this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2024
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United States | News & Politics

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Just ahead of his headline spot at the CPAC convention in Virginia and the South Carolina primary on Saturday, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump delivered a speech to right-wing broadcasters Thursday night in which the former president vowed to hand power over to the Christian nationalist movement on an unprecedented scale.

Trump said during his speech at the annual conference of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) in Nashville, Tennesse that he would defend "pro-God context and content" on the nation's AM radio stations as he told the audience that religion is "the biggest thing missing" in the United States and warned, without evidence, that Christian broadcasters were "under siege" by the left and a "fascist" Biden administration.

"We have to bring back our religion," Trump declared. "We have to bring back Christianity."

Striking a Christ-like pose at one point with his arms outstretched as if on a cross, Trump mentioned his legal struggles, including multiple criminal indictments and civil judgements, and said, "I take all these arrows for you and I'm so proud to take them. I'm being indicted for you."

As Common Dreamsreported earlier this week, right-wing Christian Nationalists operating in Trump's inner circle are quietly preparing for the prospect of his possible reelection.

In his speech Thursday, during which he also promised to close the Department of Education so that Christian fundamentalists could take over school policy at the state level, Trump said, "If I get in, you're going to be using that power at a level that you’ve never used before."

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[–] 3425asdfqwer4@kbin.social 50 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It's shocking that people haven't gotten to the conclusion yet. We cannot coexist with conservatives, they will never work in favor of a healthy society. Start backing the solution or prostrate yourself for the orange god.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 17 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I agree with everything you say except the word “conservatives”.

Conservatives need to have a voice in society in order to be receiving positive AND negative feedbacks at all times.

Trump isn’t conservative, and neither are his supporters; they don’t want to conserve anything, they want to live in an imaginary world where everything means what they want it to mean, regardless of reality.

They’re not fiscally conservative, they’re not legally conservative, they’re not politically conservative, they’re not even religiously conservative.

They want to create something new where they have absolute power and logic and reason can be ignored.

[–] jaaake 18 points 10 months ago

You’re referring to an older definition of that word. It’s been co-opted by gun loving, immigrant hating, misogynists. I miss the days of debates being about the issues you mention. I would love it if I could discuss exactly those topics with someone that has a different viewpoint. Instead the topics are so broad and extreme that we end up talking about whether or not it should be legal to tell kids that slavery existed and affected how people were legally considered until very recently. Segregation was deemed illegal within the lifetime of the majority of senators.

See also: “True” Christians

Christianity has a lovely core message that is no longer focused on. Instead individual references take center stage to help justify the restriction of rights of those who are other. The fact that we’ve rolled back Roe V Wade is insane.

[–] TakiMinase@slrpnk.net 3 points 10 months ago

Abrahamists won't stop until everyone they hate are dead.

[–] quinkin 45 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So where are we in the timeline at the moment?

Early 1933 I'm guessing, certainly not up to mid 1934 and the Night of the Long Knives yet.

[–] orclev 12 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Hmm, so do you think the brown shirts are being played by the GOP or the Christian nationalists, or some other group under the MAGA umbrella? I could certainly see an argument either way there although I kind of lean towards it being the Christian nationalists. Trump has never really cared in any meaningful way about Christians, he just finds them to be an incredibly gullible group that are easy to manipulate and freely donate to those that know how to push their buttons. On the other hand the GOP are actually political rivals that could pose a longer term threat to him, but they're also connected to powerful people that Trump would want to get on board, or at least keep from interfering. Other than keeping the public pacified I don't see a longer term benefit to Trump from the Christian nationalists once he's in power.

[–] CheeseNoodle 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I dunno pandering to an already somewhat insular group is pretty much hitting the jackpot when it comes to establishing the basis of in groups and out groups.

[–] orclev 2 points 10 months ago

I suppose the other side of this would be realizing Trump is a complete moron and just about everyone in this thread has probably put more thought into this than he ever would. Based on that, Trump will likely do what he has always done and decide who to attack based on who most recently kissed his ass and who insulted him/made him look bad/failed to accomplish what he wanted/disagreed with him/makes a convenient scapegoat. Based on that metric the Christian nationalists are probably safe, but most of the GOP is definitely in the line of fire.

[–] gloss@discuss.tchncs.de 41 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (8 children)

Are they pretending that Christians are a victimized class in America again? They need that persecution fetish to fuel their bizarre revenge fantasies, but in reality no one gives a shit about them. Maybe that's why they are so mad.

[–] mods_are_assholes 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

but in reality no one gives a shit about them.

That'll probably change once the mass murders per week count picks up towards the election.

[–] gloss@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 10 months ago

Yeah, they can be dangerous, I just meant in the sense that they are becoming culturally irrelevant. They miss the days they got to be the judges of what's morally acceptable or not.

[–] EncryptKeeper 4 points 10 months ago

Yyyyup. Evidently our Catholic president is attacking Christianity, according to them.

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[–] iAmTheTot@kbin.social 36 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Why any actual God fearing Christian would think that Trump is a pious man is beyond me.

[–] mods_are_assholes 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh it's pretty simple.

They are Christians in name alone, seeking anyone who will affirm their hates and tell them they are justified.

Jesus warned about them, and called them hypocrites that speak nothing but death.

There was a case of a Miami church, previously lutheran, that over a period of about two years. The pastor, Jose Luis de Jesus, kept issuing crazier and crazier statements and his flock just ate it up.

First he claimed to be reincarnated John the Baptist.

Reincarnation is heretical to Christianity, ANY Christian should have know that but NoooOOoo they liked what Jose had to say because he was saying a lot of "You guys are chosen people and everything you do is justified, and keep coming to church here and God will make you all rich!"

Then he claimed to be reincarnated Jesus and the crowd LOVED IT! More money flowed into the church and the congregation GOT LARGER!

After a few months he comes forward and says "Actually I'm the Antichrist" AND THEY LOVE IT EVEN MORE.

It would have kept going too if he didn't drink himself to death in 2013.

A good chunk of his followers still think he's alive as he claimed to be immortal.

And guess what? THESE FUCKING HERETICS CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE THE BEST CHRISTIANS!

Humanity is gullible and refuses to do the hard task of self-improvement, instead seek some wild madman that tells them they are perfect just as they are.

[–] madcaesar 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

No, no, no, no.

I am so fucking sick of reading these no true Christan excuses for the fuckery that is religion.

Religion can by anything the followers want it to be, because it's made up bullshit of contradictions that can be read in almost an infinite amount of ways.

The fact that you prefer the gentler lies in the Bible, doesn't mean the passages about stoning gays and subjugation women are less valid.

So which is the true Christianity, the one that says Jesus will come with a sword mercilessly killing his opposition, or the one that says turn the other cheek?

It's a trick question, because they are BOTH made up lies.

We are not going to fix religious people trying to get them to believe your preferred lie, because you are still selling a lie. Credulity needs to be educated not redirected into your version of "nice Jesus"

When people believe nonsense for bad reasons, we have to show them why the belief is not based on a solid foundation, and help free them from the shakeles of religion.

[–] mods_are_assholes 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I really want to have this conversation with you, it's something I am very passionate about.

The only problem is I have literally never in my entire life had an intellectually honest discussion with an atheist, and trust me when I say I go out of my way to debate atheists irl and online, and have been doing so since before the internet had pictures.

But you and I both know it is a waste of time. You likely have the most shallow understanding of theology and history, and are so amazingly butthurt that your mother wouldn't let you bring your DS to church.

I'll leave you with one Biblical point that explodes the 'no true christian', from the man's mouth himself:

Matthew 23:27:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

Since you know fuckall about context, I will explain it to you.

Jesus was speaking about a subsect of Judaism, the Pharisees, families of ostentatious wealth and power that flaunted their supposed holiness by wearing wealthy clothes that referenced prophesies of the coming messiah with the implication that one of them might be he. They would pray loudly on the street corners as a way to insult the others around them, like "Oh Lord I am so thankful you blessed me with wealth and power unlike that poor wretch over there begging, I must be really holy huh?" (sound familiar?)

Jesus called these people 'fools who speak death with all appearance of holiness', despite Judaic culture at the time considering them extra-blessed by the Almighty.

So we CLEARLY have precedent that Jesus despises people who put on airs of holiness and bask in their own self-righteousness.

But you will never concede the point, you will never bother actually understanding what you talk about.

All this is for you is just regurgitating the talking points of your favorite youtube celebrities for the sake of seeing your own writing.

Have a day.

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[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

Yeah, there's a reason my very religious state preferred Ted Cruz and even Kasich to Trump in 2016...

He didn't win my state in the general because he's pious, he won my state because he's Republican, she unfortunately that's all that matters here.

[–] itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Flumpkin@slrpnk.net 30 points 10 months ago

Full on fascism. "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - for ever."

[–] fubo 20 points 10 months ago

The Rantichrist

[–] DogPeePoo@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago

He also said to drink bleach, soooo…

[–] Ghostalmedia 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

After saying this he proceeded to chuck Sam Jackson out a window.

[–] nutsack 12 points 10 months ago

religion sucks ass

[–] robotopera@sh.itjust.works 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Defend religious content on AM? The only fucking thing on AM is religious content

[–] cm0002 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm a 30s millennial, and I don't think I have EVER in my life, intentionally listened to AM radio lmao. I haven't even listened to FM in like 13+ years lolol

[–] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

There were always religious nutters (Xians naturally) on AM, as long as I can remember, but they used to be a minority. AM was mostly pop music and C&W and talk shows. One thing I now look back on nostalgically was Art Bell's Coast to Coast AM show that aired really late at night. I used to listen to it on my long drive home from work and he'd have all kinds of crazy conspiracy theorists (UFOs, aliens, Area51 activities) and paranormal "researchers" &etc &etc on the show. Great fun, and despite the conspiracy stuff, largely non-political. Everyone understood it was "entertainment". You can probably find recorded episodes online. Satan knows what kind of horrible garbage is on AM these days, but I'm not about to go find out either.

[–] tiredofsametab@kbin.run 2 points 10 months ago

Yep. AB and later George Noory are fond memories of my late-night driving.

[–] HootinNHollerin 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Coast to coast was great!

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago

As a 30s millennial, I've listened to a ton of AM and still do occasionally. It's great for sports and advisories (e.g. when traveling through a sketchy pass), I just avoid the evangelical stations because they're nonsense. I used to like Dave Ramsey for the callers (dislike his advice though), and I still sometimes listen to KLove periodically on FM for generic pop without the sexually charged lyrics.

Likewise, I listen to FM pretty much every day. I generally prefer classic rock (before my time), and there's some decent stations for it in my area. I'll alternate between that and audiobooks for my commute most days.

Different strokes I guess.

[–] Mango 12 points 10 months ago

The only point of power is to abuse it.

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 months ago

If they mean power to erase themselves from existence, I'm all for it!

[–] LocoOhNo@lemmus.org 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

And thus setting in stone that there will be a Christian jihad by what is the American Al-Qaeda in this country.

Prepare yourselves for the inevitable, folks. None of us are safe from these lunatics. If you have a friend or family member that is LGBTQ+ start thinking of ways to hide them.

We're entering the state backed terrorism part of this exercise.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 6 points 10 months ago

Donald Trump promises a lot of things and keeps none of them, so...

[–] roguetrick@kbin.social 3 points 10 months ago

WHAT? 9000?!?! There's no way that can be right.

[–] Nerrad 2 points 10 months ago