Fixing America In 500 Words Or Less Chapter 71 IS DONALD J. TRUMP THE CHOSEN ONE?        For some unknown and completely unwarranted reason, many evangelical leaders today are referring to the president of the United States as “the chosen one”.  Some of us might find it rather odd that evangelicals were never known to do this prior to the presidency of Donald J. Trump. ¹        In fact, they often referred to our last president as the “anti-Christ”, insisted he was Muslim and would refuse to relinquish power, even though he had long been Christian and peacefully stepped down.  Perhaps it would be helpful if a few more of us read the Bible for ourselves, rather than listening to those pretending to represent God while living in ornate splendor and flying around in private jets. ²        If one reads Romans Chapter 13 with any fairness at all, it can be concluded that our current president is no more “the chosen one” than the corrupt Roman ruler Felix, Procurator of Judea around the same time this letter was written.  Nor is he any more chosen than Julius Caesar, Queen Mary of Scots, George Washington, Fidel Castro or Bill Clinton were, at least according to Romans. ³        Most progressives agree we should in general obey the laws of whatever nation we happen to find ourselves in.  After all, a lot of both conservatives and liberals would likely die if nobody stopped at traffic lights.  Most agree certain people belong in prison because it isn't safe for the rest of society for them to roam free; corrupt presidents and attorney generals, for example.         If we are to believe Thomas Jefferson, God has ordained “certain inalienable rights” to humanity, evidenced across the historical record in societal laws against murder, theft, false witness and, in basic compassion, human rights and common human decency.  While societies are far from ideal in perhaps every case known to history, the law of God bearing witness within us remains the same. 4        Several prominent people in both the Old and New Testaments deliberately disobeyed rulers and violated laws they viewed as contradicting the higher will of God.  Martin Luther King, Jr. and others used this reasoning in deliberately violating United States segregation laws. 5  The New Testament says, “we ought to obey God rather than people.” 6        Many of us agree that when a law violates basic human rights, it is our duty as both a conscience-driven individual and citizen of the larger community, to reject and protest against such laws.  Jesus himself is portrayed as openly flaunting various societal customs, rules and regulations he apparently deemed hypocritical and cumbersome to the common people. 7        While many evangelicals are quick to insist undocumented immigrants have “broken the law”, they remain silent as conservative leaders in power openly defy congressional subpoenas, a far more serious federal offense.  And, it strains any and all credibility that the caring and compassionate Jesus, who specifically taught us to be helpful and kind to strangers, would condone separating thousands of immigrant children from the arms of their weeping mothers and fathers. 8        Is Trump really the chosen one?  You decide. 9 NOTES: 1. Apparently certain evangelicals have no concept of the term "blasphemy".  Trump tweeted in response to comments he claimed were made by evangelical radio host Wayne Allyn Root: "The Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel", Trump quoted Root as saying.  "They love him like he is the second coming of God. . .But American Jews don’t know him or like him.  They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore."  Apparently neither Trump or Mr. Root, who describes himself as being formerly a Jew, never allow an opportunity to denigrate American Jews to pass them by.  Rather than just saying so directly himself, Trump approvingly hides behind the words of Root. 2. There is no historical or other evidence that Jesus is the founder of either Christianity or any other religion.  On the other hand, there is overwhelming evidence that modern-day evangelical and other conservative Christians are far more like the Pharisees and Sadducees who Jesus roundly and soundly railed against on a daily and ongoing basis, than they are like the common people of the time of Jesus, who according to the New Testament narrative, "heard him gladly".  If the common and average people don't come running in droves and "gladly" hear what one is promoting, what one is promoting is very likely in significant error. 3. Romans Chapter 13.  Evangelicals have long quoted this passage of Paul's letter to the Romans completely out of context with the rest of the Bible in general and, the teachings of Jesus himself in particular.  For example, they have long blindly supported U.S. wars of aggression based on a dogmatic narrow-minded interpretation of this passage.  This in spite of the fact that Jesus clearly teaches us to put our swords away and to instead promote love, peace, freedom and goodwill to all:  "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword, Matthew 26 and, similar is repeated in Revelation 13. Conservative Christians often insist that this command by Jesus to put our swords away only applied to Peter at that particular place and time.  Obviously if this were true, then Jesus would not logically have said, "for all who take the sword will perish by the sword".  And likewise, we would not logically find this passage in Revelation if he was referring only to Peter:  "If anyone has an ear, let him hear.  He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.  Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." It is of particular significance that Jesus told Peter "all who live by the sword will die by the sword", because Peter was appointed by Jesus himself as first among followers after he was gone.  And perhaps of equal if not greater significance, after Jesus was crucified, there is not a single mention in the New Testament of any follower of Jesus ever advocating war or otherwise, using violence against another human being. Maybe media voices should have likewise pointed out to conservative Christians, as they did to Trump's mouthpiece Kellyanne Conway, that there are no such thing as "alternative facts"; Jesus said what he said and we can ignore it at our own peril, as has been the way of once mighty nations and the wicked priests and preachers bowing down to them for thousands of years.  As the late Pete Seeger sang, "when will we ever learn?". 4. ". . .who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness. . ."  Romans 2 5. Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail: "Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws.  One may well ask: 'How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?'  The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust.  I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.  One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.  I would agree with St. Augustine that 'an unjust law is no law at all'. "Now, what is the difference between the two?  How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust?  A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.  To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.  Any law that uplifts human personality is just.  Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.  All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.  It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority." In her autobiography My Story, Rosa Parks writes: "I learned people should stand up for rights just as the children of Israel stood up to the Pharaoh". 6. Acts 5 7. Mark 7 / Luke 6 / John 5 8. Both the Old and New Testaments specifically admonish that we should go out of our way to be helpful and kind to strangers in our midst.  It remains rather difficult for a rational human being to translate this into locking immigrants up in cages without trial and separating them for months, years and in some cases, permanently from their own children. 9. It is easy to believe that Donald Trump is a sinner who falls rather "short" of God's real Chosen One, like the rest of us do.  On the other hand, it remains extremely impossibly difficult to believe he is in any way superior to any adult currently living on earth.  According to several sources, Donald Trump had told over 12,000 false and misleading statements before his presidency reached 1000 days. Perhaps evangelical and other conservative Christians should take heed that according to a Bible they claim to believe, God hates a lying tongue.  Perhaps in no small part, our Creator hates a lying tongue because lies can cause great harm to many children and other people for generations to come, in particular when told by those who hold high political office or are in positions of religious, scientific and/or educational authority. Click Here to Go Back to Contents Click Here to eMail the Author Copyright © December 1st, 2019 by Richard Aberdeen. Copyright © December 1st, 2019 by Freedom Tracks Records. ( including from several earlier copyrights ) No part of this material may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher and signed by the author. Inquiries: Freedom Tracks Records or requested via eMail.  Essays entitled Revolution and Revolution ~ Side B are open copyright and may be reproduced and distributed as desired.