The Worship Of Power

CAUTION: this is a long one. Sorry!

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Religion has been a hot topic lately. 

Who has religion?

Whose religion is it?

Who is using religion properly?

Who is NOT using it as intended?

What is the intent of religion?

Here's what Thomas Jefferson had to say on the matter of religion:   "In every country in every age the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in allegiance with the despot , abetting his abuses in return for protection of his own."

Does that sound disturbingly relevant?  

The subject of the use and abuse of religion as a lever of power and influence has been a topic of contention in the last week.

The instigator was this image that Donald Trump posted to his moldy mildewed Truth Social platform.  

Taking a look at this A.I. generated image of Li'l Donnie in white and red robes with glowing hands and most people would look at this and say, "What the hell? Does Donald Trump think he's Jesus Christ?"

When pressed for a response, der Führer admitted he did indeed post the image but he thought the picture depicted him as a doctor helping people because that's what Donald Trump does, helps people.

A doctor? Really?

The Doctor maybe? That glow around his hands could be regeneration energy. Oh HELL NO! Keep your decaying grubby hands off my Doctor Who fandom! 

Hey, does that guy Trump is "healing" look like Jeffrey Epstein?

So Li'l Donnie wants us to think he's a doctor. 

My doctor does not dress like that.

I've been in hospitals as a guest and as a patient and I've never seen a doctor dress like that.

I've also spent a lot of time as a child in Baptist Sunday School and in all the books, pamphlets, pictures on the wall and everything, guess what Jesus was always frickin' wearing?

Li'l Donnie can gaslight us all he wants but we can all clearly see der Führer is co-opting Christian iconography for his own aggrandizement. And someone would have to be a goddam fucking moron not to see that! 

<Knock! Knock!>

Excuse me, someone is knocking at the I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You door!

Why look! It's Rev. Franklin Graham. So, reverend, what do you have to say on this topic?

“I do not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ—that would certainly be inappropriate. I’m thankful the President has made it very clear that this was not at all what he thought the AI-generated image was representing—he thought it was a doctor helping someone, and when he learned of the concerns, he immediately removed the post. When I looked at the illustration, I didn’t jump to the same conclusion as some. There were no spiritual references—no halo, there were no crosses, no angels. It was a flag, soldiers, a nurse, fighter planes, eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and I think this is a lot to do about nothing.”

 <Whir! Whir! Whir!>

That whirring sound is Franklin's dad, Rev. Billy Graham, spinning in his grave.  

<Knock! Knock!>

Excuse me, someone else is knocking at the I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You door!  (When did this blog get a door?)

Why look! It's notable crazy person Marjorie Taylor Greene. I bet she'll have something to say that is....

“Franklin Graham making excuses for Trump posting himself as Jesus is one of the worst things I’ve seen."

...perfectly reasonable.   

My God!  A preacher defending blasphemy and MTG making sense? What is going on in this crazy world?

An online account called @WalshFreedom posted in response to Li'l Frankie's obsequeious toadying:  “Hey @Franklin_Graham, assuming there is a God, and assuming you meet him one day when you leave this life, he’s going to put this tweet in front of you and he’s going to ask you point blank why you lied here and called a man who is the very antithesis of Jesus Christ the most “pro-Christian” president ever. He’s also gonna demand to know why you sold your soul to so obscenely support such a cruel, hateful, ignorant, & dishonest sociopath. I hope you’ll have some good answers.”

Donald Trump posting himself as a Christ like figure even managed to offend non Christians. Muslims don't consider Jesus the son of God, but they revere him as a prophet and believe that he helped pay the way for the teachings of Prophetic Mohammed.

Seriously, what kind of stupid suck up would defend this?

<Knock! Knock!>

Really, another knock at the I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You door?  (Why does a blog even have a door?)

Look, it's J.D. Vance!

"'I think the president was posting a joke."

(Ha!) OK, I think I get it! Trump's policies have so decimated (Ha! Ha!) people's access to afforable health care that (Hee! Hee!) it would take a fucking miracle (Ha! Hee!)  for someone to (Giggle!) get healed.

Bwa! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

That is a good one, J.D.! Thanks for explaining that! 

<Knock! Knock!>

NO! We are not doing this bit anymore! 

Amanda Marcotte of Salon.com made a deep dive into what all this means.  

"One gets the sense that most evangelical influencers weren't really angry so much as they were embarrassed that Trump said the quiet part out loud: He has supplanted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. MAGA leaders love to praise Trump's bluntness when he's attacking their presumed enemies, but they expect him to be a little more circumspect when assessing the character of the people who follow him. That is a huge miscalculation. Trump eventually betrays everyone who shows him loyalty, so it should have come as no surprise that he couldn't help but strip away the pretense that their faith is about following the teachings of Christ."

"The Christian Right is really not about worshipping God — it's about worshipping power."

"In the MAGA movement, Trump serves a similar role, his followers not to the Almighty but to what they really want: control over American government and society. And there is nothing the president could do that would cause the Christian Right to lose their faith in him."

When Trump once said that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue in New York City and not lose any support, THIS is what he's talking about.

As long as Li'l Donnie is a useful tool in the acquisition and retaining of power, the snivelling synchopants in the Christian Right will say or do whateve it takes to maintain their support of their new lord and savior, der Führer himself.

After deleting the picture of Trump AS Jesus, Li'l Donnie began circulating this image of Trump WITH Jesus.    

I would like to think this whispered conversation in this illustration goes something like this. 

"Psst! Donnie! Yeah!
Dad says you are so fucked!"

Oh great! Now both Donald Trumo and I are going to Hell! 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is not the only one looking to usurp religion to sell an agenda. Pete Hegseth, Dude Bro' O' War, keeps trying to promote the war with Iran in religous terms as some kind of sacred crusade.  

Recently, Pouty Pete delivered a prayer that was quoting a passage from the Bible. 

Or Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction.   

Jesus preached messages of peace and forgiveness.

Pete's faith is rooted in hate and restribution. Of course he would think Samuel L. Jackson's tirade was Biblical.  

As if the war with Iran was not enough, Donald Trump has declared war on the Vatican.

Pope Leo declared that peace is preferable to war and Li'l Donnie lost his shit! 

You know, the same Li'l Donnie who lost his shit when he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize took exception to Pope Leo's call for peace over war.

Trump declares that if not for this war, Iran would've made the Vatican a radioactive crater by now.   

Trump and his enablers are trying to sell the war in Iran as some kind of devine cause blessed by God. 

Pope Leo doesn't believe wars are blessed by God.

And now IT! 

IS!! 

ON!!!

JD Vance and Mike Johnson have taking turns attempting to school the Pope in theology and what God does and does not want.

Vance is allegedly a Catholic and Catholics are supposed to believe the Pope has a direct hotline to God.  

I guess Vance thinks Pope Leo needs a better cell phone plan?

Pope Leo says he's not scared of Donald Trump and the Pope insists he will remain a defender of peace over war.

Jesus! Who does this guy think he is? Some kind of emissary of Christian ideals? 

While on a visit to Cameroon, Pope Leo made a very telling and significant statement. 

“The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild.  They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.” Pope Leo in Cameroon, 4/16/2026

Surely Pope Leo wasn't calling out Donald Trump.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, Trump was caught on a hot mike saying the federal government didn't have money for health care, food assistance or some other 3rd thing that actually helps people. 

There is only money for war.

Seriously, he really said that.  

So yeah, that sounds pretty directed at Li'l Donnie.

That's Pope Leo being nice about it.

I will not.

Donald Trump is a failure and a total loser who knows nothing except how to destroy, to traffic in hate and ignorance.  He knows nothing of kindness or compassion.

Any so called followers of Jesus Christ continue to follow Trump, I say you know nothing of Jesus Christ. You trade worship of God for worship of power. 

And I am no Pope Leo but I kinda think Jesus would not be OK with that.