The crucifixion of Donald Trump

Even Donald Trump’s supporters seem sick of his bad habits these days. While somewhat artfully defending his policies during a CNN interview (and other places), the peripatetic Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham (R), let loose a long, painful sigh when asked if he agreed with Trump’s propensity for Tweeting negatively about everything under the sun.

But Graham unwittingly committed a greater sin than one of Trump’s dishonest Tweets when he confessed that his priorities lay not with the better interests of the nation, but with defending the willful ignorance of his constituents. “In the world where I live, none of this matters,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

What a confession to make in the face of all the corruption, lies and internal resistance surrounding Donald Trump. Shouldn’t a senator in America care about something more than shielding his constituents from criticism for supporting a clearly corrupt human being?

Evangelical standards

Even worse is the support of the so-called ‘Christian evangelical’ community. There seems to be some sort of belief at work among evangelicals that Trump was ordained by God to serve as President of the United States.

It would certainly be interesting to put that belief to the test according to biblical standards. Because if (according to evangelical standards) God chose Jesus to fulfill the role of sacrificial lamb in atonement for original sin, then a man of Trump’s ‘chosen’ status should be willing to give his life for the betterment of God’s plan. Right?

Trump crucified

And if things actually worked like they did in the Good Old Days, which is what the evangelical community embraces in its biblically moral standards, then Trump shouldn’t mind being nailed to a cross as the Messiah of Make America Great Again.

And so, ifTrump were brought before some international council (Watch out! A World Government!) and then sentenced to be crucified on a wooden cross for all to see, how then would the evangelical community view the personage of Donald Trump?

No such luck

But wait. Would Trump be even slightly inclined to sacrifice himself for the betterment of the world? Or would he choose instead to throw a series of minions into the craw of crucifixion to take his place in order to avoid the evangelical cup that he was being asked to drink?

That would certainly be an interesting scenario. Of course we already know the answer. Trump has been busy over the last year rhetorically crucifying his once-close associates and murdering hapless hangers-on for showing disloyalty to the man who seems to consider himself some sort of God on earth. (The likes of Michael Cohen come to mind.)

Trump seems to literally believe he can do no wrong. Thus he possesses the necessary Messiah complex that attracts evangelicals like flies. In turn they aggressively choose to dismiss his rampant, demonstrated moral and character flaws to engage the self-fulfilling prophecy that they are doing God’s work. Some go so far as to invoke the story of King David, a known murderer and adulterer, in defending Donald Trump. It’s a sick little cult that uses biblical literalism to justify the rape of conscience. As we’ve seen in past stages of American history, it’s not much of a leap (of faith?) to turn scripture into an excuse to execute manifest destiny, start a civil war and even commit genocide in the name of God. In fact that sounds like a trifecta Trump might like to get working on in pursuit of his perceived enemies.

The real deal

If Trump had been Jesus standing before Pilate, there is no way he would have chosen to respond to questioning with silence in the face of his pending death. Trump would have blamed everyone else, or tried to rally the crowd to his cause rather than fulfill the difficult task of humbly engaging in personal sacrifice.

After all, Donald Trump has done that many times in life already.

We know that Donald Trump sought multiple deferments for military service. Yet later in life he viciously criticized the late Senator John McCain for “getting captured” by the enemy after his plane was shot down. Of course McCain was carrying out his duties as a military pilot, and his capture was inevitable in enemy territory. His injuries were fearsome, and the torture and imprisonment for five full years was even worse.

Yet Donald Trump thinks he knows better what true sacrifice is all about.

Crucifixion of the vanities

What Donald Trump cares more about is the crucifixion of his vanities. He cannot stand the idea that someone might question his actual financial worth. He cannot bear the idea that the advantages he was conferred through inheritance somehow contributed to his ‘dealmaking’ ability. And now he cannot tolerate the idea that the economic health of the economy might somehow stem (in straight-line fashion) from the work of President Obama in guiding the country out of a recession wrought by the administration of President George W. Bush and the Republican cabal that allowed (even encouraged) it to happen.

So Donald Trump seems to think he’s being ‘crucified’ in some way by the media and critics who refuse to recognize all the supposed good he’s doing for the country. Yet people within his own administration are now coming forward to warn the nation that Trump is a dangerous despot unhinged from any other reality than his own selfish mission for absolute power.

Trump = King Herod

What Trump doesn’t realized is that he’s neither the Jesus Christ or even the Pontius Pilate in this American Passion Play.

He’s the King Herod of the modern age.

Let’s explore this claim by giving credit to BibleGateway.com for its explanation of how King Herod came to power

Herod “the Great” ruled as king of the Jews under Roman authority for thirty-three years, from 37–4 BC. It is this Herod who appears in the account of Jesus’ birth (Matt. 2:1–19; Luke 1:5).

From the start, Herod proved to be an extraordinary political survivor. When civil war broke out in Rome between Mark Antony and Octavian, Herod first sided with Antony and his ally Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt.

Then, when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Herod immediately switched sides, convincing Octavian of his loyalty.

Following his victory, Octavian returned to Rome, where the Roman senate made him imperator, or supreme military leader, and gave him the honorary title “Augustus” (“exalted one”).

Historians mark this event as the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire, the transfer from rule by the senate to rule by a supreme emperor.

Under the patronage of Octavian — now Caesar Augustus — Herod’s position as king of the Jews was secure. For his Roman soldier part, Herod would prove to be a loyal subject to his Roman overlords, maintaining order in Israel and protecting the western flank of the Roman Empire.

So you see, the evangelicals have thrown their support not behind a Christlike figure willing to be crucified for their moral cause. Instead, they’ve sided with a vain and calculating politician eager and willing to compromise all moral and civil authority in order to wield power without question.

Religious authorities

To complete this picture, let us recall that it was the religious authorities of Jesus’ day who conspired against the true will of God in order to gain and protect political power. The same forces are at work today, but the players involved don’t actually comprehend their true roles or understand the biblical context of their actions.

The Bible itself shows that the religious authorities of Jesus’ day were 1) hypocritical 2) corrupt and 3) bent on crucifying truth itself.

Truth is what is being sacrificed on the altar of American virtue. Donald Trump and his religious supporters are some of the worst liars and most vicious villains in American history. The Franklin Grahams of this world are cunning, calculating and devious in their supposed valorous pursuits of political power and influence. Their actions are filled with hate and Donald Trump is the lightning rod of their false righteousness.

God’s sick sense of humor

And if Mike Pence emerges as a “hero” in the political crucifixion of Donald Trump and his removal from office, we’ll all be witness to the fact that God has a very sick sense of humor. It turns out the Anti-Christ may be his best punchline, and the End Times nothing more than the end of conservative shenanigans and the beginning of a 2020 vision for the future.

Christopher Cudworth is completing a book titled Truly Sustainable Faith: A Layman’s Guide to Religion Without Hypocrisy.

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