pretty much anything goes as long as it brings in money.

Personally, I'm an atheist, and have been for 60 years. However, I recognize the central position Christianity has had on the West and the USA. Today, though, I am very surprised that anyone is supporting that image.

(Yes, I know Trump has taken it down, but it is viral across the Internet now.)

I just can't say for certain that there is no guiding force in the universe, so I can't say that it is impossible.

But, being from the Midwest, as you surely know EVERYONE in my extended family is religious, so I hear about it a lot and they adore Trump, think he's "Christlike" but "flawed". Do I understand this? Nope.

Then again, my kid was the one who said "Who's Jesus" at a family gathering at age 3. My beloved husband threw me right under the bus as his mother glared at him! We laughed later.

But, beyond my rambling, they are all Wisconsin Synod Lutherans who believe firmly that people who are doing well financially are the ones god likes best....people who are poor are obviously not doing religion correctly. Explicitly said by several of them over the last ten or so years.

The Calvinist wing of the Lutheran Church. They still have the concept of the Catholic Church as the Antichrist in their doctrine, too.

But, then, Martin Luther wrote some pretty ugly anti-Semitic things, too. Nothing's simple.

Very strange group. Very small, too, which can't be a bad thing.

the Christmas service depressed. Very odd sect.

Thanks!

She is quite a piece of work. She's how I got introduced to that synod.

I sometimes have to explain that I’m not one of “them” (and Missouri Synod, which is similar and more widespread). They’re so “Christian” they hate us more than they hate atheists. Made the mistake of checking out a LCMS site once and needed a shower.

My exposure to the Missouri Synod comes from AM Radio broadcasts of "The Lutheran Hour," which I still hear on the news/talk radio station here from time to time. It's not nearly as wacky as the Wisconsin Synod folks.

I always refer to the ELCA as the Sensible Synod of the Lutheran Church.

I did attend one service of the Norwegian Language Lutheran Church here in Minnesota with my wife's mother. Very conservative liturgy, but I don't speak Norwegian, so I can't say anything about its doctrine.

In my lifetime, I have sat in the rearmost pews of a very, very broad range of churches. I'm not sure why, but I've found it a very interesting thing to do over the years. I slip in just before the service begins and slip out at the end. Just a visitor. I've learned a lot by doing that.

He would take our youth group on "field trips" to the largest city in our area (Omaha) to visit various other religion's services. We attended a Greek Orthodox service and a Jewish sabbath service, among others. Those two really stick out in my memory. It was always very interesting to me....

I always tell people who think LCMS is conservative (and it is) that they obviously have never been to a WELS church. WELS women cannot have any authority over men. That means women are not allowed to lead any group in prayer, and a woman can only be a principal of a WELS school if all the teachers are female.

I knew WELS members who bragged about not reciting the Lord's Prayer before a church softball game because the other team was LCMS! There was a small, struggling WELS high school right next to a much bigger, thriving LCMS high school where I lived. When a parent I knew asked the WELS pastor why they didn't consider sharing some classes with the LCMS school, the pastor said that could not happen because of doctrinal differences. He was shocked when the parent responded, "I think that would make Jesus very sad."

what women could do in church I stayed away. "The ELCA is grounded in Scripture, it interprets the Bible through the lens of law and gospel, focusing on Jesus Christ's work, and is known for being socially and theologically progressive, including the ordination of women and LGBTQ+ clergy."

I have no real problem with it. My wife's family is ELCA.

I'm a lapsed Catholic.

more than their Jesus or God. Money.

If you are living in this country and you are not a complete capitalist, you are considered inferior and not worth anyone's time or effort.

You are a blight on society and should be put down, at least that seems to be the current belief when it comes to anyone not out there doing whatever it takes to get more money.

And, I do mean... whatever it takes. Because no one in power cares about the 'how', as long as you are making money for them.

And, thanks to the way they rigged our society over the past 60 or so years, the money always ends up with them.

Always.

Which, in their minds, makes them 'favored'.

And, thanks to their programming working so thoroughly... too many of us believe it as well.

'Indulgences' rebranded.

Martin Luther would not be happy.

The president’s offensive against the pope, followed by the image presenting himself as some kind of American Jesus, represented quite the one-two punch.

I get that many will find Trump’s offensive against the pope as predictable — this is just what he does — but compare how he lashed out at Pope Francis in 2016 to how he targeted Pope Leo XIV yesterday.

And then add in the mind-numbing American Jesus image.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-13T12:03:12.331Z

That is why it’s so important for his cabinet to do what’s good for the country and invoke the 25th amendment now!

The ONLY "good Christian" is not ever going to be the ones TELLING you about themselves. They actually follow the teachings of the Christ figure and try to model those tenets to the world without judgment or tsk-tsk'ing or self-flagellation or public displays of pseudo-piety.

I have known a few of them and they are among the most honorable people on the Earth, sadly, just as Muslims are painted with the Jihadi brush and slandered, so too are Christians by every one of these so called X-tians that flaunt the gospels and the words of the Christ to instead serve material aims and earthly power.

Gandhi was right when he said:

My sister answered no, I'm Catholic. She said she doesn't want anyone to think she's at anyway associated with tsf maga christians. Neither of us goes to mass anymore, but we still believe, in a lot of the values we were taught, even though we became disenchanted with the institution.

I have to say at least for me the disenchantment is lessening the more I listen to Pope Leo. His leadership and his stand against tsf is much needed and appreciated by me.

The late Jimmy Carter comes to mind.

so there must be A.T.

They're waving the Avignon Papacy at us, but we're not countering with Theodosius I.

There's only lower and lower.

It's a political movement (a cult, if you like), with a simulacrum of the first-century religious leader called Jesus (who may or may not have been the divine and resurrected son of God, depending on how you roll theologically) as their mascot. Since Christianity is the majority religion in the US and a particularly rigid and cultish version already existed in some locations where MAGA is strongest (chicken or egg?), it was easy to co-opt its symbols and language and repurpose them as the tools of the political cult. The original version of Christianity had only two rules: (1) Love God; and (2) love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). MAGA has a whole lot of other rules, but not the two big ones, which are supposed to be the foundation of everything else. So I'd say that whatever MAGA is doing with Christianity is a sort of extreme heresy that would horrify the Spanish Inquisition (which nobody expects anyhow).

has taken up the idea that its version should rule the Earth. The Dominionists, among which are many of the MAGA folks, take a very different view of Christianity. Based on selective glances at the New Testament, they propose a theocratic concept of government.

It is a serious and dangerous part of American Christianity, I'm afraid. It has been around for a very long time, as well. Based on strict Calvinism, it takes that philosophy to its extreme.

Be afraid.

Hunter Biden.

... the Daily Show fame.

More like a brand, a lifestyle, a ready-to-wear identity.

Without them Trump couldn't have won. I remember how they went from supporting Jimmy Carter to Reagan. Every time I hear yet again how Democrats "ignored" people and made them do "economic anxiety" by diabolically creating globalization and trade deals all by themselves -- that old BS fiction -- sure, right, that was the reason the nice white people went over to the Republican dark side.

In fact, he cited it as a spiritual positive - Luke 17: 7-10

So, bear that in mind when considering christianity as having any moral authority. It's not just that it's very open to abuse, it is that it's a feature, not a bug.

trump's followers are pissed and trump was forced to take down his post

Link to tweet

At least some recognize their mistake. That's a good thing.

😀

It's possible that whoever is running Trump's social media account is craftier than they seem.

First Trump goes after the pope - who is revered by Catholics. Then he posts a blasphemous image of himself as Christ. But it's mostly only Catholics who care about blasphemy, and it was Catholic groups who protested.

You'll recall that the Ku Klux Klan and related groups had several targets: Black people, Jews, and Catholics.

Watch the imagery that is released and listen to the words, and don't forget that most Hispanic immigrants are Catholics.

Trump's base includes the so-called prosperity gospel right wing Christian Nationalists. With the exception of Opus Dei these are not Catholics.

(Also note Trump's feud with Amy Coney Barrett.)

That's also interesting. Testing the waters, I guess.

Trump provides entertainment to the masses while the billionaires loot the world.

Whether people were shocked, disgusted, amused, or whatever, Trump's post caused distraction. Millions laughed, others were confused or appalled or angered.

Trump's handlers control through triggering emotions, causing confusion and distraction while they methodically loot.

Pretty common in many Evangelical congregations, though not all.

I question the idea that it is mostly only Catholics that care about blasphemy. Some denominations that I am very familiar with also care about the kind of blasphemy that Trump's picture shows. Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians -- would be very offended by that picture, although more likely to call it idolatry than blasphemy. Same with the Episcopalians that I know.

It is probably still true that most Hispanic immigrants are Catholic, but a growing number of them are Evangelical, especially Puerto Ricans. Yes, they are citizens, but when they move from the island to the mainland, they have immigrated here. There are Evangelicals from Central America, too. In some nations the population was so bitter about the brutality of conquistadores that they were open to conversion by Evangelical missionaries, who are very active in Latin American countries.

(I know, I know, I shouldn't make fun of people's typos, I make way too many myself; but holy moly, these people are so effing clueless!!)

less. We can’t even get him dragged out of the White House. I was raised Lutheran and my Uncle was a Bishop in the Lutheran church. I wish he was still around to get his take on this.

I really expected Trump's post would've used "Personal Jesus" without permission.

Orange murderous war criminal checks all the boxes in the "Revelations" although it's bullshit, as usual.

That single image, put forward by Trump himself, should be enough to convince all of his Christian followers to step away and look elsewhere for leadership. But, no. Like the man himself, they have put Donald J. Trump ahead of Jesus Christ.

Though I wholeheartedly agree with the point, perhaps not all Christians have been heard yet. it’d be a shame to stereotype type all of his Christian followers before they’ve yet had a chance to make their voices heard.

I’m gonna send the meme out to my Christian friends and family and ask them to choose. It’s a binary decision, it’s a canary in the coal mine. Don’t blame the canaries, find the people making their deathtrap birdcages.

I'll be right, here watching.

One day isn’t enough to judge the whole faith. But maybe two…?

I guess if I believed in signs from God or the universe, my sister’s comment to my wife is prophetic. She said she hadn’t seen the Trump H Christ meme (lie #1), and (lie #2), she pointed out what a great negotiator he is even if he’s an immoral, serial liar. Apparently her faith in Jesus is equally as strong as the wall Trump built to keep out the brown people.

Adherents.

People disobey, twist, subvert, and pervert the meanings of words to suit their own purposes every day, even if---especially if---the words are in the Bible, the US Constitution, or the Geneva Conventions.

[See: Office, Trump’s Oath of]

Think about it.

This is not written to be inflammatory but rather thought provoking.

Just asking, "what if". You may reach the same conclusion I have. But, that's a personal journey and choice. It is a journey not to be taken lightly or expeditiously nor do I recommend it to those that are devout. It can be emotionally scarring with a feeling of abandonment.

And that was for a funeral. If my memory is correct thou shall have no other gods and no idolatry. Both of which taco man has done. Can he smite him?

But he fails at that too, although he is supremely evil. Trump does two things well .. he outrages people, and he fails at everything else. But he mostly (and in his vernacular, bigly) fails.

nt

How edgy is the human imagination?

It's a lateral move.

just an extension of their usual delusions

but there will always be the concentrated stupid, the distilled morons, the tincture of dumb.

I know it is hard for people to understand, but this is how he and prior to him the Rs party/conservative movement gaslight their supporters, specifically those that put themselves out as "christians."

You put them in a position to have to defend the indefensible so they don't have to admit being wrong.

But. they have to get more and more ridiculous as they go to keep the hold.

These are the great christians who said the guy who was recorded saying "grab them by the ______" and it was known that he had sex with a porn star was "an imperfect man doing gods work!" while saying actual practicing christians like BHO, Joe Biden and Hillary are the sum of all that is evil.

Its always been bullshit.

So, double whammy.

who proudly thump their chests and proclaim to be Christians but have no idea what Christianity is really about. I have cousins like that. They've maybe attended church for weddings and funerals, but other than that they don't darken the doors of a church. Therefore they have no idea about blasphemy or blessed are the peacemakers or anything else associated with the Christianity that those of us who grew up in the church know.

Actually, MAG's belief system has placed the ShitBag ahead of the "woke" Jesus.

A religious movement that originally taught about the perfectability of man, of the Good, has been transformed by MAGA into a God damned (and I mean that literally -- if you believe in a Good God) satanic cult. These folks have already excused pedophilia -- almost eagerly, to show their faith in Trump is strong. And they have said publicly, some of them, that Trump could even commit a public murder and they'd still idolize and love him.

And I believe in my heart that there are, among the MAGA morons, millions of people who would love Trump even were he to be videoed dining on spit roasted brown babies.

... megalomaniac narcissist's head.

He is trying to assassination the character of the Holy See and the office of the Pope. But djt is not done yet, he also seeks to assassinate the character of Jesus Christ himself. trDUMP has somehow convinced himself Jesus is not worthy, should be over thrown, and replaced by a far more pious and worthy individual.

Guess who that might be,.. trDUMP has unceremoniously dethroned Jesus and tossed him into the human trash heap. Then trDUMP has anointed himself to take the place of the failed Jesus, making himself the Begotten and only Son of God.

May we all now kneel and pray to Jesus trDUMP - AMEN.

There is nothing new under the sun. —Ecclesiastes

The First Liar N-E-V-E-R stands a chance!
In The Long Slog!

Once a polity can no longer sustain basic shared reality-testing, authoritarian and oligarchic rule stop being a risk and become the default setting.

At that point, the only real “defense of democracy” is rebuilding conditions where reason can function—education, trustworthy media, material security—so that freedom can again be reason’s child rather than delusion’s hostage.

Anyone who thinks Religion makes folks peaceful has obviously failed history class.

And I can respect churches that actually follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. But... Jesus said it is very hard for a rich man to get to heaven, and here they come with prosperity gospel. Jesus said lock yourself in a closet and pray in private, and they demand public prayer. Jesus said to take care of the less fortunate, and they call it liberal propaganda. Jesus said turn the other cheek, but they walk around with loaded weapons. Jesus said render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's, which to me could mean separate church and state, but they want religion in government. Seems a lot of folks calling themselves Christians really have no interest in actually living as Christ taught. Flexible Christianity is easier.

Most atheists I know have read the Bible. In fact, most know it better than most Christians do.

I am sure all his lackeys that surround him in the WH saw nothing wrong with it.

They also attack black ministers and churches but still call themselves Christian.

Their Christianity is a political identity, not a spiritual faith. It's a club that allows them to claim to be better than other people who aren't in their club. And the hate they spew is not Jesus-like at all.