Trump Messianism and Slippery Speech

https://www.christianpost.com/news/franklin-graham-labels-trump-opposition-demonic-rick-perry-labels-trump-chosen-one.html

I seem to recall great concern being expressed back in 2008-2009 over Obama's perceived messianism, the fact that his followers spoke of him in almost devotional terms as something of a saviour.

Indeed it was concerning but in politics it's all too common and yet it continues to amaze me how people keep falling for the lies and marketing of the political class. Utter fools, they really think 'this one' will be different.

Of course we've seen Christian political messianism on plenty of occasions. People have (it would seem) largely forgotten but many expressed very similar feelings and expressions with regard to George W. Bush. I will say that for some their expressions during the present Trump era have taken such professions and near worshipful expressions to another level.

Metaxas who seemingly departed from BreakPoint under something of a cloud opens (in the article) with the exceedingly lame statement that some people seem to exist in order to undermine the president. All that Metaxas reveals by this statement is that he's not a serious person. After what happened during eight years of Obama and the way the Republicans sought to block his every move and to counter him on every point... for Metaxas to make such a statement reveals he's either a charlatan or something of a dimwit.... or both.

A spiritual battle is indeed taking place and there are demonic forces at work and I can safely say that Graham and Metaxas are playing their part, they are dupes and tools being used by the forces that would deceive the Church. The battle isn't over the United States. We know that it like all empires is part of the Beast-complex. The demonic element and reality that we need to consider is the fact that we have Christian leaders treating a patently wicked man in messianic terms even while they promote an economic order (and therefore ethics), a jurisprudence and a foreign policy that lead to suffering and death, even while others profit from these activities. It is indeed demonic and we're repeatedly warned regarding these threats to the Church... threats of wolves like the Graham family of preachers and the exploiters and myth-weavers like Metaxas.

As to whether or not the economy is 'screaming' can certainly be debated. Even if it were, such a reality does not mean that such 'growth' is somehow God-honouring or a reflection of Biblical obedience. Such proclamations (apart from smacking of prosperity gospel) are guilty of begging the question but such fallacies mean nothing in the circles that Graham and Metaxas cater to. The Christian Right loves to have their ears tickled. Lies, twisted facts and fallacious arguments are all fair game.

I don't know who Wehner is but in this case the quote that is provided, as far as it goes is quite accurate.

Metaxas seems eager to 'walk back' the statements and their implications... but not on the basis of truth or clarification. If anything his defense is to muddy the waters.

Rick Perry's statement should surprise no one in that it is effectively a non-statement. Or rather he's trying to make a statement with regard to Trump but then when called out, he (like Metaxas) muddies the waters and turns his statement into a meaningless proclamation. If all leaders are chosen, then the significance of being chosen, which he seemed to place great stock in with regard to Trump... becomes all but insignificant and something not worth stating.

These men are playing games with their words but the cat is out of the bag... a cat we already knew to be present. And what has been revealed? That Trump is very much a messianic figure for many within the Evangelical world... especially those who are guilty of the grossest forms of conflation and syncretism, those who have confused the Church and Kingdom with the rising and falling of the United States of America and its empire. It is this false view of the Kingdom, this heresy that has in many cases fueled the zealous support for Trump. And while Graham and Perry attempt to dance around the issue one need only look to the likes of Jim Bakker and Pat Robertson to realise just how deeply rooted this heresy is. These men, these false teachers and false prophets are part of a pseudo-Christian movement every bit as heretical, corrupt and gospel perverting as Roman Catholicism. These men are wolves in sheep's clothing and that's a statement that can be made without qualification or apology.