A recent incident involving Donald Trump and evangelical voters reminds me of a story from the Bible regarding Jesus and Satan.
From Right Wing Watch:
Former president Donald Trump delivered a campaign speech at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Tennessee . . . promising the right-wing Christian audience that they will wield political power “at a level that you’ve never used it before” if he is returned to the White House in 2024. Trump’s audience and the larger convention were populated by the same religious-right activists who are regularly featured here on Right Wing Watch and who are planning to use a second Trump term to impose their Christian nationalist worldview on the nation.
And based on Trump’s remarks at the conference, he fully intends to give them more political power than they have ever had before. “Today I come before you as a friend and an ally and a fellow believer to ask for your help and your support and your prayers for this country,” Trump said. “I make you a simple promise: In my first term I fought for Christians harder than any president has ever done before, and I will fight even harder for Christians with four more years in the White House.”
“We did things the likes of which nobody has ever done for Christians in this country, and I’m very proud of that and honored by it,” he added. “Just think of what with God’s help we already achieved in our historic first term under my leadership and working with you.”
“For four years, we went through a great period [where] you were able to speak, and we’re going to make that on a permanent basis,” Trump continued. “Because you’re the people we want to hear from: the pastors and the ministers and the rabbis. The people in this room are the people we want to hear from and they have to have a political voice.”
“You have such power, but you really weren’t allowed to use that power,” Trump told the audience. “You’re now allowed to use it. If I get in [to the White House], you’re going to be using that power at a level that you’ve never used it before."
There is a story in the Bible about Satan tempting Jesus while Jesus was in the wilderness. He told Jesus that he would give him all of the power in the world if Jesus would simply bow down and worship him. Jesus of course strongly turned him down. Too bad those who claim to follow Jesus didn't seem to get the hint.
