The People Jesus Warned Us About

Without Works

Episode Notes

Lemuel: I am Lemuel Gonzalez, repentant sinner, and along with Amity Armstrong, your heavenly host, I invite you to find a place in the pew for today’s painless Sunday School lesson. Without Works.

Amity: This week, in our new, shorter format, we will explore the new role of convicted felon and former president, Donald Trump in Get Thee Behind Me, Felicia.

Lemuel: I often used the word, blasphemy,’ to describe behavior that falls outside of the teachings of Jesus. It’s a strong word, overused these days to cover things less than sacred.

We include an article in our notes today, a piece on a respected and educated man, author and talk show host, Eric Metaxes. Claiming membership in the Greek Orthodox Church, he has spoken and written on the Ecumencal values shared by the Christian Church as a whole. Even with this background, he makes an odious comparison: His now deleted social media post showing a photograph of Trump’s scowling face and a depiction of the crucified Christ, under which was written the caption:

“If you're not sure you can vote for a convicted criminal, Remember you worship one.”

To make is clear: Metaxes is comparing a sexual predator, grifter, adulterer, exploiter, to Jesus Christ. Trump is guilty of his crimes; Jesus was not. False equivalency at least.

Amity: Trump has tried courting the Evangelical vote for years, and against all reasoning, has been successful. During his 2016 campaign he visited a non-denominational church in Council Bluffs, Iowa and put a few dollars in the Communion Plate, thinking he was being asked for cash. Beyond the question of why one of the supposedly richest men on earth, valued at just under seven billion dollars, gives God pocket change is one thing. The other thing is the fact that he can’t tell an offering plate from a Communion plate, or that both are completely separate parts of a service.

Lemuel: On the subject of the Eucharist itself, Trump said this:

“When I drink my little wine- which is about the only wine I drink- and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed.”

He seems to have only the most rudimentary idea of what the Eucharist is for, despite its supposed importance to him.

Amity: His knowledge of the Bible is equally rudimentary. Questioned about his favorite Bible passage he deferred by claiming the answer was too personal. When further pressed, he couldn’t say if he favored the Old or New Testaments. Yet he has now issued a new Bible, the,“God Bless the USA Bible,” which includes the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and among other secular documents, the lyrics of Lee Greenwood’s, “God Bless the USA.”

To their credit mainstream Churches have rejected this most recent attempt to court their vote. The problem is that there are those who don’t.

Lemuel: So what are we seeing? The birth of a cult? A cancer in the Body of Christ? The Trump message, steeped in fear, racism, and sexism, has replaced the genuine Gospel in the minds of its followers. This message of violence and vengeance is somehow operating inside of the Christian Church.

QUESTIONS:

Do secular minded people distinguish between the, “Christian,” Trump followers, and the genuine followers of Christ? Is this new dissonant Trump teaching an example of Orwell’s, “Double Think?” (Holding two absolute opposing ideas despite their contradictory natures, and accepting them) Is the damage caused by the Trump cult to the Christian Church irreparable?

ORGAN END STINGER Amity: That brings us to the end of this week’s episode. If you like it, please subscribe and leave us a review - and share it with a friend.

Lemuel: We have an internet home: withoutworkspodcast.com. Our show notes and links to stories we talk about can be found there.

Find us on Twitter: @WithoutWorksPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withoutworks Email @ [e-mail]

Our Internet home: www.withoutworkspodcast.com

Amity: We are also reachable at [e-mail], on twitter @withoutworkspod and on Facebook at Without Works podcast.

All that information is on the website as well, so go there and have a look around.

I’ve been Amity and he’s been Lemuel, and we urge you to go out and do something good.

Outro Song

https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/no-you-cannot-compare-trumps-conviction-to-jesus-crucifixion/17743.article

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-accidentally-put-money-in-communion-plate-at-iowa-church-a6847061.html

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/us/donald-trump-bible-christianity-cec/index.html