Showing posts with label religion.Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion.Christianity. Show all posts

February 12, 2023

The Higher Power: Would Pence appeal to his higher angels and betray Trump?

By Hal Brown
Background, Angel of Light (1960) Salvadore Dali

Text only version here.

Read: 

Pence testimony will hold key to proving Trump conspiracy charges: legal expert

Of all the people who were Trump sycophants none have the ability to reveal information which could lead to Trump being indicted, tried, and convicted of felonies which could result in him being incarcerated than his former vice president. 

The worst crime Trump committed was his treason involving the January 6th insurrection. It may be the most difficult to convict him of this, but it is far more serious than the Mar-a-Lago documents case or New York and Georgia state crimes.

Of all of the people who can testify under oath, swearing to God, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, Mike Pence is probably the least likely to lie to protect Trump for religious reasons.

His religious beliefs may be mocked by cynics who say he put aside Christian values as he turned a blind eye to both Trump's history and his inhumane policies. We all seen photos like these (link) showing Pence gazing at Trump with a worshipful expression.

What mental gymnastics he engaged in to ponder what Christ would think about Trump may never be known. 

We know from survey data that a significant minority of Trump supporters believe he was anointed by God.

As a psychodynamically oriented therapist I can see how he would have related to Trump as a father figure because of some inner need. I know it seems impossible, unfathomable if you will, that anybody saw Trump this way but many people did and still do.

In retrospect he may have had a revelation, even a visitation from an angel who absolved him. It could have been Archangel Michael holding the Scales of Justice. He is known as the angel who will weigh souls on Judgment Day.

Painting by Rogier van der Weyden

Pence may be saying the Prayer to Saint Michael § In the Leonine Prayers

Blessed Michael, archangel,
defend us in the hour of conflict.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil
(may God restrain him, we humbly pray):
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust Satan down to hell
and with him those other wicked spirits
who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen

Pence may now believe he was under the influence of Satan. This would be consistent with believing that Trump himself was an agent of Satan who literally bedeviled him. 

All of this would accrue to the advantage of justice being served. 

As an atheist I respect people who live their religious beliefs and values and don't bend, twist, and distort the religious teachings, for example in the Bible and Koran, to justify intolerance and cruelty. No-one needs to believe in God to live by the simple saying "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" otherwise known as The Golden Rule. (Perhaps ironically the GOP's favorite amendment to the Constitution is the second and The "Golden Rule" was proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth during his Sermon on the Mount and described by him as the second great commandment. Wikipedia)

I think there are signs that Mike Pence already has, or is in the process, of redeeming himself. That I don't believe in God doesn't mean I won't honor him for returning to his personal God.

I may even say God bless Mike Pence....

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