The mistake of religion influencing elections
In response to:
How Pat Robertson's Christian TV empire created a "shadow government" — and led to Donald Trump
Former Christian broadcaster Terry Heaton on how "The 700 Club" pushed the Republican Party toward Donald Trump
Salon
Chauncey DeVega
August 29, 2019 12:00PM (UTC)
Last week Donald Trump shared a message on Twitter from a racist conspiracy theorist proclaiming that he, the president, was viewed by Jewish people as the “Second Coming of God” and the “King of Israel.”
The mytho-religious aspects of this “endorsement” likely have no meaning for Donald Trump. Such claims matter to Trump primarily because they stroke his megalomania. Trump the malignant narcissist authoritarian and fascist seeks out praise from wherever it may come. As such, Donald Trump frequently praises himself in the grandest and most absurd terms possible: for example, Trump’s looking to the sky last week as if looking for a sign from God and then telling journalists and the world that he is in fact the "chosen one."
Beyond personal grandiosity, Trump’s endorsement of his status as the “Second Coming” and the “King of Israel” were important signals to his two most loyal groups of supporters.
Christian nationalists, evangelicals, "reconstructionists" and "dominionists" support Donald Trump because they see him as a means of overturning the U.S. Constitution and its rules separating church and state, with the ultimate goal of creating a Christian theocracy. Trump’s racist supporters are buoyed and encouraged by his sharing (another) message from a member of their movement. Collectively, these Trump supporters are eager to put an end to America’s multiracial democracy.
Terry Heaton was a television news executive for the Christian Broadcasting Network during the 1980s, where he worked primarily on "The 700 Club," its signature news and talk show. Heaton also served as one of Pat Robertson's advisers during his 1988 presidential campaign. Terry Heaton is also the author of several books including his most recent, "The Gospel of Self: How Pat Robertson Stole the Soul of the GOP."
I spoke to Heaton recently about how and why right-wing evangelical Christians have come to worship and love Donald Trump, a man who is an unapologetic sinner. Heaton also offers insights on the direct connection between evangelical-oriented media such as his former employer at CBN, Christian nationalism, Fox News and Donald Trump’s conquest of the Republican Party and its voters. Heaton also warns about the power and influence of Robertson and his “shadow government” of right-wing evangelicals, who have waged a decades-long campaign to overthrow secular democracy in America.
How do you make sense of Donald Trump’s rise to power and why so many Christians support him, given his evident values and behavior?
One of the things that has always puzzled me about the Trump phenomenon is that he would never have been elected had he not been able to recruit people for whom his policies would be harmful. But many of these voters consider their faith first. As I wrote in my book "The Gospel of Self," they see affluence around them and in their minds there is no reason they too can't be rich one day.
There is also this belief from a certain Biblical perspective that Donald Trump is a type of King Cyrus. Cyrus was the Persian king who released the Israelites from captivity and then let them go back to Jerusalem and build the temple. Connecting Trump to King Cyrus has been written about a great deal in certain Christian publications.
Cyrus wasn't a righteous man. He was a reprobate and a pagan. But the point is that God used him for good. Many of these Christians look at Trump and they say the same thing could be going on with him. The ends then justify the means, and to them supporting Trump means getting their Supreme Court justices, "religious freedom," prayer in schools and all their related concerns about "morality."
How Pat Robertson's Christian TV empire created a "shadow government" — and led to Donald Trump
Former Christian broadcaster Terry Heaton on how "The 700 Club" pushed the Republican Party toward Donald Trump
Salon
Chauncey DeVega
August 29, 2019 12:00PM (UTC)
Last week Donald Trump shared a message on Twitter from a racist conspiracy theorist proclaiming that he, the president, was viewed by Jewish people as the “Second Coming of God” and the “King of Israel.”
The mytho-religious aspects of this “endorsement” likely have no meaning for Donald Trump. Such claims matter to Trump primarily because they stroke his megalomania. Trump the malignant narcissist authoritarian and fascist seeks out praise from wherever it may come. As such, Donald Trump frequently praises himself in the grandest and most absurd terms possible: for example, Trump’s looking to the sky last week as if looking for a sign from God and then telling journalists and the world that he is in fact the "chosen one."
Beyond personal grandiosity, Trump’s endorsement of his status as the “Second Coming” and the “King of Israel” were important signals to his two most loyal groups of supporters.
Christian nationalists, evangelicals, "reconstructionists" and "dominionists" support Donald Trump because they see him as a means of overturning the U.S. Constitution and its rules separating church and state, with the ultimate goal of creating a Christian theocracy. Trump’s racist supporters are buoyed and encouraged by his sharing (another) message from a member of their movement. Collectively, these Trump supporters are eager to put an end to America’s multiracial democracy.
Terry Heaton was a television news executive for the Christian Broadcasting Network during the 1980s, where he worked primarily on "The 700 Club," its signature news and talk show. Heaton also served as one of Pat Robertson's advisers during his 1988 presidential campaign. Terry Heaton is also the author of several books including his most recent, "The Gospel of Self: How Pat Robertson Stole the Soul of the GOP."
I spoke to Heaton recently about how and why right-wing evangelical Christians have come to worship and love Donald Trump, a man who is an unapologetic sinner. Heaton also offers insights on the direct connection between evangelical-oriented media such as his former employer at CBN, Christian nationalism, Fox News and Donald Trump’s conquest of the Republican Party and its voters. Heaton also warns about the power and influence of Robertson and his “shadow government” of right-wing evangelicals, who have waged a decades-long campaign to overthrow secular democracy in America.
How do you make sense of Donald Trump’s rise to power and why so many Christians support him, given his evident values and behavior?
One of the things that has always puzzled me about the Trump phenomenon is that he would never have been elected had he not been able to recruit people for whom his policies would be harmful. But many of these voters consider their faith first. As I wrote in my book "The Gospel of Self," they see affluence around them and in their minds there is no reason they too can't be rich one day.
There is also this belief from a certain Biblical perspective that Donald Trump is a type of King Cyrus. Cyrus was the Persian king who released the Israelites from captivity and then let them go back to Jerusalem and build the temple. Connecting Trump to King Cyrus has been written about a great deal in certain Christian publications.
Cyrus wasn't a righteous man. He was a reprobate and a pagan. But the point is that God used him for good. Many of these Christians look at Trump and they say the same thing could be going on with him. The ends then justify the means, and to them supporting Trump means getting their Supreme Court justices, "religious freedom," prayer in schools and all their related concerns about "morality."
Comments (11)
Just as people try saying things about religion, the same can be said about social media and many other "outlets".
So that leaves every thing at pretty much a stalemate as people choose their poison based on chosen positions. Politics can be used to destroy anything more upright just the same as social media and more is used now.
It's from around election time. Even as the demonrats themselves have demonstrated how they can use it and make it look like some one else; you can bet percentages are higher now than ever. Too many can stand to be away from social media or their phones for too long.
20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
for you can not even change the color of your hair from white to black
Stephen Colbert needs little introduction! Born on May 13, 1964, in Washington, D.C., he joined Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe. Together with comedians Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello, they created and starred in both Exit 57 and Strangers with Candy. In 1997, Colbert began appearing in episodes of The Daily Show. In 2005, he was given his own spin-off show, The Colbert Report. He published I Am America (And So Can You!) in 2007. In 2014, it was announced that Colbert would replace David Letterman as host of CBS' Late Show. Stephen Colbert is not only a great comedian but a devout, proud Catholic who does not hide his religious beliefs and deep love of the Church.
this is why Donald trump believes he's the chosen one....watch the documentary called the family on Netflix it explains a lot....how religion gets its influence in the door even tho there is suppose to be separation of church and state.....
The 1st amendment of the U.S. Constitution:
music to "rethink" blasphemy ..
Jim,