Wearing God, Guns, and Trump

THE GENTLEMAN is a military veteran, and, like most military veterans, a conservative. His wears a T shirt upon which are boldly emblazoned the words "God, Guns, Trump", in that order, arranged from top to bottom down his chest. He says he wears the same message everyday. From this one can assume the following: he believes in God, probably the Biblical God, and identifies as a Christian. He likes guns, believes strongly in the second amendment interpretation that all law abiding mentally sane citizens are entitled to own whatever guns they wish, to carry them at all times, with or without government permission. He is a Trump supporter, and thinks the president is doing a good job. Although there is a certain consistency to this, there are problems, of which the gentleman is most unlikely unaware. First, of course, is the notion that the concept of God is compatible with gun ownership. Arguably, it is. The biblical God committed genocide and mass murder on several occasions, among them the destruction of fifty thousand Philistines in retribution for the curiosity of a single person, and the drowning of an entire army. But these acts, which in according to modern morality would be considered ghastly crimes, were accomplished without guns, guns which a compassionate Christ, an apparent pacifist who advocated human nonviolence, would presumably discourage the masses from carrying. The second amendment, throughout American history, was not interpreted as permitting everyone to carry a firearm. Not until 2008 did any version of the U.S. Supreme Court rule that it does. Therefore the amendment was viewed by the high court as it was by the people who wrote and enacted it; as an expedient to facilitate the maintenance of a citizen's militia, ready at all times to muster and defend the republic. Until 2008 the weapons were intended to be kept at home, ready for use, only by members of the militia. The most problematic T shirt word is "Trump". As film maker Ken Burns rhetorically asks: what part of Donald Trump is remindful of or similar in any way to Jesus Christ? the women? the lies? The greed and financial corruption? That is, assuming the word "God" on T shirt signifies the Christian God, of whom, in Christian theology, Christ is part. Trump is not qualified to be forgiven for his sins, according to Christian doctrine, because he has neither confessed, repented, nor atoned for them. Quite the opposite, in fact. He has consistently either denied or bragged about them. God, Guns, Trump? Arguably, a trio of incompatibles, other than that which they conspicuously have in common; a long history of doing damage in a severely damaged world, a world which arguably need far less of all three.