In yesterday’s DM, in the satiric spirit of A Modest Proposal, we offered a way to understand the current split in the Republican party and American politics in light of the trauma of January 6. Instead of congress being true to its oath to defend the constitution, we now have a new religion complete with senators (cardinals), congress people (bishops) and religious orders of proud boys, etc., all enlisted in a Church of Donald J. Trump (CODJT).
Doctrines also abound, though many of them are not new with CODJT. For example, that hate is good (listen to the videos of the invaders of the Capitol shouting in Trump’s name.)
In the 19th century, we had the Know-nothings who in many ways are precursors of the current Trump church. They hated immigrants and Catholics and Jews as much as Mr. Miller, advisor to the ex-president, hates Mexicans.
The embodiment of slavery guaranteed a doctrine of Hate. There is no other way to enslave people than to keep hate alive. Hate birthed racism and, when a war was fought that killed 750,000 Americans, and slaves were freed, that blip in history was overcome by Jim Crow laws and the avenging religious order called the Ku Klux Klan and the terrorism of lynchings.
In the twenty and twenty-first centuries hate radio (Rush Limbaugh) thrived and hate television (Fox News) and media moguls got super rich selling hate (Murdoch, etc.).
Besides hate, what are further doctrines of the Church of Donald J. Trump?
White supremacists are “fine people” and members of the Order of White Supremacists are welcome in the CODJT church as leaders.
Racism is fine.
Violence is part of winning a political battle.
Greed is good.
Truth is for sissies.
Lies repeated often enough and loudly enough can convince the doubter and turn him or her into a true believer.
Alternative facts exist and are just fine.
Climate change is to be denied. This doctrine thrived in the Republican Party long before Trump came on board but as president he has put it into a national policy. (Thomas Aquinas says denial is a lie and a “mortal sin” because “to choose to be ignorant of something important that one ought to know is a mortal sin,” i.e. a deadly virus to oneself and others.)
Birthism tells us that President Obama was an illegitimate president because he was born in Africa. (This doctrine was first promulgated by Trump when he was a mere layman and not yet a president or church founder.)
Tax cuts for the rich (and therefore more) are good for an economy (increased pressure on the middle class and poor be damned).
Trickle-down economics works (ask the rich).
A growing chasm between rich and poor is okay.
It’s okay if some of the biggest corporations don’t pay any taxes whatsoever (let the middle class and poor pay for education, roads, highways, police, military, fire fighters, congress, airports, etc. even though corporations utilize all these services).
It’s okay if corporations and individuals park their profits overseas to escape paying taxes in America.
To be continued.
See Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Banner Image: “Think what we can do for you – Bank of America” A homeless person shelters in the entryway of a BoA branch. Photo by Mitchell Haindfield on Flickr.
Do you recognize these ‘doctrines’ of the new church of believers we are meditating on?
_crop.jpg){kind=link}
4 thoughts on “Doctrines of the Church of <br>Donald J. Trump”
Whilst acknowledging the many criticisms of the Church of Donald J Trump, he still has a huge following, especially of people who consider themselves sidelined by his critics/democrats/the so-called liberal elite etc.
Is there some way that you/we can reach out to those followers specifically, rather than than just criticising them for feeling marginalised? Whatever faults we may see in them we are all God’s children, however hard that may be to accept sometimes. The quote ‘Walk a mile in my shoes…’ comes to mind..
I am so grateful to Matthew, for his fidelity to truth. I learn so much from his daily meditations. I am 80 yrs old, like him, and I pray for long healthy life for him. Blessings and much love. I first met him through his Original Blessing book.thank you.
While facing the actualization of the CODJT, it seems more important than ever to be absolutely certain of our own identity in Christ. Only then can we authentically offer the presence of faith, hope and love from pure hearts that are committed to the Truth no matter what we encounter.
I personally have 2 children who voted for Trump and 2 who didn’t, so I understand somewhat of why my children were seduced by the rhetoric and the media. I continue to pray for protection from the lies and I remain committed to loving them. That’s my plan. Our large family is divided. Love will win out. Amen.