WaPo False Witness
It took a cup of dark roast coffee, one five hour energy shot, and two caffeine pills, but I managed to read Michael Gerson’s entire opinion piece titled “Trump should fill Christians with rage. How come he doesn’t?” published by The Washington Post September 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.
I suppose most non Christ followers, apostates, and possibly some new to the faith will fall for this pile of horse feathers. But those who have read the actual words of Jesus Christ and accepted His gift of redemption have the spirit of discernment to see it for what it is: an emanation from the Father of Lies, channeled through an imposter wearing a shoddy disguise and falsely claiming membership in the Body of Christ.
I could spend hours picking apart and exposing every deceitful blasphemy and psychological trick employed in his article, but just identifying the framework suffices to cause the entire thing to crumble, and investing more time on it after that amounts to throwing pearls before swine.
In many American places on a pleasant Sunday afternoon it is possible, as I recently did, to have coffee in the city at a bohemian cafe draped with rainbow banners, then to drive 30 or 45 minutes into the country to find small towns where Confederate and Trump flags are flown.
Michael Gerson Washington Post Columnist
September 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
That’s the simple construct that creates an effective propaganda frame for the entire remainder of Gerson’s heretical opinion article. Most readers have likely never once driven by a house with a Trump or MAGA flag that also has a confederate flag. But the imagery is powerful, and weak willed souls who do not pause to think about whether this aligns with their own experience will carry on. They’ll hold that imaginary picture of a Trump and confederate flag flying side by side in their heads as they proceed to shovel Gerson’s feast of lies down their necks.
Strangely, evangelicals have broadly chosen the company of Trump supporters who deny any role for character in politics and define any useful villainy as virtue. In the place of integrity, the Trump movement has elevated a warped kind of authenticity — the authenticity of unfiltered abuse, imperious ignorance, untamed egotism and reflexive bigotry.
Michael Gerson Washington Post Columnist
September 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
Here we have an excerpt with a highly subjective, defamatory, and malicious statement, with no factual evidence. A fabrication by the author upon which he bases the entire remainder of his article.
…Christianity (initially the Jesus movement within Judaism) was founded as a revolt against the elites
Michael Gerson Washington Post Columnist
September 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
The audacity of this lie is astonishing.
Blatantly stating that Christ’s movement was founded as a revolt against the elites reveals the extreme level of deception behind all his words.
Jesus clearly stated that he was not leading a revolt, and had no intention of overthrowing the government.
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
John 18:36 – KJV
And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.
Mark 12:13-17 – KJV
And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.
Gerson exposes himself throughout the entire article as a false Christian. He evokes an image of himself garbed in a sadducee’s robes beating his breast and praying aloud in public as he prostates himself “as a religious person (on my better days)…”
In his overall theme of telling Christians they are apostates if they align with Republicans, he bears false witness on the scale of an eighteen wheeler.
Well. That’s quite a verdict there. Perhaps another perspective?
The image of Trump and confederate flags is not so far fetched as you make it seem. If it were, we would not have seen confederate paraphernalia right alongside the Trumpian gear during the invasion of the Capitol on January 6th. You don’t have to go far in this area – any Sunday by Lowes on the 114 access road will give the same results.
I think “ unfiltered abuse, imperious ignorance, untamed egotism and reflexive bigotry” is actually a pretty good description of Trump. He has certainly been all those things in the 40-odd years I’ve been aware of him. A notoriously racist and dishonest landlord, a serial bankrupt, a dismal failure in business l, a bombastic media presence who rebelled in his ignorance and crude behavior, and a grifter who welshed on his debts – always been that way.
As for Jesus, I’m hardly an expert and would never pretend to be one – but I think you’re wrong. Jesus’ ministry was always a revolt against the establishment – and by that I don’t mean just the Romans. Overturning the tables of the money changers (by the way – you can still see the steps on the south side of the city and the gate which the Romans sealed when they destroyed the second temple) was an act of revolt against the religious establishment. His embrace of the disenfranchised was a clear message to the powerful. His message was clearly spiritual, but it certainly resonated with the downtrodden, disaffected populace. He did not foment a violent uprising – that did not come until some 60 years later – but he certainly pointed out the differences between the established order and god’s way. I hardly think that Gerson’s point of view is quite so heretical as you make out.