Does anyone honestly believe that Donald Trump has a religious bone in his body?

I have several Republican friends who support Trump and demonize Clinton. It’s scary.

If Jesus were around (in a physical form), I’m pretty sure he’d toss Trump down the steps of the Temple, along with most of the “Christian” Republican party.

Insanity, @dammitjanetfromvegas.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a more obvious case of pandering than this. It’s sad that some folks can’t pick up on it. He might as well have had a big, flashing sign behind him that said ”I AM PANDERING”.

Sure, many people are religious, that doesn’t mean anything these days.

There are many in the GOP who believe the United States is a “Christian nation”. Whether or not Donald Trump actually adheres to any religion (I really don’t think he gives a shit about religion), he has to for the purposes of being the GOP nominee. Carson already made it clear he doesn’t believe Muslims can be President, and I don’t think we need to assume what they think of atheists or “apatheists” (which is what Trump seems like to me).

He might believe in God, who knows. I’m sure he isn’t going to try to give some Presidential mandate for retail employees to say Merry Christmas, that’s ridiculous. If the Evangelicals believe it, or just like the idea of it enough to not care if Trump can or would actually do it, then let them go ahead.

His daughter converted to Judaism and he has always publicly said how he was totally fine with it.

No candidate for President is allowed to escape the pledge of devout and obsessive church goin. Obama’s handlers shamelessly trotted out the obligatory family worship pageantry (for all the good it did him). That reference to the Fox created and imaginary war on Christmas however is a very direct appeal to Trump’s (and Fox’s) base, the pathologically obtuse, whose undeniable increase in numbers is the only rational explanation for the clearly irrational fact that Trump and Carson are miles in front of their competition. The ever dependable clown fest defining EVERY conservative run up to the Presidency is more than an embarrassing joke before the world. It’s also an accurate barometer on the collective mental acuity of we as a people. The fact that the ugly cracks in logic and sanity are displayed so prominently on the right should not dissuade us from recognizing that we all are doomed if conservative politics are allowed to be dominated and driven by the feeble minded.

Yes. His God is Mammon.
But make no mistake: He is not in the minority.

He’s pandering. He has no real beliefs or policies of his own- just whatever will get him the most attention from whatever audiences he happens to be in front of. He’s a professional showman who somehow gained support as a political figure.

I’m bothered by this line of questioning. The constitution says (among other things) that there should be no religious test for anyone in a political office, including the president.

Yet here we are on Fluther, discussing whether a candidate is Christian or not. It’s inappropriate for a candidate to call out religion, and its even more inappropriate for the electorate to be considering religion when choosing a candidate.

Now, if you want to discuss whether Trump is a liar and a hypocrite, that’s fine. But to discuss whether he is a Christian, that’s wrong. I know that there’s a very slim line of difference, but to me there is.

The first candidate who stands up and says “My religion doesn’t matter, my intellect and political stances do” will have my vote.

What bullshit, @elbanditoroso.

See the details of this question. Trump made the assertion that he would make Christ a mandatory part of the December holidays if elected president.

“Does anyone honestly believe that Donald Trump has a religious bone in his body?”
Who brought Christianity into this question?

@elbanditoroso

Bernie Sanders did just that.

I believe his exact words were (in response to Jimmy Fallon asking if he believes in god) was “My spirituality is that we’re all in this together”.

When he brought out his Bible, and you could see several papers tucked inside (which is very common among believers), I knew it was a prop. He may believe, but not like he claims.

Personally, I hope he is saved, but at the same time I have a wicked hope he is really a muslim

Forgive me citizens of eeh-merry-ka, but I, as an outsider, would love the trumpster to become president. Purely selfish reasons of course, the main one being how truly hilarious it would be on so many levels.
Is he religious? Probably not, but your country as a whole better start praying & soon, before it’s too late.

I don’t care whether Donald Trump, or any other candidate for office, is religious or not religious. I don’t even want to know. A person’s spiritual beliefs are non of my business, but the separation of church and state are very much my concern.

If a candidate makes their religion part of their campaign, @Love_my_doggie, then you are forced to consider it, @Love_my_doggie.

Mitt Romney being a devout Mormon made me queasy, and look at the current position of the Mormon church on gays.

Well, like all Christians, he believes in his own version of God and what God expects from him…or is going to do for him. It is God’s plan to make Trump president so he can empty every government bank account and transfer it to his own accounts offshore. It is what God wants for him.

@ibstubro Many voters thought that JFK would be loyal to the Vatican first, and to the USA second. It would be a disaster, and a threat the country’s well-being, if (shudder) a Catholic were elected. The idea was ridiculous in concept and even sillier in reality.

If someone takes an anti-gay position, that’s political and social policy. It doesn’t matter whether the position’s formed by religion, hatred, or a warped sense of right-and-wrong. I would never presume that someone’s homophobic because he’s LDS, or that a person wants to outlaw contraception because she’s Catholic. Now, if those same people are, indeed, anti-gay or want to eliminate birth control, and if they put those beliefs in their platforms, that’s when I care.

JFK specifically addressed his allegiance while campaigning, @Love_my_doggie. I don’t think that’s true today. Candidates are openly pandering to the religious right. To the Christians, that they are going to make us a Christian Nation.

”...we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store…” is just an incredibly ignorant thing to say and many levels, and yet today, it works.

Apparently there are now religions inconsistent with the values and principles of America.

The fact of the matter is that if Romney was President today, the recent Mormon announcement would be a huge and total distraction. And a distracted nation is a vulnerable nation.

I don’t for a minute believe that Donald Trump is a pious man. Neither was Ronald Reagan. The difference is that Trump believes he has to pretend he is to get elected. Ben Carson is a man of science. All this one-up-manship on hating Muslims and praying for this and that scares the shit out of me.

Carson is not a “man of science”.
He denies evolution, global warmin, and thinks that the pyramids were giant grain stores.

It is so disappointing that a man of such brilliance, a neurosurgeon, can be so ignorant at the same time. Maybe Carson is a living, breathing example of the Intelligence vs Intellect question.

As a brilliant neurosurgeon, he is a man of science, @ragingloli.

And loon of science seems somehow, I don’t know, disrespectful? ~

He used to be a man of science. He has since retired and now focuses on being a public disgrace to the word “doctor”.

I’m sure Donald Trump can’t believe there is room in the universe for two supreme beings.

He is as much a “man of science” as any random electrician who had to learn electrical theory during his training.

And frankly, the bloody Mythbusters are more men of science than Carson.

I think a lot of people who dislike Trump simply do out of bigotry. Judging someone simply on the basis of their financial status is wrong, whether they are on the high end, or low end of that distinction.
I don’t know whether or not he is a Christian, but if I wanted to be elected President, I would sure consider claiming I was. I personally don’t care if he believes in the Bible, says Grace before every meal, and after he puts on his silk jammies.
If the man is capable of improving the nation where I was born and raised, then I am all for him. We are near being seen as a third world country. WTF? I don’t vote for who I would like as a neighbor, husband, or best friend when I am considering a candidate for the Presidency of the U.S. If I were, Bernie would be way up there. I think he is a neat guy to listen to, and I would probably get him stirred up on purpose if he were my friend, just to hear him go on. Hillary would be the chick I ditch the lunch tab on. Fiorina? Gaaaaahhhh. I am impressed by Trump’s abilities to put together a team and get shit accomplished.
To be faced with the number of issues whined about, dealt with, not dealt with, and as yet unseen, a President today cannot rely only on himself to get the job done. Trump knows how to cluster the right types around him to best benefit the task.
I don’t believe he is running so he can make The United States Of America his bitches. I believe he cares about doing the job well. That is all I care about, can he do the job well; does he want to? He can pray to fifty gods and see some of them in the clouds when he looks up, for all I care, so long as he puts his skills and concentration into running a nation well.

Hey, Jellies! I just sorted through today’s mail, and you’ll never guess what Paul and I received – a packet, about 1 cm thick, from Ben Carson for President 2016. The envelope contains a 6-page fundraising letter, some postcards for us to send to our pals, and bumper stickers for both our cars. There’s even an “I’m with Ben” declaration for us to sign and return.

This is hilarious. We’re the two most extreme leftists you could ever meet. We know that climate change and global warming are real science, not political footballs. We’re very confident that the earth has existed for more than 5,776 years.

I’d love to know how our names and address got added to Carson’s mailing list. I’m guessing that someone played a widescale practical joke on Carson. Paul and I are extremely active in politics and know how much cross-checking occurs before anyone’s added to a database; actually, we’re both involved in database development and maintenance. This was no accident.

Well, it’s nice to know that Ben Carson’s campaign committee is sending pricey mailings to people who’ll laugh at them. The campaign’s resources should be quickly depleted.

sell them on ebay

Um, @Here2_4, Nobody is judging Trump on his financial status. If that influenced people’s reasoning, Obama would not be president. He and Michelle were millionaires long before they landed in the White House.

They’re judging him on the fact that he is an asshole. An arrogant, vile, disgusting, misogynistic, racist asshole.

@Here2_4 – You’re operating under the very mistaken impression that all we know about Donald Trump is the fact that he is wealthy.

He’s been a laughingstock for, oh, my entire life.

He’s so obviously bad for the job of running a government that one of the worst movies of the 1990s based President Koopa on him.

I resent Trump for running on ignorance alone, @Here2_4.

Like the Merry Christmas statement above.

I think his latest plan on immigration was to round up and send home 500,000 illegal immigrants a month until they’re gone. We’re going to create a “deportation force” to do this. Set up an infrastructure capable of finding, holding and transporting 17,000 people per day, and we’re going to do it “humanely”, although Trumps touts Operation Wetback as his model. And is he going to fork over the ($1,000 guestimate per immigrant for up to 20m and another 8 for ”The Wall”) 30 billion needed for the plan?

Give me a topic, any Trump plan or idea, and lets shine the light of day on it.

Thanks all! I just won twenty bucks. I bet my neighbor that the friendly clan of Fluther would rather rip someone apart than give a compliment or a thank you. This is the most attention I’ve received on Fluther in weeks.

You stole $20 from your neighbor by betting them that the (slightly to the left of Ghandi) Flutherites wouldn’t have something nice to say about Donald Trump?

No. The bet wasn’t about the question. It was about what would get the most energy, jumping at the chance to rip me apart, or commending a good idea or response. She has been watching posts with me for a couple of weeks.
I had been bending her ear about how I search for helpful links to information to help people, and I doubt anyone ever even clicks on them. If they do, they don’t say anything about whether or not it helped, or was interesting. She told me I was just being sensitive, and maybe if I took count it would come out different than I think.
I am starting to get bummed thinking about it. I’m going to have breakfast, and think of a cheerful way to spend my winnings.
Have lots of fun ya’ll.

I missed the helpful link? @Here2_4.

I think we would all agree with your statement:
“If the man is capable of improving the nation where I was born and raised, then I am all for him.”
We simply disagree that the statement applies to Trump.

I’m open and willing to discuss any specific plans or policies that make Trump look ready to lead the nation. Personally, I’m not ready to turn the Presidency of the United States into a Fox Network reality TV show.

It scares me – scares me a lot – that the Republican field is resigning me to a Hillary presidency.
At the very least, I think she’s pretty firmly against WW lll.

@Here2_4

I don’t see anyone ripping you apart, unless, in your mind, simply disagreeing with you is “ripping you apart”. I don’t see people stating their views about Donald Trump, views which you have done nothing here to dispel. And what helpful links did you post? I see no links whatsoever posted by you.

There is a down side to the mantra we all push on our kids, “We live in America, a country where ANYONE can be President”. Maybe I’ve been looking at Carson and Trump the wrong way. Instead of judging their qualifications on the rather appalling things they each have to say, perhaps it would be more productive to ask what it is about them, what’s the thing the 2 absurdly different personalities have over their rivals. Well once you dismiss the fact that they are clearly unqualified, the only thing left is that they aren’t politicians. That’s it! Here’s the deal. When these 2 fellas stand up before the cameras rattling off absurdities like the wall along the border financed by Mexico or a Federal tax system based on tithing, it isn’t the glaring stupidity of it that catches the attention of their fans. It’s about the sad fact that fans (as well as the rest of us) believe the 2 of them mean every word of it, and more importantly, nobody put em up to it! That’s just how bad things have gotten on the right. It’s a dark Kafkaesque tale of the absurd.

Well put, @stanleybmanly, well put.

Well, anybody can be president, @stanleybmanly, but only if they’re qualified.

Qualifications:

Over 35 years of age
Natural born citizen
Not dead.

I meant mentally, too @Seek! It also helps to have a high IQ, but, as we learned with Bush Jr. that isn’t always necessary.

@DutchessIII yes that’s the trouble that’s been debated since the founding of the place, and as @Seek so bluntly states, an alligator in her back yard might make it to Pennsylvania Ave the moment PETA manages to achieve citizenship for our animals. But I digress. The debate has always raged over can and should when it comes to that topic of qualifications. It’s like the discussion we had here a few days ago over irresponsible. They are words, the meaning of which varies with each of us. Who votes for a candidate they believe unqualified? And yet who tops the polls. The great question remains unanswered as to whether we’re better off in a land where ANYONE can be President ( well almost anyone).

@stanleybmanly Except for Bernie Sanders, I’d gladly vote for an alligator instead of any of the current candidates.

I think we are better off in a land where anyone can be president. I mean, what would the alternatives be? Only those who were born into a select, elite, wealthy family should be allowed to run from president.

Bush the Younger was far more intelligent than he let on. In fact I would even argue that him pulling off the stammering buffoon act so well, and appealing to so many with it, speaks to his intelligence.

Presidential IQ FYI

This rings true to me, though, given that the average American IQ is 100.

@Darth Algar the great crime with Dubyah wasn’t about his intelligence. Bush isn’t dumb. His cranial equipment is just fine. The unforgivable flaw in Bush is that he came into office a profoundly ignorant man who had squandered 20 years of the best educational opportunities on the planet. The movers and shakers responsible for plopping his ignorant ass in the Oval Office thought they could repeat the Reagan trick of planting a personable know nothing in front of the public while pulling his strings offstage. The troubles with the scheme revolved around the considerable decline in quality of the “handlers” in the interim between the two.

@Dutchess III This upcoming election is exactly that test as to whether or not we’re better off in that land where anyone can be President, and the consensus in the country has surprisingly nearly always run toward the optimism of “trusting the judgement of the people for eventually they will get it right”. But the thing that is usually overlooked is the extraordinary, no that word is insufficient—unbelievable luck we’ve had as a nation. There’s a quote attributed to Bismarck that runs something like “there appears to be a special Providence for children, drunkards and America ”. My big worry is that our lucky streak is over, and that the big cushion we formerly had tolerating the travails of political mediocrity is no longer with us.

I really have no idea about it, and I care little. That has no effect upon his performance on the job.