I told myself I would not write anything on the recently started Iran War. But unfortunately for myself, I find I cannot write on anything else. For my own wellbeing, I have really tried to avoid the news since about late December or early January.
As mentioned before, I studied political science for one semester. One. It had been my dream, for reasons I’m still questioning. But after that one semester, I realized this was too divisive of a topic for me. So I chose the even more controversial one: Theology.
As I have learned in the last year, this choice forces me to confront a contemporary beast: Christian nationalism. According to PRRI reports, roughly 3 out of 10 Americans qualify as Christian nationalism adherents or sympathizers; notably, 44% believe that “God has granted America a special role in human history.” This theme is coming up more and more as the American empire’s attacks on other nations increase quicker than we can think.
The Propaganda of the “Divine Plan”
I am not a political strategist, war expert, or anyone who cares more about their party than how I treat others for their affiliation. I’m a guy who writes about theology and horror movies, heavy metal, and mental health. If you are looking for solutions or “expert” opinions, you are outta luck.
But the oldest form of propaganda is impossible to ignore: “God is telling you to do this!”
Over 200 service members have filed grievances with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, reporting they were told the current conflict in Iran is part of some “divine plan.” One complainant alleges that their commander stated:
“President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.” ~retrieved from DemocracyNow
President who? Has been whated? By whom?!
This absolutely terrifies me. A former reality TV star has just invaded a second country this calendar year (soon to be a third, with Trump eyeing Cuba)—and we are only in March. He is “gambling with World War 3,” as he has accused other leaders of (but not him! fake news!), and his political followers believe he has been chosen by the Divine.
The Secretary and the King
Leading the strongest military in the world is not just a former reality show host, but another television personality as his Secretary of Defense. Both men are key examples of who not to be.
Hegseth is an insecure little boy. His boss is a racist, xenophobic bigot. That is not news. Both men are overcompensating. Neither one is qualified for the jobs they hold, and people are unnecessarily dying as a result.
But to a massive portion of America, they are no longer fallible men. They are saints on a mission. Like David, it’s okay that they made a “mistake.” That is, if we define a mistake as not being able to keep it in your pants and killing a woman’s husband to cover your lack of self-control as a result.
But again, if we (as hypothetical Christian nationalists) believe ancient Israel holds all the answers, and America is the greatest country on earth, then Donald Trump is… a David.
Yes, I recall all those times God told the Israelites it would be a great idea to have a king…
The Problem with the White-Washed David
Evangelicals do not love the David of the Bible; they love a white-washed caricature. We are told David was a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14) and therefore can do no wrong. But the text tells a darker story:
- Abuse of Power: He exploited his royal authority in the Bathsheba and Uriah scandal (2 Sam. 11−12).
- Violent Warlordism: His reign was defined by constant, brutal warfare (2 Sam. 5,8,10).
- Domestic Failure: He failed to discipline his children, leading to rape and death within his own household (2 Sam. 13).
- The Body Count: Because of a forbidden census ordered by David’s own pride, a plague killed 70,000 Israelites (2 Sam. 24:15).
So yes, Trump is a lot like David. Just as Satan is like Judas. The problem is not explicit in the statement “Trump is like David.” But say that to any American, and they will either hug and salute you or slap and insult you. Because you’d be saying, “Trump is a good king.”
The problem is not in truth; it’s in common knowledge. David not being a good king is not at all a common interpretation in America. It’s probably not a common interpretation many places, and it’s certainly not the exegesis I planned on doing this week.
The Cycle Repeats
We don’t have to decide on whether David or Trump is “good” or “evil.” What we can agree on is this: they are both deeply flawed. David does not get a pass for the over-emphasized “man after God’s own heart” statement. Somebody could say that about me or you, that would not necessarily make it true.
David’s flaws were not minor. They resulted in thousands of deaths. Stop treating him like the Messiah. He wasn’t. You do not want your son to be anything like him.
Apocalypticism has been around for millennia. The world is always “ending soon.” This rhetoric serves a purpose for which I do not believe the author intended: it manufactures consent for violence. It does not serve as an account of a divine wizard who looked into a crystal ball and saw an orange man anointed for Armageddon, getting war plans straight from Jesus.
Scripture is too ancient and far too complex to say the person possessing the nuclear codes is fulfilling one interpretation of one small facet of the text. And if you must base your decisions to cause death and destruction on theology, perhaps it’s time to have some fresh oil applied to your own head.