Be Careful What You Ask For
July 20, 2018 § 8 Comments
Donald Trump’s movement is, in many regards, an apocalyptic movement. Theologian Adela Yarbro Collins describes apocalyptic faith this way:
“apocalyptic faith often correlates with marginality, cognitive dissonance, and relative deprivation. ‘Marginality’ is a sociological term referring to the social status of an individual or group as anomalous, peripheral, or alien. ‘Cognitive dissonance’ refers to a state of mind that arises when there is significant disparity between expectations and reality. . . . ‘Relative deprivation’ identifies the self-understanding of those whose expectations or perceived needs are not being satisfied.”
The folks who voted for Trump, the marginalized white working class and white evangelicals of all classes, have been left behind by an economy that once offered ladders to a better economic future. They have been abandoned by political institutions and structures that once represented their interests, most importantly, the Democratic party. And/or they are held in contempt (they’re deplorables) by Americans who have rejected many of their value-defining institutions, like church, and their culture-defining, or tribe-defining, social practices and signifiers—they are “latte-sipping, Birkenstock-wearing” people whose kids play soccer instead of football and baseball.
Apocalyptic faith believes things are so bad that only a supernal* intervention can bring deliverance. Usually, this means God. In practice, though—that is, in the face of these oppressive forces and institutions in the real world—the extra-worldly intervention needs human agents. It needs prophets and messiahs. For the Trump movement, the prophets are the right-wing media; the messiah is, of course, Trump himself.
This helps explain why many evangelicals voted for Trump in spite of his obvious faithlessness and corrupt character—he’s not the one who is acting, really; it’s God. And God can use a broken tool, even a pagan one, just like he used the Persian emperor Cyrus to release the Israelites from captivity in Babylon. And anyway, we’re all sinners. And even Jesus was broken—though he took on human brokenness deliberately in order to save us.
The thing about apocalyptics is that they don’t give up their worldview, even when—as inevitably happens—it has demonstrably failed to deliver them. This means that when the corrupt world is not overturned as expected, apocalyptics often go ballistic. This is because you become apocalyptic in the first place when you already think things are as bad as they can get and are completely out of your control. You already feel desperate and helpless—though you still have your anger. The messiah is your last hope. When he (always a “he”) fails, that anger, coupled with utter despair, flares out in violence.
David Koresh (“Koresh” is the Hebrew transliteration of “Cyrus”) and his Branch Davidians are a prime, relatively modern example. But post-Pauline apocalyptic Christianity is itself the paradigmatic example—marginalized Christians have been expecting the apocalypse any minute now off and on for 2,000 years.
Thus, when Trump fails and is dethroned—when he has been crucified—his “base” may explode. The prophets will rage against their scapegoats. The messiah may try to take down as much of the temple as he can, Samson and Delilah style. The racists may lash out (even more) against black and brown people. The xenophobes may unleash mob violence against immigrants and especially, against Muslims. The Christians may hunt down their usual target, the Jews. The gun nuts may start shooting. The global warming deniers may start setting forest fires. The militia types may target federal buildings.
I’m just sayin’. I’m a little worried that we may regret it if we get what we’re asking for here—Trump’s spectacular and rightly-deserved come-uppins.
* Supernal: being or coming from on high.
Through the Flaming Sword 
I’m puzzled to find a controversy from Summer of 2018 reappearing in the Fall of 2021, but Oh, well. If Michael Rix is now repeating his charges against Steven three years later, I’d like to comment as a Friend of the Court, and also as a friend who loves the souls and wishes the salvation of both Steven and Michael.
One of Michael’s scriptural citations, Matt 5:22, would seem a warning to Michael against calling Steven “Satan” (in Michael’s words, “Steven Davison, aka Satan”) as well as a warning to Steven not to call his brother Donald Trump “thou fool,” or words to that effect. (I caution both sides of our political divide not to demonize evildoers on the other side, but to pray for their repentance and salvation, even as they expose the evils of their words and deeds. This is good spiritual medicine for myself, because I think ill of many things Trump has said and done, think he has good reason to fear hell fire, and have suffered for my own sins enough that I can’t wish hell fire on anyone. Indeed, Jesus warns me against unforgiveness very plainly in Matt 6:14-15,)
Nonetheless, Steven has done us a service by displaying some of the well-known sins and evils of Donald Trump, including bearing false witness (Exod 20:16), and asking why so many self-identifying Christians support him.
Michael, for his part, portrays “the democrat party” as a party tainted, in his eyes, by a record of unrighteousness, reminding us that the Torah forbade gay (though not lesbian) sex (Leviticus 20:13), cross-dressing (Deut 22:5), and killing (Exod 20:13, which, if it applies to abortion, arguably applies also to state-sponsored lethal violence). But I would remind Michael of two things: (a) the Torah was a code of conduct for a covenanted people of God, which the people of the United States were never constituted to be, and cannot pretend to be; and (b) as the mixed Jewish and gentile followers of Jesus found themselves called to live under a new covenant, as a new covenanted people, Paul and others taught that they had been freed from the old covenant (expressed in the Torah) through the death of Jesus and resurrection of Christ Jesus, a mystery in which they were participants, and the Law implicit in this New Covenant is written in their hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10, 10:16 = Jer 31:33).
As a follower of Christ Jesus, I do find that law written in my mind and on my heart, and it warns me never to say “Let us do evil, that good may come” (against which utilitarian sophistry Paul warns in Romans 3:8). But I say that I see that “Let us do evil” sophistry woven so deeply into American culture that it is almost invisible to all Americans, of left, right, and center, and that is why so many of us behave like selfish, ruthless bullies in so many areas of public and private life, with the result that we’re so deeply polarized that we haven’t yet been able to take concerted action to arrest man- and woman-made global warming. Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven (Malachi 4:1), and we all know it. Let us pray to be guided by Love and not by fear (1 John 4:18), and we may find ourselves able to work together as brothers and sisters, in unity!
This is, without a doubt, the most satanic pseudo-Christian site I have ever been to in my life. And I’ve been to Evangelical outreach. Donald Trump did many great things for this country https://www.instagram.com/p/CVe9PIuMOpK/?utm_medium=share_sheet&fbclid=IwAR0FQABNWXkVNduc5-8ZIuW3Z3w85NdfMHlwMNHUuPeejGRy5IaXzBunZZE You do know the democrat party is the party that legalized gay marriage, supports abortion and sex changes for children, and founded the KKK, right? Since Steven Davison, aka Satan, failed to post scriptures, here are some verses. Exodus 20:13 Leviticus 20:13 1 Corinthians 6:9 Deuteronomy 22:5 Matthew 5:22 Galatians 4:16
Since the Satan was Yahweh’s attorney general in a previous life (“Satan” is not a name, it is a role), I will restore his original role and argue against your claims. You are now the defendant. First, Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is a self-confessed sexual predator. But you’re not a woman, so he won’t be grabbing your pussy and get away with it because he’s rich and powerful any time soon. But you never know. He seems to like grabbing men by the balls and squeezing until they become his slaves, especially the balls of his friends and acolytes. You might be on the list. But can you picture Jesus doing either thing, to Mary Magdalene or Peter?
Donald Trump lies thousands of times a year, giving the Father of Lies something to cheer about, but most importantly, he lied several times in his written reply to one of his two impeachment inquiries. See Exodus 20:16. And I believe he was under oath, or at least he should have been, so he should not have been swearing at all; see Matthew 5:34. But then Christians the world over ignore this one, except for Quakers, of course.
Donald publicly belittled a disabled reporter early in his 2016 presidential campaign. Not quite the same treatment as Jesus gave the paralyzed man who was lowered to him through the roof of the house he was teaching in.
Donald is rich, or so he says. See Luke 6:24 and Jesus’ other many assaults on the whores of Mammon. As for Mammon, or sinfully acquired wealth as a god, he has no greater disciple than Donald, whose “charity” was closed for fraud, whose “university” was closed for fraud, who has repeatedly cheated his vendors, workers, creditors, customers, contractors, and federal, state, and local governments, abandoning them in bankruptcy (being one of the most failed famous businessmen in our time), and laughed his way back to his limousine each time (see Luke 6:25). The only deals he’s really good at are bankruptcy settlements.
Donald hates his enemies. Not the commandment of Jesus. How are you doing with your hate, Michael? Looks like you hate me as an enemy, even though all you know about me is my writing. Maybe I love children and dogs and help old ladies across the street. But back to Donald; he even hates his friends; the ones he still has left. Better love hast no man than to give his life for his friends—can you imagine Donald doing that, given all the “friends” he’s already thrown under the bus?
Though I do have to throw our tome teasers: The first shall be last. What you do the the least of these you do unto me. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, anointing me to proclaim good news to the POOR. Blessed are the poor in spirit. The greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. Etc.
Well, court is adjourned for now. I have work to do. But I plan to come back to your Bible references. We will reconvene. My interim argument is this: We are all sinners, it’s true, so God only has sinners to work with. But Donald Trump is so thick with the slime of deceit and racist hate, with sexual perversion and idolatry, with pride and gluttony for power, apparently constitutionally (pun intended) incapable of following Jesus’ way of peace and love, that he will almost certainly fall under Jesus’ woes, at least until he repents. I’m not holding my breath.
Thank you for this thought-provoker, Steve. I’m reminded how confusing it gets for people who lack hope that the human race has a wise and loving Shepherd whose guiding voice they might hear and obey. He strengthens the faint-hearted, as I know from personal experience, saying “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Matt 10:28 KJV). He always provides a right thing to do in every situation, so that His followers never have to justify doing what they know to be evil.
If I had never heard that voice, and had never seen the Almighty’s providence manifested before my own amazed eyes, I’d probably still believe, as I did when I was a secular-minded idealist, that the fate of the world hinged on the strategic cleverness of right-thinking smart folks like myself: one must do _this_ so that _that_ will happen, so that the wrong-thinkers will be defeated, and so forth. This is fear-based thinking that denies that it’s fear-based. Only perfect love can cast it out (1 Jn 4:18).
But fortunately there is a caring God, who speaks through the living Christ to the would-be-obedient, enabling right behavior and restraining wrong. He can gather the obedient into a people who will stand firm and not be bullied. I credit Him with mobilizing the good-hearted of this country to stand up to ICE and protest the brutal kidnapping of young children away from their immigrant parents. The people who hear His voice in their conscience need not consciously identify it with Jesus of Nazareth in order to be guided by it.
A revealing post, Steven, i.e., the fault we see in others thing (I’ve edited the offered critique to demonstrate what I mean):
> The folks who have voted for neoliberalism – “the effete corp of impudent snobs who call themselves intellectuals” – have been less left behind by an economy that once offered ladders to a better economic future for most. They have hung out in their ivory towers kvetching as political institutions and structures that once represented their interests, most importantly, the Democratic party, allowed ‘friendly’ fascism to gain control of them. And/or they are held in contempt as ‘libtards’ by Americans who retain the moral fortitude to value social institutions, like church, and their culture-defining, or tribe-defining, social practices and signifiers—they are “deplorables” whose blue collar work builds and fixes America. Their kids play football and baseball.
And this edit is not intended to dismiss the critique this post makes. As I read it my mind substitutes “trusted homeostasis” for “apocalyptical faith” due to my iteration of “relative depravation” and “cognitive bias”/motivated reasoning. At least unconsciously, death is apocalyptical for those dismissive of the biblical apocalypse as an external thing. Systemically, I do not experience a significant difference between a repressed fear and a projected one. Are not both fear usurping the role that love is best suited to hold in our personal psyches … and social institutions?
The seven deadly sins attributed to Gandhi (politics without principle, wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice) are made possible when freedom is, functionally, the right to be irresponsible. That “real world” that is referenced includes the unfolding abrupt climate change that is integral to these seven sins and CapitalismFail’s GREED-as-go[]d … or our pending come-uppins is a bit more of a sh*t show than you’ve imagined. It is what humanity does when it experiences a death-of-go[]d: chaos and collapse … only we’ve had the hubris and scapegoating skills to add extinction to what has been the end of the story of every human effort at civilization.
By fearing death we have closed the door to wisdom (fear of go[]d – Proverbs 9:10). And with our failure to be wise (& responsible), and because of the two generation delay between cause and effect in the climate system, won’t we experience the collapse we have been faithfully living toward as an apocalypse?
sNAILmALEnotHAIL …but pace’n myself
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCeDkezgoyyZAlN7nW1tlfeA
life is for learning so all my failures must mean that I’m wicked smart
>
What do today’s evangelicals do with the gospel of John’s insistence that it was the Jews that killed Jesus, and the fact that all the gospels more or less imply it? I am reminded of Hyam Maccoby’s first sentence in his book Judas Iscariot and the Myth of Jewish Evil: “It is no accident that the name of Jesus’ betrayer is the name of the Jewish people.”
Not the Jews as a whole but the Jewish leaders.
Dear Steve, I have enjoyed reading these messages for some time. I would just say, though, that Evangelical Christians, at this point in time, really revere the Jews and are very supportive of them. They believe that Jews are still God’s special people, and that God blesses those who bless God’s people. I think Trump is very frightening; whereas previously I just thought him despicable. But he is losing many supporters among Evangelicals now, as well. God bless, Janice Ninan