The Faith of Donald J Trump Book Review

I'm not sure whether to shelve this every bit Desire to Read or Won't Read. I'grand still sputtering at the title.

Updates added, including my photos of London protestation, and why I was in that location...

In Their Own Words

Meanwhile, I have watched a 20 infinitesimal video, in which one of the authors interviews Trump (thanks to Mark H in the comments). They talk about God and the Bible, but Trump turns every answer round to his own success. Watch information technology HERE.

Viewpoints

Although I'm an atheist, I was raised as a Christian and have friends and family who nevertheless believe and practise.

From the (relative) safety of beingness an bounding main away, I have followed United states politics very closely, the last 2 or iii years. I cannot reconcile anything nigh Trump's words, allow alone his actions, with what I read in the Bible or was taught about Jesus.

I know we're all sinners.
I know that God can use "broken vessels".
But I as well know that repentance is at the heart of Christianity, and Trump seems incapable of apology, or ever admitting a trivial mistake or failure.

From the video, 6:10
Q "Practise you believe that it'due south important to ask God for forgiveness?"
A "Well I practise. I call back information technology's great. And I consider communion to be a very important thing... When I take communion I consider that to be request for forgiveness in my own way."
And then straight back to crowd size and polls.

I can't notice real show of him challenge a personal faith, though he's not averse to name-dropping God when it's advantageous.

From the video, 7:25
Q "Who is God to you?"
A "I say God is the ultimate."
Then Trump pivots, shows his beautiful Pacific-facing golf course behind, and boasts of his success at doing one of the greatest deals ever to get it.

Affiche comparison Jesus and Trump, from London protest, 13 July 2018

Usurping Labels

Trump's supporters include many who merits the label of "Christian". Sure, they're getting lifetime appointments of conservative judges who are anti-gay, anti-women, anti-immigrant etc, simply exercise the ways justify the ends? Really?

From the video, 10:fourteen
"I of the reasons I'm doing so well [with evangelicals], I am a Christian, I'm a protestant, I'm a presbyterian, I'm a full laic, I believe in the Bible, I believe in God and I call up I will help them and then much with the country."
"Them". Non "us".

Their vengeful discrimination has e'er seemed more than similar a twisted interpretation of the Old Testament, rather than having roots in the New. If homosexuality was such an unforgivable sin, how come Jesus never mentioned it? Whereas, he had plenty to say about one'due south duty to help the poor, and the corrupting influence of wealth.

The evangelicals' Prosperity Gospel, with its darker flip-side of victim-blaming, absolves the righteous of supporting those in need. Y'all don't demand welfare, merely faith in God. I adopt Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth, which promotes philanthropy every bit the duty of the rich.

They claim to be "pro life", simply they're not: they're pro conception, and pro birth, but after that, y'all're on your own, even if you're accidentally significant with your umpteenth kid by your longtime hubby, and you all have major medical bug. Worse still, almost of these "pro lifers" are pro gun, resisting fifty-fifty the most modest restrictions. How is that compatible with being pro life?

No Other God only Me, Me, Me?

Time Mag encompass, 18 June 2018.
Prescient, because 14 months later, Trump retweeted "the Jewish people in State of israel love him like he's the Rex of Israel. They love him similar he is the second coming of God", and the next day, looked Heavenwards and said "I am the chosen one" to fix trade with Communist china.

Trump's Uk Visit, July 2018

Signage Suggestions, Please

I may exist an bounding main away, but Trump is the most powerful man in the world, and even from here, even with Brexit chaos imminent, I'one thousand scared.

If Trump comes to London, as planned, on Friday 13 July 2018, I'll be in the crowd of protestors. Or if he goes to Windsor instead. At i level, it's a possibly pointless gesture, merely at another, it feels necessary.

So what should I put on my sign?

Hither's a possibility: inverting the "I Really Don't Intendance. Do U?" jacket that Melania wore to visit the child detention centre in Texas on 21 June, I really do care. Don't U?. Merely news cycles are too fast for that to exist relevant.

I don't want something funny, or with childish or obscene insults. And it needs to be relevant from a Brit.

Shortlist:
• Pro America. Anti Trump.

• "Whatever you did non do for one of the least of these, you lot did non practise for me."
Matthew 25, v45
(Information technology's peachy that he's #45, and has it embroidered on his left shirt cuff.)

• If Jesus hadn't rolled the stone abroad, he'd be turning in his grave.

• Trump Will Lie Virtually This, Too.

• A list of words, different colours and fonts, perhaps as an acrostic. Including some of these, and mayhap others:
Liar, Pussy-grabber, Misogynist, Groovy, Racist, Tyrant, Traitor, Tax crook, Lech, Sociopath, Narcissist, Braggart, Ignoramus, Bigot, Demagogue, Putin Puppet, Authoritarian, Con man, Homophobe

What I chose: me, with my begetter, at the London protest, thirteen July 2018

UPDATES

1. 8 June 2018, May is plain urging Trump to avert the probable protests in London, and go to somewhere smaller and more than sealed off, like Chequers, Windsor, and Blenheim: Reuters reporting story from The Sun
Allow's hope information technology's not too long before he'south somewhere even more than secure.

ii. I am amused by this idea, simply wonder if information technology's sinking towards his level: a giant inflatable Trump baby, to float most the Houses of Parliament when he visits. They're crowdfunding information technology: crowdfunder.co.u.k./trump-babe. Merely they need permission from the mayor: let-trump-infant-fly

iii. On xiv June, Press Sec Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the modify of policy resulting in separating migrant families Earlier due process, saying it is "very biblical to enforce the law". And Attorney Full general Jeff Sessions said "I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the authorities because God has ordained them for the purpose of order." Then much for separation of church and state.

4. Some Christians spoke out, 19 June 2018. Subsequently shocking reports, and authorities-issued photos of children in cages in detainment in camps, having been taken from families before due process, "More than 600 United Methodist clergy and laity say they are bringing church police charges against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a swain United Methodist...": United Methodist Church press release.

Cartoon by Mike Luckovich, twenty June 2018, titled "Caged".
Run into Matthew 25, verses 31-46

But nothing came of it: United Methodists reject complaint, 8 August 2018.

five. 21 June 2018, Trump reversed his determination of separating children before their families' immigration status was established. His supporters praised him for solving the crisis he created. Meanwhile, stories are emerging of awful conditions in some detention centres, and there'southward no clear mode to reunite families when adults and children are under control of different authorities. Hither's Senator Elizabeth Warren describing her visit of 27 June: short video

six. 26 June 2018, shirt and poster designed and ordered. Photos later the event.

seven. Not really relevant to Trump'south possible spirituality, but on 27 and 28 June 2018, predictably, it transpired that Kim Jong-Un continues to improve NK's nuclear capability, despite the glorious photo opp a couple of weeks earlier:
See The Hill, article one and See The Hill, article 2

8a. Two days to get, and his UK itinerary has been released, equally per update 1. He'll barely meet London, which makes security much easier, and protects his ego. Instead he'll travel by helicopter between secure, enclosed locations: the US Ambassador's residence (adjacent to Regent'south Park Mosque!), Blenheim Palace, Chequers, and Windsor Castle. However, I recall the crowds (and Trump Baby stuffed) volition be newsworthy enough that he will exist aware of the calibration of protests.
See Travel details at The Guardian

8b. The US ambassador needlessly stokes fear and division, alarm Americans in London to keep a low profile and to "practice caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent."
Run into The Hill
I'm confident the huge majority of protesters are anti-Trump, simply not specially anti-American.

nine. I was at that place, at the London protest, thirteen July 2018. The signs were angry, creative, funny. The crowd was enormous (in 6 figures). The mood was carnival. Hither are a few more pictures I took:

Trump baby blimp, Parliament Square, London protest, 13 July 2018

Millicent Fawcett, Parliament Square, London protestation, xiii July 2018. Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill, and others are in that location.

Trafalgar Foursquare, London protest, 13 July 2018

10. 23 Apr 2019, a total-on country visit (rather than a mere working visit) announced for 3-7 June, less than a year later his previous visit. He's just the third The states president to be offered a country visit in the Queen's reign of more 60 years (George HW Bush and Bill Clinton were the others), only not the only controversial one (others include King Abdullah, Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao, Hirohito, Ceauşescu, Mubarak, and Mugabe). The tertiary twenty-four hour period will be a D-Day event in Portsmouth, just the other two may be in London.

Why Did I Protestation?

In respond to questions here (and elsewhere)...

I wouldn't normally protest about the internal affairs of another land. But that's non what I was doing on Friday. Not primarily.

My greatest fears nigh Trump are his detrimental effect on the stability of the globe. For example, escalating global trade tensions and tariffs, pushing "clean coal" and denying climatic change, and undermining (imperfect just) important groupings like NATO, G7, United nations, EU, and even the UK itself.

All of these amerce allies, while he cosies up to authoritarian enemies, giving them more than than he/the Us gets in render.

These tensions are compound by the fact our regime does not criticise his regime as it does others, including those that pose global threats (Putin) and allies (Saudi).

Thus, the protests were partly addressed to our Britain government.

They were also addressed to the United states as a whole. Unlike other disciplinarian regimes, the United states of america printing can withal written report opposition, including protests in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. That doesn't fit the stereotype of balmy-mannered Brits, so is even more startling. Seeing the strength of feeling here has brought comfort of solidarity to some (mainly Democrats) and given pause for idea to others (including Republicans).

I don't think the London protest volition change Trump, allow alone the world, but I wanted to brand a bespeak that would be seen.

The fact Trump is as well dangerously inconsistent and ignorant, demonstrably untruthful, profiteering, bigoted, probably calumniating, and is rolling back protections for all only the super-rich, is secondary.

The ill-informed insults he's lobbed at many of our leaders (from May to Khan, and those in betwixt) make information technology off-white for united states to criticise his domestic policies, and not keep that criticism exclusively highbrow.

Very British words, handstitched, at the London protestation, 13 July 2018

Related Reviews

Start, I read and reviewed Fire and Fury as one of the early headline-grabbing books of Trump's regime (my review Hither).

Then, A 24-hour interval in the Life of Marlon Bundo as it was refreshingly fun, and with a good, positive bulletin (my review HERE).

Next up was this, every bit information technology's at the rotten heart of what I most despise.

And finally, Fright: Trump in the White House equally information technology's past Bob Woodward: a multi award winning announcer and biographer of ix presidents, red and blue (my review Hither).

And and then, Ladybird did a satire, using illustrations from children's books, A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump (my review HERE).

The almost revealing then far is Mary L Trump'due south psychological analysis of her dysfunctional family, Likewise Much and Never Enough (my review Hither).

sanfordspole1945.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35069560-the-faith-of-donald-j-trump

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