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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 08:56 AM Jun 2020

Ahead of Trump Bible photo op, police forcibly expel priest from St. John's church near White House

Source: Religion News

Ahead of Trump Bible photo op, police forcibly expel priest from St. John's church near White House

June 2, 2020
Jack Jenkins

(RNS) — Early Monday evening (June 1), President Trump stood before the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Washington, DC, and held aloft a Bible for cameras. ... The photo opportunity had an eerie quality: Trump said relatively little, positioned stoically in front of the boarded-up church, which had been damaged the day before in a fire during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.

The church appeared to be completely abandoned. ... It was, in fact, abandoned, but not by choice: less than an hour before Trump's arrival, armored police used tear gas to clear hundreds of peaceful demonstrators from Lafayette Square park, which is across the street from the church. ...Authorities also expelled at least one Episcopal priest and a seminarian from the church's patio. ... “They turned holy ground into a battleground,” said the Rev. Gini Gerbasi.

Gerbasi, who serves as rector at a different Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown, arrived at St. John’s Lafayette earlier that day with what she said were at least 20 other priests and a group of laypeople. They were organized by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington to serve as a “peaceful presence in support of protestors.”

The volunteers and clergy offered water, snacks, and hand sanitizer to demonstrators who were gathered in Lafayette Park across the street — which sits directly in front of the White House — to denounce racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. ...But sometime after six in the evening, when volunteers were packing up supplies, Gerbasi said police suddenly began to expel demonstrators from the park — before the 7:00 pm curfew announced for Washington residents earlier in the day.

{snip}

The priest later posted about her experience on Facebook, concluding her account with the defiant decree "I am now a force to be reckoned with.” (1)

This is a developing story and may be updated.

(1)




Read more: https://religionnews.com/2020/06/02/ahead-of-trump-bible-photo-op-police-forcibly-expel-priest-from-st-johns-church-near-white-house/



“Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?”




Ahead of Trump Bible photo op, police forcibly expel priest from St. John's church near White House


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Ahead of Trump Bible photo op, police forcibly expel priest from St. John's church near White House (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2020 OP
That had a Mission Accomplished feel to it underpants Jun 2020 #1
More of a Hotel Rwanda feel to it. Even the Evilgelicals will be pissed about this. lagomorph777 Jun 2020 #12
Unfortunately, I don't think so Lulu KC Jun 2020 #14
Wow hadn't considered that angle/spin underpants Jun 2020 #16
So...... Nevilledog Jun 2020 #20
I doubt that any of them know a thing about the Episcopal church Lulu KC Jun 2020 #22
Kick dalton99a Jun 2020 #2
Trump thinks he's God bucolic_frolic Jun 2020 #3
He's now the "warrior" for god... SergeStorms Jun 2020 #19
Trump claimed to be an "ally" of peaceful protestors. Maybe if you exclude those at his rallies ... mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2020 #4
Yes and add imprisoned refugees and immigrants to that list FakeNoose Jun 2020 #6
BunkerBoy goes macho meathead,... magicarpet Jun 2020 #5
When??? DownriverDem Jun 2020 #7
How? Impeach him again? And then what? JustABozoOnThisBus Jun 2020 #18
The Prophesy Roy Rolling Jun 2020 #8
Yes. hamsterjill Jun 2020 #15
Don't expect trumps religous right to get upset about using a church in the wrong way. Doreen Jun 2020 #9
True but I don't think most mainline Protestants will like it. BrightKnight Jun 2020 #24
My mother said something about the Catholic church he went to was not happy with him either. Doreen Jun 2020 #25
The Catholic Bishop of DC wasn't happy with him but BrightKnight Jun 2020 #26
The Episcopal Church needs to tell him to stay off their property. Captain Zero Jun 2020 #10
Well, I am sure he would be welcome to pray BrightKnight Jun 2020 #23
This is so brazen... jstephenj Jun 2020 #11
One of my Einstein Foundation books Warpy Jun 2020 #13
This message was self-deleted by its author SunSeeker Jun 2020 #17
That Hitler pic on the left is photoshopped muriel_volestrangler Jun 2020 #21

underpants

(182,279 posts)
1. That had a Mission Accomplished feel to it
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:01 AM
Jun 2020

The Trump campaign is already using footage on social media. That is something Rove couldn’t do. By the time the re-election campaign started for W, that footage was no good.

It did have that feel though.

lagomorph777

(30,613 posts)
12. More of a Hotel Rwanda feel to it. Even the Evilgelicals will be pissed about this.
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 11:52 AM
Jun 2020

My Dog this is appalling. Trump's military forces priests out of the way so he can use the church as prop.

Lulu KC

(2,547 posts)
14. Unfortunately, I don't think so
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 12:27 PM
Jun 2020

I'm already seeing stuff on Twitter about how Episcopalians aren't really Christians. You know, gay priests and women as bishops and all that. Oh, not taking the Bible literally. So many sins.

underpants

(182,279 posts)
16. Wow hadn't considered that angle/spin
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 01:39 PM
Jun 2020

If Trump said something bad about himself they’ve attack Trump and defend/excuse him at the same time.

Nevilledog

(50,685 posts)
20. So......
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 04:17 PM
Jun 2020

If Episcopalians aren't real Christians, why is their prize pony using an Episcopalian church as a backdrop?

Idiots.

Lulu KC

(2,547 posts)
22. I doubt that any of them know a thing about the Episcopal church
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 04:58 PM
Jun 2020

--or any other, for that matter.
Probably the first time he'd ever actually picked up a Bible all by himself.

bucolic_frolic

(42,676 posts)
3. Trump thinks he's God
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:17 AM
Jun 2020

or at least Moses coming up from the bunker.

The clouds of smokey tear gas, have an element of reality TV to it? Wasn't that an apprentice aura?

SergeStorms

(18,898 posts)
19. He's now the "warrior" for god...
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 04:02 PM
Jun 2020

and the evangelicals are eating it right up. Donald Trump is the "warrior for god" the evangelicals have been waiting for in our government. He's the one that's going to lead the christian jihad, until they're no longer of any use to Trump, then he'll throw them under a bus, just like he does with everyone else.

I no longer recognize this as the country I grew up in. It's time to move to Canada.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
4. Trump claimed to be an "ally" of peaceful protestors. Maybe if you exclude those at his rallies ...
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:33 AM
Jun 2020
Trump claimed to be an "ally" of peaceful protestors. Maybe if you exclude those at his rallies and those who opposed his election and those who protested his inauguration and you exclude Kaepernick and you exclude those being tear-gassed as he said it.


FakeNoose

(32,351 posts)
6. Yes and add imprisoned refugees and immigrants to that list
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:51 AM
Jun 2020

... also those who have been forcibly exported without their children.



magicarpet

(13,941 posts)
5. BunkerBoy goes macho meathead,...
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:39 AM
Jun 2020

With tear gas, rubber bullets, and explosive/incendiary devises on peaceful demonstrators.

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,283 posts)
18. How? Impeach him again? And then what?
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 02:38 PM
Jun 2020

President Pence?

Maybe better to have a narcissist than a "true believer".


Roy Rolling

(6,853 posts)
8. The Prophesy
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 10:45 AM
Jun 2020

The loose Biblical prophesy is that a conman will fleece everybody, and force them to worship him.

So Trump politicizes Evangelical Christians to be political pawns of his, thinking he wins. But the end of the story is that the Evil One splits Christians into two groups: Good Christians and bad Christians and the bad Christians are smited or something. 😁

It’s a very loose interpretation, but the point is those evangelicals who kiss Trump’s ass will be rejected as fakes by Trump AND other Christians in the end. Instead of them branding Trump as more moral, Trump brands them as more immoral for following him and not Jesus.

Ouch.

hamsterjill

(15,214 posts)
15. Yes.
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 12:48 PM
Jun 2020

I’m a believer although no fluent Bible person. That’s the part that always gets me about the Evangelicals. Revelations sets out the false prophets and the anti-Christ and yet they still pay no attention.

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
9. Don't expect trumps religous right to get upset about using a church in the wrong way.
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 11:22 AM
Jun 2020

The trump far right "Christians" are more than likely the kind who think Episcopalians are bad and godless. I have met those type before.

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
25. My mother said something about the Catholic church he went to was not happy with him either.
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 09:56 PM
Jun 2020

Half the Catholics like him and the other half doesn't. I am so glad that my Catholic friends despise him.😁

BrightKnight

(3,567 posts)
26. The Catholic Bishop of DC wasn't happy with him but
Wed Jun 3, 2020, 12:53 AM
Jun 2020

the KoC want the money (IDK). Apparently he did not stay for the service when visited the Knights of Columbus.

BrightKnight

(3,567 posts)
23. Well, I am sure he would be welcome to pray
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 08:27 PM
Jun 2020

or attend service but the Church has online services now. He would definitely want to clear that with the Bishop first. Also, I’m not sure about taking communion. Most Christians can but I don’t know his background.

She made it very clear that he is not to use the Church as a political prop.

He put her in a difficult position. She simply could not allow anyone to use the Church like that.

The Rector let BLM medics use the Church but It is consecrated ground and I hope that others will treat it with the respect that Trump did not (regardless of your faith).


Every Episcopal Church in America prays for Donald Trump every Sunday. I am sure that St. John’s does too.

jstephenj

(51 posts)
11. This is so brazen...
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 11:36 AM
Jun 2020

One has to wonder if this is somehow in the bag for Trump for his worst impulses to be on display like this. That's my biggest worry going into November through foreign interference, voter suppression, complacency of media and social infrastructures, and now the outright deployment of Southern Strategy tactics.

I'm not trying to be overly pessimistic, but are there any silver lining precedents worth looking back on to allay much of the concern going on right now?

Warpy

(110,912 posts)
13. One of my Einstein Foundation books
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 12:00 PM
Jun 2020

on how to start revolutions and topple dictators gives the analogy of self styled strongmen standing on 3 legged stools: one leg is the religious establishment, one is the civil police, and one is the military.

It is beginning to look like the revolution has gotten underway, at least part of the religious establishment is no longer interested in keeping peace among the faithful. Some police forces are starting to see what's really going on out there and who the trashers and looters really are this time. Dummy's threat to use the military to attack US citizens is starting to make the brass hats, even the ones he installed, ask serious questions.

No wonder the big bully is starting to snivel and run to teacher. He's losing his grip on the terrified, and he knows it.

The last time things felt this ugly was 1968, that year was horrific and ushered in 52 years of conservative rule in both parties. Let's hope this year is enough to oust them for at least that long.

Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
21. That Hitler pic on the left is photoshopped
Tue Jun 2, 2020, 04:27 PM
Jun 2020

The 'bible' is a different colour from the rest of the photo, and his thumb looks strangely short. Here's a use of the original, without book: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/66658789/germany-to-reprint-hitlers-manifesto-for-first-time-since-end-of-wwii

He's just holding up his hand to acknowledge the Nazi salutes.

What's just shocked me is I found it in Google results, in the Getty Images catalogue under the title "The Nazis Are So Sexy Stock Pictures" with 66 others. That appears to be a search phrase someone's used, but how have they got it to turn up in Google results?

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