In an off-the-rails Sunday interview, the president rejected a core belief of many of his religious voters. Will we see a GOP fracture, or a new post-religious right?

Every week, millions of Christians gather to worship and remember the tenets of the faith: belief in God, in Jesus Christ as his son and their savior, and in the Holy Spirit. Many utter the words of the Lord’s Prayer each week, and in doing so, ask that God forgive our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

These are the ABCs of the Christian faith — and they should theoretically be an easy answer to offer if, like President Donald Trump, you’re asked what might happen when you die, and what you might do when Judgment Day comes.

And yet, when asked last week by Ross Douthat on 60 Minutes where Trump thinks he’ll go when he dies — and if he could forgive his political enemies if his salvation depended on it — Trump was brutally honest.

“Well, I’m a religious person, so in theory I go to heaven,” the president said. “I hope so. I don’t want to go to hell.”

Could he forgive opponents like former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?

“Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I? I mean, if I said to you, sure, the easy answer to that is ‘Oh, yes, I could forgive,’” Trump told Douthat. “The answer is no. I want to be honest, no.”

Even if God asked it?

“Before the judgment, no,” he said. “I do hate some of my enemies…I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will.”

    • Awooooooga@lemmy.world
      101·
      2 days ago

      Have you read the Bible? I would really say proselytizing is a disqualifier for being christian

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        2·
        1 day ago

        15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

        Mark 16:15-18

        Nope.

      • egrets@lemmy.world
        8·
        2 days ago

        To some extent. You’re probably referencing the Sermon on the Mount, though (Matthew 5 and 6, including the bits about praying in private and not making a display of your faith), and that wasn’t exactly a private affair.

        • nomy@lemmy.zipEnglish
          2·
          17 hours ago

          Yeah I’m no christian and I realize lemmy isn’t the most religious place, but proselytizing as a disqualifier is a hilarious take.

          Christian scripture references spreading the word many times and spreading the faith is a cornerstone of Christianity. It’s literally what all of the disciples did and what Jesus himself (allegedly) did, travel around converting people.

          As a hot take it’s pretty good but if the other commenter is serious they show a fundamental misunderstanding of Christianity to the point of absurdity.