Ralph Drollinger, a minister who leads a weekly Bible study group for President Donald Trumpâs cabinet, released a new interpretation of the coronavirus pandemic this week, arguing that the crisis represents an act of Godâs judgment.
The coronavirus, Drollinger argues in two blogposts and a rambling Bible study guide published in the past few days, is a form of Godâs wrath upon nations, but not one as severe as the floods described in the Old Testament or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We well know that weâre living in strange times, with extraordinary claims that are only loosely tethered to facts. But these beliefs create their own facts. By that, I mean that if people believe that they will be persecuted and act accordingly, it helps generate the war they anticipated in their minds. Thatâs precisely the point of the elites encouraging these beliefs. Iâve already shown that atheists and Democrats are not intolerant as evangelicals believe. The problem is that these beliefs are following the âinverted golden ruleâ â do unto others as you expect they will do to you. And that has real consequences as the extreme politics of the Christian Right has been driving people out of churches. It also entails a level of extreme politics to maintain their political position as elections (or impeachment trials) take on apocalyptic meaning.
The results in this post suggest that getting out of the social bubble and working with diverse others is one way to counter these beliefs. But we should not discount the value of diverse, pluralistic political environments â more religiously diverse states are also likely to be more supportive of universal religious liberty, not the pinched versions designed to further insulate evangelicals from shifting political winds and enable continued discrimination.
The only fear I have is not being right with God⦠I
feel pretty good because Iâve taken Jesus Christ as my personal savior.
And itâs given me enormous strength and solace, because He knows whatâs
in my heart.
Nothing screams âIâm guilty of everythingâ more than a newly convicted felon telling the world how much he loves Jesus.
Ricardo Lopes Dias is linked to the New Tribes Mission (NTM), one of the largest and most extreme missionary organizations, whose objective is to contact and evangelize uncontacted tribes around the world at whatever cost, whether they like it or not.
In an audio recording just released, the son of the president of the NTM in Brazil explains that the organization lobbied for Lopes Diasâs appointment.
Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in 2009 after a quarrel with two fellow farm workers, who refused to drink from the same water container as a Christian. Five days later, the women said Bibi had insulted Islam, a crime punishable by death. Bibi was charged with blasphemy despite repeatedly denying the accusation. The Supreme Court overturned her conviction last year, and she had been in protective custody since then.
Islamic extremists have rioted over the case and threatened to kill Bibi.
Vallow reportedly believes she is âa god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christâs second coming in July 2020,â according to divorce documents Charles Vallow filed before his death.
Chad Daybell has written several apocalyptic novels based loosely on theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both were involved in a group that promotes preparing for the biblical end times.
I reckon her children, ex-husband, etc. weren't members of the 144,000...
Vallow reportedly believes she is âa god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christâs second coming in July 2020,â according to divorce documents Charles Vallow filed before his death.
Chad Daybell has written several apocalyptic novels based loosely on theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both were involved in a group that promotes preparing for the biblical end times.
Second, Trump has again shown a talent for exposing the sad moral compromises of his followers, especially his evangelical Christian followers. Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress and Eric Metaxas donât have it easy after an event such as this one. Not only do they need to defend Trumpâs use of a prayer breakfast as a campaign rally. Not only are they required to defend his offensive questioning of religious motivations. They must also somehow justify his discomfort with a central teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and his use of a prayer meeting to attack and defame his enemies. These evangelical Christian leaders will, of course, find some way to bless Trumpâs sacrilege. But he makes their job ever harder and their moral surrender ever more obvious.
Third, Trumpâs unholy outburst (and the White House event that followed) shows we are reaching a very dangerous moment in our national life. The president is seized by rage and resentment â not heard on some scratchy Watergate tape, but in public, for all to see and hear. He now feels unchecked and uncheckable. And he has a position of tremendous power. This is what happens when a sociopath gets away with something. He or she is not sobered but emboldened. It took mere hours for Republican senators who predicted a wiser, chastened president to eat their words. The senators are, in part, responsible for the abuses of power to come.
