The thing is, you’re calling out behavior that is common in certain religious / cultural environments.
If you made similar comments about people throwing colored powder for Holi, or people fasting during Ramadan, it’d be problematic.
I think it is, however, fair to criticize Team Krasnov if they’re the ones re-circulating the photo (I’m not certain in this case), or to point out the hypocrisy of conservative Christians’ support for a political figure that is, arguably, the antithesis of the values of the religion they purport to profess.
It is tempting to use the image as an illustration when discussing the MAGA cult, but the inaccuracy wouldn’t help the point being made.
Turns out I get special consideration since I’m paying for everything here. I’m like an actuarial elon musk in that respect.
Serious suggestion, you’re bright enough to stop and consider why you’re so offended over someone criticizing the actions of your president, and maybe consider if there’s any rational reason why others would find that picture to be off the rails enough to criticize it. Instead of just deflecting.
Honestly I expected better from folks on this forum.
Christian. America demands a Christian be in charge. 2016 Trump was the least Christian. 2024 Trump is a Jesus equivalent or stand in for Christian Nationalists.
And you’re exhibiting the standard character traits common to the American evangelical right after certainty that their worldview is dominant…anger and hatred.
For all the constitutional effort to separate Church and State, the USA is a puritanical Christian nation where most of the citizens believe that separation is a legal means to keep other religions out of government.
The original sin of the USA is racism and even though we baptize ourselves in blood over and over again we still continue with our racist ways.
The ideals of America written in the Constitution are some of the greatest goals for humanity and our practice is so greatly lacking mostly due to hubris and self delusion.
I think all that Space Lobster is trying to say is that we don’t see these public displays of religion by political leaders in most other countries. It is an American tradition for the President to be seen going to church, etc. Canadian leaders, for example, do not advertise their religion for political gain. They keep their religion more private as a result.
I am not criticizing the American practice nor any religion: just agreeing with Space Lobster that the public displays of religion are not as common in other countries.
I think what people find objectionable is you calling praying for someone and doing that publicly absurd. There is probably a little more nuance in what you are saying, but you are bowing up and not explaining very well.
I am totally on board with praying for Trump. I didn’t support Obama and I prayed for him. It isn’t like I think Trump doesn’t need it. I am totally fine with adherents of other religions praying for political leaders too. Even those leaders I oppose.
I am opposed to a politician milking it. That kind of hypocrisy won’t end well.
I think it is made clear in the terms of service that certain kinds of speech are not allowed on this site. I think that is fine. But to do so and then complain that other people find some other kinds of speech objectionable is a lack of self-awareness. One doesn’t have to hold the same worldview as others to treat them respectfully.
I believe this is what SL is pointing out. we KNOW Trump is doing the former for the latter, due to his belief (and truth) that his followers are religious idiots.
I suppose most if not all religions contain something that outsiders would consider strange and absurd.
Not that I’m saying anything new, but the US stands out among many developed countries as having religion more acceptable to display in public, especially if you are the dominant religion… but also even if you’re not, for the most part.
I do not find that pictures of the president being prayed over make me feel uncomfortable. (I am not of that religion)
I have been made uncomfortable with people posting religious quotes at work, in response to a company initiative to talk about things that inspire you. But that’s because the workplace is not usually a place people are talking about their religion. I did not make any objection or complaint to their doing so, just stopped reading people’s posts when the religion got too much.
I could see how someone from a country where it is publicly less acceptable to display religion would have a stronger reaction to the president being prayed over. To them, it is a strange local custom mostly because the norm is not to show religion in politics.
Yes, i get people pray for others, and it’s not uncommon for leaders. Those pictures look pretty normal, and sincere.
Trumps picture looks like a vulgar, or over the top, representation of that. It’s a photo opp, staged, not at a national prayer, put at a political conference, intended to join politics and religion. The imagery is more important than the prayer.
The thing that bothers me most about these displays is that the evangelicals seem to now accept that rape, adultury, grift, lying, and hatred are the preferred qualities in our leaders now.
#1. US citizens have every right to exercise religious freedom in public, even if they’re a public figure
#2. I do find that many US politicians will pander to a Christian base by “observing” various rites without necessarily holding true to those beliefs.
#3. Demonstrating intolerance to someone’s religious beliefs is still against the TOS of this site. Criticize insincerity and hypocrisy of political figures, but let’s avoid criticizing the beliefs themselves.
This would require the politician’s supporters to be followers of Christ, not whatever MAGA religion they’re part of.
Trump basically lives on the three pillars of Evangelical fundamentalism, tech-bro oligarchs and their money, and authoritarian/fascist ideology. Via that third one, it’s important that your leader is a source of unadulterated truth. It naturally extends down through the MAGA ranks, because speculating fault in one of your superiors might lead to speculation that Trump is wrong.
This only breaks down when one of those politicians is “otherized” by Trump because they somehow angered him, or did something unacceptably embarrassing to the MAGA brand like have a gay affair.
Even sinners can do the Lord’s work, especially when the sinner is a politician willing to support laws/regs that interfere with people doing things viewed as “sinful”.
Harris and the Dems are supportive of homosexuals, transvestites, and abortion rights. Krasnov, on the other hand, …
(Scare quotes added around the word “sinful”, as conservative Christians are misinterpreting Divine intent.)
Their reaction would be very different if it was not their own religion.
One of the reasons I tend to like Canada a bit more than the US is that US folks tend to have some pretty obvious ideological blinders on when it comes to believing in a magical being hiding behind a curtain.
They will twist themselves into a veritable pretzel defending this, even in the face of real evidence that it as all mostly hipocrisy (Trump is a perfect example of this)
Logical/reasonable people see it for what it is. But good luck explaining that to the people invested in their religion to the extent the try to shut down the conversation because their feelings are a bit hurt.
This is also why I don’t argue much with religious people anymore.
