Quit Asking Me To Pray For Donald Trump – It’s Never Going To Happen

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By Nikki Slusher

Last week President Donald Trump took on a new tactic to promote a bizarre attack against his Democratic opponent Joe Biden. During his campaign rally in Toledo, Ohio, the President took time to address former Vice President Biden’s political and religious beliefs. Although there is an enormous amount of falsehoods perpetuated in President Trump’s rally speech, one baseless attack has really caught the attention of the public eye. In Trump’s continuous effort to link the presumptive Democratic nominee to the far-left, the President claimed that under a Biden presidency he would “Take away your guns, destroy your second amendment, no religion, no anything. Hurt the bible, hurt God. He’s against God, he’s against guns.” Although our Constitution explicitly states separation of church and state, religion has always played a large component in the political playground.

Last Thursday, Joe Biden countered these unsubstantiated attacks. “Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: it’s provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, it’s kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy. And in this moment of darkness for our country — of pain, of division, and of sickness for so many Americans — my faith has been a guiding light for me and a constant reminder of the fundamental dignity and humanity that God has bestowed upon all of us,” Mr. Biden said. The Democratic nominee has spoken about his faith many times over his decades in office, especially during moments of tragedy in his personal life. Biden, a lifelong practicing Roman Catholic, lost his first wife and daughter in a car accident as well as his son Beau to cancer years later. He also is often seen wearing his late son’s rosary on his wrist and has spoken publicly on how his Catholic faith helped carry him through these times of grief and hardship.

It is not very common to see presidential candidates utilize over-the-top political attacks questioning their opponents’ faith, but it has happened in both of President Trump’s campaigns. In 2016, Trump questioned his opponent Hillary Clinton’s religious beliefs while reiterating his. Yes, he affirmed that he was a devout Christian. The irony in that statement is by far one of the more WTF moments in his interviews throughout the last four years. I also do not think many people believe this claim or see Donald Trump as a “devout Christian.”

A Christian is a person who has either been baptized or believes in Christianity; it is someone who professes Christianity and its teachings. The four basic beliefs for the foundation of Christianity include: (1) Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the son of God, and the Holy Spirit, (2) The death, descent into hell, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, (3) The holiness of the Church and the communion of saints, (4) Christ’s second coming, the Day of Judgement and salvation of the faithful. Christianity was originated through the ministry of Jesus in the 1st century AD in the Roman province of Judea after the crucifixion of Jesus through a small group of Jewish people, eventually spreading rapidly throughout the Roman empire.

In modern times, there is currently about 30,000 Christian organizations – either groups, branches, or denominations – worldwide and over 1,200 in the United States alone. Christianity has become the largest religion in the world with approximately 2.518 billion members globally. There are various differences in what each sector believes and how they practice their faith, however, one commonality among all 2.518 billion Christians is belief in the Ten Commandments. They are known as the Decalogue and are a set of biblical principles related to ethics and worship. In fact, this set of moral rules for humanity is agreed upon among Christians, Atheists, and Agnostics. The biblical narrative for how the ideology of these rules came to be is one of the most popular stories to be passed on throughout the centuries.

Beginning in the book of Exodus 19, the story goes that the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai where Moses then went to the top on the seventh day after it was covered for in clouds for six days to follow God’s orders. Moses was then given stone tablets to write the commandments in order for them to be implemented as law and taught to the people assembled at the base of the mountain. When Moses returned he told his people, “the Lord delivered unto me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of assembly.”

The Ten Commandments translated into modern language are as follows: (1) You shall have no other gods before me; (2) You shall not make idols; (3) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; (4) Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy; (5) Honor your father and your mother; (6) You shall not murder; (7) You shall not commit adultery; (8) You shall not steal; (9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor; and (10) You shall not covet.

Donald Trump has often turned to using religious language throughout his presidency and surrounded himself with evangelical leaders while supporting conservative Christian causes. Nonetheless, Trump’s personal religious beliefs and practices have not been public with half of U.S. adults not sure what, or if, the President’s religiosity actually is. Beneficence, the attitude of heart and action that wishes well to all, is the most fundamental principle to Christianity. It is insistent upon respect for life, truth telling and transparency, and for justice and compassion. Not one aspect of these foundational principles leaves room for harm while assuming responsibility for all people.

That being said it is evident that President Donald Trump is absolutely not the embodiment of ethical leadership, Christian or any synonym to these sanctities. The sincere, unadulterated truth is that Donald Trump constantly tweets a stream of lies (over 20,000 as of this date to be exact). General Jim Mattis, former Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration, proclaimed that the President is impervious to the truth – he does not know or comprehend what truth actually is. During the national protests following George Floyd’s death he desecrated a sacred space (St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Lincoln Memorial) while simultaneously declaring areas of peaceful protests as a “battlespace to be dominated.” Additionally, Trump is well known for attacking and demeaning people, particularly women, social and government agencies, minorities, and the free press. Repeatedly he has disparaged prominent scientists, relying on his “gut”, and engaging in ludicrously odd ideas about COVID-19, a virus he denied for months which has now taken over 160,000 American lives to which Trump replied, “it is what it is.”

In Donald Trump’s world, the Bible and faith are only an instrumentality required as an important and dependable part of satisfying his base. In all actuality it is simply a mechanism to maintain their support or an unpersuasive photo op to appeal to a Christian-majority nation. For instance, in the nightstands at Trump’s hotels he kept copies of his book “The Art of the Deal” rather than what is traditionally a Bible. This is a man who once claimed the Bible was his favorite book yet could not name his favorite verse; eight months later he cited the Old Testament’s punishment of “an eye for an eye” as a way that the government should treat those who have taken American jobs, money and health. I’d bet a million dollars that the President cannot even tell you the name of the book and verse numbers it came from. The verse Trump referenced is Exodus 21:22-25 which means “the perpetrator must pay the monetary value commensurate with the victim’s injury.” It most definitely does not represent a mandate to physically punish in personal injury cases. Such flippant interpretation of a Scripture passage is a mockery of Christianity and the words of Jesus. This answer alone perpetuates how un-Christlike he truly is.

A majority of my elementary and secondary education was spent in private religious schools. I started in Baptist school, then attended a non-denominational school that eventually shut down, and from third grade to my sophomore year of high school I was in Catholic school. In college I was in a nationally Jewish sorority where I had the opportunity to learn the history of my sisters’ faith at the University of Central Florida’s Hillel and attend Shabbat dinner on Friday evenings. Not only have I experienced different variations of Christianity and been opened to other religions, my grandmother’s aunt was a nun and retired mother at the Franciscan Sisters of Atonement at the Graymoor Convent in upstate New York from age 12 until her death at the age 101. I have been blessed to meet many people who reflect the true virtues and principles of their faith, and not a single one of them come to my mind when I think of Donald Trump.

It is time to be blatantly honest – President Trump does not reflect in any way shape or form the values of most Christians. The name Donald Trump is a complete antonym to religion period. What I can’t seem to wrap my head around is the fact that his base, which is majority Evangelical Christians, seem to support his flamboyant actions that are so opposite of the morals and ethics they claim to follow and are the foundation to their faith. Even more baffling is when they ask for us to pray for him. Excuse me? Pray for a man who once claimed he has never needed to ask God for forgiveness? If that is the case, then what the hell does he need prayers for? The man has literally broken every single commandment tenfold. Cheating on every wife, proven instances of fraud and stealing from others just to name a few. What exactly is it about this man speaks to this base?

Recently one of my aunt’s shared a post on Facebook that is the reason I decided to write this article. One excerpt of the post goes as follows: “I wonder how he must be dealing with it all. When his head finally hits the pillow at night after press conferences and meetings, constantly trying to defend himself and protect our country…does he cry? Is he scared? Is he even able to sleep? Can he shut his mind off? Or does he lay there and talk to God all night?” A photoshopped picture of Trump wiping his eye with a napkin as if he were wiping away tears was below these words. I really wish I were kidding but this was a very sincere post his followers are sharing. I wanted to comment stating it is probably all the Adderall and stress of possibly going to prison as to why he stays up all night, or that God is sick of hearing that nonsense and is more than likely forwarding all prayers regarding Donald Trump to his junk inbox, but I decided to accept that it is just another family member of mine whose ways are set in stone and will never change.

I am a strong believer in the power of prayer. I am also extremely spiritual in the sense of I respect the beliefs of others’ faith and believe that in the end we all will meet the same creator. Asking me to pray for the President is insulting – Moses and Esther were not called to pray for those who oppressed their people. Instead they were called by the Lord to fight and organize against those who were persecuting them. Therefore, I will not waste my time, prayers, or breathe during my time with God on a man who does not give a damn about my life or the life of others. There is not a single thing that is holy or righteous in praying for a man who spouts hatred and bigotry every chance he gets.

As a person who identifies as a lifelong Roman Catholic, who had to recite every book of the Bible at my kindergarten graduation, I am asking his Christian base to quit asking me to pray for Donald Trump. It is never going to happen. Ever. I will pray for our country, those who are sick, those facing struggles across the globe, but I will never in my life pray for Donald J. Trump. I am fully aware this may make me a hypocrite as Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love and forgiveness, but he can address his disappointment with me on my judgement day. That will be a conversation between the Lord and me where I will probably respond with exactly what I have said above. Until the time comes, stop posting the religious propaganda to pray for the Dorito Gambino’s safety and his family. He seems to be doing more than fine while the rest of us run around like chicken heads trying to fix the chaos his ignorance has caused.

So, there you have it. You may not agree with me; you might even think how I could call myself a Christian if I refuse to pray and forgive this man. Maybe you are right, and I am wrong, after all I never claimed that this is exemplifying the word of God or the actions of Jesus Christ. In the end, no amount of Hail Mary’s or Our Father’s will be enough to change Donald Trump. The disarray and mayhem he has created will take the work of God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all 12 disciples for the kind of miracle we are going to need to help repair and heal the nation. Until that time comes stop asking me to waste my sacred one-on-one time with God on the moral stain sitting in the Oval Office and quit taking religious advice from a man who can’t even spell the word Bible.

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