Trump: ‘In America We Do Not Worship Government, We Worship God’

[Kingpoleon]

I am a Christian.

I pray every day and read the Bible every day.

The majority of America's population may be Christian. But our government is supposed to be secular. We are not a Christian nation, nor are we a Muslim one, or Buddhist one, or anything else.

He did not say "In America, the Government is Christian." That would be s far different thing to say.

[Santander]

His commencement speech at Liberty was terrific.

[pbrower2a]

Alright one of my conservative expositions.

One thing we should remember, having a citizenry with a strong faith has been an effective counterweight to government at times. Under Soviet rule Christianity did a lot to subvert Marxism.

although I could make the case that Islam is even more effective at thwarting Marxism. The Soviets had a fun time in Afghanistan, did they not? [/snark]

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What matters more is that the political leaders have some moral compass. Buddhism (which puts little emphasis on deities of any kind) at its best is better than the watered-down Christianity that a Mammon-worshiping Christian-in-name-only like Donald Trump has. Sure, Trump knows how to appeal to Christian identity and affiliation... big deal. Don't forget that fervent belief in God is more the norm in the Islamic world than in the heavily-secularized West.  (Indeed, were I to pose a scenario in which the Nazis had taken over most of the West, then I would expect Islam to be the deliverance of the West from the amoral, dehumanized idolatry of Blood and Soil and gross enslavement of Nazism. Better Muhammad than Hitler, wouldn't you say?

I could make the case that there was nothing wrong with the German people of the Hitler era  that Judaism wouldn't have solved. I say this as someone who is about half German or Swiss in ancestry.

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I could argue that doubt does more good than does faith in something evil or empty. People often had resolute faith that slavery was the optimal means of solving problems of economic production. If I hear some voice claiming to be God that tells me that it is acceptable to have sex  with underage children, then I had better have enough doubt to reject the dubious authority of such a voice.   

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As a near-agnostic I find that I must take more responsibility for my actions. I reject the concepts of original sin and cheap grace because those erode responsibility to Humanity.

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But it is not all the same faith. But here's the irony -- Martin Luther King and the typical KKK fascist believed in the same God and the same Jesus, and recognized the same Holy Scripture. 

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I am a Christian.

I pray every day and read the Bible every day.

The majority of America's population may be Christian. But our government is supposed to be secular. We are not a Christian nation, nor are we a Muslim one, or Buddhist one, or anything else.

He did not say "In America, the Government is Christian." That would be s far different thing to say.

In order to say that, he would have needed to stop whistling.

[OneJ]

I'm not even sure if he knows who God is but okay.

[Devout Centrist]

We're a Christian nation, founded on Christian ideals.  Deal with it.

Lol

[CatoMinor]

Leftists should be happy. Trump single handedly is doing more long term damage to the image of Christianity and "limited government" beliefs than leftists ever could.

[seb_pard]

Good way to change the Comey deblace

[Koharu]

Leftists should be happy. Trump single handedly is doing more long term damage to the image of Christianity and "limkited government" beliefs than leftists ever could.

... As a "leftist" Christian, there is no positive in this whatsoever. It makes me ill to see someone so misrepresenting my faith in an obvious grab for power/to check the right boxes. I don't think anyone expected Trump to be "limited government."

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

His commencement speech at Liberty was terrific.

Amen! Maybe even his greatest speaking engagement since the Ben Carson debacle.

[KingSweden]

Regarding his pledge of allegiance comment, I prefer the Eric Church approach of pledging allegiance to Merle Haggard

[HAnnA MArin County]

Weren't these kids REQUIRED to be there to listen to him spout more garbage? It's no wonder he was (allegedly) on his A-game: he knew the crowd HAD to be there to listen to HIM and how they HAD to applaud everything he said, i.e. another RWNJ echo chamber. This is probably how it goes in North Korea and other authoritarian governments that Trump so badly envies and covets. State-sponsored media/propaganda channel (TrumpTV) coming soon to compete with Fox News?

And this statement is kind of strange coming from a buffoon who wants everyone to worship him and his pathetic excuse for a presidency. Maybe instead of building a wall, he'll build statues of himself and put one in every state kind of like what they do in North Korea.

[Torie]

Donald, you don't worship either. All you worship is yourself. And nobody "worships" government. It is not a sacred institution. Hope that helps.

Donald, when was the last time you said something that seemed remotely accurate and thoughtful, rather than errant, hyperbolic, and/or reckless? Thanks.

[Mr. Reactionary]

con-artist who ran fake university gives speech at fake university founded by con-artist

[TheSaint250]

He's right.  Worshipping the government is a Marxist ideal.

And he's not saying the government needs to worship God.  He's saying the people are not forced to worship the government.

[Xing]

Ignoring the fact that Trump is not exactly a "Christian, family values Republican", he's obviously wrong. We're a nation of diverse religious beliefs, including a lack of any religious beliefs for many.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Weren't these kids REQUIRED to be there to listen to him spout more garbage?

he knew the crowd HAD to be there to listen to HIM and how they HAD to applaud everything he said, i.e. another RWNJ echo chamber.

Were they not also required to be there for Bernie Sanders? Without any degree of uncertainty, more would obviously be willing to attend this one...

[Santander]

Weren't these kids REQUIRED to be there to listen to him spout more garbage? It's no wonder he was (allegedly) on his A-game: he knew the crowd HAD to be there to listen to HIM and how they HAD to applaud everything he said, i.e. another RWNJ echo chamber.

This was their commencement ceremony. I'm pretty sure just about everyone wanted to be there.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

IIRC the new generation is majority non-Christian. Christians as a whole are a rapidly declining share of the population. We're not a Christian nation and should never be one.

[America Needs R'hllor]

We're a Christian nation, founded on Christian ideals.  Deal with it.

Not knowing the most basic facts about the country in which you live is extremely unpatriotic

This. Also, IS America founded on Christian ideals? I mean, I see no witches getting burned, and gays are not being stoned.
My point is- religion is problematic. It's true for every Abrahamic religion. And when you declare your nation Christian, that is, not secular, you open the door for it being, say, Muslim.

[Badger]

yes

Except for Trump said god is Mammon

[Badger]

Trump is smart.


He knew it would trigger a (large?) share of 'left' - then Fox will show their reaction = cementing religious right.

No, he just reacts. The trigger effect should go far beyond self described liberals.

What person in this country would say "I worship the government"?

[Santander]

Even better than that time Ronald Reagan spoke:

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And Evangelical hucksters wonder why people are leaving religion in droves

They're leaving Mainline Protestantism, because it doesn't offer people anything that the secular world doesn't. Evangelical Protestantism isn't doing great, but people aren't "leaving in droves".

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Even better than that time Ronald Reagan spoke:

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And Evangelical hucksters wonder why people are leaving religion in droves

They're leaving Mainline Protestantism, because it doesn't offer people anything that the secular world doesn't. Evangelical Protestantism isn't doing great, but people aren't "leaving in droves".

Study after study shows the percentage and number of Christians in the U.S has been in rapid decline for about 2 decades now and definitely in the last 10 years with a 7-9% drop.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/05/12/christianity-faces-sharp-decline-as-americans-are-becoming-even-less-affiliated-with-religion/?utm_term=.e57a35bd2b5a

[Badger]

Even better than that time Ronald Reagan spoke:

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And Evangelical hucksters wonder why people are leaving religion in droves

They're leaving Mainline Protestantism, because it doesn't offer people anything that the secular world doesn't. Evangelical Protestantism isn't doing great, but people aren't "leaving in droves".

Thankfully....religion is heading for the ash heap of history in this country:

It's actually quite sad, and in no small part due to Christianity being wrongly considered synonymous with right wing extremist bigots who ignore then actual teachings of Christ, as typified by Falwell and Liberty U.