A few weeks ago chess master Donald Trump shared an AI image depicting himself as Christ healing a sick man. He later deleted it and claimed he mistook himself for a doctor. In the picture he’s wearing a red and white robe and has orbs of light coming out of his hands. Around him you see clouds, angels, a beast, a nurse, a soldier and a giant U.S. flag. It looks like an afterlife scene or something John Wayne might hallucinate under anesthesia.
Franklin Graham came out in the president’s defense the next day offering more or less the same explanation, admitting he didn’t recognize Jesus either. Graham and his friends have planted their flag in Washington and are more powerful than ever. They tell us religion is back and that long-suppressed Christian values can flourish again.
So where are all these values? You see a few symbolic gestures from the White House, like a prayer circle in the Oval Office or a marathon Bible reading featuring Dr. Trump. Beyond that — war, vengeance, blasphemy, corruption and greed.
Evangelicals have proven to me that they’ll tolerate any amount of heresy in exchange for the power and influence their donations have granted them. They insist they have a monopoly on the gospel but in reality they do more to drive more people away than any secular threat. For those believers who are uncorrupted, true to scripture and willing to live accordingly and simply, let their lights shine. There’s never been a better time to step forward.
Mike McCool
Bethel Park