Prefacing this… Fuck Trump. I’m not religious and not conservative (far from it on both counts). That being said, I grew up around some very religious Christians and this is not people worshiping Trump. This is people “praying over” him.
It’s not uncommon for Christians to pray for somebody’s safety, success, health, etc. And they’ll often do so in their presence by holding a hand or both hands out with their palm(s) pointed towards the one they’re praying for. I guess, kind of a way to kind of channel their prayer through them or something. Religious conservatives have enough hypocritical and unethical/immoral views and practices without misconstruing benign and normal practices as aberrant.
I wouldn’t say it’s “benign.” The whole gesture has a self aggrandizing tone to me. “Look at me and how hard I am praying.” Only the most full of themselves types of Christians pray this way and in front of cameras.
Well sure, I’m not saying it’s good or acceptable to be performative for a monster like Trump. But it’s not literal worship, which is what the post claimed.
I mean, I guarantee Trump thinks it is, and his supporters have been saying he was Chosen by God for years now. It’s close enough for me.
Literally, if you say you’re a Christian and you support Trump, you care more about Trump than Jesus. Give me all the No-True-Scotsman bs you want, it’s objectively accurate according to their own holy texts.
Yeah, it’s extremely performative and, from the outside, very occult. Of course they would rage at that idea, which makes it even more idiotic.
Matthew 6:1
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Matthew 6:5-6
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Totally normal on-brand Christlike behavior from the right.
I can confirm. For some evangelicals, “laying on of hands” was used on average members of a church who were suffering, sometimes encouraged by the pastor of the church. It’s been around since well before Trump.
Pentecostal Christians practice the laying on of hands as part of prayer for divine healing (faith healing) and the anointing of the sick.
You can call it pompous or whatever, but it’s definitely not a form of worshiping the person getting hands laid on.
No True Scotsman
Christian Nationalism is not Christianity, it is Joel Osteen’s health, wealth, and prosperity message scaled up to the Nation-state instead of the individual
It would be funnier if both sides wouldn’t employ shamanism.
This was in June 2020, where he was meeting (local) leaders in a church. So, at worst, he was respecting their beliefs by joining in a moment of prayer.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-meets-with-black-leaders-at-local-church-amid-unrest
The post’s picture is Trump allowing himself to be the object of worship for a bunch of crazy cultists. Sure, you could say he’s just respecting their beliefs (in him as some kind of sub deity/prophet?) but the whole thing is so transparent that it’s obviously just a picture of a grifter doing his grift on a bunch of rubes.
Notice the blue curtains and stage lights. The purpose of that meeting was to “promote the brand”.
So, at worst, he was respecting their beliefs by joining in a moment of prayer.
Thanks for reminding me… I just had a flashback to the Obama Muslim conspiracies.
That’s not praying. They’re saluting their fuhrer.
