He Can Help Himself

He just can't help himself- or can he?

If someone's life depended on proving to another person that he himself is not a believing Christian, he could do little better than state, as Donald Trump did at the Iowa Family Leadership Summit in the summer of 2015

I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t....

When I drink my little wine — which is about the only wine I drink — and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed. I think in terms of ‘Let’s go on and let’s make it right.'”

Similarly, the following January he told Jake Tapper

I have a great relationship with God. I have a great relationship with the evangelicals

I like to be good. I don’t like to have to ask for forgiveness. And I am good. I don’t do a lot of things that are bad. I try to do nothing that is bad.

In an interview the following June, Trump improved slightly when he told Cal Thomas

Jesus to me is somebody I can think about for security and confidence. Somebody I can revere in terms of bravery and in terms of courage and, because I consider the Christian religion so important, somebody I can totally rely on in my own mind.

Still, no believing Christian ever has said that he "can think about" Jesus for confidence, nor that he can "revere (Jesus) in terms of bravery," or that he "consider(s) the Christian religion so important."  No individual who even claims to consider Jesus Christ his or her Lord and Savior ever has said any of those things. Any of them. Ever.

Other than pledging allegiance to Satan, no politician who depends on the votes of white evangelicals could mess up Good Friday, inasmuch as it is perfectly acceptable to wait two days later till Easter to make any reference to the holiday.

But Donald Trump will never stop trying. He will never stop making a comment designed- not seemingly designed, but designed- to offend Christians:

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY TO ALL!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2020

One Trump critic has good advice but is wrong about the President:

Just another evidence you know absolutely NOTHING about Christianity. There's nothing happy about Good Friday. Wait for Easter Sunday. 🤦🏾

— Chidi®️ (@ChidiNwatu) April 10, 2020

He does know about Good Friday. He has Mike Pence, who evidently begins some meetings with prayer, as his vice- president. He has his health and wealth spiritual advisor, Paula White. He has an Evangelical Advisory Board.

Donald Trump knows a lot. But like a child, he must push the envelope.  Perhaps it gives him a rush, similar to that of some chronic gamblers, or perhaps not. It may be simply a game in which he continually pokes and prods until the subject of his insults- in this case, Christian believers- call him on it.

He is, after all, that guy who claimed that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any supporters.  Thus far, with white evangelicals, he appears prescient.

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