Robert Hendrickson, Rector, Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church on Donald Trump’s ‘lies and childish inanities.’
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
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4 responses to “Robert Hendrickson on Donald Trump’s Church fiasco”
Kien,
The Church in practical terms is not a political movement as its members have widely varying political views Despite attempts by the Bishops at various times to marshal Catholics to vote in a certain way, particularly in the state funding of Catholic Schools in the 1800’s and again in the 1950-60’s over the same issue, their success rate has not been good. The Same Sex marriage Vote also showed their impotence. Ideally the leadership’s role is to guide its followers to seek redemption and salvation by following the “Good News”.Becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire shows the perils of getting into politics.
The church is ultimately a political movement; it’s mission (in very broad terms) is to convince the world make societies more inclusive, less unjust and more peaceful.
However, I have never felt comfortable with the idea that Christians (or Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists) should try to exert influence through political parties. It seemed to me that we end up becoming tools of those political parties.
Who is influencing who is not entirely clear!
The best description of Trump I’ve seen yet is a “malignant narcissist”
How courageous of Robert Hendrickson – in a part of metropolitan Sydney full of Trump-supporting happy-clapper Pentecostals. But essentially the truth and lyrically expressed!