Poping the Trump or vice versa
[ by Charles Cameron — happy to be a spectator at this particular game of ping pong ]
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The Pope serves:
Pope says Trump 'not Christian,' Trump calls comment 'disgraceful' https://t.co/mAl90B9Yfv
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 18, 2016
Trump returns the serve:
Trump says Pope will have "wished and prayed" I was president if ISIS attacks Vatican: https://t.co/zcC2hDbAZx https://t.co/CxBA9r4FnH
— ABC News (@ABC) February 18, 2016
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Here’s an excerpt from Emma Green‘s account of the point-counterpoint in a piece titled Pope, Trump, Decline to Turn Other Cheek at The Atlantic:
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel,” he [Pope Francis] said, according to CNN.
Trump immediately hit back. “If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy,” he said in a statement on his website, “I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened.”
It is perhaps noteworthy that one of the Bishop of Rome’s many titles is Supreme Pontiff, a pontiff being a bridge-builder. Robert Frost, on the other hand, only says, “Good fences make good neighbours.”
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Dan Scavino, from the Trump camp:
Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls. pic.twitter.com/g3iVLDVGe5
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) February 18, 2016
And from the Islamic State magazine, Dabiq, supporting Trump:
Inside the magazine, the words of Sheikh Adnani are repeated:
We will conquer your Rome, break your crosses, and enslave your women, by the permission of Allah, the Exalted.
OTOH:
http://t.co/exYqYgpXeQ Swiss Guard: We are ready to defend Pope from ISIS #Vatican #PopeFrancis #ISIS pic.twitter.com/uqd6WZN63l
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) February 24, 2015
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Then there’s the always quotable Hend Amry, who puts the question to us all in the form of a DoubleQuote:
Pick a side. pic.twitter.com/UuGtsEBw5D
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) February 18, 2016
And here’s another DQ, this one from Mike O’Loughlin:
Trump: "I'm a good Christian." Pope Francis: "I am a sinner." https://t.co/UJ76YQTl6t
— Michael O'Loughlin (@MikeOLoughlin) January 26, 2016
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Finally — finally! — there’s always this to consider, from the New York Times of December 28th last year:
Americans named President Obama and Hillary Clinton as the most admired man and woman in the world, according to a Gallup poll released on Monday, with Donald Trump tying Pope Francis as the second most admired man.
We do indeed live in interesting times.
February 19th, 2016 at 5:30 am
Great comments and comparisons Mark!! Keep up the great work. Your brilliant paper How to Lose a War is circulating over here in RS HQ. Don
February 19th, 2016 at 5:49 am
Hi Don
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Much thanks! – but this and 90% of the religion-oriented posts will be Charles Cameron’s handiwork with a very occasional post from myself or Lynn Rees. Scott Shipman could easily chime in on this subject too but he seems to be busy being Jacky Fisher or Commodore Perry lately 🙂