CHRIST-APP by philtierneyblog

VIII

We’re in the process seeking to deduce from biblical information and current events whether Donald John Trump is a messiah or a false messiah, a Christ or an antichrist.  Numerous influential, white, Evangelical and Charismatic Protestant leaders in America, today, have said that he is a messiah.  They have claimed that President Trump has been uniquely chosen and anointed by God, like King Cyrus the Great of Persia back 2,500 years or so ago.  But he may also be a false messiah, an antichrist, like Nebuchadnezzar or Nero or Hitler.  Which is true?  We need to review and reason deductively from the evidence.  

First, let’s review the historical evidence and relate it to Mr. Trump’s thoughts, words and deeds.  Let’s compare how President Trump compares with the ways earlier historical antichrist types thought, spoke and acted.

• He is an ordinary human being with extraordinary influence.
• He is a political leader, like Nebuchadnezzar, Nero, Genghis Kahn and Hitler (and Cyrus for that matter).
• He acts ruthlessly. Example: punishing those who testified at his impeachment hearings.
• He seems to have an insatiable craving for power.  Example: appointing only those personally loyal to him to lead the Justice Department and National Intelligence Agency in order to serve his person interests.
• He is driven by pride. Example: he continually declares his own greatness.
• He is ego-centric, claiming greatness that surpasses other mortals.  Example: even during the Corona virus outbreak he has demonstrated an inability to act or speak in ways that benefit anything but his own reelection. He has been identified by hundreds of psychological professionals as having narcissistic personality disorder. He is incapable of differentiating between his personal interests and the nation’s interests.
• He is vengeful, chaotic and destructive, impulsively seeking revenge against those who displease him at every level of government as well as other public figures, whether professional athletes, actors, or political figures in other countries.
• He demands absolute allegiance and loyalty.  Example: He trusts with positions of power only those who are personally loyal to him, rather than experts in fields, who would serve national interests.
• He seeks dominion over the world by means of dominance and fear.  Example: He continually uses America’s economic power to intimidate other nations to do what he wants.
• He uses hateful words toward scapegoats.  Example: He calls immigrants criminals, other countries sh**holes, Democrats traitors, generals idiots, intelligence agencies disloyal, and the free press traitors.
• He praises people feeling desperately diminished in order to seduce followers to give him their complete loyalty.  He has tactically targeted blue collar workers, farmers, law enforcers, military personnel, and Evangelical Christians to draw their complete devotion. He has said that he “has” the police, military, and bikers, the tough guys.”
• He lacks compassion.  Example: He hastaken refugee children away from their parents and confined them in concentration camps, removed food stamps from poor families and medical coverage from workers whose employers don’t provide it.
• He is willing to destroy other people to gain and retain power.  Example: He has defamed the reputation of a deceased veteran, Senator John McCain, FBI Director Jim Comey, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Ambassador Marie Yovanovich and countless others.
• He divides people and turns people against each other to dominate. Example: He consistently emphasizes differences and stokes resentment and distrust among Americans as well as between America and its historic allies.
• He demonizes adversaries to protect his position and power.  Example: Hetactically attacks the free press, Republicans who don’t do what he wants, Democrats, judges, the Justice Department, Intelligence agencies, career government workers, liberals, Latinos, Muslims, the faith of those who differ with him (Pelosi and Romney) and every politician that doesn’t praise him, telling Americans that they can only trust him.
• He destroys those standing in his way, using fear to gain uncontested power. Example:  He went so far as to damn to hell deceased Senator John McCain.
• He craves praise and personal glory – worship.  Example: He has held more than 300 rallies, composed of carefully screened supporters — to bask in their adulation.
• He is corrupted by his wealth and power.  Example: He has refused to divulge his financial records and to divest himself of financial holdings that could benefit from his position.  He actually uses his office to promote his businesses.

These evidentiary observations of President Trump’s actual behavior do not necessarily identify him as anything more than an extremely mean-spirited, narcissistic, possibly paranoid, unethical and highly domineering political leader.  There have been numerous brutal autocrats throughout history, who have acted in similar ways. 

It does raise serious theological and ethical questions for those Christians who believe that President Trump has been sent and anointed by God, though.  Why would an omnipotent, omniscient, all good and loving God need to use such a terribly narcissistic, nefarious and domineering character to accomplish his purposes?  Does God subscribe to the philosophy that the ends justify the means? Why would the One, whom Christians, some Muslims, Jews, and Hindus believe manifested himself in Jesus of Nazareth, choose to use a man who is polar opposite from Jesus in character? Is God inconsistent?  These are not rhetorical questions.  They demand to be answered.

While the antichrists we’ve mentioned were all autocratic, not all autocrats are antichrists. We still need to apply to President Trump the biblical evidence of the further traits of an antichrist.