Trump is an idiot, but he has caused me to think a lot about humanity and religion in general.
Trump would no doubt consider himself to be an alpha male. While the idea of the “alpha male” has proven anthropologically to be nonsense, Trump has shown me a pattern, at least among some citizens of the United States, suggesting that many people want to be led. Moreover, they want to be led by a strong personality and give this personality unquestioning devotion.
This “wanting to be led” does not preclude individuals from wanting to lead others themselves, either. Indeed, most self-proclaimed alpha males in the U.S. seem to be Trump followers. While I think that a true “alpha” would be a person others want to follow, the self-proclaimed ones seem to feel it’s more important that they want to lead – more particularly, to dominate.
But then I look at Trump, and I see a man who wants to dominate, and I see way, way too many people who seem to want to be led by him. Does this make him alpha? I find the idea sickening, but he does meet my superficial criteria.
Let us circle to the Abrahamic god Yahweh, whose love and kindness, or lack thereof, exceeds Trump’s. It’s not a question of whether this being exists but rather the fact that people want him to exist. Atheists pointing out his cruel and oppressive personality never seem to phase his followers. Indeed, I’m beginning to suspect that many consider his brutality to be a significant feature, as they fantasize that he will direct that brutality toward the people they don’t like.
I don’t include followers of Jesus in this group. I use the phrase followers of Jesus rather than Christians because I consider the two groups distinctly different, the difference summarized by the amount of respect given to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Many Christians seem to believe that Jesus was sent to earth to save only those people who worship him “correctly” and to send everyone else to eternal torture; the more horrifying, the better. Many in this group consider the Sermon on the Mount to be woke nonsense. (The existence or lack thereof of a historical Jesus is irrelevant to the discussion.)
People who like the idea of an authoritarian god also like the idea of a domineering Trump. These are people for whom the cruelty of their desired policies is most definitely the point. They delight in the concept of a Hell where their enemies will suffer.
I don’t like the idea that many (too many) people are like this, but the Trump phenomenon leads me to no other conclusion. That said, I’d still be delighted if someone could convince me that I’m wrong.
