US faith leaders unite to decry Donald Trumps weaponisation of religion

[workinclasszero]

US faith leaders unite to decry Donald Trump’s ‘weaponisation of religion’
'We are morally outraged at what is going on,' says policy group leader Reverend Jennifer Butler as she pledges to mobilize Christian voters against President
Scott Malone 2 hours ago

President Donald Trump's executive order on Thursday making it easier for churches to dabble in politics kept faith with his promise to evangelical Christians who helped him win the White House, but could end up benefiting his opponents as well.

Leaders of the US religious left, a rising force of opposition to Trump's hard-line stance on immigration and healthcare, said they were poised to benefit from the move, which lifts the risk of religious groups losing their tax-exempt status if they advocate for particular candidates.

“This is going to backfire on Trump,” said the Rev. Jennifer Butler, chief executive of progressive policy group Faith in Public Life. “We are morally outraged at what is going on and we are appalled at the weaponisation of religion.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-religious-liberty-executive-order-us-faith-leader-us-president-weaponisation-national-a7718841.html

[Eyeball_Kid]

1. Trump seems to want churches to become extensions of political parties.

Although this is an executive order that has little or no teeth, the consequences of this EO, if actually executed and not challenged in court, is to divide churches according to political affiliation. It's a zero-sum EO that's only going to hurt churches and hurt its own coffers, because churchgoers will likely drop out of church than give money to an organization that espouses political positions that aren't consistent with a wide range of churchgoers.

The EO will cheapen the status of churches in our communities. Normally, people don't want their churches to become political soapboxes. They go to church to get away from arguments.

[workinclasszero]

3. Lots of churches are already there

A member of my family was a Sunday school teacher at his church until some of the other members noticed his Obama for President bumper sticker.

He was told by the senior minister he would no longer be allowed to teach Sunday school because of that. This was a long time ago now.

The republican party infiltrated and took over many, many christian churches and turned them into paranoid intolerant centers of right wing hate, greed and the love of gun violence.

God, guts and gunz, you know?

For me personally it's one of the worse things that has happened in my lifetime.

[smirkymonkey]

2. The hypocrisy of this man is astounding.

[Lint Head]

4. These religious leaders should request a meeting with Trump.

This would be under the guise of just him having a photo op with Christians as the Orange God of the GOP loves to do. Have video cameras rolling . Then those religious leaders hammer him with questions about why he is doing things that are so against the precepts of Jesus. It would be a great video that would capture the Orange God of the GOP kicking Ministers of God out of his Oval Office where there are no corners to hide.