THE GOOD NEWS:
CNN’s Jake Tapper used the Bible to shut down an extreme right-wing pastor.
Since the religious right became important leg of the conservative movement in the ‘50s, it’s stood for its own brand of “family values” by strongly condemning extramarital sex, LGBTQ people, divorce, pornography, foul language, and atheism.
The group collectively clutched their pearls and chastised President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal of the late ‘90s. Televangelist Pat Robertson called him a “debauched, debased, and defamed” politician who turned the Oval Office into a “playpen for the sexual freedom of the poster child of the 1960s.”
But Robertson, and the vast majority of white Christians, are some of President Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters. A man thrice married who’s facing credible allegations of cheating on his wife with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. The alleged affairs occurred shorty after the birth of his youngest son.
Tony Perkins, leader of the Family Research Council, told Politico that Trump gets a “mulligan,” over the religious right’s enemies. “Were tired of being kicked around by Barack Obama and his leftists,” he told Politico. “And I think they are finally glad that there’s somebody on the playground that is willing to punch the bully.”
Just imagine how Evangelicals would have reacted if Barack Obama had five children with three different women and was accused of trying to silence an adult-film actress over an affair?
On Sunday, March 25, “60 Minutes” aired an interview with adult-film star Stormy Daniels where she accused Trump associates of threatening violence against her and her family. Controversial right-wing pastor Greg Locke of the Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, took to Twitter to defend Trump.
The funny thing is @realDonaldTrump is still the President and she’s still a hooker. #StormyDanielsDay
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) March 25, 2018
CNN’s Jake Tapper responded to Locke’s tweet with a few verses from the Gospel.
Luke 7:
37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. https://t.co/k7GIY6NmVF
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
”…Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
”…You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet…
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
46 “…You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
-fin-
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
Locke didn’t have much of an argument so he responded by making things personal.
Great passage for sure. He changed her life by love and grace. She didn’t continue living in it and then get on national television to garner more attention for her nonsense. Context is key. The fact is, you hate my support of Trump w/out a Bible.
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) March 26, 2018
Then Tapper took him to Sunday school.
I have complete indifference to your feelings about any politician. But you might want to reconsider a refresher course. Hint: the passage is not “hey, go throw stones!”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
The religious right’s reputation for being “values voters” has been destroyed by their support for Trump; possibly beyond repair. But their abandonment of evangelical beliefs isn’t a surprise to social psychologists. Studies show that when people’s political and religious beliefs come in conflict, spirituality usually takes a back seat.
It could also be that people who’ve been trained to take things on faith were easy marks for a con man like Trump.
