Protect Fayetteville From Trump Church Inc.

Fayetteville’s new Cross Church has been a persistent chigger, but witnessing construction is unbearably ominous. This church represents a dangerously inverted Christianity. For example, pastor Ronnie Floyd serves as Trump’s evangelical advisor, a president with an agenda of war crimes, environmental destruction and screw-the-poor policies.

As many know, the religious right merged with the Republican Party in 1976, as detailed by Moyers. This unholy matrimony entailed preachers and politicians focusing disproportionately on abortion. This enabled manipulation for poorer votes while stabbing their backs with economic policies for the richest few. Simultaneously, they mute the teachings of Jesus focused on helping the poor.

They preach feigned care for life only until birth, and then all life is removed from the love list. Education, food, and healthcare for the poor? No! Trillions of dollars for bombing people in escalating wars for profit? Threaten all life with environmental destruction and nuclear weapons? Hell yes!

To build Floyd’s new megachurch, 13 acres of living soil that could feed humans is being suffocated under concrete tomb. As Joni Mitchell said, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” More alarmingly, the convoluted property acquisition was largely funded by a massive donation from Tyson CEO Donnie Smith, the largest factory farmed meat corporation. According to Talk Business, the donated land is “appraised at approximately $5 million.” Additionally, KFSM reported owners of J.B. Hunt donated $8 million, nearly half the anticipated construction cost of $19 million.

Floyd said the land “did not cost us…It’s a miracle,” but there is hidden cost. According to Environment America’s analysis of the EPA’s 2010-2014 Toxic Release Inventory, Tyson was the second largest source of U.S. water pollution, dumping 104 million pounds. This is more than Exxon, Koch Industries, Dow or Dupont petrochemical corporations.

Smelling fowl, Floyd endorsed Trump’s climate science denying EPA head, Big Oil man Scott Pruitt. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt fought the EPA for fossil fuel and poultry industry water pollution, according to The New York Times. Connect the dots.

Floyd and politicians that take Big Business money fail to realize this destroys integrity, or massive donations are a flashing sign that the recipient has none. Destructive corporations typically do not donate to leaders of justice, peace or environmental intelligence.

Another itch is the breed of pastors Floyd epitomizes. To comprehend this perverted “Christianity,” research televangelist Joel “$10.5 million mansion” Osteen and Creflo “$65 million jet” Dollar. Watch Floyd’s endorsement of megachurch pastor Robert Morris’ money-hungry ideology. Examine Morris’ guilt-tripping, fearmonger extortion of his congregation with curses and demonic possession if they fail to tithe. They ignore Biblical teaching of “cheerful giving” not “under compulsion.”

Sounding like “God’s” IRS agent, Floyd preaches:

“The first check you ought to write when you get paid…The first auto-draft that ought to be made is the first fruit’s…When you get paid bonuses…stock (or) stock options (you must tithe)…Doesn’t matter if your bucket’s minimum wage (or) social security…We are all under the principle of the bucket…He’s gonna bless everything else in the bucket…Trust in The Lord..and lean not to your own understanding!”

As SBC president, Floyd also penned an appalling pastor instruction to maximize money-grubbing:

“(The key question to ask) repeatedly in December…the final month of giving for the year (is): As you review and understand clearly ALL of your sources of income in 2014, have you honored God by giving at least the first one-tenth…? (If not,) do so before December 31 so that you can know you (obeyed) God…”

It may be fine if only wealthy corporate executives were bilked, but Floyd is extracting money from the poorest too. He tells minimum wage workers and elderly people on fixed income to pay up, even if they struggle to afford bills or medicine. That is inexcusable, especially while buying $19 million McChurches.

Ultimately, Floyd and Trump exemplify deadly infectious disease, demanding diagnosis. The sickness is serving and worshipping money, putting profits before people, which supports mass carnage in endless, escalating wars.

Perhaps Floyd can overlook Trump’s p*ssy grab brag, but no beating heart can overlook Trump promising to kill families and torture, which are war crimes. No thinking mind can ignore the wicked stupidity of Trump’s record $460 billion arms deal, surpassing Hillary-Obama’s record, to the brutally repressive Saudi dictatorship. According to leaked Clinton documents, the radical Islamic Saudis are one of the largest sources of terrorist funding, including ISIS. Beautifully, Trump’s racist anti-Muslim street creed is now dashed on the rocks of America’s most indefensible bipartisan policy.

The gravest issues of life are the threat of nuclear war and environmental destruction, particularly climate change. Either monster could abort life for untold billions of descendants. Yet, Floyd and Trump insist on acting like Pied Pipers marching lemmings, and consequently all of us, to the abyss. Jafar need not be destiny.

Dear Ronnie, please help fulfill the Isaiah 2:4 prophecy of transforming tools of war into tools of peace, when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” It seems impossible, but as Jesus said, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God…but with God all things are possible.”

Abandon the red and green master and prepare for an ocean of love as you advise Trump to become a blessed peacemaker for the planet and poor.

By Abel Tomlinson

Categories: Commentary