Donald Trump's "spirituality" makes a mockery of that word

I used to think that I knew what it meant to be "spiritual." Now, I don't. (See here and here.) 

But whatever the word means, I'm pretty damn sure that Donald Trump doesn't have any sort of genuine spirituality -- unless we twist the definition of that term to include incessant lying, habitual displays of egotism, and insults directed at minorities, women, political opponents, and anybody else who incurs the Wrath of Trump.

So when I came across a story in TIME magazine, "Meet the Pastor Who Prays With Donald Trump," I was curious to learn more about Trump's personal brand of religiosity/spirituality. 

First, I was surprised that he even has a relationship with a pastor, Paula White.

I'd figured that he started talking about the Bible only after he decided to run for President, realizing that in these excessively religious United States, people are more likely to vote for a Muslim than an atheist. 

However, Elizabeth Dias reported otherwise.

The spiritual life of the Republican nominee has been something of a mystery this election season. Trump describes himself as a Presbyterian, a “Sunday church person,” and he has been known to bring his childhood Bible to rallies. But his religious expressions have often been uncertain. He publicly doubted whether he deserves evangelicals’ support, claimed he has never sought forgiveness from a higher power, and muffed a Bible citation, quoting “Two Corinthians” instead of “Second Corinthians.”

But Trump’s relationship with White isn’t an overnight conversion; it’s born of a longer courtship. The two friends met in 2002, after he watched White deliver a televised sermon on the value of vision. A longtime fan of televangelists David Jeremiah, Jimmy Swaggart, and Billy Graham, he cold-called White to introduce himself. Later he asked if she would attend the first season finale of his reality show, The Apprentice. Before the live taping, she prayed for the cast and crew.

OK, naturally I don't believe that prayer does anything, since almost certainly there is no God or other higher power able to hear prayers. But Pastor White's conception of prayer is even weirder than than of most Christians. 

Eric Trump is not the only member of his family who has come to rely on White, 50, a popular televangelist who believes that intercessory prayer can have an immediate impact on shaping events. After she saw Eric, she went to her room in the Trump campaign’s Cleveland hotel, where she spent the next four hours praying for Donald Trump as he prepared for his prime-time convention address. Then at the candidate’s invitation, she met the Republican nominee, his wife Melania and 10-year old son Barron for another circle of prayer in their room.

“I do remember asking God to give him his words and his mind, and to use him—that it would not be his words but God’s words, that he would just really be sensitive to the Holy Spirit,” White recalled in an interview with TIME weeks later. “I probably [interceded] against any plot or plan or weapon of the enemy to interfere with the plan or the will of God.” That evening, White rode in Trump’s car with his family to the arena.

Plot or plan or weapon of the enemy? What the #@$%? White must be referring to THE DEVIL. Unless she means Hillary Clinton, who many Republicans view as one and the same.

Paula White

Wondering what causes Trump to be so attracted to Pastor White (aside from the obvious), I had the bright idea of Googling "Pastor Paula White prosperity gospel." 

And yes indeed'y, up popped a bunch of references to her peculiar take on Christianity. Like a Washington Post story, "How the prosperity gospel explains Donald Trump's popularity with Christian voters."

The key bulwark of faith-based Trumpism is the prosperity gospel — a movement rooted in Pentecostal preaching that holds that God directly dispenses divine favor in the capitalist marketplace to his steadfast believers. Trump assiduously courted the leading lights of the prosperity faith well before his presidential run got serious enough for him to make the obligatory rounds at hard-line evangelical gatherings, such as last month’s Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference.

Last year, he hosted a conclave of three dozen leading prosperity preachers at Trump Tower, and his effort promptly netted him the vocal support of prosperity televangelist Paula White. Indeed, White is reputed to have presided over Trump’s born-again conversion.

So like everything else in Trump's wacko view of reality, it all comes down to money. If you're rich, this shows how much God favors you.

It's no wonder Trump embraces Pastor White. Her bizarre theology fits right in with Trump's greed.

Comments

[Laurel]

Looks like Trump likes her and is willing to meet with her because she is blond, not fat, and has big enough breasts for his taste. I bet he wouldn't accept a "spiritual advisor" who looked like Rosie O'Donnel, or who told him that God expected him to respect women, care for the less fortunate, or speak nicely to others.

[777]

He knows only 150 english words.
That's the reason he says things 2 or 4 times - to fill somewhat
The general population : 300 -500 words
Intellectuals 1000 - 2000 - 10.000

-

[Jen]

I've never seen so much hatred expressed toward someone like what is happening now in the media. The MSM is so biased against Trump. Is it because he is not the usual type of politician, he says it like it is, and puts his foot in it sometimes because he is actually honest. Hilary is the biggest liar with such a fake facade and married to a misogynist, cheating husband. But people will vote for her because she is 'politically correct' and there is a push to have a female in power.

Is this obvious bias accepted because people are used to listening to politicians who use doublespeak and make promises that they never keep? I think Trump is a refreshing change from the norm. I also think people are jealous of him because he is very wealthy. If Hilary gets into power you will have the same, nothing gets done, broken promises and there will be no change whatsoever.

[Jim Ausili]

I strongly agree with Jen. Trump is refreshing because he genuinely says what he feels. Focus groups do not determine what he talks about. I also agree with Trump's ideas regarding every plank in the platform: borders, trade, military, foreign policy, economy, police, inner cities, just to name a few. I do not care if he is a little rough around the edges. I prefer that to lies. As far as his spirituality is concerned, I could not care less. He is not running for Pastor-in-Chief. He treats women far better than Hillary does.

[Skeptical]

Trump is refresing like a cool breeze blowing in across an open sewer.

[Bob]

If Hillary becomes president, we will see a continual breakdown of the Constitution as we have seen with Obama - a move toward open borders, federal gun control (BTW, a national gun registry in all cases ends up with total gun confiscation), continuation of Roe vs. Wade (which BTW is unconstitutional - should be decided by the States), restrictions on free speech, attack on the free market, etc. The progressive left will do just about anything to silence the opposition. If you want to see America end up like socialistic Europe, then vote for Hillary. If you care about American liberty and the values that have made this Country great, including your right to be a voice of opposition, then Trump, however flawed he may be, is our only choice. Hillary must be stopped via the voting booth!

[Abracadab]

In April, Trump was asked for his favorite Bible verse. He answered "An eye for an eye."

One reference is here: http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/trump-favorite-bible-verse-221954 ; readers can find many more discussions of this online.

Any regular reader of your blog will recognize this as confirmation of your thesis Donald Trump's "spirituality" makes a mockery of that word. I don't think I need to say anything else.

[Jen]

About mockery, or interpretation of spirituality, or religion, or law...

An 'eye for an eye' can be interpreted in different ways.

The biblical version is "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

There is also...

"The meaning of the principle Eye for an Eye is that a person who has been injured by another person returns the offending action to the originator in compensation, or that an authority does so on behalf of the injured person. ... The root principle of this law is to provide equitable retribution."

[Upsetter]

And Hillary is already hitch-slaped enough to be totally out of question as being a valid and appropreate president, as much as having a female president would be the next reasonable thing to vote for, if one, according Christopher Hitchen (paraphrased), is into "getting her into an official political position. Never mind that running for president shouldn't be done to just get someone a job, for the sake of keeping some lying lunatics off the street."

[Jen]

Hi guys, have you seen these you tubes, the statistics of the likes and dislikes are interesting...

Published Oct 20, 2016

Full monologue: Donald Trump roasts Hillary Clinton at charity dinner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOUFsCS7xYE

24/10: Trump: Views: 2,255.038 Liked: 21,278 Disliked: 5,040

Full monologue: Hillary Clinton roasts Donald Trump at charity dinner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ngEujYYKcI

24/10: Clinton: Views: 512,005 Liked: 3,760 Disliked: 3,826