By Tom Burke / Herald Columnist
I had planned to post my annual predictions for the New Year today.
But something happened on Christmas Day that so disturbed me I’m postponing it.
It was something I read. Something so vile and disgusting and despicable I can’t get it out of my head; and gentle reader, I don’t want it to get out of yours.
It was a Christmas greeting from a former president; the one-time leader of 334 million Americans of every faith, color, political persuasion, and national origin who says he wants to lead this melting-pot of a country again.
A man who proclaims his “Christianity;” who is endorsed, wholeheartedly, by scores of Christian faith “leaders;” and brags of personally fulfilling the Christian right’s No. 1 goal, saying, “I was the one who killed Roe v. Wade. I put the judges in who took away the right for abortion. I destroyed Roe v. Wade.”
Now part of what upset me was when the message was sent; on the day Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, when the Christ child lay, newborn, in a manger, brought into the world to redeem man from sin.
But what upset me more was what Donald Trump said on that blessed day of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men:
“Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against ‘TRUMP’ and ‘MAGA,’ included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and ‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS.”
I was upset that his screed was a total lie; despondent he wished his enemies would “ROT IN HELL,” and dismayed his MAGA cult would still say, “Yeah, he’s our guy.”
Think on that.
Think on how the essence of Christ is forgiveness and Jesus’s two great commandments are to love god with your whole being and love your neighbor as yourself.
So indulge me if I find it difficult to believe a man found liable for molesting a women, three time (at least) unfaithful husband, convicted of stealing from a charity for sick children, insurrectionist, and “leader” responsible for the covid deaths of hundreds of thousands is a pious “Christian” who loves God with his whole being. His words and acts are those of a man who worships at the altar of himself.
And without doubt, he loves his neighbor, not.
“MAY THEY ROT IN HELL,” he says.
Think on that some more.
Think that his Christmas wish would condemn Joe and Jill Biden and scores, or thousands, or millions of the poor, struggling souls we all are to eternal damnation and complete, never-ending separation from the love of god, for what; for espousing a different view on taxes, or how the EPA regulates air and water pollution, or the scientific understanding of global warming, or whether his 2020 election was stolen?
But that’s not all he’s saying. He’s also saying, very plainly to you, gentle reader …
“MAY YOU ROT IN HELL, if you disagree with my policies, sound a note of criticism, or fail in your fealty to my rule.
“MAY YOU ROT IN HELL, if you are a communist, Marxist, fascist, or radical left thug (meaning if you are a Democrat) that lives like vermin within the confines of our country.
“MAY YOU ROT IN HELL,” if you are an immigrant, because immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
Does he have any understanding what rotting in hell, for all eternity, even means?
The soul of our democracy and the freedoms so many have fought and died for are at stake here. Because Trump’s fascist echoes of Adolf Hitler and threats of “Power, Dictatorship, and Revenge” are driving his campaign for president.
And if you think this is hyperbole, listen to Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, when he says, “What we have witnessed from Trump over the last few weeks is something new. Trump has clearly crossed into the domain of Nazi ideology openly.”
And if you don’t believe him, listen to a pastor’s prayer as he opened a Trump rally in New Hampshire, “This election is part of a spiritual battle. There are demonic forces at play. But judgment is coming. When Trump becomes the 47th president, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.” And the MAGAs cheered, and hooted, and applauded.
I saw something else the other day; a caption under the photo of an air-crew gathered beneath the waist gun of their WWII B-17 Flying Fortress (although it could have been under a photo of a surviving squad on D-Day’s Omaha Beach; the remnants of a platoon freezing in the snow of Bastogne, or some 1st Division Marines on Guadalcanal tending to wounded buddies, trying to keep them alive in the blood soaked sand where they fell).
That caption read, “Our fathers fought fascists, they didn’t vote for them.”
And for those of you who don’t vote for Trump next November, never forget his Christmas wish for you: “MAY YOU ROT IN HELL.”
Think on that, for the next ten months.
Slava Ukraini.
Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.
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