Pastor Robert Jeffress, a vocal Trump supporter, played the WWJD card on "Fox and Friends" today. He had the blaspheming gall to suggest to NFL players that Jesus tells them they "owe" the government and Trump "our respect and our prayers."
After Trump called NFL players who were protesting during the National Anthem "SOB's" on Friday, the league and its players responded in kind on Sunday to Trump's cringe-worthy rhetoric.
Jeffress, along with Reverend Michel Faulkner, were interviewed by "Fox and Friends" co-host Ainsley Earnhardt to discuss the protests, but Jeffress decided it was his time to excoriate all the NFL players.
Pastor Jeffress doesn't feel that unarmed African Americans being shot and killed by the police for being black was an injustice worthy to protest, not like those Oregon bakers, who were criticized for practicing their faith by refusing service to a gay couple. See, that's really horrible.
Times are much worse for you if you're a homophobe, seems to be Jeffress message.
Jeffress said, "I think what these players are doing is absolutely wrong."
The pastor couldn't help himself and drew Trump's acerbic fight with North Korea into the debate.
"These players ought to be thanking God that they live in a country where they're not only free to earn millions of dollars every year, but they're also free from the worry of being shot in the head for taking a knee like they would be if they were in North Korea, " he said.
And this is a supposed man of God?
"I think tens of millions of Americans agree with President Trump when he says they ought to be called out for this."
Men like Jeffress give religious and spiritual leaders all a bad name because he's obviously more in love with presidential power than the scripture and Bible he makes believe he practices faithfully.
Reverend Michel Faulkner said the players had a right to protest "but they need to move the dialogue forward."
These players (who now have most of the NFL owners backing them after Trump's words) are making a statement loud and clear.
And it's sickening that right-wingers immediately used their jingoism to insinuate that by taking a knee in protest during the Anthem, that person(s) is also attacking the military.
That's simply absurd.
Did you know that sports athletes are entertainers, just like those Hollywood elites? I didn't know that but I learned it on Fox and Friends.
Then Jeffress came back in and played the God card along with WWJD.
He said, "Many of these players claim to be strong Christians, and I believe they are, and I think they ought to remember what Jesus said."
"Jesus said 'render onto Caesar the things that are Caesars and the things that are God's.' Jesus said we have a responsibility toward our government. We are our government not just our taxes, but we owe them our respect and our prayers and I think that needs to be kept in mind in all of this discussion," Jeffress said.
Jeffress of course hijacked this quote to make believe Jesus was saying the NFL players should support Trump.
I write a lot about fools like Pastor Jeffress because I have met many spiritual leaders that are wonderful people with incredible messages.
Paid shills for right-wing politics are the embodiment of all that is disgusting in religion today.