Trump in Iowa church: Hymns, readings and a children's choir

[webfact]

Trump in Iowa church: Hymns, readings and a children's choir
By JILL COLVIN

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — On the second-to-last Sunday before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump settled into a fifth row pew of an Iowa church for a lesson in humility.

"I don't know if that was aimed at me. Perhaps," Trump said after the hourlong service at the First Presbyterian Church.

Religious voters are a major factor in the opening contest on the presidential nominating calendar, and Trump has been working hard to build his appeal among them. His chief challenger in the Republican race is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a conservative preacher's son who's made deep inroads with evangelicals.

The service, which Trump's campaign invited several reporters to observe, included hymns, readings and a performance by the children's choir. Cream-colored stained glass in the window cast a golden glow.

At one point, Trump shared a prayer book with Debra Whitaker, an Iowa supporter seated to his right. She put her hand gently around Trump's waist as the congregation sang Hymn 409, "God is Here!" Trump could be seen by some mouthing along.

At one point, as church-goers offered each other wishes of peace, Trump received warm greetings from those around him.

When it was time to offer tithes, Trump was seen digging into his pants' pocket. Two folded $50 bills were later spotted in a collection plate that was passed down his pew.

One reading during the service, about the importance of humility, included a reference that caught Trump's ear.

"Can you imagine eye telling hand, 'Get lost, I don't need you' or hearing the head telling the foot, 'You're fired, your job has been phased out?'" the reader said. "You're fired!" was Trump's signature catchphrase when he hosted "The Apprentice" television show.

"I heard that," Trump later said, when asked about the reference. "I wondered if that was for me. They didn't even know I was coming, so I doubt it. But it's an appropriate phrase."

In her sermon, the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Pamela Saturnia, also made several references with resonance for the 2016 race.

"Jesus is teaching us today that he has come for those who are outside of the church," she said, preaching a message of healing and acceptance for "those who are the most unloved, the most discriminated against, the most forgotten in our community and in our world."

Among those she cited were "the Syrian refugees" and "the Mexican migrants." Trump has advocated barring all Syrian refugees from entering the country because of potential security risks and deporting all of the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally. He's said he wants to create a safe zone for refugees instead.

As a candidate, the thrice-married New Yorker has worked to foster relationships with Christian leaders. He received a glowing introduction last week from Jerry Falwell Jr., president of one of the country's most prominent evangelical Christian universities, and on Saturday he campaigned with the Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, a megachurch.

At times, Trump has appeared to struggle to affirm his Christian credentials. He often feels compelled to remind Christian audiences that he was raised as a Presbyterian. And he has waved a copy of his childhood Bible and a photo of his confirmation at some events as evidence of his upbringing.

"Well I'm proud of it. I mean I'm very proud of it," Trump said when asked about the practice "And I do remind people, not often, but I do remind people when people ask."

Asked whether he thinks people are aware of his religion, he said. "I think they know now. I think they didn't know at all at the beginning... it took a while."

But Trump has also made what have been seen as several minor missteps on religion during the campaign, mistakenly pronouncing Second Corinthians as "two Corinthians" during a speech last week at Liberty University in Virginia, Falwell's school, and saying in an interview that he had never sought forgiveness from God.

"I want to win Iowa, I want to really win it," he said at a rally later Sunday. "I have a tremendous bond with the people of Iowa. We've struck a chord with evangelicals, the Tea Party. And I think we have a good chance."


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-25

[slipperylobster]

easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for trump to go to heaven......but free advertisement is all he needs to be president. His antics get plenty.

[edwinchester]

"Hallelujah, I believe.........and please vote for me".

[Whitestarschool]

The circus is still in town, ptl!

[ggt]

Give the man his due...he knows the Iowa voters...playing to their genuine faith...he makes his pitch as a Christian...maybe he will actually be converted and change his humorous ways...

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

<deleted> hypocrite!!!

[HuaHinHim]

Give the man his due...he knows the Iowa voters...playing to their genuine faith...he makes his pitch as a Christian...maybe he will actually be converted and change his humorous ways...

I doubt he come up with this plan, more likely his advisers.

I'd be interested in knowing how many times he has been to church before he entered the race for POTUS

I'm not American or religious and I don't have a preference as far as who the next president is, however it seems that DT offers no plan regarding how he is going to pay for what seems like fantasy policies he is pushing or the details of those policies. He just seems to be playing on people's emotions. Part of me wants him to win just to see what he does but another part says he would be disastrous for the US.

Just my take from an outsider looking in

[DM07]

Pandering, pandering and more pandering!

If prostitutes and pornstars were a major force in the electorate, he would get naked right away and give hand- jobs for money!

[Srikcir]

It looks like Trump will capture the majority of the Republican vote which is a minority party in the state against the Democrats for POTUS.

[Norvid 1950]

There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry. There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors.

-- J. Robert Oppenheimer

American religious fundamentalism is a cancer on American society. Ignorance, lies, imbecility are the fundamental of their religious beliefs. No wonder Trump has a trouble there, especially since special interests group is doing a strong campaign against him in the medias.

Wish him well of course.

[chuckd]

It looks like Trump will capture the majority of the Republican vote which is a minority party in the state against the Democrats for POTUS.

For a minority party, they seem to be doing OK.

1. Membership in House of Representatives

Republicans...245

Democrats.....188

2. Membership in US Senate

Republicans...54

Democrats.....44

3. Membership of 50 states lower chambers

Republicans...3,043

Democrats......2,344

4. Membership of 50 states upper chambers

Republicans...1,134

Democrats......832

5. Governorships

Republicans...32

Democrats.....17

Perhaps the next presidential election will follow the current percentages. Only time will tell.

[Pinot]

Trump wouldn't know Jesus if they were sharing a golf cart. Christian values? You've got to be kidding.

Did you know there were no references to Jesus in any of the history books being written at the time he was supposed to be living on earth till 100 years after his death?

Christianity found Jesus, not the other way around. He never existed. It's all bullshit.

Stop letting invisible people have a say in our lives.

[OMGImInPattaya]

A real man of the people ?

[chilli42]

The best marketer in politics today. Is it enough, who knows. It certainly has gotten him far ... surprisingly far.

[up2u2]

In most modern Democracies any bible thumping would actually make a candidate unelectable. A quick, low key visit to a church to shore up the few last remaining bible thumpers that exist and that would be about it. A candidate certainly wouldn't want a public endorsement from a preacher. America seems to be stuck in the 50's.

[chuckd]

"Most modern democracies" are off topic.

This thread is about the Republic of the United States having an election and what Donald Trump's decision to go to a church service will have on HIS candidacy.

I seriously doubt he gave one second's thought to "What would a European politician do in this case"?

[chuckd]

Trump wouldn't know Jesus if they were sharing a golf cart. Christian values? You've got to be kidding.

Did you know there were no references to Jesus in any of the history books being written at the time he was supposed to be living on earth till 100 years after his death?

Christianity found Jesus, not the other way around. He never existed. It's all bullshit.

Stop letting invisible people have a say in our lives.

Your continuing attacks on Christian values certainly seem to be driving much of your personal agenda.

Perhaps you might consider easing up on the "invisible people" that are bothering you.

PS: How many history books have you found that were written over 2,000 years ago? Just curious.

[Rancid]

Endorsed by God?

[lostboy]

Trump wouldn't know Jesus if they were sharing a golf cart. Christian values? You've got to be kidding.

Did you know there were no references to Jesus in any of the history books being written at the time he was supposed to be living on earth till 100 years after his death?

Christianity found Jesus, not the other way around. He never existed. It's all bullshit.

Stop letting invisible people have a say in our lives.

Your continuing attacks on Christian values certainly seem to be driving much of your personal agenda.

Perhaps you might consider easing up on the "invisible people" that are bothering you.

PS: How many history books have you found that were written over 2,000 years ago? Just curious.

Atheism is a legitimate and rational position for a humanist to hold. It is telling that the religious protections you seem to want for Christians are not applied by your clique to Muslims.

I could copy and paste the extensive lists of Greek and Roman historians but I would be concerned that you would interpret this as imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. So I will post two Wikipedia links instead Greek Historians - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_historiographers and Roman Historians - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_historiography

My favourite Roman historian is Caesar himself and I enjoyed Gallic Wars. Suetonius is also very good on the lives of the Imperial Caesarian dynasty. Herodotus, Xenophon and Thucydides and a few others were required reading in Classics at Uni. I tended to prefer Thucydides.

There are no historical accounts that are contemporaneous with Jesus that I can find. Most references point to Pliny, Tacitus and Suetonius, all of which I have read but not with the purpose of discovering the existence of a historical Jesus. Pliny is good for his description of the destruction of Pompey, which he personally witnessed. I was also more interested in the descriptions of the Caesars in Tacitus and Suetonius to bother about Jesus references. Tacitus seem to have made reference to an historical Jesus in Annals but this is disputed.

I am pleased that someone from the US, let alone Texas, is interested in Classicaly history.

Edited January 25, 2016 by lostboy

[Steely Dan]

Trump in the news again, and that's 90% of the story.

[Publicus]

In most modern Democracies any bible thumping would actually make a candidate unelectable. A quick, low key visit to a church to shore up the few last remaining bible thumpers that exist and that would be about it. A candidate certainly wouldn't want a public endorsement from a preacher. America seems to be stuck in the 50's.

Bible thumping Christians and the even worse evangelicals populate the Republican party, not the Democratic party.

USA was founded in a large part in pursuit of religious freedom by the religiously zany from Europe. However, by the time of the Founders who wrote the Constitution religion was viewed as dangerous to living things, humans especially given all the religious wars of Europe alone. It is the major reason the United States has avoided wars of religion and which is why it continues to do so in respect of Islam.

Donald Trump is in fact more the standard WASProtestant (flying Dutchman/frugal Scotsman) in respect of his religious beliefs, practices and non-practices (do pardon the sterotyping to make a quick point) than is Cruz or most of the rest of 'em. (Bush, Rubio, Kasich, Paul are the more ordinary among the religious Americans, i.e., naturally quiet and private about it.)

That Trump is now a Republican party politician obsequiously groveling for votes to one of the party's more intense and indeed fanatic religious constituencies (Iowa) is patently apparent. However, neither Trump nor Cruz have the issue of religion to play in New Hampshire which votes in two weeks that they face among the dominant God-fearing Iowa Republicans....nothing even remotely close to it.

I'd posted to another thread, 150,000 Republicans in Iowa will likely attend their party caucuses in a matter of several dayze, maybe a few more or less. To 75% bless 'em, it's much the same as going to church in a blizzard with ice on the roads, i.e., you just do it with your plastic Jesus on the dashboard and the Good Book between you and the floor shift. (Which weighs more, your pickup or your wife?)

In 2012 Barack Obama won Iowa in the general election with 816,429 votes while Romney got 727,928 (52% to 46%). Iowa in six of the last seven elections of the president has voted for the Democrat, specifically, Obama, Obama, Gore, Clinton, Clinton, Dukakis. (John Kerry in 2004 remains the only bozo of the bunch.)

The commotion of any Republican party topic or thread of the current time focuses on the religious wingnuts of the Republican party which is where those Americans reside and comfortably so. Presently it is Iowa. Not so in New Hampshire or the also soon upcoming caususes of Nevada. Moreso again soon too in South Carolina. For the Republicans, not the Democrats.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Publicus