Trump, Bible Stunts, and Evangelicals Under Judgment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr7kiIO0Y0w

American Evangelicals celebrated Trump reading the Bible in one of their latest propaganda efforts - a recording session that was also re-used during the idolatrous event which recently took place on the National Mall. With regard to the latter, mark well all the Christian leaders who participated in that disgrace, as they are false prophets and apostates who teach God's people to worship idols and glorify sin.

This Grayzone video is connected to the earlier event and while Max Blumenthal is obviously no friend to Christianity and bumbles some of the nomenclature and categories, the footage itself is pretty revealing.

The Museum of the Bible is not actually what it purports to be. It is a Christo-American project which actually distorts the Bible and weds its identity and nature to American ideology. I refuse to visit it on principle, just as I would refuse to visit Ken Ham's museum-theme park projects.

As an additional aside, it was actually apropos that the National Guardsmen are shown in the video. They're everywhere in down-town Washington DC - wandering about armed and yet clearly bored. But it sends a signal and promotes a narrative of danger countered by military order - which is why Trump wants them there

The people interviewed by Blumenthal are credulous and confused at best - woefully deceived at worst. Note how the 'public' aspect keeps being emphasized. This is about the symbolism. It was hardly surprising that they had Trump read 2 Chronicles 7, the passage that Evangelicals read and somehow think can be made to apply to the United States - as if America is in covenant with God. But they think so - despite the fact that history is against such an understanding as well the fact that the very notion is repudiated by the New Testament. This whole exercise can only be described as motivated by heretical theology.

The ignorance of basic Scriptural concepts is also on display, but of course these are the same confused sentiments that have also been expressed by Evangelical leaders. These poor deceived people are only repeating what they constantly hear from the false shepherds they trust - the same people involved in the idolatry on the National Mall.

Without any proper distinction or understanding, appeals are made to the Old Testament and used to justify war - even to grant a sacred character to America's wars. This demonstrates a baneful misunderstanding of the relationship between Old and New Covenants and the kind of ethics we who are in Christ and in the Kingdom are called to live out.

This is on full display with one of the women being interviewed who in addition to being unable to discern the difference between Old and New Covenants, further confuses the issues by appealing to the role and authority of the US Constitution - and all this in light of Trump's bestial and genocidal threats. Such statements and testimony point to a reality that few seem willing to entertain let alone admit. We are living in the midst of apostasy. This is beyond good well-meaning people disagreeing. We're talking about different religions and a completely different set of ethics. Christianity is everywhere but it's largely a false form, a type of syncretist idolatry and bears little resemblance to the revealed religion of the apostles found in the New Testament. In fact, I continue to contend that most American Christians are (due to their confusion and idolatry) actually quite hostile to New Testament teaching - even while they proclaim Jesus is Lord. The Jesus they're talking about is not the Christ of the New Testament. They should be called to repentance and put out of the Church but they flourish because American Evangelicalism has fallen into apostasy and as such they are tolerated and celebrated.

We have a precedent for this in the Old Testament and the way the bulk of the people and certainly the ruling and religious authorities responded to the prophets. Their time was also plagued by false prophets and Peter warned these last days (the time of the Church on Earth) would be characterized by the same and that because of their deeds the way of truth would be evil spoken of. These same people will make merchandise of God's people. They are covetous people, given over to filthy dreams of power and domination, who think godliness is gain, and that they can act with impunity. They are apostates who knew the way of righteousness but have turned from it.

The great irony is that these people think that God has sent Trump as a blessing in order to affirm their idol-visions of America and its empire. They fail to realize that Trump is judgment and the fact that they've lost even basic Christian discernment is also part of that judgment. They've fallen prey to myths and fables. When consciences are seared, and hearts are hardened, it's a sign of people being handed over as a result of their unfaithfulness and apostasy. Paul warns of this happening to believers, to Judaizers, and in reference to the Gentiles - but then warns believers not to fall back into such patterns of thought and behaviour, once again suggesting the threat of apostasy is real. It's right in front of our eyes.