Ever since Donald Trump emerged in late 2015 as a viable contender for President of the United States, I have experienced a deep uneasiness concerning the spirit of the man and, even moreso, that of his followers (as he calls them). It is not that I am opposed to political conservatism; regular readers of this forum will recall past discussions on a now-hidden forum on politics, wherein I often took strong stands for Republican candidates and opposed liberal biases, especially in the media.

My concerns about Trump have been, and still are, three-fold:
1. He lies about pretty much everything, as the Washington Post fact-checker has thoroughly documented. The tally is now over 8,000.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com...-his-first-two-years
2. He uses cruelty to get his way. E.g., separating families at the southern border as a strategy to discourage immigration; shutting down the government for over a month, forcing hundreds of thousands of workers to go without pay, because he wanted to build the Wall he promised Mexico would pay for.
3. The unwavering support of him by about a third of the country, including numerous Christian ministers, who go on and on about what a godly man he is on their radio and tv shows.

You don't have to be a spiritual genius to know that points number 1 and 2 run completely contrary to everything Jesus taught and what his Church stands for. For example, Jesus told us that the devil was a liar, and the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). Ephesians 5:20-23 contrasts the fruits of the Spirit with those of self-indulgence. See which listing better describes the life of Trump and his Presidency.

Trump has brought to light a depth of racism, xeonophobia and misogyny that was already lurking under the surface in American culture, and in that sense, he has done us all a favor. He forces us to ask the question: is this who we really are? Really? If only Christian ministers would quit giving him spiritual and moral cover, it would be helpful. But to the extent that they do not, they are part of the problem as well.

I have felt moved to speak out on these issues, mostly on Facebook, as it seems that's where more discussions are happening now. One of the signs of the times is that people tend to watch or listen only to news networks and pundits they agree with, so social media is perhaps our only hope of breaking through, hopefully in a spirit of dialog. If we do not speak out, then we are part of the problem. And so we need to do so in social media, and especially with our political leaders. Republican Senators and Representatives are fearful of losing the support of the Trump base, so they need to hear that there are others out there who see things differently.

To see what I'm up to on Facebook, go to http://facebook.com/philstromain

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Phil,

America seems very divided, very polarized. I saw a story on the BBC today reiterating that plenty of Americans think Trump was hand-picked for the job by God:

“Sarah Sanders says 'God wanted Trump to be president'”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47066659

I saw that about Sanders. Dangerous situation when one believes a politician is God's choice.

I satirized this on Facebook:

God looked down at the 19 Republican candidates running for President in 2016 and asked the angel Rafael:
"Which one of these is against abortion? That's all I really care about."
"They all are, my Lord."
"Hmm . . . well, tell me more about that golden-haired guy who's leading in the polls."
"That one is Donald Trump. He's been married three times, cheats on his wives, brags about sexually assaulting women, never admits when he's wrong, lies profusely, and seems to have definite xenophobic and racist leanings."

And the Lord said: "Perfect! My kind of guy!"

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
I saw that about Sanders. Dangerous situation when one believes a politician is God's choice.


++++There may be confusion for some when it is a priest telling their congregation to vote for Trump.


Phil
I satirized this on Facebook:

God looked down at the 19 Republican candidates running for President in 2016 and asked the angel Rafael:
"Which one of these is against abortion? That's all I really care about."
"They all are, my Lord."
"Hmm . . . well, tell me more about that golden-haired guy who's leading in the polls."
"That one is Donald Trump. He's been married three times, cheats on his wives, brags about sexually assaulting women, never admits when he's wrong, lies profusely, and seems to have definite xenophobic and racist leanings."

And the Lord said: "Perfect! My kind of guy!"

M+++Good one Phil. I'm not on Facebook to read the rest.