I Didn't Realize Just How Flexible Christianity Truly Is Until Today

[MineralMan]

There's a lot of room for differences of opinion in modern Christianity, but I always thought, as an outsider, that there must be some limits to what could pass as Christianity. How edgy could you get and still have people think of you as a "good Christian?"

Today, when I saw the AI image Donald Trump personally posted on the social media outlet he owns, "Truth Social," I thought "Surely that goes too far." "Surely all Christians will condemn that as blasphemous." I mean, there is Trump, standing in place of Jesus, healing some sick person with his hands, while others look on in worshipful praise. It couldn't be more obvious.

Now, I have to say that I have seen a number of people condemning that image. Quite a few, really. But, I've also seen people defend it while denying that is represents blasphemy - about the worst sin anyone can imagine.

That single image, put forward by Trump himself, should be enough to convince all of his Christian followers to step away and look elsewhere for leadership. But, no. Like the man himself, they have put Donald J. Trump ahead of Jesus Christ.

Un-freaking-believable. Truly. Apparently, Christianity can be stretched even beyond the breaking point.

What's left after that?

[Bettie]

1. With the "Prosperity Gospel" in ascendence

pretty much anything goes as long as it brings in money.

[MineralMan]

3. What a Pity.

Personally, I'm an atheist, and have been for 60 years. However, I recognize the central position Christianity has had on the West and the USA. Today, though, I am very surprised that anyone is supporting that image.

(Yes, I know Trump has taken it down, but it is viral across the Internet now.)

[Bettie]

15. I'm an agnostic bordering on athiesm

I just can't say for certain that there is no guiding force in the universe, so I can't say that it is impossible.

But, being from the Midwest, as you surely know EVERYONE in my extended family is religious, so I hear about it a lot and they adore Trump, think he's "Christlike" but "flawed". Do I understand this? Nope.

Then again, my kid was the one who said "Who's Jesus" at a family gathering at age 3. My beloved husband threw me right under the bus as his mother glared at him! We laughed later.

But, beyond my rambling, they are all Wisconsin Synod Lutherans who believe firmly that people who are doing well financially are the ones god likes best....people who are poor are obviously not doing religion correctly. Explicitly said by several of them over the last ten or so years.

[MineralMan]

17. Ah, Wisconsin Synod Lutherans...

The Calvinist wing of the Lutheran Church. They still have the concept of the Catholic Church as the Antichrist in their doctrine, too.

But, then, Martin Luther wrote some pretty ugly anti-Semitic things, too. Nothing's simple.

Very strange group. Very small, too, which can't be a bad thing.

[Bettie]

20. Only church I've ever been in where I came out of

the Christmas service depressed. Very odd sect.

[MineralMan]

23. Yes. So it seems to me, too.

Thanks!

[Ocelot II]

24. Remember Michele Bachmann? She's WELS. QED.

[MineralMan]

25. How could I forget?

She is quite a piece of work. She's how I got introduced to that synod.

[Freddie]

29. I'm an ELCA Lutheran

I sometimes have to explain that I’m not one of “them” (and Missouri Synod, which is similar and more widespread). They’re so “Christian” they hate us more than they hate atheists. Made the mistake of checking out a LCMS site once and needed a shower.

[MineralMan]

36. My wife's family is ELCA.

My exposure to the Missouri Synod comes from AM Radio broadcasts of "The Lutheran Hour," which I still hear on the news/talk radio station here from time to time. It's not nearly as wacky as the Wisconsin Synod folks.

I always refer to the ELCA as the Sensible Synod of the Lutheran Church.

I did attend one service of the Norwegian Language Lutheran Church here in Minnesota with my wife's mother. Very conservative liturgy, but I don't speak Norwegian, so I can't say anything about its doctrine.

In my lifetime, I have sat in the rearmost pews of a very, very broad range of churches. I'm not sure why, but I've found it a very interesting thing to do over the years. I slip in just before the service begins and slip out at the end. Just a visitor. I've learned a lot by doing that.

[Sogo]

46. In my small Iowa town, we had a very forward-thinking priest, who had been educated in Rome at the Vatican.

He would take our youth group on "field trips" to the largest city in our area (Omaha) to visit various other religion's services. We attended a Greek Orthodox service and a Jewish sabbath service, among others. Those two really stick out in my memory. It was always very interesting to me....

[efhmc]

54. As a Lutheran and a Feminist, I am no fan of the Catholic church and until the ELCA fixed quite a few things about what

what women could do in church I stayed away. "The ELCA is grounded in Scripture, it interprets the Bible through the lens of law and gospel, focusing on Jesus Christ's work, and is known for being socially and theologically progressive, including the ordination of women and LGBTQ+ clergy."

[MineralMan]

55. The ELCA Is Fine with Me.

I have no real problem with it. My wife's family is ELCA.

[Joinfortmill]

30. Wow, not Christ like at all. No way to square that with what Jesus preached

I'm a lapsed Catholic.

[republianmushroom]

34. Yup, 'MONEY' that is what many so called christians worship

more than their Jesus or God. Money.

[Snackshack]

44. "Prosperity Gospel" feels a lot like....

'Indulgences' rebranded.

Martin Luther would not be happy.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. MaddowBlog-After picking an ugly fight with pope, Trump promotes image panned as 'blasphemy'

The president’s offensive against the pope, followed by the image presenting himself as some kind of American Jesus, represented quite the one-two punch.

I get that many will find Trump’s offensive against the pope as predictable — this is just what he does — but compare how he lashed out at Pope Francis in 2016 to how he targeted Pope Leo XIV yesterday.

And then add in the mind-numbing American Jesus image.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-13T12:03:12.331Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-picking-an-ugly-fight-with-pope-trump-promotes-image-panned-as-blasphemous

A decade later, as president, the Republican decided to go even further in an offensive against Francis’ successor, Pope Leo XIV.

In a 330-word tirade published on Sunday night to his social media platform, Trump wrote, among other things:

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. … I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! … Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!

.....Soon after, during a brief Q&A with reporters, Trump was asked why he “attacked” the pope. Instead of challenging the premise, the Republican replied, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.”

Reporter: Why did you attack Pope Leo?

Trump: I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. We don’t like a pope who says it’s ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo.

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2026-04-13T01:33:12.402Z

.....To be sure, none of this was too surprising. Leo, for example, recently chastised those who invoke God as supportive of military might, saying in a homily on Palm Sunday, “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”...

The question was less about whether Team Trump, which has spent months clashing with the faith community, would go after the Catholic leader, and more about how. We now have an answer.

On Monday morning, aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, the church’s first-ever American pope told The Associated Press, “I have no fear of the Trump administration.”....

For good measure, this back-and-forth was not the Republican’s only message related to religion.

And Trump posted an image of himself as some sort of American Jesus healing people.

— Brian Kaylor (@briankaylor.bsky.social) 2026-04-13T02:02:10.235Z

On Sunday night, Trump apparently thought it would also be a good idea to promote an image that appeared to present him as some kind of American Jesus.

“There is behavior that’s so self-evidently deranged that merely seeing it should lead to fury and disgust,” The New York Times’ David French wrote in response. “I’m concerned, however, that some evangelicals are so influenced by Trump that they won’t unite with their Catholic brothers and sisters in response to Trump’s blasphemy and intolerable attacks on the pope, but will instead turn against them.”

trump is truly crazy.

[Moostache]

4. I can make this easier for everyone.

The ONLY "good Christian" is not ever going to be the ones TELLING you about themselves. They actually follow the teachings of the Christ figure and try to model those tenets to the world without judgment or tsk-tsk'ing or self-flagellation or public displays of pseudo-piety.

I have known a few of them and they are among the most honorable people on the Earth, sadly, just as Muslims are painted with the Jihadi brush and slandered, so too are Christians by every one of these so called X-tians that flaunt the gospels and the words of the Christ to instead serve material aims and earthly power.

Gandhi was right when he said:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

[BlueKota]

8. One of my sister's Jewish friends asked her if she was a Christian!

My sister answered no, I'm Catholic. She said she doesn't want anyone to think she's at anyway associated with tsf maga christians. Neither of us goes to mass anymore, but we still believe, in a lot of the values we were taught, even though we became disenchanted with the institution.

I have to say at least for me the disenchantment is lessening the more I listen to Pope Leo. His leadership and his stand against tsf is much needed and appreciated by me.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. What's left? Well, there was B.C., A.D., B.C.E.

so there must be A.T.

They're waving the Avignon Papacy at us, but we're not countering with Theodosius I.

[spanone]

6. There is no bottom. This proves that

[leftstreet]

7. Next he'll post one of himself nailed on a cross

[spanone]

10. That could give me hope.

[MustLoveBeagles]

9. Correct

There's only lower and lower.

[Ocelot II]

11. Evangelical Christianity as practiced by MAGA isn't a religion at all.

It's a political movement (a cult, if you like), with a simulacrum of the first-century religious leader called Jesus (who may or may not have been the divine and resurrected son of God, depending on how you roll theologically) as their mascot. Since Christianity is the majority religion in the US and a particularly rigid and cultish version already existed in some locations where MAGA is strongest (chicken or egg?), it was easy to co-opt its symbols and language and repurpose them as the tools of the political cult. The original version of Christianity had only two rules: (1) Love God; and (2) love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). MAGA has a whole lot of other rules, but not the two big ones, which are supposed to be the foundation of everything else. So I'd say that whatever MAGA is doing with Christianity is a sort of extreme heresy that would horrify the Spanish Inquisition (which nobody expects anyhow).

[MineralMan]

14. I agree. However, one branch of Christianity

has taken up the idea that its version should rule the Earth. The Dominionists, among which are many of the MAGA folks, take a very different view of Christianity. Based on selective glances at the New Testament, they propose a theocratic concept of government.

It is a serious and dangerous part of American Christianity, I'm afraid. It has been around for a very long time, as well. Based on strict Calvinism, it takes that philosophy to its extreme.

Be afraid.

[WizumbODaSage]

12. Why does the guy Trump is laying hands on look like Jeffrey Epstein?

[Red Mountain]

33. I kind of thought

Hunter Biden.

[betsuni]

13. Evangelicals are a uniquely American anti-intellectual white identity Supply Side Jesus pseudo-religion.

More like a brand, a lifestyle, a ready-to-wear identity.

Without them Trump couldn't have won. I remember how they went from supporting Jimmy Carter to Reagan. Every time I hear yet again how Democrats "ignored" people and made them do "economic anxiety" by diabolically creating globalization and trade deals all by themselves -- that old BS fiction -- sure, right, that was the reason the nice white people went over to the Republican dark side.

[SamuelTheThird]

16. Jesus never condemned slavery

In fact, he cited it as a spiritual positive - Luke 17: 7-10

So, bear that in mind when considering christianity as having any moral authority. It's not just that it's very open to abuse, it is that it's a feature, not a bug.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. trump's followers on Truth Social are calling him the Antichrist after his post of an image depicting himself as Jesus

trump's followers are pissed and trump was forced to take down his post

Link to tweet

[MineralMan]

21. Thanks for posting that.

At least some recognize their mistake. That's a good thing.

[malaise]

19. You should have met my mum

😀

[yardwork]

22. Attacking Catholicism is nothing new for evangelical Protestants.

It's possible that whoever is running Trump's social media account is craftier than they seem.

First Trump goes after the pope - who is revered by Catholics. Then he posts a blasphemous image of himself as Christ. But it's mostly only Catholics who care about blasphemy, and it was Catholic groups who protested.

You'll recall that the Ku Klux Klan and related groups had several targets: Black people, Jews, and Catholics.

Watch the imagery that is released and listen to the words, and don't forget that most Hispanic immigrants are Catholics.

Trump's base includes the so-called prosperity gospel right wing Christian Nationalists. With the exception of Opus Dei these are not Catholics.

(Also note Trump's feud with Amy Coney Barrett.)

[MineralMan]

26. Well, they snatched that image right off the site, didn't they?

That's also interesting. Testing the waters, I guess.

[yardwork]

32. Or maybe it accomplished its use.

Trump provides entertainment to the masses while the billionaires loot the world.

Whether people were shocked, disgusted, amused, or whatever, Trump's post caused distraction. Millions laughed, others were confused or appalled or angered.

Trump's handlers control through triggering emotions, causing confusion and distraction while they methodically loot.

[MineralMan]

39. Right you are, I think.

[MagickMuffin]

27. I saw a post here that mentioned a AI Jesus for your very own

I can imagine most of his true believers would want him as their personal Jesus. To dictate what to believe. Every day they could consult him to tell them what to do in any given situation.


🤢🤮

[Joinfortmill]

28. It's a cult. They worship him. The rest USE him.

[mwmisses4289]

31. What on earth are "pryers"?

(I know, I know, I shouldn't make fun of people's typos, I make way too many myself; but holy moly, these people are so effing clueless!!)

[republianmushroom]

35. A little deflection from Epstein files and his illegal war, perhaps.

[livetohike]

37. People have been stoned to death or burned at the stake for

less. We can’t even get him dragged out of the White House. I was raised Lutheran and my Uncle was a Bishop in the Lutheran church. I wish he was still around to get his take on this.

[Fla Dem]

38. A demented human being took "In his Image" too literally.

"In his image" (Latin: imago dei) refers to the Biblical concept in Genesis 1:26-27 that humans are created to resemble God mentally, morally, and socially, rather than physically. It signifies that humans have inherent dignity, rationality, capacity for love, and are designed to represent God and rule over creation as His stewards.

AI interpretation.

[Blue Owl]

40. To MAGA, the gospel of Christ is whatever the GOP operatives tell them it is

[Efilroft Sul]

41. I can't believe the White House missed its opportunity to piss off Depeche Mode fans.

I really expected Trump's post would've used "Personal Jesus" without permission.

[Justice matters.]

42. Wouldn't that be exactly what their "beloved" Anti-Christ would do?

Orange murderous war criminal checks all the boxes in the "Revelations" although it's bullshit, as usual.

[Roy Rolling]

43. Perhaps Let Two Days or Even a Week Pass

I am not a Christian spokesman or apologist, but perhaps gather more evidence before making a snap judgement that

That single image, put forward by Trump himself, should be enough to convince all of his Christian followers to step away and look elsewhere for leadership. But, no. Like the man himself, they have put Donald J. Trump ahead of Jesus Christ.

Though I wholeheartedly agree with the point, perhaps not all Christians have been heard yet. it’d be a shame to stereotype type all of his Christian followers before they’ve yet had a chance to make their voices heard.

I’m gonna send the meme out to my Christian friends and family and ask them to choose. It’s a binary decision, it’s a canary in the coal mine. Don’t blame the canaries, find the people making their deathtrap birdcages.

[MineralMan]

45. Oh, I'm not going anywhere.

I'll be right, here watching.

[Fla Dem]

47. Absolutely disgusting.

"In his image" (Latin: imago dei) refers to the Biblical concept in Genesis 1:26-27 that humans are created to resemble God mentally, morally, and socially, rather than physically. It signifies that humans have inherent dignity, rationality, capacity for love, and are designed to represent God and rule over creation as His stewards.

AI interpretation.

[Orrex]

48. The MAGAts that don't condemn it are too busy eating his shit straight from the tap

[ColoringFool]

49. Please Don't Conflate Christianity's Tenets With Any Self-Proclaimed ....

Adherents.

People disobey, twist, subvert, and pervert the meanings of words to suit their own purposes every day, even if---especially if---the words are in the Bible, the US Constitution, or the Geneva Conventions.

[See: Office, Trump’s Oath of]

[obamanut2012]

56. nope

[Buddyzbuddy]

51. The "Book" was written by men to be interpreted by men to control men.

Think about it.

This is not written to be inflammatory but rather thought provoking.

Just asking, "what if". You may reach the same conclusion I have. But, that's a personal journey and choice. It is a journey not to be taken lightly or expeditiously nor do I recommend it to those that are devout. It can be emotionally scarring with a feeling of abandonment.

[Keepthesoulalive]

52. I have not put my person in a church for over 20 years

And that was for a funeral. If my memory is correct thou shall have no other gods and no idolatry. Both of which taco man has done. Can he smite him?

[Bo Zarts]

53. What we have in Trump is a wannabe Antichrist ..

But he fails at that too, although he is supremely evil. Trump does two things well .. he outrages people, and he fails at everything else. But he mostly (and in his vernacular, bigly) fails.

[Swede]

57. If St. Trump had a huge bill in his left hand in the picture, it would be more believable.

nt

[Exp]

58. Hopefully he will lead "His" followers to move to Guyana where they will all drink poison laced KoolAid. nt

[Marcuse]

59. How edgy could you get and still have edgy people think of you as a "good Christian?"

How edgy is the human imagination?

[judesedit]

60. I believe that's what the 10 Commandments are for. 10 Basic simple rules

[JoseBalow]

61. Exchanging one cult for another

It's a lateral move.