Only four months into the Trump presidency, and America feels like an alien planet occupied by tentacled overlords who have taken we, the people, hostage. Yes, even Trump supporters, who seem to be suffering from a mass case of Stockholm Syndrome. The horror author Stephen King probably summed up the situation most chillingly when he tweeted that no horror novel he ever wrote matched the horror of what is unfolding before us ever since Trump became our president.
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, he tried to impose a ban on Muslims entering the country, which, like everything else he has tried to implement, ended in failure and the ever-growing ire of people who champion human rights and sanctuary for refugees escaping authoritarian regimes. The crazy thing about the Muslim ban was that it did not ban any countries where Trump has business interests, and this includes Saudi Arabia, a country that Trump has himself criticized for its human rights abuses and the way they treat women, children, and gays. Let’s also not forget the fact that Saudi Arabia may also have been behind 9/11 — or at least Trump has said they were. Donald Trump has denigrated Islam and promised to protect us from the “Islam takeover” that exists only in his own mind, which was his purported reasoning for the infamous Muslim ban.
So, why is Trump in Saudi Arabia before he’s made any visits to American allies like Canada, Europe, or Mexico? Why is he kissing up to their high government officials and accepting medals, the royal treatment, and signing agreements? Most unfathomable of all, why do the Saudis seem to love Trump as much as he seems to love them now? Why does he treat them with more respect than he treats Germany’s Andrea Merkel or Australia’s Malcolm Turnbull or Canada’s Justin Trudeau?
The easy answer to Trump’s stunning hypocrisy (and the seemingly only way to resolve our collective cognitive dissonance) is the adage “follow the money,” and obviously money is a big part of it. Although Trump tweeted yesterday that his visit was to promote peace between the US and the Islamic world (yeah, right, I really believed that one), we now learn that he was really there to sell billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia. That’s right — he’s selling weapons to a country he has himself said was behind the 9/11 attacks. Whether they were or weren’t behind the attacks isn’t the point. Signing a weapons treaty with Saudi Arabia proves he doesn’t really care about the well-being of Americans. It’s always all about the money. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
And yet his supporters scream and rant about people who protested against the Muslim ban. They accuse us of helping give Islam a way to infiltrate our “Christian” and “democratic” way of life here. They can’t think critically enough to understand that granting Muslim refugees (mostly women and children) sanctuary here doesn’t mean we sympathize with the jihadists or approve of fundamentalist Islam — in fact, it means we have compassion for the victims of fundamentalist Islam’s human rights abuses and recognize that these vulnerable people are human beings who need our help. But they are perfectly okay with our Muslim-hating president who seems to be cozying up to the very people they fear the most.
It’s no different than his attitude toward the Russians. While Russia is no longer a communist country and they haven’t been thought of as an enemy in many years, they aren’t exactly an ally either. Or they never have been until this presidency. Donald Trump seems to worship the Russians, even emulate them. Last week, he held a secret meeting in the Oval Office with Russian officials where no American press was invited but Russian photographers were. Trump supporters have resolved their cognitive dissonance over Trump’s inexplicable behavior by taking up his own attitudes — to the point of chanting “RUSSIA IS OUR FRIEND” at one of their protests. They can’t think critically enough to see their hypocrisy. No, to them, it’s the media that’s the enemy now — a beloved right protected under the 1st Amendment — because Trump has declared they are an enemy. Now those rights we take for granted are endangered.
Again, the easy explanation for the inexplicable is “follow the money.” Like Saudi Arabia, Russia is a country where Trump has business interests. If the investigation turns out to bear fruit (and I am certain it will if it isn’t stymied or somehow silenced), we will see that Russia at least partly financed his campaign, rigged the election, and has been funneling money to him and his far-right billionaire cronies all along. Of course, if the investigation finds collusion with Russia, his supporters will still find a way to defend him, or cry “FAKE NEWS!” They truly believe Trump is more trustworthy than the FBI. What kind of crazyworld are we in when we actually start to look at the FBI as the heroes — and even the victims? We have really fallen down the rabbit hole into an alternate universe with an alternate reality where we doubt our own perceptions and the truth is no longer required. It’s gaslighting writ large.
It’s much more than a money trail, though. In fact, money may not even be the primary reason behind Trump’s love for Saudi Arabia and Russia. Trump has shown an affinity for authoritarian leaders, regardless of their ideology or their religious beliefs. We all know about his massive mancrush on Vladimir Putin and his minions, but he’s also praised North Korean president Kim Jong Un, one of the most fearsome — if not THE most fearsome — dictators in the modern world. He seems to admire and emulate dictators, because he himself is an authoritarian personality who believes in a harsh, punishing, “strongman” approach to governing as opposed to the democratic, egalitarian one favored by the western world. He insults and denigrates leaders who espouse fairness, equality, and compassion — or at the very least he ignores them as if they don’t matter. His refusal to shake hands with Germany’s chancellor Andrea Merkel compared with the hearty slaps on the back and simpering secret-sharing with Putin is very telling.
I spent much of last night and this morning puzzling over why Saudi leaders seem to fawn all over Trump and have given him a red-carpet welcome to their country worthy of a king — in spite of the fact he has repeatedly insulted their religion and culture. Of course, we can follow the money; with Trump, that’s a given. But there’s another reason. They love Trump because he is so much like them. They can identify with a man who shares their own values of repression, sexism and authoritarianism. A dictatorial approach to governing, in their minds, trumps religion (no pun intended). And the same applies to Donald Trump. Unlike our past presidents (even the most conservative among them), Trump has far more in common with King Salman or Putin than he does with Andrea Merkel or Justin Trudeau — and that should be a grave concern to anyone who calls themselves an American or who cherishes freedom and democracy.
There’s one other reason why Trump loves the Saudis and the Russians, which is perhaps the most important one of all: they give him the narcissistic supply he so craves. They probably know how fragile his ego is — after all, they are not stupid. Trump, like many narcissists, is naive enough to think they love him, they really, really love him, when in fact they are most likely laughing at him whenever he leaves the room. The weird thing about narcissists like Trump is the paradox of power. Narcissists, although predatory and dangerous to most, are also very emotionally needy. That neediness makes them incredibly naive and therefore easily manipulated. Their unreasonable demands for adulation may cause most people (who they see as beneath them) to cringe in fear, but they will gladly grovel before most psychopaths. Thus they become putty in the hands of psychopathic or sociopathic leaders like Vladimir Putin, who appear far less insecure and requiring of worship than Trump does. They will do anything they are asked and jettison any values they insist they have (which they really don’t) when they see that the tradeoff is a healthy dose of narcissistic supply. They’re the ultimate sellouts. Trump pretends to have values but it’s all a sham. The only thing he values (besides money and power) is being worshipped and adored.
And so now we are witnessing the spectacle of our president — who promised protection from terrorism — fawning all over Islamic jihadists in Saudi Arabia. No, I realize most Muslims are not fundamentalist crazies or jihadists, but the sentiment on the far right is that all of them are (at least up until now). As for Trump, he doesn’t care whether they are or not, as long as they’re giving him the praise and adulation he so craves. In comparison, the freedoms we enjoy here in America are a threat to his ego and a painful reminder of the things he refuses to see in himself. Here in America, instead of the red carpet treatment, bouquets of flowers, and medals of honor, he must face critics on Twitter who make memes poking fun at his hypocrisy and lies, angry protesters who force him to look in the mirror, bloggers and pundits calling him out on his duplicity,and now a high profile investigation into possible treason. But the biggest insult of all to Trump’s fragile sense of self is the evil media and “fake news” that has the temerity to shine a beacon of harsh white light on the truth which he so hates — the media that, for all its faults, is keeping most of us from slipping into into an inescapable abyss of alternative facts, twisted values, and rewritten history that would drive even George Orwell insane.
I was shocked and saddened to learn that Chris Cornell died early this morning. The cause of death was suicide. He was 52 years old.
Chris Cornell was the frontman for the ’90s grunge-rock band Soundgarden, and later for Audioslave. I’ll miss his unique voice and style, as will many. But his memory will live on in those of us who were fans of his music.
I expect this post will make some people angry, but I don’t care. I don’t care how much the modern GOP goes on about God and how America is a “Christian” nation. Trump and no one in his inner circle (or maybe his entire administration) are Christians. I don’t care how often they say they go to church or quote from the Bible. All that’s nothing but a sales pitch meant to deceive. If they actually believe they are Christians, then they are the ones who are deceived.
Piety does not equal godliness. As a friend of mine put it, if Satan were to start a religion, he wouldn’t use pentagrams and blood sacrifice. No, that would be too obvious. He would wrap his dark agenda that preaches the values of greed, narcissism, and selfishness in a shell of legalistic, punishing far-right “christianity.” He would use a few superficial selling points (like abortion, nationalism, and homosexuality) to lure the gullible masses (and hijack the churches, which has been going on for decades). He would twist around the language so that love means something closer to hate, justice means something closer to torture, and where all truths are fake news. Lies become alternative facts, rights become entitlements, and compassion becomes the “encouragement of dependency.” He would pretend to be saving your life while he’s really sinking a knife in your back. He would promise to uphold a nation’s constitution and “make it great again” while he’s actually trying to destroy its very fabric. He would wave a cross while angrily preaching a doctrine that promotes chaos, confusion, terror, despair, suffering, hatred, violence, marginalization, and exclusion — the opposite of anything Jesus taught. He would show no mercy or forgiveness should you falter or become weak under his regime. He would punish and marginalize the most vulnerable just for being vulnerable. He would disrespect the earth and have no compunctions about destroying it for his own immediate gratification. He would co-opt and transform the most popular religion in the land and turn it into a weapon intended to terrorize, marginalize, and destroy souls.
The modern GOP that has hijacked our country (and is almost certainly in collusion with Russia) are doing exactly all these things — while giving God lip service. They lie about everything, even when they don’t need to lie. Then they lie even more to cover up the lies. Who was the father of lies? You got it — that’s their real god. What we have now is not a proper government OR a religion — it’s a cult. Trump is the cult’s leader. His most ardent supporters — most who call themselves Christians — are practicing a form of idolatry. To them, Trump is as infallible as God. I remember when he said he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot someone and they would still stand behind him. It was probably the only true thing he ever said.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness.” — Exodus 20:16
“By their fruits, ye shall know them.” – Matt. 7-16
“At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”–Matt. 24:10-12
We bloggers know that as annoying as spam can be, it can also be fun — like these five new gems I found in my spam folder today. Most sound like they’ve been translated several times from some obscure language in a country no one’s ever heard of.
This is a good sampling of the types of spam I usually get.
Sorry about your apple ipad.
Um, what?
Scratching my head over this one.
Dude, no one who’s an actual person says “I will book mark for future reference.” Also, no one says dude anymore.
Uh, no thanks.
I’ve been seeing a lot of this sentiment in the past few months, but I’ve been aware of the problem with American Christianity for a long time. The election seems to have wakened a sleeping tiger.
I saw a comment today that was so shocking and so true I felt like I’d been hit by a bowl of ice water:
“I’ve often wondered, if Satan started a religion, what would it look like? It wouldn’t involve hooded red and black robes, pentagrams and blood sacrifice. That would be too obvious. It would pose as Christianity, but subvert all the parts that matter. It would look a hell of a lot like the Religious Right.”
This poem really resonated with me and begged to be shared. I believe God is speaking to us all through this blogger’s stunning words. Please leave comments under the original post.
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I have a problem. I’m ashamed to admit I’m a Christian. That’s because these days, open-minded, compassionate, tolerant people with a conscience give you side-eye if you tell them you’re a Christian. They assume you embrace the far right values that many (if not most) churches today are teaching — values that embrace hatred, fear, paranoia, intolerance, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, authoritarianism, nationalism (as opposed to true patriotism) and — incredibly — greed (according to many Calvinist teachings, God rewards those who “live good lives” — the select He has already chosen — financially and materially). According to many fundamentalist and charismatic churches (especially of the Dominionist or prosperity-gospel type), if you’re poor or sick or aren’t “blessed” in this life, then you are not favored by God and will suffer eternal torment in Hell after living a life of hell. It’s unbelievable they can worship a God who is that cruel.
I’ve doubted for a long time that the far right “Christians” who run the nation are actually Christian at all, because their values seem to be in direct opposition to anything Jesus taught. They follow Ayn Rand’s teachings more closely than those of Christ. The reality is that it’s simply not possible to embrace Ayn Rand’s philosophy of selfishness and also be a Christian. They are diametrically opposed.
Last night my doubts turned to certainty, after I watched in horrified astonishment as the GOP held a party at the White House’s Rose Garden to celebrate their “victory” — a victory that, if it passes Senate — will destroy the lives or bankrupt tens of millions of average Americans and kill many, including innocent children and people with pre-existing conditions. I don’t have to go into everything that is wrong with this bill, because it would fill an entire page. That information is readily available elsewhere. But the spectacle of watching these rich white thugs drinking beer and partying after such a devastating bill passed the House, convinced me once and for all that these monsters are not only not Christian, they are absolutely, unapologetically evil. They may quote from the Bible and go to church and bloviate on about abortion and homosexuality, but they worship the god of Mammon. They have sold out the American people they are supposed to serve in exchange for even more tax breaks for themselves and those just like them. They are relentless in their cruelty and their greed is never satiated. No matter how wealthy they become, they want more and more and more. Last night I sat, horrified, watching these — beings (I hesitate to call them human) — toast each other and laugh about how they had stuck it to the rest of us who don’t have a prayer of ever having their kind of power and material wealth. They were celebrating the fact that they were placing real lives at risk. I turned off the TV, sickened and enraged and terrified by what I had seen.
No matter what they say, these are not good people or Christian people. They walk on the side of darkness and their hearts are black and empty. You can see it in their cold, dead eyes and their cruel, twisted smiles. They use Christianity as a way to cloak how dark their souls really are — and as a way to get even more power. Over a period of several decades starting in the 1970s, they have systematically co-opted Christianity as a means to win gullible and less-educated people (mostly in red states) over to their side. They have persuaded them their way is the only moral way, the only American way, the only Christian way. But it’s all lies. Using Christianity as a selling point is a brilliant tactic to gain even more money and power because it works like a charm. Using Christianity this way, these conscienceless criminals and power brokers have been able to hijack a nation and now have complete control of every branch of government. But still, it’s not enough. They want more, and more, and more.
Now their real work begins: dismantling everything good this nation ever stood for — discouraging and suppressing and ultimately destroying our freedoms and our opportunities and our rights and our safety nets. Their real goal is to create misery, chaos, despair, hopelessness, illness and suffering (both mental and physical — with no means to alleviate it), ignorance, poverty, strife, cruelty, slavery, and death. Lots and lots of death. It’s become increasingly obvious to me that their real agenda is to thin the herd. They used to try to hide this ugly reality, but they don’t even try very hard anymore. It’s all but out in the open for anyone who opens their eyes and ears. Their excuses for the horrible things they do are transparent to all but the most obtuse (or brainwashed) person. With every decision they have made, every executive order signed, every bill rammed through without ever asking once how the people feel about it, every lie they tell, they show their contempt for humanity, especially those who tell the truth or who are vulnerable and defenseless.
But it’s much more than just a show of contempt. They really are trying to kill off or silence the most vulnerable Americans — the poor (this includes the middle class and so their decimation will take a bit longer), the sick, the unwanted, the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill (mental illness won’t be covered under this new bill but now the mentally ill can go out and buy guns — hmm, I wonder what message they are being sent?), immigrants, women, children, the unconventional, the artists, the dreamers, the truth-tellers, the whistle-blowers, and all the people who believe in justice and fairness and kindness and compassion and inclusion and opportunity and clean air and water and safe and healthy food. They want us all gone, and as soon as possible. Their “healthcare” bill is nothing less than slow mass genocide of those who aren’t useful to them. They have even said so much. If you protest against this mistreatment and yes, abuse — they scream about socialism and how the “liberal media” is destroying America. Again, lies. Under our new president, the lying and gaslighting has become so bad that lies are now facts, and facts are ‘fake news.’ Twisting the language and spinning lies into some kind of alternate reality is the way dictators gain their power — and it’s evil. There’s nothing remotely Christian about what they do.
I saw this comment today under an article about the the cruel GOP healthcare bill that explains the fake “Christianity” behind such a move:
God sent Joshua to kill every man, woman, and child to take the land of the Canaanites. The Bible is clear that sometimes God requires His people to commit genocide.
That’s the mentality we’re up against. No mention of how Jesus healed the sick (without demanding payment or refusing due to inability to pay), was friends with the downtrodden, loved the poor and the disabled and the old and the ill, and warned about greed and what happens to those who worship money and power. No, because all those things are “socialism” and to them, socialism is the greatest evil. To them, socialism is “theft” from those who “earned” their riches — often through no effort of their own.
It wasn’t always this way. There was once a time when Christianity leaned more to the left. This used to be called the “social gospel,” something you rarely hear about anymore, though very recently there’s been a resurgence of left wing Christianity among those who can see through the false Christianity that’s pushed down our throats by the far right. Peaceful Christian groups like the Quakers and Sojourners ministered to the poor, sick and others in need — expecting nothing in return. Mainstream Christian churches such as the Methodist or Episcopalian church held similar values. Sure, things like abortion, homosexuality, and sex outside marriage were frowned upon or even forbidden, but the overall message of Christianity was one of love, compassion, and caring for those less fortunate. Some Christians — and some (mostly mainstream) churches – still embrace this message, but the ones that were able to influence our current leaders are those that do not — and instead preach the prosperity gospel and a theology of exclusion (you’re going to hell if you are not “predestined” or chosen by God), fear (of hell and punishment on earth) and hatred (of anyone whose beliefs differ).
Starting in the late 1970s, a group called the Moral Majority began to change the political landscape, which until that time worked for the most part. They funneled money to the GOP and the GOP knew a good deal when they saw it. They realized they had to use Christianity to win over more supporters and soon, politicians were spouting Bible verses and talking about how schools should stop teaching evolution (or any science at all) and railing about abortion, and later, blaming those afflicted by poverty or disease for their “bad choices” or immoral behavior that led to their problems. They preached about America being a Christian nation — when it was becoming anything but. At the same time, the churches that had influenced the GOP were now telling their members that if they didn’t vote for so-and-so GOP politician, they were going to hell. I have no doubt that fear of eternal damnation being constantly drummed into their minds and hearts by their pastors had a lot to do with why so many religious red staters switched from Democrat to Republican, since most would never benefit from the policies they were voting for.
Make no mistake — although they may talk endlessly about their Christianity and be able to spout Bible verses, these compassionless rulers aren’t pro-life and they don’t care about family values. Railing on about how horrible abortion is, but denying healthcare to low and middle income pregnant women (by making pregnancy a pre-existing condition and putting pregnant women in a “high risk pool” where premiums will be astronomical) is going to make it financially impossible for many women to afford prenatal care. For many of these women, abortion (which is far less expensive than prenatal care and labor and delivery) may seem like their only choice, so the number of abortions will skyrocket. For those who courageously opt to have their child without the benefit of healthcare, they will run the risk of themselves or their babies dying in childbirth — it might as well be 1917, not 2017.
Their anti-life stance goes way beyond the abortion issue. Many of the newly uninsured will include families with children. Last week, Jimmy Kimmel gave an emotional speech about his newborn son who had a serious heart problem. In his moving plea, he talked about the fact that, while he is wealthy enough to have afforded healthcare for his son, even under the GOP plan, taking away healthcare from average and poor families will cause many children and babies who are sick to die. Any bill that will force a parent of average or low income to have to face their own child’s preventable death just because they can no longer afford healthcare is both cruel and evil.
Pro-life isn’t just about babies and children. Pro-life means preserving and enhancing lives no matter what your age or income. Forcing older people, the unemployed, the disabled, the poor, and the sick off healthcare is sentencing them to possible preventable illness, pain, and death. The powerful “Christians” in charge of things now think nothing about bombing other countries regardless of whether innocent civilians — including women and children — are killed or maimed. Free public education, organizations like the EPA that protect our air and water, arts and humanities programs, federal grant programs that help kids afford college, access to scientific information about our climate and environment, organizations that help families and children thrive, and numerous other organizations that preserve and promote quality of life are all being threatened. Their deliberate destruction is nothing short of abuse, as is the suppression of freedom of speech and truth in reporting. To be pro-life, you must care about all human life. To care only about the unborn and then callously offer no support or help to the already born — or rip away what support systems they have — isn’t pro-life, it’s pro-birth and anti-life. Unfortunately, many people who are less educated or lack critical thinking skills are one-issue voters, and always vote for the anti-abortion candidate no matter what their stance on other issues — even though the pro-choice candidate may actually be the more pro-life one when you step back and view the big picture.
We live in dark times, and whistleblowers and truth tellers are increasingly in danger because they threaten to expose the real agenda of the sociopaths and abusers who have hijacked our country and hold it hostage. Lying is their specialty. Why would they make an exception and tell the truth about Christianity? Look at their actions, not their words. These are fake Christians who only worship money and power. If it’s the Enemy who’s behind far right “Christianity,” then he’s giving it a very bad reputation, and that’s precisely his intention — and to create shame in the act of calling yourself a Christian, which is what I’m struggling with these days.
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I want to share this article someone just shared with me. It was written by a therapist who has many patients traumatized by this president. She uses DBT principles to help them cope. I think people may find this article as helpful as I did.
Lucky Otters Haven 