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Washington Post
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
How the Trump shooting supercharged beliefs in a divine right of MAGA
CONNOQUENESSING, Pa. — On the road from Pittsburgh to Butler, past the cornfields and farm stands, before the fairgrounds where a shooter nearly killed Donald Trump a year ago Sunday, billboards quote 1 Corinthians and Psalm 27. Another sign advertises a local church with a photo of an American flag twisted into the shape of a Y. The reference is unmistakable for most anyone who attended that fateful rally on July 13, 2024. A few hours before Trump spoke, the 30-by-60-foot flag suspended over the stage got wrapped up in the wind. 'Some people thought it looked like an angel,' said Keith Karns, the pastor of the Church of God at Connoquenessing. The image of the twisted flag quickly joined the constellation of MAGA symbols, alongside the photo of Trump's blood-streaked cheek and raised fist. A year's passage has clarified how the assassination attempt was a turning point for the religious dimension to Trump's movement, leading to his claim at his second inauguration to a divine mandate: 'I was saved by God to Make America Great Again.' There were already whispers of messianism among some of Trump's supporters, such as the QAnon offshoot called Negative 48 whose members frequented his rallies in 2022. Trump has long claimed that God was on his movement's side, and attendees at Trump rallies have routinely described the events in spiritual terms. But after the assassination attempt, many of his followers — and most notably Trump himself — more explicitly cast him as a divine instrument. 'It is difficult not to see the hand of Providence in Trump's survival of two assassination attempts, one by less than an inch,' said Ralph Reed, an influential evangelical leader and Republican strategist. 'President Trump has said publicly he believes God spared his life, and millions of his supporters feel the same way. For what purpose only God knows, but it clearly isn't an insubstantial one.' Internal data and modeling from Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition estimates that the population of social conservatives and evangelicals has increased tenfold since the 1990s and by about 30 percent since 2010. That increase comes even as fewer Americans are regularly attending church. Only 37 percent of U.S. adults attended religious services at least once a month in 2024, down from 55 percent in 1972 and 47 percent in 2000, according to the General Social Survey by NORC at the University of Chicago. Politics increasingly entered the pulpit at the demand of congregants, and pastors indulged those demands for fear of losing members, according to the journalist Tim Alberta in his 2024 book 'The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.' On Monday the Trump administration said a federal prohibition on campaigning by nonprofit organizations does not apply to houses of worship, implementing a long-standing campaign promise to let churches make more explicit political endorsements. Trump has never been known for his personal piety, but he has long enjoyed the overwhelming support of evangelicals. His own reaction to the Butler shooting was initially, 'I'm not supposed to be here' — meaning he was not supposed to be alive — according to a new book about the campaign, '2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.' (The book is co-written by the author of this article.) His top adviser, Susie Wiles, told him, 'You do know this is God,' the book says. After that, Trump began saying: 'If anyone ever doubted there was a God, that proved there was.' In Butler the day after the shooting, county GOP chair Jim Hulings recalled trying to return to the crime scene and being unable to get near it across the police tape. But he did notice that all the church parking lots were full. 'We cling to our guns and our Bibles,' Hulings said, reappropriating an infamous remark about small-town Pennsylvania that Barack Obama made at a San Francisco fundraiser in 2008. That morning at the Church of God at Connoquenessing, Karns preached about the fragility of life, quoting Psalm 90 likening man's time on Earth to the grass that grows and withers. His own son, daughters-in-law and grandchildren were at the rally, seated in the bleachers behind the stage. They became friendly with a kind man seated in front of them, Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old local volunteer firefighter who was there with his family. Before Trump arrived, Comperatore had helped Karns's 12-year-old granddaughter, Alexa, recover her dropped phone after it fell through the bleachers, and he passed out water bottles to help those around him stay hydrated in the heat. When the gunman opened fire from a nearby factory roof, Comperatore was struck and killed trying to protect his family. 'It's one of those things where you feel like you're in this place at a certain time, and there's a reason for it,' Lisa Karns, Alexa's mother and the pastor's daughter-in-law, said. 'I felt like, 'God, why take him? You could have taken me.'' That night the Karns family met with the pastor and showed him the photos of the twisted flag. He decided to put the image on a sign for the church, as a message of comfort, to thank God for keeping them safe and to honor Comperatore. 'It wasn't necessarily a political statement,' he said. On the way home, Alexa told Lisa Karns that she had prayed for Trump before the rally, asking God to protect him. Lisa Karns suggested she write Trump a card telling him. 'Dear President Trump,' the 12-year-old wrote in green pen, under a sketch of an American flag, 'I was on the same bleachers of the man who died. … Before the rally I had prayed that you wouldn't get shot because it sounded like something that might happen. God answered my prayers. … I will still pray for you. I hope you win the election!' He wrote back a few weeks later. 'For you and all those in attendance on that fateful day, we remain resolved to fight for our great country,' Trump and his wife, Melania, said. 'May God bless you and keep you safe, little one.' Lisa Karns framed the letter and hung it on a wall in their home. The Republican National Convention that immediately followed the shooting brought talk of God's hand from private rumblings to the prime-time stage. 'That was a transformation,' Tucker Carlson said on the final night in Milwaukee. 'This was no longer a man.' 'Divine intervention,' a man shouted from the floor. 'I think it was,' Carlson agreed. He went on: 'I think even people who don't believe in God are beginning to think, 'Maybe there's something to this, actually.'' Trump's son Eric embraced the sentiment in his speech introducing his father: 'By the grace of God, divine intervention and your guardian angels above, you survived.' The candidate himself attested, 'I felt very safe because I had God on my side.' By the time Trump returned to Butler for a second rally in October, a man dragged a wooden cross up and down the road to the fairgrounds. At a prayer circle the night before, Susan Sevy from East Liverpool, Ohio, who had also attended the July rally, said the time when Trump was shot, 6:11 p.m., corresponded to a verse of Ephesians about putting on the armor of God. On the rally stage, speakers recalled seeing signs or hearing a heavenly voice. 'That flag right there displayed like a crucifix or an angel on it,' Butler Township Commissioner Sam Zurzolo said. 'I know everybody has seen that, and I think that was a warning,' 'I heard a voice — loud, clear, rich and reassuring,' said James Sweetland, a retired ER doctor who tended to Comperatore. 'It spoke to me. It said, 'Go. Go they need your help. … I'm telling you right now that was a voice of God.' The Trump campaign worked to bring back attendees from the first rally, and the Karns family returned to sit in the rows of chairs below the bleachers. At one point during the early speeches, the sound system glitched, and someone shouted for a medic, and the pastor's other daughter-in-law, Christie Karns, felt her anxiety spike. She wondered why she had come back and put herself through this, she said. At that moment, the giant flag overhead flipped on itself again, resuming the Y shape that reminded her of an angel. Then it gracefully flipped back to normal. 'We just all looked at each other and we were like, 'Oh my word,'' Christie Karns said. 'No one could have done that. It could have only been God. And it just gave us that peace.' In church last Sunday, Pastor Karns returned to the theme of fragility, again referencing the metaphor of grass that grows and withers. 'It's here one minute, and the next minute it's gone,' he said. In his sermon he asked worshipers to reflect on the past year, considering the trials they faced and the strength God gave them. 'It took a very strong man who could help right our country back to being God's country,' Lisa Karns said. 'I do feel like God protected him to help our country.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'This little light of mine': Jupiter bash celebrates Alberta Bailey's 107th birthday
JUPITER — Alberta Bailey's 107th birthday celebration was as lively as the Sunday church services she never misses. She wore a white, wide-brimmed hat, a gold tiara and shiny red heels as she smiled from ear to ear and raised her hand toward the sky, singing "Thank you, Lord!" as about 100 friends and family members gathered around on July 3 outside the Edna W. Runner Education Center in Jupiter. There even was a sermon, delivered by the Rev. Charles Nesbitt of Lake Worth Church of God, about taking care of elders, followed by renditions of "Amazing Grace" and "This Little Light of Mine." The nonprofit's staff members threw the party for the West Palm Beach resident because her great-great grandchildren attend the center. Bailey's relatives said the day matched the legacies that one of Palm Beach County's oldest residents wants to pass on — the importance of prayer, of family and of living an exuberant life. "I feel happy," said Bailey, who spent much of the party chatting with her guests and receiving greetings from firefighters and Jupiter police officers and a certificate of recognition signed by Palm Beach County Mayor Maria Marino. "I have my grand children, daughter and I love them all. . . . I don't have a pain in my body. I thank God just for living. I know one day, I am going home. I have nothing to worry about." Legacy lives on: A Jupiter after-school center kept going after its beloved founder died. Thank her nephew. Bailey grew up in the 1920s an hour's drive north of Tallahassee in Boston, Georgia. For much of her life, she did field work picking pecans, cotton and other Georgia crops, according to her granddaughter, Pam Booker Pettis. Segregation was prevalent at the time. 'There are stories of them doing field work because that's all that was available to people of color,' said Pettis, 56, an attorney who lives in Fort Lauderdale. 'Kids were also required to work at that time. They went to school some, not much, and they worked.' This left an impact for generations. It led Bailey to teach her kids and grandchildren about the value of education. Many of them grew up to become doctors, attorneys and teachers. She had eight children and now has at least 150 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. When Pettis' daughter started medical school, Bailey repeatedly told her, 'God is going to take care of you and take you through whatever you're going through. Just don't forget to pray.' The lesson stuck with her. It is the same one that Bailey taught her grandchildren ever since they were young, and it carried Pettis through law school. "Since we were 3 or 4 years old, we would hang out at her house, go to church or shop at Goodwill (and) she would be singing and praying and teaching us lessons," Pettis said. "She'll pray in the store. She'll pray in a parking lot. It doesn't matter where." 'It made me feel like Superman': Suits for Seniors preps teens for careers, clothes and all Bailey moved to West Palm Beach about 65 years ago, just after her sons Jasper Jr. and Willie C. made Florida their home. She brought her green thumb and favorite recipes for biscuits, cornbread and chicken and rice along with her. While Bailey does not cook as much as she used to, she still tends to a thriving flower garden in her backyard. She lived with Jasper, her husband and the love of her life, until he died in 1998. She never dated again after that. Bailey now lives in West Palm Beach with her granddaughter, Mary Williams, who prepares meals for her and helps her take any medications she needs. 'I enjoy watching her grow her own vegetables in the garden, listening to her pray early in the morning and singing her hymns late at night,' said Williams, 55. 'It's just a joy.' Bailey's great-granddaughter knows Bailey as a giver. 'She doesn't like to see anybody without, and she doesn't like to see people hurt, so she tries to help out no matter what,' said Qushanta Williams, 35, of West Palm Beach. 'That's just who she is.' Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@ Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alberta Bailey celebrates 107th birthday with prayer, party in Jupiter
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Pope Francis' Favorite Dystopian Novel
Robert Hugh Benson, center, and his you to have asked Pope Francis to name his favorite book, he would probably have said the Bible. Asked for his favorite novel, however, he might have mentioned a dystopian thriller in which the Antichrist is a senator from Vermont. The Holy Father certainly talked it up during his papacy. 'I was deeply struck when I read it,' he wrote in 'Hope,' his memoir, published in January. He praised the book as 'a prophecy' in one of his earliest papal homilies and recommended it to journalists in 2015: 'I advise you to read it.' The book is 'Lord of the World,' by Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914), an English priest whose conversion from Anglicanism in 1903 attracted national attention because his late father had been the archbishop of Canterbury. 'I proposed becoming a Roman Catholic,' wrote the son, 'because I believed that Church to be the Church of God.' Hugh, as friends called him, was the youngest of several literary siblings. A pair of brothers, E.F. and A.C. Benson, wrote novels and poetry but today are best known for their ghost stories, including one that Rod Serling adapted for 'The Twilight Zone.' A sister, Margaret Benson, was an Egyptologist. 'Lord of the World' (1907) eclipsed them all. Its title alludes to the tale of Christ's temptation in the desert, described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, in which the devil offers a deal: If Jesus will agree to worship Satan, Jesus will gain 'all the kingdoms of the world.' Jesus refuses, but Benson proposes that much of humanity would accept the terms and conditions, purging God for promises of power. Benson wrote in a preface that 'Lord of the World' was 'a terribly sensational book,' and some of its renown comes from his technological forecasting. Much in the way that Jules Verne imagined submarines and flights to the moon in his 19th-century science-fiction novels, Benson predicted air travel, mass transit, artificial light, heat vents and weapons of mass destruction. His gee-whiz wonders exist alongside typewriters and telegraphs, creating a steampunk aesthetic that 21st-century readers may find pleasing. Yet that isn't why Francis plugged it. In 2013, he said that the opening chapter of the First Book of Maccabees is 'one of the saddest pages in the Bible' because 'a great part of the people of God withdraw from the Lord in favor of worldly proposals.' He then pointed to Benson, arguing that the novelist had portrayed a modern society whose inhabitants made the same mistake: 'He envisioned what would happen.' What Benson envisioned was a communistic Europe that had nationalized its industries and disestablished its churches. In London, St. Paul's Cathedral is rebranded as 'Paul's House,' a meeting hall. Paris's Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre becomes a transport hub for zeppelins. The government shuts down universities, encourages euthanasia and persecutes Christians. Only a few of them remain, including a small number of Catholics who provide the only real resistance to the state's 'dogmatic secularism.' Into this grim environment steps Julian Felsenburgh, a charismatic politician who begins as a senator from Vermont. As he travels to other countries, he grows in popular acclaim and uses his wiles to become a messiah to mobs, the 'President of Europe' and eventually the ruler of just about everything. He is in fact the Antichrist, 'represented as a great carrier of peace,' observed another admirer of the novel—Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI—in a 1992 speech that cautioned against global government. In the story, Felsenburgh promises world peace but launches a devastating attack on Rome. Felsenburgh is Benson's Big Brother, even though 'Lord of the World' appeared decades before George Orwell's '1984,' published in 1949. It also predates the other classics of 20th-century dystopian fiction: 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley (1932), 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury (1953), and 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry (1993). While those novels also describe godless regimes, their stories have little to say about religion. 'Lord of the World,' by contrast, is full of faith, and Francis used it to raise alarms about the dangers of imposing Western secular values on developing nations by forcing them, as a condition of humanitarian aid, to adopt policies involving contraception, same-sex marriage and transgenderism: 'Reading it, you will understand what I mean by 'ideological colonization.' ' 'Lord of the World,' he added in 2023, warns of 'a future in which differences are disappearing and everything is the same, everything is uniform, a single leader of the whole world.' In 'Hope,' he described the book as 'an antidote to teenage progressivism, to that worldly totalitarianism that leads to apostasy.' It spoils nothing to say that the book ends with a scene so apocalyptic that it might be called 'biblical'—and, at least for readers who share Francis' faith, surprisingly hopeful. Mr. Miller is director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
26-04-2025
- General
Pope Francis remembered at his funeral as 'pope among the people' who aimed to 'build bridges'
At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with "strength and serenity" who modeled his pontificate on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in front of some 200,000 mourners in St. Peter's Square. Here are the remarks translated into English: In this majestic Saint Peter's Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains. Yet, we are sustained by the certainty of faith, which assures us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father's house, in a life of happiness that will know no end. On behalf of the College of Cardinals, I cordially thank all of you for your presence. With deep emotion, I extend respectful greetings and heartfelt thanks to the Heads of State, Heads of Government and Official Delegations who have come from many countries to express their affection, veneration and esteem for our late Holy Father. The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts. The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile. With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love. We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel, in which the very voice of Christ resounded, asking the first of the Apostles: 'Peter, do you love me more than these?' Peter's answer was prompt and sincere: 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!' Jesus then entrusted him with the great mission: 'Feed my sheep.' This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master and Lord, who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many' (Mk 10:45). Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them. And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God, mindful of the words of Jesus quoted by the Apostle Paul: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35). When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave on 13 March 2013 to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, he already had many years of experience in religious life in the Society of Jesus and, above all, was enriched by twenty-one years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, first as Auxiliary, then as Coadjutor and, above all, as Archbishop. The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us. He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church. With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an 'epochal change.' He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the Church. Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way. His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behavior in keeping with today's sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities. Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope. The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the Church as a 'field hospital' after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds. His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant. It is significant that Pope Francis' first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolizes the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. In the same vein was his trip to Lesbos, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico. Of his 47 arduous Apostolic Journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021, defying every risk, will remain particularly memorable. That difficult Apostolic Journey was a balm on the open wounds of the Iraqi people, who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work. With his 2024 Apostolic Journey to four countries in Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached 'the most peripheral periphery of the world.' Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the centre, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path. He called for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in order to highlight that mercy is 'the heart of the Gospel.' Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis. In contrast to what he called 'the culture of waste,' he spoke of the culture of encounter and solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones. In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family. In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, recalling the common fatherhood of God. Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato si' he drew attention to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating, 'No one is saved alone.' Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone. 'Build bridges, not walls' was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as Successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions. Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, 'Do not forget to pray for me.' Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man shot dead near Clarence Street Church of God is Seaford's second homicide this year
A 32-year-old man, who police said was shot by "an unknown number" of people in Seaford on Tuesday evening, has died, marking the city's second homicide so far this year. The Seaford man's identity is being withheld until his family is notified, Delaware State Police said. Police were sent out to Clarence Street, between Thomas and Chandler streets, for a report of a shooting about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday. This is the same block as the Clarence Street Church of God. Arriving officers found a wounded man suffering from gunshot wounds. The first responders began life-saving efforts until he was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police. Shootings tracker View Delaware Online/The News Journal's database of shootings in Delaware since 2017. While the killing occurred in Seaford city limits, police there have asked the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit to investigate. Police said their preliminary investigation indicates the man "was shot by an unknown number of suspects." Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this case to contact investigators at (302) 741-2729. Information may also be provided by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333. This is Seaford's second homicide in as many months. Schweitzer Dessin, 23, was fatally shot on March 12 after court records indicate he was caught in the crossfire of two shooters fighting over a dice game. Three others were injured in the shooting. More: Seaford homicide victim shot 5 times likely caught in dice game crossfire: Court docs A 23-year-old man has been charged in last month's shooting. Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Seaford man dies after being shot by 'unknown number' of people
