© 2024 Claude Flibotte
© 2024 Urantia Association of Quebec
Claude Flibotte
Sainte-Julie
It may seem strange to make a comparison between Jesus of Nazareth and Donald Trump, but since Trump’s evangelical Christian supporters have already compared him to the crucified Jesus (La Presse+ of Saturday June 15, 2024, under the pen of Yves Boisvert), and since he himself has called himself Mother Teresa, a political prisoner or a crusader for religious freedom, then it would be fun and interesting to do so!
¶ What they have in common!
The only experience they have in common is having been judged by human justice and having been declared guilty. There ends any comparison between these two men! In order to compare apples with apples, according to the well-known expression, I will stick to the human life of Jesus, from his birth to his baptism. Obviously, Donald Trump is not divine by the example of his life!
¶ Brief summary of the human life of Jesus
Jesus was born into a humble family in Nazareth, Palestine. He grew up as an ordinary child and learned the carpenter’s trade from his father, Joseph.
From a young age, Jesus showed exceptional wisdom and understanding. He was loving, compassionate, and always willing to help others. He grew up studying the Hebrew Scriptures and learning Jewish religious customs.
When Jesus became an adult, he began to teach spiritual truths to people. His philosophy of life centered on loving God and loving our neighbor. He taught that every person is a beloved child of God, that He is our Father, and that we should love one another as God loves us since we are all brothers and sisters.
Jesus demonstrated his morality by living a righteous life and always doing good. He encouraged others to do the same. He also emphasized the importance of shared love in serving the community. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, and comforted the afflicted. He showed everyone how to serve others with love and compassion.
As a man, Jesus was an example of strength, integrity, and kindness. He was humble and loving toward all he met. His life was a model of human and divine perfection. His life was filled with love, wisdom, and selfless service to others driven by an invincible faith in his Father’s benevolence.
¶ Brief summary of Donald Trump’s life
(Information from Wikipedia) Donald Trump, was born on June 14, 1946 in New York. He is a businessman who calls himself a billionaire, host, television producer and American statesman. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was the 45th President of the United States, from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021. He was married three times, and he had five children from his three wives.
Son of a real estate developer, Fred Trump, he studied at the Wharton School (Pennsylvania). In 1971, he took over the management of the family business, which he renamed The Trump Organization. He received a loan from his father of one million US dollars. In 1973, the Trumps, father and son, were the target of an investigation by the Department of Justice, concerning suspicions of discrimination against aspiring black tenants. He built an empire in prestigious buildings, casinos and golf courses. Very involved in the television field, he is the star of a show where the most beautiful women parade and where he enjoys throwing out the competitors who do not meet his criteria.
Presenting himself as an opponent of the establishment and political correctness, he uses a belligerent tone and multiplies controversial statements. His speech is then often described as populist, nationalist, protectionist, climate skeptic and conspiratorial. His victory in the presidential election against Democrat Hillary Clinton, who nevertheless largely outpaces him in the popular vote, thwarts almost all predictions.
During his term, he restricted immigration, he attacked people from Muslim countries, he withdrew his country from the climate and Iranian nuclear agreements, he reestablished his relations with North Korea and Russia, dictators that he glorified. He fell out with China. He appointed judges in his conservative favor. He maintained contacts with violent far-right groups. His unusual style of governance - in particular his offensive communication, particularly focused on Twitter - contributed to very frequent controversy: he openly maintained very hostile relations with the press, except for certain conservative media.
He put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to provide him with information on his presidential competitor Joe Biden. He emerged victorious from an impeachment procedure, acquitted by the Senate. His management of the Covid-19 pandemic was highly contested and during this period, he notably withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization. Defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Refusing to concede his defeat, he initiated legal appeals, which were almost all rejected, and delayed the presidential transition. On January 6, 2021, the assault on the Capitol by some of his supporters, particularly from the far right, which took place after he had given an incendiary speech, was considered an insurrection or an attempted coup d’état, as well as an episode of political violence unprecedented in an advanced democracy. In November 2022, he announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.
¶ Reasons and accusations that brought Jesus before the courts
In fact, the leaders of the Sanhedrin were very embarrassed to reveal the real reasons for wanting to assassinate Jesus, because they were based on their fear of losing their power and prestige over the Jewish people as well as the loss of income since the event of the merchants being driven out of the temple.
Initially, the Sanhedrin court wanted to condemn Jesus to death for having violated the law, blasphemed and made a mockery of the traditions of the fathers of Israel (UB 184:3.1). This appearance took place illegally and with complete impartiality. As a last resort, the Sanhedrin agreed on three charges: 1- he dangerously misled the people. That he taught them impossible things and that he deceived them in other ways; 2- That he was a fanatical revolutionary, in the sense that he recommended violence against the sacred temple, because how else could he destroy it? 3- That he taught magic, in the sense that he promised to build a new temple without the help of hands (UB 184:3.10-12)!
Finally, since their charges would not hold up before Pilate, the leaders of the Sanhedrin provided Pilate with the wording of a different charge under three equally ridiculous counts. They accused him of being a malefactor and a disrupter of their nation by stirring up the people to rebellion; by forbidding the payment of tribute to Caesar; and by calling himself King of the Jews and teaching the founding of a new kingdom (UB 185:2.10 to 13). According to the laws of the time, Jesus was not regularly tried or legally convicted on any of these charges (UB 185:2.14).
¶ Reasons and accusations that brought Trump to justice
He has had numerous legal problems, particularly due to his role in the storming of the Capitol, his attempts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and various accusations of corruption and sexual assault. In 2023, he was indicted four times, in particular for “conspiracy against the United States” at the federal level, and for “false statements and false documents, usurpation of public office, forgery and use of forgery” in the state of Georgia.
¶ Treatments reserved for Jesus
In addition to all kinds of injustices that were done to him saying that he was breaking all the laws of the time, Jesus was mentally and physically assaulted. He was scourged. He had to carry the crossbeam until he was exhausted. Throughout his trial, Jesus remained calm, dignified, and silent unless the question concerning his mission of bestowal was put to him.
¶ Treatment reserved for Trump
Until now, he was free, going to court in a limousine, accompanied by numerous bodyguards and a crowd of journalists. After each day in court, he returned quietly to his luxurious home, still in a limousine, to the adulation of his supporters.
¶ Verdict rendered towards Jesus
Found unjustly guilty on all counts, he was nailed to a cross and subjected to all manner of mockery until the moment of his death.
¶ Verdict rendered against Trump
On May 30, 2024, following his trial and two days of deliberations, the jury found the former president guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records brought against him, in connection with the payment of $130,000 to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Sentencing will be handed down on July 11, with the risk of a four-year prison sentence.
After the verdict, he (Donald Trump) spoke to journalists in these terms:
“This is a rigged trial by a judge with a conflict of interest who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace.”
According to several experts, it was the least serious or least winnable of the four lawsuits against him, the others focusing on the former president’s efforts to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election or to keep classified documents after he left the White House in January 2021.
¶ Influences of Jesus on humanity
Undoubtedly, Jesus had a great influence on humanity. Although his message of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man has been perverted into that of Jesus dying on the cross for the redemption of our sins, the morality and the little spirituality that shines through still guides men towards what will become in the future the true religion, a personal relationship with God through a living faith.
¶ Trump’s influences on humanity
The newspaper Le Devoir titled one of its articles: “Trump and the banality of evil”. A title that is quite evocative of the philosophy of this man who has succeeded in creating division in his country, sowing discord in the world and undermining democracy. Nationalist, protectionist and anti-system, unless he is in power, he embodied in the 2016 elections, the strong man capable of making the heartstrings of American patriotism vibrate. A skilled actor accustomed to projecting an image of his character that is sometimes sympathetic, sometimes hysterical, he has the skill to flush out his supporters’ deepest fears in order to turn their freedom to choose to his advantage. He succeeds in making them believe that he is on their side for their own good when he is only seeking his own. Lucifer and Caligastia could not have done better! Moreover, seeing him thus disturb the thoughts of men and exacerbate the violence and selfishness increasingly dividing men among themselves, these two infamous characters must rejoice abundantly!
It is deplorable that today, dictators of his ilk abound on this planet and that the extremist right seems to be gaining ground on common sense, cooperation, true democracy, fraternity, peace and love of one’s neighbor! So, let’s roll up our sleeves, there is work to be done, and thanks to the divine wisdom within us, let’s act to make this beautiful blue planet a haven of peace, harmony and good understanding between peoples, because we are all brothers and sisters under the aegis of a God of love!