I have got my latest Prayergram post. It is, quite aptly, on the topic of the day: the “Jerusalem Prayer”.
One passage reads “God bless
Donald J Trump!
He understands the real principles behind success. It is not being good
at what you do or understanding theory and practice. It is being on the
right side of the blessing of God. Whoever blesses Israel shall be
blessed: whoever curses Israel shall be cursed.”
And, lest there be any misunderstanding: “If we bless
Israel, regardless of its faults, lack of faith, both personally and
organisationally, God bless us. While the world cries out, Donald J
Trump who learned about the blessing on his mother’s knee, masters the
simple, plodding art of doing the right thing regardless of
consequences.”
Prayergram send their posts not just to the believers, but
others, like journalists who have written negatively about the Christian
right or Donald Trump. This is intended to show us the error of our
ways and also, if possible, save our souls.
The “Jerusalem Prayer” was, the evangelists stress, of great
importance, something that needed to be widely disseminated after Trump
had announced that the US embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem.
There are no fewer than 50 million evangelicals in America
who, according to research, are convinced of the literal truth of
Biblical prophecy. A recent survey found that 82 per cent of white
evangelicals believe that God gave Israel to the Jewish people; a
conviction shared by just 40 per cent of American Jews. Among these
evangelicals there are those who believe in the prophecy of the “End of
Days” foretelling Jewish control of all Jerusalem, a war of
civilisations, and a choice of Jews to either embrace Christianity or
die in the wrath of God.
The decision to move the embassy does not actually have much
popular support across the US population as a whole. A Brookings
Institution survey found that it has the backing of only 31 per cent.
Polls have also repeatedly found that a large majority of American Jews,
who tend on average to have a better standard of education than the
rest of US population, and are liberal by tradition, oppose the move.
But Trump’s Jerusalem declaration has been widely and
enthusiastically welcomed by his religious base. Johnnie Moore, who acts
as a spokesperson for the Trump’s evangelical advisers stated: “The
issue was second only to concerns about the judiciary among the
evangelical supporters. President Trump has yet again demonstrated to
his evangelical supporters that he will do what he says he will do.”
Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far...
There is also the money in this. Trump’s campaign has
received substantial funding from the Christian right and also hardline
American Jewish promoters of Israel. They include Sheldon Adelson, the
casino billionaire and Republican donor, who had given $20m (£14.9m) to a
PAC (political action committee) which supported the Trump campaign and
another $1.5m to the organisers of the Republican convention. Adelson
has been lobbying the President persistently on the embassy transfer.
Trump
is not the only senior member of the administration to cultivate the
Christian right. Vice President Mike Pence, who could be seen on TV
standing behind Trump as the embassy announcement was made, with a
reverent glow to his face, had pressed for a move to Jerusalem. And
backing also came from Nikki Haley, the ambassador to the UN who tries
her best to match Trump on hawkish rhetoric about smiting America’s
enemies. She avidly courted the evangelical vote while Governor of South
Carolina.
There were those in the administration who pointed out that
the Jerusalem move will inflame passions in the Middle East and the
wider Muslim world; make a settlement between the Israelis and the
Palestinians even more difficult; make it harder to maintain coalitions
against Islamist extremists and may put American lives in danger.
They included Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence
Secretary James Mattis. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who is leading
the Israel/Palestine peace initiative had apparently also urged caution
initially. But Tillerson may soon be the latest casualty in the Trump
administration, to be replaced by the recently appointed CIA director,
Mike Pompeo, and Kushner is said to have changed his stance after talks
with Adelson.
The evangelists could always site God on their side. For
Indiana pastor Paul Begley the embassy move is the beginning of “End of
Days”: “The Jewish People – I’ve been there, I’m telling you – they
believe when the Temple’s built, the Messiah will be revealed to them.
Jesus will be revealed to the Jewish people, and they will embrace him.”
Laurie Cardoza-Moore, “founder/president of Proclaiming
Justice to The Nations” wrote in the Israeli newspaper
Haaretz: “Christians recognise the Jews’ biblical connection through
King David’s establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of ancient Israel
and the location
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