Is MAGA-ism a Religion?

[ratiocinator]

Why not Heaven?

Well, if God thought they were so bad they deserved genocide (even the infants and those evil cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys), why would it then reward them with heaven? Wouldn't exactly be consistent......... oh, right! That fits perfectly with the biblical God, totally inconsistent, almost like it has dissociative identity disorder.

Yes, inquiring minds should find out. Put it on your “to do” list? Or was it you weren’t really interested anyways?

Well, looking at this site, I can see no justification for total genocide. In fact, I can see no justification for total genocide, full stop.

Who Were the Amalekites and Why Were They Enemies of Israel?

The Israelites had many enemies. But what made the Amalekites especially brutal enemies?

www.christianity.com

And whatever happened to (for example) Matthew 5:43-48 NIV:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.​

 

[We Never Know]

There is no cure for stupid.

Edit. I shouldn't have used the word stupid. If my grandma was alive she would womp me.
She always said never say anyone is stupid, say they are simple.

 

[shunyadragon]

We can't use the terms "black" or "oriental" anymore. African American and Asian, please.

It does not change the facts, Blacks is still used not all Blacks are African Americans.

 

[Kathryn]

Not entirely. Some blacks don't want to be referred to as African as it's widely known other ethnicities are from Africa. Most definitely don't want to be called really terrible words.

To be completely honest, I am not sure what to call many African American or Black people. I call American Black people African American usually.

 

[Kathryn]

There is no cure for stupid.

Edit. I shouldn't have used the word stupid. If my grandma was alive she would womp me.
She always said never say anyone is stupid, say they are simple.

My grandmother always said "Don't call someone a liar or say they are lying - say they are telling stories." OKaaaaaaaaay. Except not.

 

[shunyadragon]

Well, if God thought they were so bad they deserved genocide (even the infants and those evil cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys), why would it then reward them with heaven? Wouldn't exactly be consistent......... oh, right! That fits perfectly with the biblical God, totally inconsistent, almost like it has dissociative identity disorder.


Well, looking at this site, I can see no justification for total genocide. In fact, I can see no justification for total genocide, full stop.

Who Were the Amalekites and Why Were They Enemies of Israel?

The Israelites had many enemies. But what made the Amalekites especially brutal enemies?

www.christianity.com

And whatever happened to (for example) Matthew 5:43-48 NIV:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.​

How is this related to the subject of the thread?

Nonetheless I consider this site describing the Amalekites more than a bit touched with the Created history of Exodus and Joshua. I will question whether the Amalekites ever existed outside the accounts in the Pentateuch. I have not found any archeological evidence to document the existence of the Amalekites. As far as the archeological evidence everyone one record defeated the Hebrew tribes including the Moabites, Egyptians, and the Assyrians. followed by the Persians and Romans.

It sounds like they created a mythical enemy they defeated by Joshua's army that never existed and in reality never existed.

 

[Nakosis]

It is, however, an idea that any thinking person would find repugnant -- that a deity would spare Trump's life but permit a loving father and regular church-goer to be shot dead while protecting his family. What kind of person could tolerate that sort of "god?"

Folks find ways to justify their beliefs even if they don't make sense.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Folks find ways to justify their beliefs even if they don't make sense.

Every one is less intelligent than they think they are.
We are perfectly capable of believing anything.
Gullibility goes hand on hand with our intelligence level.
Even a MAGA supporter believes that they are smart.
The capability for self delusion appears to be the inverse of intelligence.

 

[Viker]

Every one is less intelligent than they think they are.
We are perfectly capable of believing anything.
Gullibility goes hand on hand with our intelligence level.
Even a MAGA supporter believes that they are smart.
The capability for self delusion appears to be the inverse of intelligence.

It's been my experience that highly intelligent people can be gulled. And that the highly informed and critically educated are much harder to gull. But no one is absolutely impervious.

 

[Nakosis]

Every one is less intelligent than they think they are.
We are perfectly capable of believing anything.
Gullibility goes hand on hand with our intelligence level.
Even a MAGA supporter believes that they are smart.
The capability for self delusion appears to be the inverse of intelligence.

Most folks go with their feelings over rational thinking. That's a general rule for the human race.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Folks find ways to justify their beliefs even if they don't make sense.

I've always found evidence, rather than "ways," the best way to justify my beliefs. While I may not always have such evidence (beliefs can be tenacious), one thing I can say is that I suffer no cognitive dissonance -- when I discover evidence that conflicts with my beliefs, those beliefs give way. Just for example, there used to be whole series of books dedicated to the "paranomal," and when I was young, I found it quite easy to believe in the claims for "spontaneous human combustion" and other strange phenomena. As I continued learning and (hopeully) gaining some wisdom, those idea fell away. My life experiences as a child just caused that to happen with God much earlier. It's hard not to believe in an all-powerful, loving God who, though he could see "the little sparrow fall," didn't notice when I was being beaten to near death.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Most folks go with their feelings over rational thinking. That's a general rule for the human race.

It is not the rule for me.

 

[Nakosis]

I've always found evidence, rather than "ways," the best way to justify my beliefs. While I may not always have such evidence (beliefs can be tenacious), one thing I can say is that I suffer no cognitive dissonance -- when I discover evidence that conflicts with my beliefs, those beliefs give way. Just for example, there used to be whole series of books dedicated to the "paranomal," and when I was young, I found it quite easy to believe in the claims for "spontaneous human combustion" and other strange phenomena. As I continued learning and (hopeully) gaining some wisdom, those idea fell away. My life experiences as a child just caused that to happen with God much earlier. It's hard not to believe in an all-powerful, loving God who, though he could see "the little sparrow fall," didn't notice when I was being beaten to near death.

I wasn't that analytical I suppose. When bad things happen to me I assumed it was because I made bad choices. I thought listening to "God" would lead me to make better choices. Not that "God" would directly intervene.

 

[Nakosis]

It is not the rule for me.

Unfortunately for me, since I don't know everything, my ability to be rational is limited to what I think happens to be true. Mostly that based on what other people claim. So while I'd like to always make the rational choice most of what I have to go on are how I feel about things. I know feelings aren't that reliable however I'm kind of distrustful claims of "truth" made by others.

So I navigate these issues mostly base on my feelings and limited experience of the world.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Unfortunately for me, since I don't know everything, my ability to be rational is limited to what I think happens to be true. Mostly that based on what other people claim. So while I'd like to always make the rational choice most of what I have to go on are how I feel about things. I know feelings aren't that reliable however I'm kind of distrustful claims of "truth" made by others.

So I navigate these issues mostly base on my feelings and limited experience of the world.

But, like watching a magician perform. We "know" that things don't just appear into thin air, that cards don't float in that same air, that ladies who are sawn in half don't survive (I suppose Dead Pool could do it -- saw that in a movie once, but otherwise). The fact that we don't know how it's done doesn't make it more likely to be actual magic -- we know that it isn't -- but that, in fact makes it more "magical" becaue we so admire the magician's skill and art. And with a little research, we can probably work out how it was done.

 

[SkepticThinker]

I feel like I’m up against an immovable opinion since it has been used as a standard anti-God sentiment… but here goes. God is not for slavery or genocide any more than we are “for the atomic bomb to kill masses of people ” - but found it necessary to use it.

How do you (claim to) know this?

 

[SkepticThinker]

No, that is a perspective and an interpretation used by those who are anti-Bible or anti-religion.

No. It's the perspective of anyone reading it at face value who doesn't already accept that it's the "word of god."

 

[Redneck Mystic]

Perhaps it's just me, but what I know about what makes a religion (and what I know seems unable to unmake it) suggests that the devotion to Donald Trump (not to a party, not to a platform, not to an ideology) constitutes a religion. As I think all personality cults do.

Some observations:

​

All Christians routinely ignore some horrifying stories from the Bible, and yet accept them as part of their devotions.​

All MAGAs routinely ignore many horrifying stories about Trump, yet accept him as the focus of their devotions.​

​

The vast majority of senior Trump supporters were implacably opposed to him at first, ran against him claiming he was so wrong for the party -- and then wound up supporting him, often completely contradicting their previous positions in the process.​

The vast majority of Christ's supporters were originally the Romans and other polytheists of the ancient world. Those who Jesus arose from (Jews) reject him as "divine" even today.​

​

Your question and observations about Trump and his congregation are spot on. Yes, he has started a religion, and he is its high priest, and it is a cult. if you wish to understand how this came to be, consider a demon took up residence in Trump, who is contagious and those who latch onto him become infected by the demon, too.
That “phenomenon” was chillingly addressed by Trevor Ravenscrot in THE SPEAR OF DESTINY, which describes how a demon infiltrated Adolph Hitler and enhanced him, and then the demon infiltrated Hitler’s top brass and enhanced them. Ravenscroft’s book is still in print.
The same process is under way with Trump and his congregation, but it is not yet as far processed as it got in Germany, where most of the German population became controlled by that demon.
The same thing happened to Joe Biden and his base, but it has not progressed as far as it has with Trump and his base.
Hopefully, the Democrats will pick a candidate not influenced by Biden.

 

[Soandso]

Is MAGA-ism a religion? No way!

Ok, maybe there are religious elements

Ok, maybe MAGAs think he's chosen by God and compare him to king David and other prophets of the Bible constantly

Ok, maybe certain pastors within the MAGA movement are declaring Trump as the new Messiah

Ok, now I'm including this guy praying to Trump just because. Totally unrelated. Funny, though

 

[Alea iacta est]

I'm not an American but I have been to the US.

I think the Americans tend to worship rich people. The MAGA movement isn't unique. It doesn't matter if they are worshipping rich politicians or Hollywood stars or what. It can be worshipping Trump, the next Democratic candidate, the Kardashians, Elon Musk, or anyone else. This is also a cult behavior from the losing side when Trump became the president.