Lafayette Square Protester Removal And Photo Op
On June 1, 2020, federal law enforcement officials used batons, rubber bullets, pepper spray projectiles, stun grenades, and smoke to remove a largely peaceful crowd of protesters from Lafayette Square, outside the White House. Trump then walked to St. John’s Episcopal Church, where protesters had set a small fire the night before he posed for photographs holding a Bible, with senior administration officials later joining him in photos. Trump said on June 3 that the protesters were cleared because “they tried to burn down the church and almost succeeded”, describing the church as “badly hurt”.
Religious leaders condemned the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself. Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump’s proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police brutality protesters.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General , later apologized for accompanying Trump on the walk and thereby “creat the perception of the military involved in domestic politics”.
Beyond America: The Far Right’s Use Of Religion
The far rights use of religion as a tool of identity politics can also be observed outside the United States. Far-right leaders such as Vladimir Putin of Russia, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, and Matteo Salvini of Italy have all made similarly instrumental appeals to religion. In the European context, this opportunist use of religion is often related to the social tensions created by immigration. In this context, the politicization of religion serves the function of mobilizing feelings of belonging among the majority population. This is possible even in a period in which religious belief in and affiliation with the dominant Catholic Church is waning because religion is used here not as a marker of belief, but rather as a cultural reference that is deeply embedded in many peoples definition of national identity. Thus, Mr. Salvini, whose Lega Nord party has historically entertained links to paganism, now makes appearances holding the rosary at his anti-immigration rallies. Similarly, the long-time leader of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party, Heinz-Christian Strache, made repeated appearances holding a big wooden crucifix to rally against Muslim immigrants.
The Undermining Of Democratic Norms
The Trump administration has undermined democratic norms and violated ethics laws that many religious groups have championed. People of faith depend on democratic norms for freedom of religion and often for protections of their identities. With safeguards under attack, the actions of the administration extend far beyond partisan differences, threatening many of the core institutions of the democratic system and leaving people of faith in an increasingly precarious position.
One of the Trump administrations first priorities, announced at the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2017, was to destroy the Johnson Amendment,89 despite polling indicating that the overwhelming majority of religious leaders want it to stay in place.90 The Johnson Amendment, adopted in 1954 without controversy, prohibits 501 nonprofit organizations from endorsing political candidates. Many religious leaders naturally prefer this prohibition as a means of protecting their houses of worship from interference from partisan politics.91 Yet the president signed an executive order that purports to promote free speech and religious liberty on May 4, 2017, a predominantly symbolic effort with limited legal force, since overturning the part of the U.S. tax code92 involved in the Johnson Amendment would require an act of Congress. Despite this, President Trump started claiming that we got rid of the Johnson Amendment.93
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Trump Secretly Mocks His Christian Supporters
Former aides say that in private, the president has spoken with cynicism and contempt about believers.
One day in 2015, Donald Trump beckoned Michael Cohen, his longtime confidant and personal attorney, into his office. Trump was brandishing a printout of an article about an Atlanta-based megachurch pastor trying to raise $60 million from his flock to buy a private jet. Trump knew the preacher personallyCreflo Dollar had been among a group of evangelical figures who visited him in 2011 while he was first exploring a presidential bid. During the meeting, Trump had reverently bowed his head in prayer while the pastors laid hands on him. Now he was gleefully reciting the impious details of Dollars quest for a Gulfstream G650.
The presidents alliance with religious conservatives has long been premised on the contention that he takes them seriously, while Democrats hold them in disdain. In speeches and interviews, Trump routinely lavishes praise on conservative Christians, casting himself as their champion. My administration will never stop fighting for Americans of faith, he declared at a rally for evangelicals earlier this year. Its a message his campaign will seek to amplify in the coming weeks as Republicans work to confirm Amy Coney Barretta devout, conservative Catholicto the Supreme Court.
Trump’s Actions And What They Reveal
Trump believes that he does not need to ask for forgiveness. At a campaign event in Iowa, he was asked if he had ever asked God for forgiveness. His response, after several attempts to evade the question, was that he had nota statement that must have shocked most Christians: “I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
He mocks and reviles every sign of weakness in others. Even a physical disability does not escape his disdain. Early in the presidential campaign, he mocked a disabled reporter.
Trump married his first wife, Ivana In the Marble Collegiate Church he married his second wife Marla in the ballroom of the Plaza Hotel he married his third wife in the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida.
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A President You Pointed Out In Our 2012 Interview Can Take On An Almost Priestly Or Pastoral Role In Times Of National Tragedy What Role Do You Anticipate Trump Playing If We Experience Such A Thing In The Next Four Years
I think those things are pretty well-scripted for presidents from the experience of their predecessors. Over the years presidents have had to learn how to handle disasters and tragedies. I cant see that this would present a real problem for Trump. I could see him handling them. At times during his campaign, Trump displayed a sense of compassion. More often, he belittled or bullied opponents, but I remember one time early in his campaign, he talked about the death of his older brother from alcoholism. He said that he had not done enough to help his brother. I thought, theres a little bit of sweetness there, a little touch of compassion. I think he could handle a national tragedy because he understands something about pain.
I would be far more nervous about how he would handle the option of nuclear warfare in a standoff where each side was warning about using nuclear weapons. I think that knowing how to handle that kind of a situation is not yet in his script.
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Notably, Biden has often spoken publicly about the significant role his faith has played in his life, particularly during moments of tragedy. He regularly wears his late son Beau’s rosary beads on his wrist.
“Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: it’s provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, it’s kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy,” Biden said in a statement last week responding to attacks on his faith. “And in this moment of darkness for our country — of pain, of division, and of sickness for so many Americans — my faith has been a guiding light for me and a constant reminder of the fundamental dignity and humanity that God has bestowed upon all of us.”
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in February found that more adult Americans view Biden as more of a religious person than Trump — with 55% of U.S. adults saying they think Biden is “very or somewhat religious” and just 35% of adults saying the same about the president.
Gregory Smith, associate director of research at Pew Research Center, said one of most striking things revealed to him in surveying public opinion data is the amount of stability in the pattern with respect to religion and politics.
Asked if the president is “weaponizing religion,” Budde expressed concern for the “unintended consequences” of invoking faith in political attacks.
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Abortion Sex Education And Stem Cell Research
Pence is an , and his unwavering support of abortion restrictions has gained him the support of grassroots conservative activists. He began seeking to defund in 2007 and in three congressional sessions, he introduced legislation to block organizations that provide abortion services from receiving any funding, even for services not related to reproductive health or ., president of the , has praised Pence as a “pro-life trailblazer”.
Pence has criticized . In 2002, he criticized a speech by then-secretary of state , who had said it was “important for young people … to protect themselves from the possibility of acquiring any sexually transmitted disease” through the use of . Pence called Powell’s comments a “sad day” and expressed his support for . He asserted that “condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases” and that Powell was “maybe inadvertently misleading millions of young people and endangering lives” despite the CDC assessment that when properly used they offer effective protection against STDs.
Pence opposed President Obama’s executive order eliminating , saying, “I believe it is morally wrong to create human life to destroy it for research … I believe it is morally wrong to take the tax dollars of millions of pro-life Americans.” He asserted that “scientific breakthroughs have rendered embryonic stem-cell research obsolete.”
Is Trump A Christian An Atheist The Anti
I posted about Donald Trump’s religion on Facebook, and the comments generated by this post were startling. While a few said Trump was a Christian as he claims to be, most had other definitions and descriptions of his religious views. Here is a summary of those comments.
A large majority denied that he was a Christian, or else they said he was not a true Christian. I think what they meant was that he was not a good Christian as they defined the term. The comments suggested that they meant that a good Christian was someone who did one or more of these things :
- attends church regularly,
- lives according to godly morality, and
- does good works.
Many referenced his well-known narcissism. They said he worshiped himself and/or considered himself to be God. They said he wants others to worship him. They described his religion as…
- He is a Me-ist.
Some said he worshiped money. Mammon was his god. They said…
- His religion is the Almighty Dollar.
- His God and the God of his entire family is money.
- He’s a Money-ist.
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A Rare Exchange About Religion
WASHINGTON In an exclusive interview with Religion News Service, President Trump said in a written statement that he no longer identifies as a Presbyterian and now sees himself as a non-denominational Christian.
Though I was confirmed at a Presbyterian church as a child, I now consider myself to be a non-denominational Christian, Trump, who has repeatedly identified as a Presbyterian in the past, said in a written response to RNS.
Saying that his parents taught me the importance of faith and prayer from a young age, Trump went on to say that Melania and I have gotten to visit some amazing churches and meet with great faith leaders from around the world. During the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, I tuned into several virtual church services and know that millions of Americans did the same.
The revelation about Trumps religious identity appeared in an interview that was conducted in writing and covered a variety of faith topics, ranging from the presidents own spiritual life to his plans for the White House office tasked with engaging faith groups.
In this Sept. 1, 2017 file photo, religious leaders pray with President Donald Trump after he signed a proclamation for a national day of prayer to occur on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
White House staffers said that the answers are attributable to the president.
How The Trump Administration Has Harmed Faith Communities
People of faith have suffered under the Trump administrations attacks on civil rights, religious freedom, and health and economic well-being.
In this article
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As president, Trump has surrounded himself with a group of evangelical pastors who heap praise upon him for taking socially conservative stances — but he rarely puts his own religious beliefs on display – beyond photo ops with the pastors laying hands on him and praying as he bows his head.
Trump refers to himself as Presbyterian but has attended worship services only occasionally.
He had claimed, when asked in a Bloomberg interview, that his “favorite book” is the Bible but declined to name a favorite verse he finds meaningful, calling it “very personal” and saying he didn’t “want to get into specifics.” Asked whether he was an “Old or New Testament guy,” he answered, “probably equal.”
As a candidate, Trump at a Liberty University event famously spoke of “Two Corinthians” — the Bible chapter commonly referred to as “Second Corinthians.”
Wharton School Of The University Of Pennsylvania
| Wharton Business School, The Wharton School, Wharton | |
| Former name | Wharton School of Finance and Economy |
|---|---|
| Motto | |
| 1881 141 years ago | |
| Founder | |
| .edu |
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is the of the , a in , . Generally considered to be one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, the Wharton School is the world’s oldest collegiate business school, having been established in 1881 through a donation from .
The Wharton School awards the with a school-specific , and degrees focusing on core management, general business, and at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, the program offers dual studies leading to a joint degree from other schools . Similarly, in addition to its tracks in accounting, finance, operations, statistics and more, the doctoral program co-sponsors several diploma programs in conjunction with other schools within the University. The college was a pioneer in so-called ” custom learning experiences that lead to academic enrichment, however with no standing.
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Trump Uses Religious Words And References To God At A Higher Rate Than Past Presidents
US President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside of St John’s Episcopal church across Lafayette Park in Washington, DC on June 1, 2020. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking from the hospital while undergoing treatment for COVID-19, Donald Trump faced the camera and touted therapeutics that “look like miracles coming down from God.”
The choice of words shouldn’t come as a surprise. President Trump has used religious language at a higher rate than any president from the last 100 years. I know this because I have analyzed 448 major public addresses by every president from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Trump for their use of both religious terms and explicit references to God. What I found was the current president uses them at much higher rates than any predecessor. Furthermore, his use of religious language has increased during his presidency.
As a scholar of political communications, I believe Trump’s evolving use of religion in speeches fits into a strategy to appeal to an important part of his voting base: religious conservatives.
Evangelical support
Trump’s policy agenda is largely in line with many white evangelicals’ priorities, such as his support for installing conservative justices on the Supreme Court and promoting the evangelical worldview of the “traditional” family.
Tweeting the God word
Finding his faith?
Get To Know Cnn Reporter Kaitlan Collins
The move was a controversial one because the divided city is also claimed by Palestine as its capital, and its status was seen as key to the Middle East peace process.
The state of Israel and the pro-Israel lobby in the US were virtually the only ones to celebrate the decision, which was slammed by US allies around the world.
The presidents daughter Ivanka also converted to Judaism after marrying Jared Kushner, who was made one of his top advisers.
And Trump has spoken fondly about having three Jewish grandchildren.
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What Do You Expect Well See From Trump In Terms Of His Religious Practice Over The Next Four Years
Trump is surely the most unpredictable president in the history of the American presidency. So any predictions are foolishbut guesses are maybe OK.
A guess is that Trump will develop some relationship with a Presbyterian church in Washingtonperhaps Westminster Presbyterian, where Eisenhower and Reagan worshipped. My guess is also that his church attendance will increase.
When in New York on a Sunday, he might go to a Presbyterian church. When at his estate in Palm Beach, hell surely continue to occasionally attend Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. And I would also guess that, at least in the early years of his presidency, he will occasionally attend an evangelical church.
Though a list of his charitable donations displays many gifts to Roman Catholic churches, schools, and hospitals, I do not see a close relationship with Catholicism. Because of his daughters conversion to Judaism and his support of Israel, he could conceivably attend synagogue services. Its a conjecture, but I would guess that the amount of Judeo-Christian and biblical references in Trumps unscripted comments will not increase.
In the years since Norman Vincent Peales retirement, his spiritual mentor, Trump didnt turn his back on his religious upbringing. He had his children baptized. All his marriages were conducted by a minister. He seems to have gone to church at least on Christmas and Easter. Hes received communion.
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