Donald Trump, heal thyself!
At the Big Bang of Beatlemania, an awed John Lennon remarked “We’re more popular than Jesus.” For certain, the Fab Four sold more vinyl than the Messiah but they did not have mid-term elections to worry about like Donald Trump.
As the most self-destructive president since Richard Nixon, this may be the first time Trump’s rampant narcissism claimed the top headline in our Wall Street Journal: “President’s criticism of the Pope, religious image, stuns Christians.” And, one hopes, good Republicans, as well.
Our social media feed is buzzing like Africanized bees over the illustration Trump posted of himself as Jesus healing the sick. If shooting that guy on Fifth Avenue won’t do it, this may be where the President of the United States finally turns wine into skunk water. A smattering of comments:
Amy Scott: “So awful. I cannot believe I ever supported this man.”
Jill Marie: “I am not overly religious, but this is more than just troublesome.”
Ramona Weakland Warden: “The President totally crossed the line here.”
Tammy Hastings” “I AGREE. Disgusting.”
Karen Beth Herman: “That is just sick!!!”
Pope, doctor, or dope?
The faithful — by which we mean Trump’s faithful — attempt this apologia: “He had an opinion on Pope Leo, who disagrees with Trump and so he posted this picture of him as a pope, not as Jesus,” argues one Nina Mickelson on our Facebook feed.
Nina, If you were Catholic you would know that Trump was not portraying the Pope. If you were Christian, you would know that he was portraying himself as Jesus.
Yes, Pope Leo 14 thinks this President should work for peace in Iran. The cafeteria Catholic who runs this blogge thinks that is exactly what Trump is attempting. We believe our religion embodies a Just War doctrine. History condemns one of Leo’s predecessors for not more vigorously fighting fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. In any event, a nuclear Iran is not a matter over which the Bishop of Rome claims infallibility.
“I can’t believe how he’s trying to excuse it now,” marveled State Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, after Trump guiltily pulled his graven image and claimed he was posing only as a supernatural Marcus Welby M.D.
That’s Christopher B. Jeffers’ sycophantic spin: “The artist’s intent was to communicate Trump healing the nation. … Trump is a grand master at trolling the easily offended.”
Blaska’s Bottom Line: We pray on our knees that Trump would grandly master healing the nation instead of trolling the easily offended. (That was NOT one of the virtues listed at the Sermon on the Mount!) We argue not as good Christians (we’ve got a few more sins on our bucket list) but because we’d like to elect Tom Tiffany as governor of Wisconsin and maybe help Derrick Van Orden squeak through for another term in Congress. (Did you know he was a Navy Seal?) Even good policies get overshadowed by this kind of bad imagery.
As for John Lennon, he never said the Beatles should be more popular than Jesus, only that they were, to his amazement. Lennon apologized, just the same. Confession, it is said, is good for the soul — and maybe Republican chances this November. But Trump is less popular than the Pope and confesses nothing because he is infallible.
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