Smite The Unbeliever!

Unbeliever-in-Chief Donald Trump says he will order churches to open. Ha!

He knows his base is heavily peopled with conservative Christians. He has also no doubt received heavy pressure from the likes of Jerry Falwell jr., Steve Pettit, and Franklin Graham, who will show us the way according to them, in return for our personal check, to paraphrase Mary Chapin Carpenter.

He plays to that audience not because he shares their beliefs, but because they comprise a large chunk of the white conservative vote. He couldn't care less what they believe, but they will support him come hell or high water, and he is desperate for their help.

That pesky First Amendment gets in his way of trying to strongarm the churches directly, so he wants governors to declare churches essential: “The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important, essential places of faith to open right now for this weekend, . . . if they don’t do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less.”

Right. Good luck with that. We have plenty of prayer, thank you. What the preachers are missing is hands dropping money into offering baskets.

There is no hierarchical structure outside martial law that compels governors to obey the president. And considering that the president left the governors leaderless and swinging in the wind early on in the pandemic, few are likely to be amenable to his "orders."

In any event, I'm pretty sure the governors' actions are supported by the Tenth Amendment, and not subject to override by federal power.

The lockdown hasn't put a damper on prayer or praise. Christians of faith know they don't need buildings, or crowds, or even ministers, to worship. They can commune with their Lord singly and quietly, anywhere.

The Unbeliever-in-Chief should try it.


--- Diogenes, 5/23/20



¹ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/politics/trump-churches-coronavirus.html