“SO WHAT?” retorted the callous person to his Whitehouse subordinate when reporting the situation which needed his urgent attention to diffuse it. But the apathetic person refused to, instead, went on to enjoy the carnages that he unleashed on the very foundation of democracy from news reporting on the television.
An interesting article written by Peg O’Connor, Ph.D., a Professor of Philosophy and gender, women, and Sexuality Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota clearly defined the archetypal callous person. She stated that a callous person is insensitive or emotionally hardened individual saturated in apathy, callousness and indifference. The two words of “So what?” and the three words of “I don’t care” are identical in its intent, when given as a response from an individual or institution to many areas of life can have a devastating outcome to individual and society. The ugly heads that reared itself from the depth of insensitivity and such emotionally hardened callous person are; Moral indifference, Moral callousness and Moral apathy. I highly recommend that you read the article on the link attached; https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/philosophy-stirred-not-shaken/201409/the-3-little-words-everyone-should-stop-saying . In short, “not caring” about critical things can put someone or an institution onto a slippery slope to immoral behavior. That is what we see in the administration of the 45th President of the United States of America.
So, why is it so challenging to try to comprehend the mindset of the blinded supporters and followers to the atrocities of and the royalty to their cultish political leader?
God has given in us a capability that is known as conscience to exercise self-evaluation when confronted with decision to do good, evil, right and wrong. It is acting as a prosecuting attorney to firewall us from making wrong choice or decision when faced with life issue. It is at this point that we will, either submit to our conscience and do the right thing, or we will resist our conscience to go against it. The latter is inevitably a critical mistake. By going against our conscience constantly, we risk losing our bearings and reap a whirlwind of adverse consequences in wrong choices. A person who constantly goes against its own conscience is in a danger of “searing” its God-given faculty to lose its direction in doing the right thing. The role of the conscience as a “prosecuting attorney” will then be switched into a “defense attorney”, thus numbing our ability towards what that is right and good. Perhaps, it is here where Apostle Paul writes, “The requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bear witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” in the book of Romans, chapter 2, verse 15. This progression and result are both lethally dangerous as the person’s conscience will cease accusing him when he commits wrong. That is a seared conscience, my dear friends.
There is another disturbing and calamitous trend that is happening now in America, the beacon of democracy. Although I must admit, the current inconceivable occurrence is not a new one. America has a colorful history since its independence, and the start of the civil war history begun in the spring of 1861. The reasons for the start of civil war were disagreements over slavery, states versus federal rights, the election of Abraham Lincoln, and the economy. But the indisputable underlying factor that triggered the conflict was when political leaders are deified by their supporters and followers from either side, to the ire of the antagonistic opposition. Delving deep into the rich history of America that spanned almost 250 years of independence, there were countless similar incidences that its political leaders were deified by their supporters as superhero, at worse, compared to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And history recorded that when such atrocious acts of comparing their beloved political leaders as a deity, the result is often predictable and deadly; Civil War. History reminded us that humanity does not and has not learned from its history to avert any forms of perceivable calamity.
Personally, I too, find it rather disturbing to compare one’s beloved leader to someone who is far more superior in every aspect to any human beings that were created. Why?
The bible clearly stated that there will not be anyone or any things on earth or in heaven that can be compared to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Period! In Isaiah 40: 25, ““To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.” Here God Himself asked a rhetorical question of whom can we compare HIM to anyone. The other supporting verses can be found in following chapters of the book of Psalm where God stated His sovereignty. Look at Psalm 40:5, Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. Then, check out the verse in Psalm 86: 8-10, “There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.” And lastly in, Psalm 113: 4-6, The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
So, why are there still confusion and misinformation as to the comparison of their cult leader to our Lord Jesus? If the bible is clear in this subject that there is only one God and there is no other besides Him, How can anyone get lured to the conspiracy theories of making their leader equal to God? The only conclusion is that, like their cult leader, the bible that they owned is their favorite book too, but is to be read upside down. Sadly, Donald Trump was the least religious person and the worse president in American history, yet, he commanded a supreme support from white evangelical Christian. In the 2020 election, he garnered an 84% of vote from the Christian community. This has to be the group of Christian who are misled or blinded spiritually to not able to discern the truth in God’s Words. Many apostles and the saints of old, Paul, Peter, John, Titus, Jeremiah and Ezekiel warned us of false preachers and prophets in the last days. The Lord Jesus knew and foretold in Matthew 24:24, I quote, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” unquote.
Another interesting article, entitled “The Mass Psychology of Trumpism” written by Dan P. McAdams shared the similarity of Satan and Trump. Here is an excerpt of the article that I would love to share;
“It is worth noting that Murray’s characterization of Satan bears an uncanny resemblance to the psychological portrait of Trump painted by many psychologists today. A malignant narcissism rages at the core of Satan’s personality. Cast out of heaven for his overmastering pride, Satan wants to be God, resents the fact that he is not God and insists that his supreme worth entitles him to privileges that nobody else should enjoy while undergirding his reign as sovereign of the mortal world below. Wholly self-centered, cruel, vindictive and devoid of compassion and empathy, Satan nonetheless possesses substantial charisma and charm. Completely contractual in his approach to interpersonal relationships, he has perfected the art of the deal, as when, in the Gospel of Luke, Satan tempts Jesus with earthly powers and riches in return for his adulation: “If thou will therefore worship me, all shall be thine.”
Donald Trump sees himself in the same way. While Trump insists that he is a force for good rather than evil, he truly perceives himself to be qualitatively different from the rest of humankind. He has often compared himself to a superhero. He has famously described himself as a “stable genius” who has never made a mistake. He is not lying when he makes these outrageous claims, for Trump truly believes them to be true, just as he believes he won the 2020 election.”
It is ludicrous, unthinkable and blasphemous to even suggest that Trump and Jesus are similar. How can there be any similarity, when Christ Jesus who knew no sins but for our sake became sin, and the other, as King David wrote in Psalm 51:5, is an embodiment of sin. All of us, like David, were brought forth in iniquity…..sinful at birth. The supporting bible verse in Romans 3:23-24 stated that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Finally, I pray that truth will prevail in the end, tearing down all falsehoods and lies that have penetrated and taken root in the community of Christian believers. We are indeed in the last days, as mentioned in epistle of second Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11, I quote, “and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”, unquote.
I will end with these words, “ Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Why?, Because Eternity matters!