Michael Bresciani
Trump a phenomenon or a fantasy - - will the election of 2016 be won by another slogan?
By Michael Bresciani
Prior to the 2008 general election I published an article entitled "Can the 2008 Election be won by a Slogan?" It became to this day one of the most read articles I have ever written. I could not have imagined that only eight years later America would embark on another highly questionable pursuit in which a slogan leads the way – even though once again, it is an unserviceable quest led by someone who calls decent people clowns, stupid idiots and fools.
Recently, Mr Trump called Megyn Kelly a bimbo and Pollster Frank Luntz a clown. Don't worry, I have never shown up at Trump's office looking for work and I never will. I have showed up each morning at the feet of my Savior and studied his word for an entire generation now. Here is what I learned about calling anyone a fool or similar.
"But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, THOU FOOL, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Mt 5: 22)
This does not mean that you cannot warn someone that they are playing the fool or taking a fools path, it means that you cannot make a full character judgment against someone and call them a complete and wasted fool.
I am not surprised that Trump does not know this passage because when asked what his favorite verse of the Bible was – he could quote none.
Nit-picky?
I disagree with some who think Donald made a grave mistake while recently speaking at Liberty University where he called 2 Corinthians 3: 17 – Two Corinthians 3: 17, rather than calling it Second Corinthians 3: 17 – that is the definition of 'nit-picky.'
The only mistake Donald made at that address is common to all aspiring political candidates which were to use the language of the addressed to impress the easy targets – by means of their own familiar language. Yes, that is a fools path because it is calling the hearer stupid or at least too stupid to know they are being coerced.
Liberty University has a tradition of drawing and shaping the minds of America's finest stock – not many of them could be taken that easily.
Those cheering on the Donald are caught in the momentum, the volume and the very glow of the words – "Make America Great Again." They are the crowd most likely not to see if the Devil is still lurking in the details – will it be 2008 all over again.
Some try to find the reasonable explanation for the Trump phenomenon. Prolific writer and fellow journalist Mychal Massie has put forth an interesting piece that suggests that Trump is neither conservative nor liberal, but is a pure pragmatist. Massie notes that Trump doesn't see a conservative way versus a liberal way to approach anything, rather sees something that is a problem and says he will fix it.
Massie may have struck on an important part of the Trump psyche and while his wisdom is showing, it is the rest of Donald Trump's psyche and nature that may create even bigger problems, which no one can fix. The problem is Trump himself.
Mychal finished his articulate piece with these words; "People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as arrogance, but that is common amongst those who have never accomplished anything in their lives and who have always played it safe not willing to risk failure."
We may be willing to risk the future on an un-proven man whose only claim to fame is making billions on a million dollar loan from daddy and great strides in the easiest market in the world, but America is no business. Anyone can risk money – America is the lives of 280 million people, no one has the right to risk the future of these lives on the strength of a political slogan. Is it 2008 all over again?
What Christians should be looking for in Mr. Trump is his testimony of salvation – they seem to be all too willing to overlook this and squeeze into the screaming crowd of sycophants.
Conservative media portrays Trump as an outsider – a non-establishment candidate, who being a businessman, must be above the fray. But with only days to go before the Iowa Caucuses he was not above bringing the birther issue to the top and regurgitating the Heidi Cruz CFR debate once again.
Ted Cruz has amply defended his wife on many occasions but the Trumpite's have the smell of blood in their nostrils.
After years of digging and searching for documents, filing suits, engaging the professional law enforcement teams of Sheriff Arpaio, we still had to endure the nearly despotic rule of one of the most un-vetted candidates in U. S. history – Mr. Barack Obama.
And now we think Ted Cruz and Heidi are the bad guys? I will probably always discuss and write about politics, but it is behaviour like this that will always make me hate American politics.
At times, there is almost no difference between a slogan and pure slop.
Whether it's the gotcha of sleazy America politics or the political mechanisms of 1933 power struggles in Germany, the outcome may all be the same. Angry Americans are like a lynch mob looking for a stand-in for themselves rather than a statesman for the entire nation.
I will remind my readers once again that at the end of the First World War the Germans suffered a stifling humiliation at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler rose to power on the strength of his promise to "Make Germany great again" – no one considered the background the fascist leanings, the vile anti-Semitism or the disregard for all other nations of the world that lay dormant in the world's dictator and imaginer of the Third Reich. All they heard were the words "Germany will be great again." Is it 1933 all over again?
Not even I would accept the lesser calling as President against the clarion call to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. While still in my twenties I asked my former pastor Dr. Richard Land now the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible School, why he did not quit the ministry to pursue politics which was obviously one of his greatest interests. His answer was the same as mine is today.
Someone asked me if I would only vote for Jesus as candidate for U.S. President. I can't imagine Jesus responding to the lesser calling since he is already the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But I would respond to a man who at least knows Jesus Christ – personally.
Much like Barack Obama the question of Trump's Christianity is also up for debate. He, like Obama may know about Christ, but it is highly doubtful that he knows Christ.
Christian Post Reporter Stoyan Zaimov presses believers to consider Trump's lack of a conversion or a legitimate testimony or a salvation experience. In his scathing article entitled:
"Donald Trump Insists He Has a 'Great Relationship' With God and Evangelicals"
Mr. Zaimov said quoting Donald Trump – "First of all I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian. I'm proud of it. I'm very proud of it," Trump told CBN's David Brody in June. "Believe me, if I run and I win, I will be the greatest representative of the Christians that they've had in a long time."
"Later in July, however, he revealed that he's not sure if he has ever asked God for forgiveness."
How does a man become a Christian without confessing and repenting of all his sins at the foot of the cross and becoming as Christ declared – "born again?"
Has attendance at a few Presbyterian Churches supplanted the need to be born again?
My question about Trumps Christianity is answered by a question asked by Jesus Christ, sometime around 33AD.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6: 46)
Since Trump could not quote even one verse of scripture when asked to do so, it is beyond all doubt that he could not be obeying the words of the Savior that spoke them.
But the Evangelicals are lining up behind their pied piper with placards that say "Thank you Jesus for giving us Donald Trump" Such sycophantic exuberance gives rise to two serious questions. What is an "Evangelical," are they church attendees or born again? Second is it 33AD all over again.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not reiterate the single greatest reason that I believe Trump is wrong for America.
Trumps view of both abortion and homo-marriage are both middling and certainly anything but Christian. Leaving these two decisions of SCOTUS in place and recognized as "the law of the land" will never allow America to be great again, regardless of who wins the next election. You can count on it. Must we wait another four to eight years of a Trump administration to see this prove out? By then only one question will remain. Is it 2016 all over again?
Let's respond to 2016 while it is still 2016!
Related
Follow Trump's Money to Moscow
Why Britain loves to hate Donald Trump
Trump: The Least Charitable Billionaire
Trump's 'nationalism' serves elitist faction's agenda
© Michael Bresciani
January 24, 2016
Prior to the 2008 general election I published an article entitled "Can the 2008 Election be won by a Slogan?" It became to this day one of the most read articles I have ever written. I could not have imagined that only eight years later America would embark on another highly questionable pursuit in which a slogan leads the way – even though once again, it is an unserviceable quest led by someone who calls decent people clowns, stupid idiots and fools.
Recently, Mr Trump called Megyn Kelly a bimbo and Pollster Frank Luntz a clown. Don't worry, I have never shown up at Trump's office looking for work and I never will. I have showed up each morning at the feet of my Savior and studied his word for an entire generation now. Here is what I learned about calling anyone a fool or similar.
"But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, THOU FOOL, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Mt 5: 22)
This does not mean that you cannot warn someone that they are playing the fool or taking a fools path, it means that you cannot make a full character judgment against someone and call them a complete and wasted fool.
I am not surprised that Trump does not know this passage because when asked what his favorite verse of the Bible was – he could quote none.
Nit-picky?
I disagree with some who think Donald made a grave mistake while recently speaking at Liberty University where he called 2 Corinthians 3: 17 – Two Corinthians 3: 17, rather than calling it Second Corinthians 3: 17 – that is the definition of 'nit-picky.'
The only mistake Donald made at that address is common to all aspiring political candidates which were to use the language of the addressed to impress the easy targets – by means of their own familiar language. Yes, that is a fools path because it is calling the hearer stupid or at least too stupid to know they are being coerced.
Liberty University has a tradition of drawing and shaping the minds of America's finest stock – not many of them could be taken that easily.
Those cheering on the Donald are caught in the momentum, the volume and the very glow of the words – "Make America Great Again." They are the crowd most likely not to see if the Devil is still lurking in the details – will it be 2008 all over again.
Some try to find the reasonable explanation for the Trump phenomenon. Prolific writer and fellow journalist Mychal Massie has put forth an interesting piece that suggests that Trump is neither conservative nor liberal, but is a pure pragmatist. Massie notes that Trump doesn't see a conservative way versus a liberal way to approach anything, rather sees something that is a problem and says he will fix it.
Massie may have struck on an important part of the Trump psyche and while his wisdom is showing, it is the rest of Donald Trump's psyche and nature that may create even bigger problems, which no one can fix. The problem is Trump himself.
Mychal finished his articulate piece with these words; "People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as arrogance, but that is common amongst those who have never accomplished anything in their lives and who have always played it safe not willing to risk failure."
We may be willing to risk the future on an un-proven man whose only claim to fame is making billions on a million dollar loan from daddy and great strides in the easiest market in the world, but America is no business. Anyone can risk money – America is the lives of 280 million people, no one has the right to risk the future of these lives on the strength of a political slogan. Is it 2008 all over again?
What Christians should be looking for in Mr. Trump is his testimony of salvation – they seem to be all too willing to overlook this and squeeze into the screaming crowd of sycophants.
Conservative media portrays Trump as an outsider – a non-establishment candidate, who being a businessman, must be above the fray. But with only days to go before the Iowa Caucuses he was not above bringing the birther issue to the top and regurgitating the Heidi Cruz CFR debate once again.
Ted Cruz has amply defended his wife on many occasions but the Trumpite's have the smell of blood in their nostrils.
After years of digging and searching for documents, filing suits, engaging the professional law enforcement teams of Sheriff Arpaio, we still had to endure the nearly despotic rule of one of the most un-vetted candidates in U. S. history – Mr. Barack Obama.
And now we think Ted Cruz and Heidi are the bad guys? I will probably always discuss and write about politics, but it is behaviour like this that will always make me hate American politics.
At times, there is almost no difference between a slogan and pure slop.
Whether it's the gotcha of sleazy America politics or the political mechanisms of 1933 power struggles in Germany, the outcome may all be the same. Angry Americans are like a lynch mob looking for a stand-in for themselves rather than a statesman for the entire nation.
I will remind my readers once again that at the end of the First World War the Germans suffered a stifling humiliation at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler rose to power on the strength of his promise to "Make Germany great again" – no one considered the background the fascist leanings, the vile anti-Semitism or the disregard for all other nations of the world that lay dormant in the world's dictator and imaginer of the Third Reich. All they heard were the words "Germany will be great again." Is it 1933 all over again?
Not even I would accept the lesser calling as President against the clarion call to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. While still in my twenties I asked my former pastor Dr. Richard Land now the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible School, why he did not quit the ministry to pursue politics which was obviously one of his greatest interests. His answer was the same as mine is today.
Someone asked me if I would only vote for Jesus as candidate for U.S. President. I can't imagine Jesus responding to the lesser calling since he is already the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But I would respond to a man who at least knows Jesus Christ – personally.
Much like Barack Obama the question of Trump's Christianity is also up for debate. He, like Obama may know about Christ, but it is highly doubtful that he knows Christ.
Christian Post Reporter Stoyan Zaimov presses believers to consider Trump's lack of a conversion or a legitimate testimony or a salvation experience. In his scathing article entitled:
"Donald Trump Insists He Has a 'Great Relationship' With God and Evangelicals"
Mr. Zaimov said quoting Donald Trump – "First of all I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian. I'm proud of it. I'm very proud of it," Trump told CBN's David Brody in June. "Believe me, if I run and I win, I will be the greatest representative of the Christians that they've had in a long time."
"Later in July, however, he revealed that he's not sure if he has ever asked God for forgiveness."
How does a man become a Christian without confessing and repenting of all his sins at the foot of the cross and becoming as Christ declared – "born again?"
Has attendance at a few Presbyterian Churches supplanted the need to be born again?
My question about Trumps Christianity is answered by a question asked by Jesus Christ, sometime around 33AD.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6: 46)
Since Trump could not quote even one verse of scripture when asked to do so, it is beyond all doubt that he could not be obeying the words of the Savior that spoke them.
But the Evangelicals are lining up behind their pied piper with placards that say "Thank you Jesus for giving us Donald Trump" Such sycophantic exuberance gives rise to two serious questions. What is an "Evangelical," are they church attendees or born again? Second is it 33AD all over again.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not reiterate the single greatest reason that I believe Trump is wrong for America.
Trumps view of both abortion and homo-marriage are both middling and certainly anything but Christian. Leaving these two decisions of SCOTUS in place and recognized as "the law of the land" will never allow America to be great again, regardless of who wins the next election. You can count on it. Must we wait another four to eight years of a Trump administration to see this prove out? By then only one question will remain. Is it 2016 all over again?
Let's respond to 2016 while it is still 2016!
Related
Follow Trump's Money to Moscow
Why Britain loves to hate Donald Trump
Trump: The Least Charitable Billionaire
Trump's 'nationalism' serves elitist faction's agenda
© Michael Bresciani
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