Every year, The United States Congress and The Fellowship Foundation, a nonprofit religious organization designed to bring together political, religious and business leaders, together to worship and pray in concert for our country.
In past great individuals such as Mother Teresa, former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and TV producer Mark Burnett have been asked to speak. This year, President Donald Trump spoke (for the second time) and instead of lifting God, in a very reverend-tone he spotlit his political adversaries by taking shots at their religious beliefs.
Trump, a Presbyterian by faith, believed that he was taking his role as speaker for this distinguished event seriously.
Yet upon walking out, he held up a copy of USA Today newspaper with “ACQUITTED” across the front page in large font. The primarily Republican audience erupted in cheers, and like just like that the energy of the very sacred meal shifted to a gloat fest, using the cloak of religiosity as an affirmation that God is on the POTUS’ side.
Perhaps He or She is.
PROVERBS 24:17
“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble do not let your heart rejoice.”
Holman Christian Standard
The POTUS was not the keynote speaker. The keynote’s address was about how we should treat people that don’t agree with us. But when it was his time to speak, he adamantly disagreed. In fact, he called his political opponent “very dishonest people.”
He also said, “They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation.”
He also targeted Utah Republican Mitt Romney who went against his party and the president and voted to convict him, stating that he was led by his faith.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” he said.
“Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you, when they know that that’s not so,” referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was sitting close by.
“Weeks ago, and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude, and strength to do what everyone knows was right,” he said.
“So many people have been hurt, and we can’t let that go on,” the president said, “And I’ll be discussing that a little bit later at the White House.”
“We are grateful to the people of this room for the love they show to religion, not one religion, but many religions. “
“They are brave, they are brilliant, they are fighters, they like people and sometimes they hate people. I’m sorry. I apologize. I am trying to learn.”
“It’s not easy,” he continued.
“When they impeach you for nothing, and you’re supposed to like them, it’s not easy folks. I do my best. But I will tell you what we are doing, restoring hope and spreading faith, helping the citizens of every background take part in the great rebuilding of our nation.”
“God bless America.”
While he appears to be grounded in faith, many took to Twitter to mock him. Calling him a hypocrite for trying to act like he knows “The Lord” even as he doesn’t know the bible at all. The trending hashtag was #TwoCorinthians based off of his recitation of the scripture, accentuating how foreign faith actually is to him.
This one clip is about “forgiveness,” where Trump says that he doesn’t believe he has to ask for that. “If I do something wrong, I try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture.” He also pointed to the sacrament of The Eucharist as the cleansing that he does to atone for his sins.
At one point, his son Donald Trump, Jr. jump in the fire and the angels of Twitter Heaven roasted him and his dad even more.
