Friday, February 19, 2016

Apparently Trump Doesn't Understand What a Religious Leader Is...

I don't care to get into the political debate about immigration reform, nor get into an argument about whether building walls is Christian or not.  I simply want to discuss Donald Trump's response to the Pope's comments about wall building and Christianity.  In his response Trump said, "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith."  And he judged any such action on the part of a religious leader as being disgraceful.  

Apparently, Trump has no idea what a leader is. He also has no idea what a religious leader is, if he did he'd realize that a religious leader is both a leader in the traditional sense and a teacher.  And in all three cases, leader, religious leader, and teacher, to even think that it is inappropriate for that individual to question others is preposterous.  I am a leader in an I.T. Department, it is my job to question people when it comes to their use of technology.  Only by questioning them can I lead them to greater productivity, efficiency, or improve systems and reliability.  If a math teacher sees a student doing a math problem incorrectly, he'd be an abject failure if she did not question the student.  It is not possible to lead a person or teach a person without questioning them when they are off track.  Understandably, many don't view religion in the same manner that they view math, they think religion has no absolute truths, while math always has one correct answer.  I will respectfully disagree with that point of view and state that there is but one Truth and thus one religion, but because that is not the discussion I wish to have for the sake of argument I will render that debate moot by pointing to a political leader.  If a political leader believes that building a wall is the solution to the problem and you don't, does the political leader have no right to question your political belief?  If you say "I am a Republican running for the U.S. Senate" and you say you agree with the Democratic agenda regarding healthcare does the Republican Party leader have no right to question you about how Republican you are?  

Of course, I hear the argument to that already, "But Trump isn't a Catholic so the Pope has no business questioning his faith?"  To which I'll rebut, "So then the Democratic leader cannot comment on the fact that the Republican endorsing Obamacare is claiming to be a Republican while embracing Democratic policy?"

Leaders and teachers jobs are to questioning and guide.  Sometimes they question a person to teach that person.  Sometimes they question a person to teach someone else.  And any intelligent human being constantly questions everyone and everything so that they can grow and learn.

I'm not going to question Trump's Christianity.  The Pope did that.  But, I am going to question Trump's patriotism.  I've read our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  I am fully aware that we have something called freedom of speech in this country.  To tell someone that they have no right to ask a question is to tell them they have no right to free speech.  Trump is not very American.  His words sound more fascist than American, they are not the words any leader in a democracy should utter.