Greatest irony is Trump as an evangelical hero

Jesus wept.

We have apparently reached a level of stupidity in this country that people's first reactions to tragedies are completely inappropriate. Such as the folks who reacted to the Florida MAGA bomber's arrest by calling it a "false flag" operation designed to embarrass Donald Trump.

And the very next day when Trump himself reacted to the shooter who killed 11 people and wounded six others in a Pittsburgh synagogue by saying they should have had armed guards inside to prevent incidents like this.

Our hapless leader did something most people would have found very difficult to do -- he made the shooting about him and claimed that the bomber and the shooter had hurt the momentum Trump and his fellow Republicans had been building going into the midterm elections.

Jewish leaders and civic officials in Pittsburgh asked Trump not to come to Pennsylvania until after the funerals. In fact, leaders at the synagogue said they didn't want to see Trump until he made a statement renouncing white supremacy.

Of course he came anyway, bringing his wife, his daughter and his son-in-law with him.


And things got even worse.

The rabbi Trump invited to say a prayer was a so-called Messianic Jew, someone who believes -- contrary to almost all Jewish theology -- that the Messiah has already come and his name was Jesus.

This is a big deal to Christian evangelicals, but to mainstream Jews, a so-called "Jew for Jesus" can be described in one word.

Christian.

Jews for Jesus

This "Christian" rabbi gave an incredibly bizarre prayer, spending a good part of his time asking God to help Republican candidates -- mentioned by name -- to win their elections in the midterms.

It seemed more like a skit on late-night television than an actual event, but then the entire two years of Trump's presidency have seemed more like satire than anything else.

If there is a great irony, it's that Trump has become such a hero to evangelical Christians. I have never heard him profess belief in God, and he has said numerous times that his favorite Bible verse is "an eye for an eye."

Enter Inigo Montoya. "You keep using that (phrase). I do not think it means what you think it means."

There are two problems with Trump's use of the verse.

First, he always has said when someone attacks him, he strikes back much harder. The intent of "an eye for an eye" is that responses to wrongdoing should be proportional. If someone kicks your dog, you kick theirs. You don't burn down their house.

Second, even proportional response is an Old Testament concept. When someone asked Christ, he had a very different response.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn them the other cheek also."

Unlike Trump, whose response would almost certainly be if someone slaps you on the right cheek, hit them so hard their pets will die.

Trump, who says he has never asked God for forgiveness because he has never done anything wrong.

Trump, who never goes to church.

Trump, who shows no trace of Christian charity.

Indeed, Trump is equal to the other president who was loved by evangelicals ... with one major difference.

Ronald Reagan wasn't mean.