If your God is cool with nuking an entire country but not with two guys marrying—you might consider exchanging that God.— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) August 10, 2017
Tea Pain, Tom Nichols, Matt Duss, and Paul B. Raushenbush respond to Southern Baptist pastor and Trump court prophet Robert Jeffress' crude, macho-posturing statement that "God" has given Trump authority to "take out" another nation's ruler (and bomb its citizens):
Yes, it's prophesied in 1st Caucasians.https://t.co/FpJy2EjFtI— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) August 9, 2017
This is now officially the creepiest thing I've seen in years, and offends me not only as an American but more deeply as a Christian. https://t.co/iHGASERtB7— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 10, 2017
Radical cleric calls for holy war. https://t.co/jon35Cr1wt— Matt Duss (@mattduss) August 9, 2017
The emperor and his jester. https://t.co/ThYNRJSghj— Paul B. Raushenbush (@raushenbush) August 9, 2017
Warren Throckmorton, "Dear Robert Jeffress: The President’s Authority to Wage War Does Not Come from God":
Biblically and politically, Jeffress is just wrong to insert himself as a spokesperson for God into the situation. He should turn in his Baptist card.
During the revolutionary and post-revolutionary period, Baptists were among the staunchest supporters of separation of church and state. Now the Baptist-in-name-only Jeffress advises Trump that God has given the green light for lethal action in North Korea. . . .America is not a new Israel where the prophets advised the King when to attack an enemy. Jeffress is not God’s mouthpiece to the president with orders from on high.
Fire and fury? That's way too literary for Trump to have made up off the cuff. 1/— Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) August 10, 2017
I'm pretty certain one of the evangelical pastors fed Trump that line. It is a direct paraphrase of Isaiah 66:15. 2/— Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) August 10, 2017
That remark reveals how much influence these right-wing Christians are having on Trump. And that's not good for America -- or the world. 7/— Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) August 10, 2017
Isn't it interesting that none of these white evangelical preachers thought God helped elect Barack Obama or gave him special powers? https://t.co/8kZyQRsFk6— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 10, 2017
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek..."
Wm Shakespeare https://t.co/Oy9TehJxSa— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 10, 2017
Rosalind C. Hughes, "Jeffress’ Statement about Trump’s God-Given Authority Is Nonsense":
In a week of atomic anniversaries, remembering the horrors wrought in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in the face of rude provocation, if I were to advise the president biblically about his promise to bring 'fire and fury such as the world has never seen,' I would point him instead towards a story told about Jesus in the Gospel according to Luke (emphasis mine):
"When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, 'Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?' But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)."
...The culture is asking evangelical Christians to behave like Jesus and evangelical Christians are explaining Jesus away to justify Trump.— Rachel Held Evans (@rachelheldevans) August 9, 2017