This picture is truly revolting. As (and I say this for context only, not to "shove it down yer throat") a Christian, the appropriation of a supposed Christ figure by maga trash is so far from all the things Christ stood for, it's just depressing in its awfulness.
Oh Lordy, this quote from comments on that article:
"Trump was, and still is, an AWESOME President … SO much better than Obama, or Biden the Moron… McNaughton’s paintings depict TRUTH as we see it from a Constitutional Republic perspective … The Liberal Commies that disparage McNaughton’s art, LOL! No loss there, as his art work is meant for connoisseurs of true freedom, and NOT for Hammer & Sickle Liberals, BLM’ites or Antifa lemmings …
** TWO thumbs up to McNaughton for his art, creativity & his Patriotism!"
Well, the first thing we ought to start with is that John McNaughton is a Mormon, so it's not likely portraying the return of Jesus judging us, as Mormon's believe that people are on a sort-of escalator towards heaven/enlightenment, and Jesus is ahead of us all.
Secondly, oddly enough, the document is also the US Constitution, as The Conversation article explains, which McNaughton believes is inspired, as in holy. Thirdly, he thinks the Framers were deeply religious, when in fact the 4 core writers were Deists ("God created the world, then stepped back.") and the rest of them were largely nominal Episcopalians.
So, the upshot is that the image, in historical, mainstream Christian thinking, is pretty much as bad as Robert Llewellyn describes. It's not faithful to Christian teaching and it's not faithful to the historical context and purpose of the US constitution either. All it is, is a way of blending religious ideas into right-wing politics to give the politics extra authority: "Bow before my far-right Jesus!"
And it's this kind of authority inversion that is typical of the far-right. Jesus is a tool to serve their ends, like everything else, like fossil fuels or forests, or every living creature. Instead, in mainstream Christian thinking, Jesus' humility itself is what gives him credibility (cf, the passage at the beginning of chapter 2 in the letter to the Philippians).
Disclosure: I'm an ex-atheist, left-wing, evangelical, though I still think atheism and humanism makes sense.
I think that “holy scroll” is supposed to be the US constitution; despite the 1st Amendment’s clause prohibiting the establishment of a state religion or promoting a specific religion over others. But cognitive dissonance like this is necessary for authoritarian thought; the Party tells them to reject the evidence of their own eyes and ears.
This sums up how I feel about religion. I too grew up in a family where we were taken to church to learn the stories, but make up our own minds. It made me realise that you can share the same values, but at the same time discover how very unchristian some bible bashers are.
This picture is truly revolting. As (and I say this for context only, not to "shove it down yer throat") a Christian, the appropriation of a supposed Christ figure by maga trash is so far from all the things Christ stood for, it's just depressing in its awfulness.
https://thearmchaircommentary.com/2020/08/12/who-asked-for-this-a-white-christian-nationalist-painting-depicts-black-ancestors-praying-for-trump/
Oh Lordy, this quote from comments on that article:
"Trump was, and still is, an AWESOME President … SO much better than Obama, or Biden the Moron… McNaughton’s paintings depict TRUTH as we see it from a Constitutional Republic perspective … The Liberal Commies that disparage McNaughton’s art, LOL! No loss there, as his art work is meant for connoisseurs of true freedom, and NOT for Hammer & Sickle Liberals, BLM’ites or Antifa lemmings …
** TWO thumbs up to McNaughton for his art, creativity & his Patriotism!"
Seems like Jesus only wants to talk to white Americans who are mostly male. No semi-automatics - what's going on?
FYI, Google Lens found the image and it’s credited to MAGA artist John McNaughton
https://medium.com/@RyCunn/jesus-christ-and-other-american-patriots-the-tea-party-art-of-jon-mcnaughton-8a9584ef6bd8
Well, the first thing we ought to start with is that John McNaughton is a Mormon, so it's not likely portraying the return of Jesus judging us, as Mormon's believe that people are on a sort-of escalator towards heaven/enlightenment, and Jesus is ahead of us all.
Secondly, oddly enough, the document is also the US Constitution, as The Conversation article explains, which McNaughton believes is inspired, as in holy. Thirdly, he thinks the Framers were deeply religious, when in fact the 4 core writers were Deists ("God created the world, then stepped back.") and the rest of them were largely nominal Episcopalians.
So, the upshot is that the image, in historical, mainstream Christian thinking, is pretty much as bad as Robert Llewellyn describes. It's not faithful to Christian teaching and it's not faithful to the historical context and purpose of the US constitution either. All it is, is a way of blending religious ideas into right-wing politics to give the politics extra authority: "Bow before my far-right Jesus!"
And it's this kind of authority inversion that is typical of the far-right. Jesus is a tool to serve their ends, like everything else, like fossil fuels or forests, or every living creature. Instead, in mainstream Christian thinking, Jesus' humility itself is what gives him credibility (cf, the passage at the beginning of chapter 2 in the letter to the Philippians).
Disclosure: I'm an ex-atheist, left-wing, evangelical, though I still think atheism and humanism makes sense.
Correction, I meant the medium article.
I think that “holy scroll” is supposed to be the US constitution; despite the 1st Amendment’s clause prohibiting the establishment of a state religion or promoting a specific religion over others. But cognitive dissonance like this is necessary for authoritarian thought; the Party tells them to reject the evidence of their own eyes and ears.
This sums up how I feel about religion. I too grew up in a family where we were taken to church to learn the stories, but make up our own minds. It made me realise that you can share the same values, but at the same time discover how very unchristian some bible bashers are.