It’s hard not to believe that much of Trump’s support comes from those who embrace some sort of nihilistic death cult. They want the world to end. They come from Christian traditions which talk about the end of the world, and they think they can and will make the conditions right so that prophecies concerning the end can be fulfilled. They want to force Christ’s hands, to make him come back, and to do so in their lifetime, thinking if they live to see it, it will verify how special they are in world history. They do not care how many people they hurt to make this happen; indeed, they know countless numbers of people will have to suffer and die for their desire to be fulfilled. The only things they care about is forcing the world to come to its end and for themselves not to experience all the suffering which they cause others to have. This, to me, explains why some Christians support Trump. They know what he says and does is far from Christian, but they do not care. They think he will help them usher in the end of the world. This is why they are pleased when they hear him doing things which should make them filled with sorrow, such as when it is announced that Trump has had Iran bombed. To them, all it means is that we are one step closer to the end.
When these Christians read that in the end times there will be famine, pestilence, war and death, they think it is their duty to make this happen. Thus, they are pleased with the Trump administration because, it is clear, his policies, and that of Congress with him, will lead to mass deaths, deaths of people they think are useless, but also, of the quantity which they hope will hasten Christ’s return. When they hear Trump’s tariffs and attacks against migrants will adversely affect the food supply of the United States, clearly they are not worried, because they think they will be able to obtain food, while the famine which comes as a result of it will only make it appear that one of their objectives will be fulfilled. When Robert Kennedy Jr. wreaks havoc on the healthcare system, making sure innumerable amounts of people will no longer be vaccinated against preventable diseases, it is easy to foresee the pestilence which comes next. Combine that with the way Congress is working to kick millions off of their health insurance, and the likelihood that Congressional changes to Medicaid and Medicare are going to increase the burden on hospitals and doctors so many of them will have to close down, great numbers of people are going to needlessly die, a number which they hope will fulfill end-times predictions. Finally, with Trump threatening to invade the lands of US’s allies (Canada and Greenland), and with Trump bombing Iran, the drums of war are all over the land, and once again, they see the end draws near and they rejoice.
These Christians demonstrate a sadistic kind of nihilism; they really wish death to the world, taking a metaphor literally, thinking they must destroy everything around them so that the world and all that is in it will not survive them. They are willing to sell out the public lands of the United States, to let environmental disaster after environmental disaster spring up and destroy more and more of the world around them, because they do not think the long-term impact of their environmental policies matter. They believe the world will have come to an end long before that. It’s hard to argue with someone about the future if they want to make sure the world has no future.
It is a shame that this kind of dangerous ideology has so much power in the United States. It’s a great disgrace to Christianity that such nihilism has come out of the Christian tradition. Christians should constantly refute it, pointing out that Christians are not to be like Judas, trying to force God’s hand, but rather, they are to be the best stewards of what they have been given as possible. They are to take care of the earth, not destroy it. They are to take care of people, helping the vulnerable, instead of killing them off. They are to follow the example of Jesus, imitating him in the way he healed the sick and gave food to the hungry without demanding those he helped do any work or show their worth to the people around them. Christians are to be peacemakers, not looking for any excuse to justify war. Christians are to be the salt of the earth, seeking to preserve and protect it for the future, instead of being those who bring about its destruction.
I cannot fathom all the ways evil is being justified by Christians. They do not listen to Christ when he said Christians are to consider the welfare of their neighbor; they do not listen to Christ when he said Christians should not follow the way of the sword; they do not listen to Christ when he said Christians should be known by the way they love. All they offer are excuses. They misquote Scripture. We can see this in the way some misquote Paul about work, acting like they can justify people dying if they do not work, ignoring that Paul was speaking in a very particular context, one which began with Paul making it clear he could, if he wished, be fed and taken care of by his fellow Christians instead of work for it and he would have done nothing wrong. They misquote Scripture saying we must support Israel, ignoring that supporting Israel means promoting what is good for Israel, which includes, telling Israel to do what is just instead of supporting any evil someone in authority in Israel might do (because, after all, the prophets condemned many actions taken in the name of Israel, even when various false-prophets said they should not). They misquote Scripture to say Christians must obey the government, ignoring, again the context which said government is to work for the common good – when the government does not, when it promotes and forces people to do evil, Christians are not to obey (which is why the early Christians did not obey Rome and its orders to sacrifice to Caesar).
Christianity is not meant to be a death cult. It is not meant to be a religion which has people seeking to bring about the end of the world. It is not meant to be a religion which has people justify cruelty to the vulnerable, using legalistic justifications to abuse those in need. It is not meant to be a religion which is indifferent to God’s creation. It is meant to be a religion promoting life, liberty, the dignity of everyone, a religion of love which looks to and promotes the good for all, a religion which glorifies God in many ways, including and especially, by protecting God’s creation.
* This Is Part LXVII Of My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series
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