We need to make it clear that assigning divine traits to politicians is more damaging than kneeling

[ck4829]

for the anthem or burning the flag.

When former President Donald Trump was in office, his religious-right supporters fell over themselves to shower him with comparisons to biblical leaders, ranging from King David and Solomon to Cyrus and the Apostle Paul. Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel was similarly exalted when he appeared Saturday at an event held at Calvary Church in Hamilton, Ohio, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Mandel was introduced by Candice Keller, a former right-wing Ohio state representative who was defeated in the Republican primary last year after she blamed mass shootings on “homosexual marriage and drag queen advocates,” among other things. Keller welcomed Mandel to the stage by likening him to King David and Cyrus and declaring that he has been chosen by God.

“He, I believe, is God’s man for the hour,” Keller said. “I absolutely believe that. He’s 43. When I look at him, I think that’s what David looked like—King David in the Bible. In my mind, I’m like, ‘That’s King David.’ And you know, just like David, I believe that he’s God’s man for the hour.”

“Josh Mandel is going to go to the Senate,” Keller declared. “Just so you know, he’s going. He’s going. Now, when he gets there, I know he’s only going to be one of 100, but God said, ‘I searched for one man so I would not have to judge a nation.’ And just like Donald Trump, God is raising Josh Mandel up to be our Cyrus in Ohio. Ohio is the most significant state in the nation, in my opinion. God is going to place Josh in a strategic place, and I believe he’s in it.”

Read more: https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/candice-keller-says-just-like-donald-trump-god-is-raising-josh-mandel-up-to-be-our-cyrus/

It's funny, they talk about confederate statues being "history" and what-not... but my view of history has told me we rejected the "Divine Right of Kings", right? Any history buffs agree or disagree with me that the spirit and letter of our founding included an element of getting away from this "divine right" thing?

Why are we going to this "divine right of politicians" or "divine right of Republicans"?

What's more - What's that do for the discourse of our country? What does it do for unity, healing, and consensus when a side believes their man is going to be installed by God? What if Mandel doesn't become a Senator? Is that a Satanic plot? Or did Keller misunderstand God?

And I say these things as a spiritual believer. I think it's troubling that we can't have a conversation like this and if this was disseminated and I hope it does get disseminated, that there would be an assumption about me, the OP of this thread. And that's not to say being a person who doesn't believe is "wrong", everyone has their own path to walk. But it's not enough to have a religious left, what's more important is that there is a universal rejection of assigning divine traits to politicians.

It needs to be said...
* People kneeling during the national anthem
* Not standing during the pledge of allegiance
* Burning the flag even

Not as damaging to the fiber, structure, and character of this country as an event where politicians are assigning divine traits to each other!

[Ohioboy]

1. I think this is exactly the kind of thing Ben Franklin was warning about

Paraphrasing Franklin "a republic, if you can keep it"

[Irish_Dem]

3. I keep thinking about that phrase from Ben Franklin.

He knew what could happen.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

2. Agreed! Right-wing authoritarians (RWA's) are the worst.

Germany is a example from the past, among others.

And simulations with them in control aren't any better, except the damage they cause isn't real in those cases -- e.g., the Global Change Game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Change_Game
In a 1994 study by American-Canadian psychologist Bob Altemeyer, 68 subjects chosen as demonstrating high levels of right-wing authoritarianism played a three-hour version of the Global Change Game, and were compared to a comparison game played by individuals with low RWA scores.

The game played by those with low scores resulted in world peace and widespread international cooperation. Seven men and three women made themselves team leader "Elites", and the Elites agreed to meet for talks on "the Island Paradise of Tasmania" whenever an international crisis arose. The three superpowers favored nuclear disarmament at the start of the game, and no wars occurred during the game. When an ozone layer depletion crisis arose, the world's Elites contributed sufficient money to resolve the problem through technology. The game ended with 400 million deaths to disease and starvation in India and Africa, but Altemeyer considered it "actually a highly successful run of the game, compared to most".

In the simulation played by authoritarians, all eight Elite roles were taken by men. The game quickly became highly militarised, with no countries choosing to disarm their nuclear weapons. The game opened with the Elite from the Middle East doubling oil prices, and the Soviet Union investing in armies to invade North America. The North American Elites retaliated with nuclear weapons, instantly ending the game in a nuclear holocaust. When this happens in the game, the facilitators turn off the lights in the room and explain the consequences of the nuclear war, before giving the players a "second chance", turning the game clock back two years. The Soviet Union invaded China instead of the United States, and nuclear war remained a threat for the remainder of the game. Africa and Asia collapsed having spent their resources buying into alliances, and by the end of the game 1.7 billion people had died.[3]

Elites in both games had the option to siphon their country's funds to private accounts, with a prize being given at the end of the game to "World's Richest Person". The Elites in the high-RWA group siphoned more than twice the amount that the low-RWA group had, and Altemeyer attributed the disparity in game outcomes to this, as well as a tendency for high-RWAs to care more about their own group than outsiders.

[Qutzupalotl]

4. The biblical character Trump most resembles is Judas,

sacrificing higher ideals for his 30 pieces of silver and 15 minutes of fame.

[Sur Zobra]

5. Where are we going with this?

It’s them. They, the Repukes, are going with this

[Solomon]

6. "More damaging than kneeling for the anthem

or burning the flag"!?

What the hell is damaging about kneeling during the anthem or burning the flag?

[ck4829]

7. Nothing. My point is it's not an issue of spectrum, but magnitude.