Trumpspell

Victor Garber Jesus character sings
the stinging lyrics "Alas For You" in Godspell (1973)

Alas, alas for you,
Lawyers and pharisees,
Hypocrites that you are.
Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you,
You will not venture half so far.
Other men who might enter the gates you,
Keep from passing through!
Drag them down with you!

-Stephen Schwartz

As a theater major in college and someone who embraced musicals, the lyrics (inspired by Scripture) are ringing through especially this week. The song (Alas For You) is a reenactment of when Jesus was confronted about who He would follow. It was a political trap by the religious leaders of his time. Would He denounce the church or the Roman ruler, Caesar.  To paraphrase, His answer was: give to Caesar what belongs to him, and give to God what belongs to God. 

Last week Donald Trump gave a press conference which devolved quickly into a shouting match over the Charlottesville melee involving White Nationalists. Following Trump's remarks, which seemed to give racists and other hate groups safe space, CEO's who sat on the President's Manufacturing Council resigned, followed by his Strategy and Policy Forum, and then his Infrastructure Council never got off the ground. Finally, the Arts and Humanities Committee tossed in the towel.  But his Right Wing Evangelical force (perhaps singing Onward Christian Political Soldier) remains his steadfast allies under his Trumpspell. 

A Trump supporter sending a mixed message

I watched Trump bully the media, hide his tax returns, defame his opponents with the most cruel rumors, encourage his rally attenders to knock the shit out of people, and get exposed on tape, on tape bragging about how he could sexually assault women. But for some bizarre reason, the Religious Right Pastors, saw Trump's candidacy as being ordained by God. Donald Trump courted the Christian vote all the way to the White House while doing some of the most shocking and jaw-dropping things any candidate has ever done.  This, in my opinion, goes to the character of the man. Any registered voter can vote for a crazy man if he wants to, but don't try to convince us that he's normal, or an angel. As someone whose seen the best and worse from church types (myself included), the religious community is deceiving itself as well as its followers.  

One lone pastor from Trump's Evangelical Advisory board apparently drew a line after Trump's attempt last week, to tell reporters and the country that the Klan and other hate group's agenda was no worse than those who oppose them. Pastor A.R. Bernard spoke with Joy Reid on her program about his concerns of where this president's agenda was headed.

L-R Pastor AR Bernard, Joy Reid, and Pastor Mark Burns

"I don't think he's racist; I think he's ill-advised. I think he's an opportunist and I think a lot of what he's doing and saying is politically motivated. His vacillation over the weekend from one position to another simply indicates to me that he never established a set of core values that guides his thinking and a moral compass-- so that vacillation for me is Him being tossed back and forth between opinions that surround him and that's problematic for a leader. --At some point in time you have to have a set of internal convictions that say okay this is what I believe in, regardless; this is what I'm going to support." -Pastor AR Bernard AM Joy August 19, 2017

In that same interview Bernard said he was hoping that by being on Trump's council he could effect change, but finally conceded their paths were different. But Pastor Mark Burns, when asked about the beatings that pastors endured by these hate groups, side-stepped the question by giving a nervous and confusing mini-sermon of how people must think of themselves as Christian first and being black second.

Jerry Falwell Jr. defends Donald Trump on Sunday's show

Jerry Falwell, Jr. stepped into the fray Sunday, on ABC's This Week, after no GOP spokesman would defend Trump. And for Falwell the important issue was that Trump didn't give into his political foes on political correctness. He continued to avoid Trump's failure in calling these men domestic terrorists, sighting that political correctness is the real issue. Finally towards the end of the interview, Falwell offered this analogy:

"I heard his statement the other day-- I didn't hear anything that would offend somebody, but I was speaking to some of my friends in the Jewish community in Charlottesville-- I have a very good friend who is the president of the largest historically black college in the United States, Hampton University-- and we started having conversations, and they started explaining how insecure and how scared they felt that day-- when these terrorist groups were walking up and down the sidewalk, right outside their synagogue-- and I understand how good people could hear the same statement, and take away different things from it,-- and after hearing that, I understand how some people could misunderstand his words. And Yes, he could be more polished and politically correct, but that's why I supported him, because he's not." Jerry Falwell Jr. ABC This Week

As I scratched my head in an effort to try and earnestly understand Mr. Falwell Jr's statement, it was
and still remains, a real WTH moment for me. He could empathize not with the fear his black and Jewish friends felt in the shadow of terrorists parading up and down their streets, but with how they could misunderstand Trump's non-politically correct unpolished talk. It's as though people see something bad, but the Christian Religious Right, in their zeal, want God's kingdom to be set up in

Christian Broadcast Network founder Pat Robertson
greets Trump with head bowed

Washington DC at any expense. A person religious or atheist, has the right to vote for the candidate of his or her choice. But so-called moral leaders do not have the right to pick and choose their brand of acceptable good and tell this country this is what God has for us. You need to stop laying hands on just any politician for his promises, or sticking Scripture next to his name on social media, attempting to make him into God's image. There is no collective, "Thus sayeth the Lord" for America.


I stand by the personal belief that I will treat a person, the way I want to be treated. If the church is preaching another sermon, then I'll stay outside of their walls. If people can recognize a bad leader for America, through his bigotry, misogyny, and dishonesty; why can't the church?

Previous blog special: Evil Came to Charlottesville

Related: Human Decency and Respect is not political correctness. 

It's part of The Constitution