U.S. President Donald Trump and Pastor Robert Jeffress participate in the Celebrate Freedom Rally at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on July 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool via Getty Images)
Aug 09, 2017
After President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" on Tuesday, many began to worry about the prospect of nuclear war.
Not Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress.
Shortly following the president's remarks, Jeffress--who is also one of Trump's "evangelical advisers"--released a statement declaring that "God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-un," the leader of North Korea.
Jeffress went on to say he is "heartened to see that our president...will not tolerate any threat against the American people."
"When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it," Jeffress concluded. "Thank God for a president who is serious about protecting our country."
The Washington Post notes that Jeffress became convinced Trump would become president after "sharing Wendy's cheeseburgers" with him in Iowa. Jeffress has said he believes God chose Trump for the job, and he has repeatedly invoked religious authority to justify Trump's policies, including the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Jeffress's North Korea comments prompted backlash on social media.
\u201cThe competition between Qom and Texas is intensifying...\n\nhttps://t.co/yI5h3cdEAc\u201d— Trita Parsi (@Trita Parsi) 1502282266
\u201c@washingtonpost The good pastor must be referring to Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology, certainly not the God of the Trinity.\u201d— The Washington Post (@The Washington Post) 1502237803
Offering a counterpoint to Jeffress's pro-war religiosity recently was the Washington, D.C. Catholic Worker, which held a vigil in front of the White House on the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
"Nuclear weapons are immoral, illegal, anti-God, anti-life, anti-creation, and have no right to exist," said Art Laffin, an activist with the Catholic Worker.
After denouncing spending on nuclear weapons as "direct theft from the poor," Laffin said: "If the U.S. is to ever truly lead the way to real disarmament, it must first repent for the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then and only then can the U.S. legitimately ask other nuclear nations to disarm."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
After President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" on Tuesday, many began to worry about the prospect of nuclear war.
Not Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress.
Shortly following the president's remarks, Jeffress--who is also one of Trump's "evangelical advisers"--released a statement declaring that "God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-un," the leader of North Korea.
Jeffress went on to say he is "heartened to see that our president...will not tolerate any threat against the American people."
"When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it," Jeffress concluded. "Thank God for a president who is serious about protecting our country."
The Washington Post notes that Jeffress became convinced Trump would become president after "sharing Wendy's cheeseburgers" with him in Iowa. Jeffress has said he believes God chose Trump for the job, and he has repeatedly invoked religious authority to justify Trump's policies, including the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Jeffress's North Korea comments prompted backlash on social media.
\u201cThe competition between Qom and Texas is intensifying...\n\nhttps://t.co/yI5h3cdEAc\u201d— Trita Parsi (@Trita Parsi) 1502282266
\u201c@washingtonpost The good pastor must be referring to Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology, certainly not the God of the Trinity.\u201d— The Washington Post (@The Washington Post) 1502237803
Offering a counterpoint to Jeffress's pro-war religiosity recently was the Washington, D.C. Catholic Worker, which held a vigil in front of the White House on the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
"Nuclear weapons are immoral, illegal, anti-God, anti-life, anti-creation, and have no right to exist," said Art Laffin, an activist with the Catholic Worker.
After denouncing spending on nuclear weapons as "direct theft from the poor," Laffin said: "If the U.S. is to ever truly lead the way to real disarmament, it must first repent for the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then and only then can the U.S. legitimately ask other nuclear nations to disarm."
After President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" on Tuesday, many began to worry about the prospect of nuclear war.
Not Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress.
Shortly following the president's remarks, Jeffress--who is also one of Trump's "evangelical advisers"--released a statement declaring that "God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-un," the leader of North Korea.
Jeffress went on to say he is "heartened to see that our president...will not tolerate any threat against the American people."
"When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it," Jeffress concluded. "Thank God for a president who is serious about protecting our country."
The Washington Post notes that Jeffress became convinced Trump would become president after "sharing Wendy's cheeseburgers" with him in Iowa. Jeffress has said he believes God chose Trump for the job, and he has repeatedly invoked religious authority to justify Trump's policies, including the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Jeffress's North Korea comments prompted backlash on social media.
\u201cThe competition between Qom and Texas is intensifying...\n\nhttps://t.co/yI5h3cdEAc\u201d— Trita Parsi (@Trita Parsi) 1502282266
\u201c@washingtonpost The good pastor must be referring to Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology, certainly not the God of the Trinity.\u201d— The Washington Post (@The Washington Post) 1502237803
Offering a counterpoint to Jeffress's pro-war religiosity recently was the Washington, D.C. Catholic Worker, which held a vigil in front of the White House on the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
"Nuclear weapons are immoral, illegal, anti-God, anti-life, anti-creation, and have no right to exist," said Art Laffin, an activist with the Catholic Worker.
After denouncing spending on nuclear weapons as "direct theft from the poor," Laffin said: "If the U.S. is to ever truly lead the way to real disarmament, it must first repent for the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then and only then can the U.S. legitimately ask other nuclear nations to disarm."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.