Alternative Culture: The attempted assassination of Donald Trump

 

After the shooting, Trump raises his hand to encourage his base

On 13 July 2024, a person opened fire at presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Trump Rally in Pennsylvania. While Trump survived, two others (David Dutch and James Copenhaver) were wounded and one (Corey Comperatore) was killed. The secret service opened fire and killed the shooter. Trump later would attribute his safety to a chart (Trump shifted his head to look at it, causing the shooter to hit Trump's ear), the secret service, and God.

The purpose of this post is not to talk about the politics, security or even any conspiracy regarding the incident. This blog is a theological blog, and I will give my theological thoughts on this.

Is Trump the anti-Christ or the chosen one?
As with any major public event, there many Christians who are too hasty to condemn or praise Trump. 

Because of Trump surviving a head wound and Revelations 13, some point out that that he could be the anti-Christ, or the beast of the anti-Christ. 

One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. - Rev 13:3

On the other extreme end, some supporters see him as divinely chosen as he was shot at 6:11 pm. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil - Ephesians 6:11

As with any interpretation, Christians ought to be open but cautious. In fact, the Bible itself encourages believers to be wary of following such trends.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. - 1 John 4: 1-3

In my sceptical mind, I reject notions him being the anti-Christ because his wound was obviously not fatal. And I also reject the use of Ephesians 6:11 to support Trump as it is obliviously arbitrarily chosen. Why not John 6:11 or Hosea 6:11?

Was his survival the luck of the draw?

How did Trump see his survival?
On 19 July 2024, Trump gave a speech at the Republican National Convention. As part of his speech, he covered the assassination attempt from his point of view. I put a few quotes below:

"There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side."

"I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God."

"But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God. "

Trump felt that his survival was due to the intervention of God. In my opinion, his speech at the RNC surprisingly showed much humility as he thanked the Secret Service for protecting him and his supporters for not panicking at the event.

"Bullets were continuing to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage. And they really did. They rushed to the stage."

"This massive crowd of tens of thousands of people stood by and didn’t move an inch. In fact, many of them bravely but automatically stood up, looking for where the sniper would be. They knew immediately that it was a sniper. And then began pointing at him. You can see that if you look at the group behind me. That was just a small group compared to what was in front. Nobody ran and, by not stampeding, many lives were saved."

He also provided a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, a retired fireman who was killed, shielding his family from the bullets.

His speech was also more unifying than usual.

"As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart. I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America."

Now I do not know how much God intervened for Trump's survival, but I do know that whatever happens, God is in charge. 

"The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is from the Lord." - Proverbs 16:33

Looking ahead
Now whether America becomes more or less divisive from this incident, or whether Trump goes back on his speech of unity remains to be seen.

Regardless of outcome, know that God is ultimately in control.

Do you not know? Do you not hear?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
 who brings princes to nothing,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. (Isaiah 40: 21-23)

My Confession: Reflections on Job 8

 

I continue my reflections on Job.

Synopsis
Job's reply in Job 6-7 did not sit well with Bildad. It was now Bildad turn to speak,

“How long will you say such things?
    Your words are a blustering wind.
Does God pervert justice?
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?" (Job 8:2-3)

According to Bildad, Job's children got what they deserved for their sin. He explained,

"When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin." (Job 8:4)

He continued,

"Such is the destiny of all who forget God;
    so perishes the hope of the godless.
 What they trust in is fragile;
    what they rely on is a spider’s web." (Job 8: 13-14)

He then concludes by a simple view of God's justice,

“Surely God does not reject one who is blameless
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
    and your lips with shouts of joy.
Your enemies will be clothed in shame,
    and the tents of the wicked will be no more.” (Job 8:20 -23)

My reflections
Despite his attempt to comfort Job, Bildad is wrong in relegating God to a simplistic view of justice. In his view, only the good are rewarded while the wicked are punished. In other words, physical health and material wealth is one way to know if a person is right with God.

But we definitely know that this is not true. In our lifetime, we definitely have witness injustice. There are healthy and rich people who are corrupt; while there are sickly and poor people who are honest. Bildad seems to be promoting a form of prosperity gospel.

I myself must not follow in Bildad's theology and promote such binary thinking.

With Due Respect: Does Numbers 5:27 support abortion?

 

Hector and his daughter Liliana from Fire Emblem Cipher 

Often Christians use the Bible to justify their moral or political stance. In this way, we all fall temptation to misquoting the Bible. One example I want to examine today is the Book of Numbers and abortion.

Numbers and abortion
One of the popular Bible quotes for pro-abortion Christians is from Numbers 5:27:

If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse. (Numbers 5:27; NIV)

In other words, the author of the passage was describing how to cause a miscarriage, which implied that abortion was acceptable during the Old Testament times.

Immediately you should see the fallacies in such an argument.

Fallacy 1: Describing is not the same as endorsing
One giant mistake that such pro-abortionists make is that just because the Bible describes something, it does not mean the Bible supports it.

For instance, in my history blog I often describe horrors of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. This does not mean that I support such terrors.

Describing the expansion of Imperial Japan is not the same as supporting it.

Fallacy 2: The context is a test for unfaithfulness, not procedure for an abortion.

Even a simple look at the verse in context reveals that the passage is not about abortion, but about punishment for unfaithfulness.

But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”— here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. (Numbers 5: 20-21; NIV)

Fallacy 3: The verse is not deliberately causing a miscarriage
While the NIV translators used the term "miscarry", it is not a unanimous translation. The same passage is translated slightly differently even within the English versions.

And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. (Numbers 5:27; ESV)

When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall discharge, her uterus drop, and the woman shall become an execration among her people. (Numbers 5:27; NRSVUE)

If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. (Numbers 5:27; NLT)

Comparing the translations, the idea of miscarriage is admittedly unclear. Nevertheless, it is clear that Numbers 5:27 refers to a punishment for the unfaithful wife.

Children are a gift from God

Fallacy 4: The Bible overwhelmingly supports procreation
Lastly it is a mistake to take a single verse and make a stance out of it. The Bible is very clear in its support for childbearing.

For you created my inmost being;
 you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, (Psalms 139: 13- 14; NIV)

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
   offspring a reward from him. (Psalms 127:3; NIV)

Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together with bones and sinews?
 You gave me life and showed me kindness,
    and in your providence watched over my spirit. (Job 10: 10 -12; NIV)

Conclusion
It is dangerous to twist the Bible for our purposes. We instead, should mediate on the Bible and be inline with God's purposes.

For a summary video: