Guest post: The point is to make everyone else’s kids pray
Originally a comment by Screechy Monkey on Man who can’t read claims favorite book.
I think there’s a lot of Christians who know that Trump is an absolute phony Christian, and are fine with that, because all they really want is for non-Christians to “bend the knee” and profess belief publicly whether it’s sincere or not. Saving souls is secondary at best, if it’s relevant at all.
It’s why there’s such a keen interest in forcing prayer in public schools. The point isn’t to make their own kids pray — they are presumably already doing that at home and in church. It’s to make everyone else’s kids pray, as a gesture of submission to Christianity’s dominance. You want to be a filthy atheist in the privacy of your own mind, who cares, I’m fine with you going to hell, but in public you pay lip service to our faith!
The fact that Trump, who prides himself on supposedly being a tough guy who says and does whatever he likes, is willing to abase himself like this is almost endearing to them. I think they regard it as a show of respect. Which in one sense it is, I suppose. He’s recognizing their political power. In the other sense, of course, he thinks they’re suckers.
American Christians are eclectic. Intensely insecure. Not nearly as faithful as they make themselves out to be. Proud to be the historical majority. And they do love leaders who will give their religion (ahem, team) power, no matter who that leader is. Sheep until the end.
“The fact that Trump, who prides himself on supposedly being a tough guy who says and does whatever he likes, is willing to abase himself like this is almost endearing to them. I think they regard it as a show of respect. Which in one sense it is, I suppose. He’s recognizing their political power. In the other sense, of course, he thinks they’re suckers.”
I once knew a former Jesuit priest who decided that he wanted out, not only of the priesthood, but of Catholicism as well. He was strongly counselled by Catholics high and low against this chosen move, to which he would reply: “Don’t worry. When I am on my death-bed and about to breathe my last, I’m going to repent of all my sins, both those I have committed and those I am on course to commit.” Then he would add his clincher: “Why not place a bet if there’s only one horse in the race.?”
In the years I knew him, he lived the life of a total rake and libertine, presumably with his Get out of Purgatory Free card close handy. Could have come in handy for getting out of Hell, too.
Maybe Trump has the same idea: show respect for the mainstream religion as best you can. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Etc, etc, etc. Then place your bet right at the end. And maybe one for the suckers.
Also, for what it’s worth, I seem to recall seeing polling that showed that Trump polls higher among voters who describe themselves as Christian but do not report frequent church attendance than he does among frequent churchgoers.
I think that’s the same root cause for supporters of transgenderism. Reading articles about children being asked/required to recite pledges to be a good ally to the LGBTQ+ community would seem inappropriate and sinister to me even if the TQ+ was dropped. It’s one thing to teach children what Christians believe, or what trans people and their allies believe, it’s another to suggest that they should follow or defer to those beliefs at the expense of their own in the name of respect or tolerance.
I take some comfort from the knowledge that having teachers pushing an ideology/religion is probably the quickest way to make pupils loose all respect for the topic.