Politico reports on the incident in Washington D.C.’s Lafayette Park yesterday still drawing shocked reactions a day later, after President Donald Trump ordered the gassing and dispersal of peaceful protesters who had committed no offense beyond legally occupying space between Trump and St. John’s Episcopal Church:
President Donald Trump faced withering criticism in the hours after spurring a violent incursion against apparently peaceful protesters for the purposes of staging a political photo opportunity — provoking rebukes Tuesday from local and state executives, congressional lawmakers, faith leaders and even foreign governments over the extraordinary show of force amid converging national crises.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed officials within her office were “very shocked and, quite frankly, outraged” by the aggressive dispersal of crowds demonstrating outside the White House on Monday evening, facilitated by police officers and National Guard troops firing rubber bullets and deploying flash-bang grenades…
“At no time did we think it was appropriate that people who had not violated the curfew or anything else receive that treatment,” Bowser told CNN, saying she could not comment on “what made the federal authorities think it was appropriate to clear the way for that purpose.”
NPR has the angry response to Trump’s violent photo-op from the Episcopal Bishop of Washington–as angry, we suppose, as an Episcopal bishop is allowed to get anyway:
“There was no reaching out, no sense that it would require some sort of authorization before using the church as a backdrop in that way,” said the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington, with oversight responsibilities for the church.
When the president held up the Bible, without praying or quoting a verse appropriate for the moment, Budde was further incensed.
“It almost looked like a prop,” she told NPR. “That is the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It speaks messages of love, of God, love of neighbor. I was outraged that he felt that he had the license to do that, and that he would abuse our sacred symbols and our sacred space in that way.”
Slate’s Ruth Graham summed up the moment well:
Trump’s slow walk to the church was not an event that began with a photo-op. It consisted of nothing but the photo-op itself. [Pols emphasis] The president did not give a speech at the church. No clergy joined him. He did not read a passage from the Bible he held. When a reporter on the scene asked Trump if it was his own Bible, he replied, “It’s a Bible.” The president’s personal copy of the Bible, which he used to take the oath of office, is now located at the Museum of the Bible. It is not clear if he personally owns another copy.
The condemnation of Trump’s violent attack on Lafayette Park protesters in order to visit a church, apparently undertaken entirely using forces under his personal authority, has been pretty much universal–except, as usual, within the Republican Party. Here in Colorado, where the unholy alliance between mostly white evangelical clergy and the Republican Party has been steadfast since long before Focus on the Family came to Colorado Springs, our leading religious/political figures are rushing to bless Trump’s actions:
For the word of God is alive and active. – Hebrews 4:12 pic.twitter.com/3pDiZNF0NT
— Jeff Hunt (@jeffhunt) June 2, 2020
It’s the age-old quandary when both sides in a conflict think God is on their side. Only one of them can be right.
We tend to think God is not on the side of gassing people for a picture in front of a church.
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And the irony of all irony, one of the people gassed for Trumps false piety photo op was Gini Gerbasi, a former St. Johns minister. Unfortunately we all have to witness how low Trump can go. Pure evil.
Clashing visions of "the word of God," I suppose.
Would you rather be the Cathedral pastor, handing out water battles and providing encouraging words to demonstrators until tear gas chased her away, or Trump, walking over to the front of a church building to hold up a Bible (upside down and backwards) for a photo while he is standing all alone?
The scripture I was brought up with includes:
Which side are you on?
There is no "God". There are only people's delusions about their imaginary friend.
Religion is evil.
Oh contraire, Barnes. This IS a God (and she's mad as hell):
Embattled Rep. Steve King has lost his primary
Nice! May all the Steve Kings of the world be tossed onto the political compost heap to quietly rot.
Steve King was already rotten — he just needs to be tossed on the compost heap of history.
President Moneychanger Sets Up Shop at the Temple
Cut him a little slack Dio … he’s a baby Christian. This transformational stuff takes time.
Dobson Explains Why He Called Trump a ‘Baby Christian’
It should be obvious even to some of Trump's die hard supporters that he is morally bankrupt. What does that say about people like Jeff Hunt?
Revisiting the preacher who used Christianity to revive the Ku Klux Klan
Gott ist immer auf unserer Seite!
Seig Heil!
Ah yes, the wisdom of Christian nationalists like Hunt and John Andrews–the best people. As for the "word of God," is that the ancient Aramaic, King James, or any of the other countless translations of boring mythology? Remember, Odin is watching
So is the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But I don't think he'd touch Yammie-pie with his noodly appendage. He'd never get it clean again.
Thanks for that image, cook!
https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2020/06/02/simply-17-funny-photoshops-of-donald-trump-hold-bible-outside-church/
Photoshop humor, of course.
This one is my favorite:
Someone said it was extra-special that Trump stood in front of a sign saying
ALL ARE WELCOME
The other comment I'll keep in memory is that the iconic photo has him holding the Bible backwards and upside down …
A more honest evangelical defense of Trump
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
"How to Bible"