Pastor Paula White (2nd L) and other faith leaders pray behind US President Donald Trump during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2025. © Jim Watson, AFPAs reported by France 24:
Thousands of people gathered Sunday in downtown Washington for a mass prayer festival featuring speeches by top Trump administration officials – an event critics see as an overt display of Christian nationalism undermining the separation of church and state...The gathering was organized by the White House as part of a program of celebrations for America's 250th anniversary and, in a video message inviting Americans to attend, Hegseth said it was an opportunity to "rededicate this republic to God and country."Muscular Christian nationalism has enjoyed a prominent platform since Trump's return to power, and evangelicals form a core element of the president's support base...Attendee Sarah Tyson, holding a "Jesus Saves" sign, said she believes Trump was chosen by God to lead the nation through a new spiritual revival.
Addendum: Just to clarify one point, citing Heather Cox Richardson:
But the United States of America was not founded as a Christian nation. The Founders were quite clear about that. In the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli, ratified unanimously by the Senate just a decade after the Constitution went into effect, U.S. leaders said “the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion” and has “no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of” Muslims. They went on to say that “no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between” the U.S. and Tripoli.Thomas Jefferson, the key author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison of Virginia, the key thinker behind the Constitution, both wrote explicitly about the importance of keeping the government separate from religion. Jefferson wrote that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship.” “[T]he legitimate powers of government reach actions only,” he wrote, “[and] not [religious] opinions.”
Jesus !
ReplyDeleteI guess if people believe the things written in a book centuries ago about magic stuff, such as people being brought back from the dead, women being turned into salt statues, and all the other logically impossible feats described within, they will also find believing in Donald Trump's words easy.
Only to people with literally no reading comprehension. The teachings and message of Christ are actually very clear and concise, whether one believes in the fantastical elements are not. And Trump and his cult are as far removed from that core message as it is possible to be.
DeleteCurrently reading John Fugelsang's Separation of Church and State and while I am not the least bit religious have had plenty of huh, I didn't know that moments as what Jesus taught and preached was quite different from how things are represented today.
DeleteAnd that's as antichrist as it gets.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that Paula White looks better in black leather walking the stage begging for money on late night tv ad's. At least for the first 11 seconds which was all icould handle the one time I was blessed enough to witness it in an airport hotel at 1 am.
ReplyDeleteEhm. If your event on the National Mall has "thousands" of attendees, it is a failed event. Small events count in the tens of thousands, and proper events (and demonstrations) count in the hundreds of thousands. If you want to have a small party there's other places in DC.
ReplyDeleteIf you check the live stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkPG15hmd4I
you can see that during the entire event there were empty chairs right in front of the podium.
And they knew because the biggest politician they had was the House Speaker and some senator. Nobody from the administration showed up. They all sent a (old) clip.
This event was a failure.
To compare, in January, there's the Annual March for Life on the anniversary of Roe V Wade and that tends to pull tens of thousands of people. In the middle of winter. This year was a bit less, but that's because we had a blizzard incoming. Curious how those numbers compared to yesterday's event.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_for_Life_(Washington,_D.C.)
It's fun to check the various articles online and see how they make sure not to show how few people showed up. Can't upset the administration!
Not only was it a failure re attendance, it was a FREE event and not even the MAGA crowd turned out for it.
DeleteBig problem with MAGA events in DC is that there are very few MAGAs in the DC metro area. So people need to travel, and guess what?, that just got a lot more expensive....
DeleteAnd while I'm not in the religious, nor the MAGA crowd, I had not heard of this event until Sunday afternoon, and locals here are generally aware of big events. If only because we get traffic warnings....
They may have had a big outreach problem either.
[Punctuation question: How do I solve the ?, problem up there properly?]
Re your punctuation problem, my best guess would be that it's not necessary to add a question mark after the phrase "guess what" - that the nature of the phrase would make the symbol redundant. Maybe "guess what - that just..."
DeleteThe real grammar nerds here may have more precise responses, but the style guide for TYWKIWDBI is extremely broad-based and flexible.
Just checked. Google AI answered as follows: ""Guess what" is an imperative phrase (a command) rather than a question, so it is grammatically correct to end it with a period or an exclamation point."
DeleteMy state was the first colony to have separation of church and state.
ReplyDeleteWe were also the first to many other events that are now celebrated by other states as 'their firsts'; they are not.
You didn't specify your state/colony. Rhode Island?
DeleteI wonder how many of those religious leaders are there just to ensure that their presence now ensures that their religious group does not feel the wrath of trump later.
ReplyDeleteI cannot help but smirk a bit when someone trots out the separation argument. READ THE FIRST AMENDMENT. There is ZERO WRONG with what happened at the prayer event. In fact, the Bill of Rights doesn't give us any rights at all--IT PROTECTS THE RIGHTS THAT WERE GIVEN TO US BY OUR CREATOR.
ReplyDeleteThus, we--private and public individuals--have the right to do all sorts of Christian-y things. So long as CONGRESS makes no law for or against religion.
PERIOD.
Presidents have prayed publicly since Washington. Called the nation to prayer. Gave thanks to God, etc.
Indeed, our government is not Christian...just like a car isn't Christian. The MACHINERY of government is neutral. Ideally, everyone is treated equally under the law.
But virtually every president has either been a Christian or certainly had a Christian background and sensibilities. Jefferson was a noted skeptic of the supernatural. He appreciated Jesus' "philosophy," but did not believe in the miraculous.
How foolish is it to believe a book is filled with sublime wisdom, yet not believe the testimony of Jesus' disciples who, willing to suffer, be tortured, imprisoned, and even executed, held to their story: Jesus arose!
"Christian nationalism" is a term used to denounce what is felt to be too much religion in public life. And yet in most cases, high religious sensitivity in public life has led to remarkable reforms (see the progressive movements of the 1800s).
I'm going with "Pray as much as you want in public--and especially pray for the president--he needs God's help for guidance...and to change his hateful ways."
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."
Delete--Matthew, 6:5
Trump et al are engaging in performative religion. If you're fine with that, great. I'd rather have leaders whose faith leads them to help others and not just themselves.
" And yet in most cases, high religious sensitivity in public life has led to remarkable reforms (see the progressive movements of the 1800s)."
DeleteIn the 1800s religion, specifically Christianity, was also used to justify slavery.
Religious faith can be a very good thing but it can also be used in terrible ways, and putting one religion above all others is a clear violation of the First Amendment.
"Christian nationalism" is a term used to denounce what is felt to be too much religion in public life.
DeleteDisagree. Instead, Christian Nationalism is the latest euphemism for god-wrapped bigotry.
The US press has an incredibly hard time naming bigotry, discrimination, fascism and lies. They keep resorting to all kinds of euphemisms to not say those words.
I can not figure out if that is because they agree with the stated bigotry, discrimination, fascism and lies, or if they're too cowardly to call it out. Both are hard to imagine.
But, just as a reminder: Here's a clip of a man speaking truth right in the power's face.
https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-stephen-colbert-at-the-2006-white-house-correspondents-dinner/5154867
It is not easy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert_at_the_2006_White_House_Correspondents%27_Dinner
Oddly, the wiki here does not include references to interviews Colbert gave after this performance. He was terrified and ready to run out of the building (with his wife) afterwards because the reaction in the room was exactly as hostile as he expected. Much to his surprise he didn't have to, but he was very aware that Bush was not amused.
https://www.facebook.com/DavidLetterman/videos/stephen-colbert-roasts-the-president/1466065741072596/
There's an NPR interview where he said some more things, if I remember correctly.
Oh look, they managed to dump 30 gallons of fuel on the Mall during the event.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/30-gallons-fuel-spilled-national-mall-americas-250th-birthday/4111196/
Incompetent fools.
Also, install some freaking power on the Mall, so that not every event has to rely on generators. You can just charge them for the power at regular rates.