Trump Posts AI Image of Himself as Pope on Truth Social

Landon Caeli · Sunday at 6:55 PM

MotoToTheMax said:
No, they didn't. They told the President not to mock them. There was no threat.

What a shame they responded.

rocknanchor · Sunday at 7:07 PM

I've been concerned for some time one of those self-important leaps he likes to fancy wouldn't eventually go too far? Well, at long last, it never goes well when you minimize people's faith.

ThatRobGuy · Sunday at 7:23 PM

mindlight said:
Maybe it is not obvious to you, because you live in MAGA-land and think the USA is the center of the Universe you only read the top part of the PEW survey you got that graph from.

You stated, and I quote:
Trump is trying to attach himself to the winning team.

With regards to that context (trying to get votes), he hasn't attached himself to the winning team, he's attached himself to the team that's dropped significantly in size over the past 15 years.

If we're talking about US politicians trying to win favor by appealing to religious groups, then in the context of that conversation, the US is the center of that discussion.

Like I said, the fact that the Muslim population is growing in certain parts of the world outside the US, doesn't translate to votes for a US politician.

mindlight said:
On a global level, non-religious is in massive decline as with a trend that started with the collapse in numbers that occurred when the USSR fell apart in the 90s and the atheists declared for Orthodox Christianity - Christianity is dominant and holding its own with above population growth rates. Islam is the real threat right now.

That's merely a reflection of the secular countries having declining birth rates.

Again, your statement was "Trump is trying to attach himself to the winning team"

How does a population increase in a fundamentalist Islamic country translate to more votes for a US political party? (considering that people in other countries don't vote in our elections)

The IbanezerScrooge · Sunday at 7:38 PM

Landon Caeli said:
I'm the last person who could ever guess the topic of one of you people's threads.

If we're only allowed to talk about this picture, for however many pages this thread lasts, then that's just literally stupid.

Them's the rules, bud.

The IbanezerScrooge · Sunday at 7:40 PM

ThatRobGuy said:
As long as they're clean, I would hope that wouldn't be anything people would make a huge fuss over.

What do you call a sleepwalking nun?
A roamin’ catholic

What’s the difference between a Roman and an Irish Catholic?
The strength of the communion wine.

(that second one was my grandma's favorite -- she was a staunch Irish Catholic, and wore her high alcohol tolerance as a badge of pride

Nah, those are no fun. They don't hit the right nerves.

Michie · Sunday at 8:19 PM

I was watching NBC news tonight and Dolan was pretty noncommittal about it. He said it was not good but he hoped he had nothing to do with it. It was mentioned that Dolan is friends with Trump. He along with Bishop Barron are on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission he established.

FireDragon76 · Sunday at 8:30 PM

Akita Suggagaki said:
I thought Clinton bringing his personal problems into the Oval Office was appalling. But at least he was ashamed of it.
Trump is proud and public. The puerile prank of a photo was intentionally posted by him at a time when Catholics are in grief. As a Catholic I could probably look past it. But in the context of his public history and what he is doing to the country and to the world, I find it especially disturbing.

I think it's particular offensive considering that the recent pope who died, Francis, left one final Christian wittness: he left all his money to inmates in a Roman prison, people he called his "brothers behind bars".

When has Trump done anything so magnanimous in comparison, as to be worthy of that kind of high calling, of shepherding anyone, much less a billion people?

Bradskii · Sunday at 10:35 PM

ThatRobGuy said:
It's how a lot of the secular non-Catholics are pretending to find it offensive...

Pretending? Please don't be so insulting. Almost all of the secular members of this forum have shown nothing but respect for religion (which is a world away from how we might consider personal religious views, which vary depending on who you talk to). It's the same as showing respect to the position of the president. Which you can do without having any for the person holding that position.

I've no time at all for the monarchy, but I would have been equally insulted if Trump had pictured himself as the next king while the queen was still being mourned.

Let's face it. The guy has no class whatsoever.

Bradskii · Sunday at 10:37 PM

Michie said:
I did not call you out. I find the behavior quite hypocritical from those that themselves have criticized the Church in often very poor taste in the past.

I see no-one like that posting in this thread. No-one at all.

Michie · Sunday at 10:41 PM

Bradskii said:
I see no-one like that posting in this thread. No-one at all.

I don’t suppose you would.

Bradskii · Sunday at 10:43 PM

durangodawood said:
Same here. And thats a sorry state.

But the point is this isnt about sudden pope veneration from everybody. Its about how our country is represented to the world.

Exactly right. If this was some high school prank from a kid who didn't know better or some moron wanting to take a pop at religion, or Catholicism in particular, then it wouldn't be worth commenting on. There are idiots everywhere that will do or say something stupid. But...this is the President Of The United States for heaven's sake. Not some 6th grader.

And you are right that we now don't expect any better. And that is an American tragedy.

Bradskii · Sunday at 10:52 PM

Pommer said:
Gee, why’s the flag only got 32 stars? The only time that was in effect was 1859.

And only 12 stripes.

FireDragon76 · Sunday at 11:11 PM

Hans Blaster said:
The Universe doesn't have a center.

That's not a survey. That is a fantasy model of projected populations. (And despite the fantasy elements your "global Christianity manages to grow from 31.4% to a whopping 31.4% in it.)

Most of the growth in Christianity is probably in Africa, where most growth in general is expected due to increase in population. Even in my lifetime, the country of Nigeria has had huge growth.

There are a few caveats, though. New religions could start, or change over time into something else. People can also practice multiple religions at the same time.

In Nigeria, for instance, there's a hybrid of Islam and Christianity being practiced in some areas.

In the US, the scholar of religion, Christian Smith, has described the fastest growing worldview as occulture or what was in the past called "spiritual but not religious". If it were conceived of as a single religious movement, it would be larger than the Mainline Protestant denominations combined. Most towns have more shops selling crystals, herbs, or essential oils now, than Christian bookstores. Many people believe in UFO's. More people believe that vampires are real than there are Jews, Mormons, and Muslims combined. Some go to organized worship or seminars related to New Age/New Thought spirituality, such as the Unity Church (Marianne Williamson is a good example of this kind of spirituality). A sizeable minority of traditional Christians also have private beliefs associated with occulture, as well.

mindlight · Sunday at 11:21 PM

ThatRobGuy said:
You stated, and I quote:
Trump is trying to attach himself to the winning team.

With regards to that context (trying to get votes), he hasn't attached himself to the winning team, he's attached himself to the team that's dropped significantly in size over the past 15 years.

If we're talking about US politicians trying to win favor by appealing to religious groups, then in the context of that conversation, the US is the center of that discussion.

Like I said, the fact that the Muslim population is growing in certain parts of the world outside the US, doesn't translate to votes for a US politician.

That's merely a reflection of the secular countries having declining birth rates.

Again, your statement was "Trump is trying to attach himself to the winning team"

How does a population increase in a fundamentalist Islamic country translate to more votes for a US political party? (considering that people in other countries don't vote in our elections)

You , like Trump, think parochial, but the pope thought global.

FireDragon76 · Sunday at 11:38 PM

mindlight said:
You , like Trump, think parochial, but the pope thought global.

The future of world civilization is going to pivot to Africa and Asia.

mindlight · Sunday at 11:39 PM

Hans Blaster said:
The Universe doesn't have a center.

That's not a survey. That is a fantasy model of projected populations. (And despite the fantasy elements your "global Christianity manages to grow from 31.4% to a whopping 31.4% in it.)

You do not know if the Universe has a center and cannot prove it either way, this was just tongue in cheek anyway.

The decline in religious non affiliated is clear from PEW and others also, the massive reversal in the old communist world was the conversion side of that and secular birth rates the other.

The Christian numbers are unclear however and especially in oppressive cultures like China, India and the Islamic world fail to record the hidden church. A good book on this is 'a Wind in the House of Islam' by David Garrison.

The world is becoming more religious not less. The new pope will be at the forefront of the spiritual battles of our age.

mindlight · Sunday at 11:41 PM

FireDragon76 said:
The future of world civilization is going to pivot to Africa and Asia. This is probably going to be the Asian century.

This and South America is where the church is most vibrant. This is at the heart of the switch away from a Western led world order. Not that I have given up on the West yet, revival is still possible

FireDragon76 · Sunday at 11:45 PM

mindlight said:
This and South America is where the church is most vibrant. This is at the heart of the switch away from a Western led world order. Not that I have given up on the West yet, revival is still possible

South America has its own kind of occulture, where Catholicism or Catholic symbols frequently blend with local religions. Brazil has alot of African-influenced religions and new religious movements, in particular. And I suspect Neo-Pentecostalism in Brazil will eventually fall victim to the same kind of political coding and nationalism that happened in the US, limiting its appeal.

Hans Blaster · 2025-05-05T01:44:48-0500

FireDragon76 said:
Most of the growth in Christianity is probably in Africa, where most growth in general is expected due to increase in population. Even in my lifetime, the country of Nigeria has had huge growth.

Hasn't Europe done enough damage there already? Of course none of that changes that Pew went about and assumed and extrapolated to get their 30-years later "forecast" of future religious affiliation and demographics. It is just a fantasy model.

FireDragon76 said:
There are a few caveats, though. New religions could start, or change over time into something else. People can also practice multiple religions at the same time.

In Nigeria, for instance, there's a hybrid of Islam and Christianity being practiced in some areas.

In the US, the scholar of religion, Christian Smith, has described the fastest growing worldview as occulture or what was in the past called "spiritual but not religious".

Which aren't christianity.

FireDragon76 said:
If it were conceived of as a single religious movement, it would be larger than the Mainline Protestant denominations combined.

But they aren't a movement. They express some vague notion of "spirituality" (whatever that is), not an regularized belief.

FireDragon76 said:
Most towns have more shops selling crystals, herbs, or essential oils now, than Christian bookstores.

Christian bookstores have always been more rare than regular bookstores. I know of 1 and exactly 0 "crystal shops". It's next to the grocery that sells oils and herbs.

FireDragon76 said:
Many people believe in UFO's.

Including a lot of Christians. UFOs aren't (generally) a religion.

FireDragon76 said:
More people believe that vampires are real than there are Jews, Mormons, and Muslims combined.

The vampire lore of the west is from a very Christian Europe, not some sort of new age pagan movement.

FireDragon76 said:
Some go to organized worship or seminars related to New Age/New Thought spirituality, such as the Unity Church (Marianne Williamson is a good example of this kind of spirituality).

Or hucksterism as it were.

FireDragon76 said:
A sizeable minority of traditional Christians also have private beliefs associated with occulture, as well.

How many Christians actually believe Jesus and God are the same being/person/entity.

FireDragon76 · 2025-05-05T01:56:56-0500

Hans Blaster said:
Hasn't Europe done enough damage there already? Of course none of that changes that Pew went about and assumed and extrapolated to get their 30-years later "forecast" of future religious affiliation and demographics. It is just a fantasy model.

Most of the growth in African Christianity is due to Africans themselves, their churches are mostly autonomous now days in terms of governance.

Hans Blaster said:
Which aren't christianity.

Of course. My point is that religion as a phenomenon can and does change, including the emergence of completely new or syncretic forms of religion. Which makes it more problematic to predict the future of religion.

Just look at the Protestant Reformation, only 500 years ago, for instance. It created very different forms of Christianity from Roman Catholicism. It's possible the next century will see completely new forms of religion to compete with older forms.

Hans Blaster said:
But they aren't a movement. They express some vague notion of "spirituality" (whatever that is), not an regularized belief.

Religion isn't necessarily defined by a set of dogmatic beliefs or propositions about the world. Common rituals and practices can be just as important, if not moreso. The Quaker religion is a good example of this. Shinto in Japan is another.

Hans Blaster said:
Including a lot of Christians. UFOs aren't (generally) a religion.

They can be. There are UFO based religion, for instance.

Hans Blaster said:
The vampire lore of the west is from a very Christian Europe, not some sort of new age pagan movement.

Belief in vampires predates Christianity, and is found in many cultures, even if it was given a Christian explanation in premodern Europe.

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