content as they see fit.

USA does not have open borders

So what? Of course he intends to promote sales of the Bible because his name apparently has some value. Not going to fault him for promoting Bibles or Bible reading.
We still don't know where the money is going, which was my point. No one on record has said anything substantive.

Biden most decided DID violate the First Amendment by having social media do what he/his administration was prohibited from doing. Murthy v Missouri is in front of the Supreme Court right now. It's pretext to pretend it was "for our safety" when scientists and doctors and ...both opposing presidential candidates were silenced and/or deplatformed.

The USA has had open borders since Biden took office and steadfastly denied it until it became too obvious and it hurt his polls. Millions flooded in, many released inside the country who will never appear again. We already know that hundreds of thousands of documents regarding those flooding the border were "lost". The gullibility level is astonishing in his segment.

 

[stevil]

So what? Of course he intends to promote sales of the Bible because his name apparently has some value. Not going to fault him for promoting Bibles or Bible reading.
We still don't know where the money is going, which was my point. No one on record has said anything substantive.

Just making a factual statement. Trump sold the use of his name with the intent of selling bibles.

Biden most decided DID violate the First Amendment by having social media do what he/his administration was prohibited from doing. Murthy v Missouri is in front of the Supreme Court right now. It's pretext to pretend it was "for our safety" when scientists and doctors and ...both opposing presidential candidates were silenced and/or deplatformed.

I don't know a lot about this case, but it seems the government were in talks with social media owners about the spread of mis-information about Covid which leads to unnecessary deaths. I have not seen any evidence explicitly implicating Joe Biden himself, or any evidence showing the government coerced or forced these social media owners in any way.

The USA has had open borders since Biden took office and steadfastly denied it until it became too obvious and it hurt his polls. Millions flooded in, many released inside the country who will never appear again. We already know that hundreds of thousands of documents regarding those flooding the border were "lost". The gullibility level is astonishing in his segment.

If you think there are Open Borders, then leave your id at home, driver over the southern border turn around and drive back into USA you should have no problems getting back in.

 

[Kokavkrystallos]

“He’s definitely been chosen by God,” .

Well, Daniel 4:17 "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."
Same for Biden.

“They’ve crucified him worse than Jesus,”

Blasphemy! Who is this woman to even compare the two?

 

[NxNW]

Blasphemy! Who is this woman to even compare the two?

She's typical of Trump supporters who attend his rallies.