The Oranges of the New Religion

 The red badge of courage. The scarlet letter. The pink triangle. The cross. You've got to wear something so that others in society know where you stand. 

Of them all, the cross is the easiest to earn. You can buy one in the jewelry department of any JC Penny. I think JC Penny still exists. 

Wearing the cross and telling people that you are a Christian is like an endorsement from the Better Business Bureau, but even better than that because you don't have to buy your way in or pay dues like the BBB expects. And as long as you can avoid too many complaints, you get to maintain your BBB status in your advertising and on business cards. 

Trump is endorsed by leading evangelical Christians, but I'm not sure he ever wears a cross. His could be in the pawn shop, or quite frankly, he doesn't wear one because it could burn a hole in his chest. I'm not really sure of the rules because my Christianity pretty much ended around the age of 16 when I fumbled through confirmation class and was no longer required to attend church. That was the deal with at least 50% of my parents. Mom decreed that we get through confirmation and then you can make the choice. Seemed like punishment to me to attend the classes when the forgone conclusion was that I had no interest in church. Dad, for the record, had wanted us to be raised Catholic. I missed out on my friends CCD training, but I think their parents made the same confirmation deal. I don't know too many people who are seriously religious of any persuasion. Not as many people go through the motions anymore. 

Well, except on TV and politics where they are all about going through the motions. Politics is where you will find most religion today. We are told on TV and the internet that we are a Christian nation and the words, "In God We Trust" is seriously cited as proof of that. Those words have been on our money since 1954, I think, and it was Christians in congress that got that done, most likely as a hedge against the godless communism of the time that threatened our American way. But you never know with these people. They might have been playing the long game, knowing that someday soon God would invent the internet and trolls could post things like: "Of course we are a Christian nation- it says so on our money!" Oh- they got "under God" put into the pledge of allegiance around the same time as well. More solid evidence. 

Trump is the last guy you would think you'd want to see as the leader of your religion, but the Lord and republicans work in mysterious ways. There are tens of millions of people in the US who believe that Trump is not only a Christian, but THE best one. They might be right. Really. There is no man on earth who epitomizes Christianity more than Donald J. Trump, and that's a goddamn shame. 

They don't see it that way though. They have no sense of irony or embarrassment about it. They say it with straight faces even though guys like me who have a pedestrian knowledge of the Bible know he has absolutely none of the characteristics of Jesus Christ. He's more like the story of the Devil. Come on! Jesus Christ...

But he qualifies. He's got the BBB endorsement of those leading evangelicals even though he's the least Christ-like president ever. He probably stiffs them on his dues too. 

Trump is killing Christianity, taking it over like the business it is. Most people agree that MAGA is a cult. Arguably, all religions start out with a cultish following, and endeavor to grow one mind at a time to build their strength. It's about market share, although they don't really want to share too much. Competition is a capitalist fantasy. Just look at the grocery store. The house brand at Kroger or Walmart isn't some upstart, low-cost can of corn business, it's a subsidiary of Del Monte, or whatever food giant comes to mind. Corporations manufacture their own competition to go after every available dollar. Nothing personal, just business. 

Consider Trump to be a sort of rebranding of Christianity. Oh, they'll keep calling it Christianity for name recognition of course, because that is just good business. But regardless of what the label says, it is MAGA. No one has ever seen God, but we have eyes on Trump every goddamn day, and amazingly, that helps the brand. Incredible, but unlike God or Jesus, he literally puts himself out there, 24/7. To paraphrase the communists, If Trump did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. And folks, that's what they have done. A new religion that will bring you to your knees, Trump's MAGA, if you please. Or even if you don't.