Of all the unsavory political realities the ascension of Trump has blown the lid off, none is quite as hypocritical as the true nature of the Evangelical voting bloc.
People who claim to practice Christian morality and who blather on and on about “family values” have been all too happy to rally behind a president who has been credibly accused of dozens of sexual assaults, who cheated on his wife multiple times, and who insists on pushing the country closer to new wars with his hawkish rhetoric.
Nowhere is this bad faith amongst the religious right more apparent than in the recent Stormy Daniels scandal. Religious groups that would have howled at the moon if President Obama had made so much as a vaguely sexual comment are perfectly fine with Trump having an extramarital affair with an adult film star behind Melania’s back shortly after the birth of their son Barron – among a multitude of others.
One particularly egregious example of the rot at the heart of the religious right was put on display by Pastor Greg Locke. An utterly sad excuse for a pastor and even sadder excuse for a human, Locke took to Twitter defend Trump and call Stormy Daniels — real name Stephanie Clifford — “a hooker,” which she is not, and not that there would be anything wrong with that if she was.
The tweet was rightfully met with widespread backlash.
The funny thing is @realDonaldTrump is still the President and she’s still a hooker. #StormyDanielsDay
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) March 25, 2018
Now CNN’s Jake Tapper has decided to take Locke to task in the perfect way: by quoting
Biblical passages that show the pastor’s hypocrisy. The passage is from the Gospel of Luke and shows Jesus treating a woman who was a “sinner” with compassion and respect, something Pastor Locke seems incapable of doing.
Luke 7:
37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. https://t.co/k7GIY6NmVF
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
”…Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
”…You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet…
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
46 “…You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
-fin-
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
Locke responded by saying it was a “great passage” before doubling down on his attack on Stormy Daniels by saying that she shouldn’t be appearing on television and that she is just trying to get attention. He ended by accusing Tapper of drawing issue not with his detestable Stormy Daniels insults, but with his support of Trump.
Great passage for sure. He changed her life by love and grace. She didn’t continue living in it and then get on national television to garner more attention for her nonsense. Context is key. The fact is, you hate my support of Trump w/out a Bible.
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) March 26, 2018
Tapper responded by saying he was completely indifferent to Locke’s political positions, and that the takeaway from the Bible passage is simply to not throw stones at others.
I have complete indifference to your feelings about any politician. But you might want to reconsider a refresher course. Hint: the passage is not “hey, go throw stones!”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 26, 2018
Again, Locke refused to admit his mistake and took the Trumpian “fake news” approach by impugning CNN.
A CNN Anchor telling people not to throw stones…..that’s the richest Tweet of 2018. Bravo. https://t.co/9Qcq76YrYr
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) March 26, 2018
This man is a disgrace and no one should take his guidance, spiritual or otherwise, seriously. He is a man who wields the Bible like a weapon when it’s politically convenient for him and ignores it when he doesn’t like what it has to say. Locke represents everything wrong with the religious right.
