Trump's Favorite Bible Teaching: "An Eye For An Eye & A Tooth For A Tooth"

by JASmius


Here's today's Trumplican doggy treat on his favorite Bible verse:

“Well, I think many.

Because Donald Trump doesn't have just ONE of anything.

I mean, when we get into the Bible, I think many, so many. And some people, look, an eye for an eye, you can almost say that. [emphasis added]

He doesn't "almost" say it, it's the core principle of his campaign and his entire life.

That’s not a particularly nice thing. But you know, if you look at what’s happening to our country, I mean, when you see what’s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us, and how they scoff at us and laugh at us. And they laugh at our face, and they’re taking our jobs, they’re taking our money, they’re taking the health of our country. And we have to be firm and have to be very strong. And we can learn a lot from the Bible, that I can tell you.” [emphasis added]

It'd be nice to see him start doing that, actually.  Here's the passage he's referencing:

If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.  The one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life.  If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him. [emphasis added]

- Leviticus 24:17-20


In other words, in modern parlance, "Let the punishment fit the crime".  It was in the context of the ancient Mosaic criminal justice system, and down through the centuries, that teaching had degenerated into an institutional justification for revenge - which is why the misunderstood notion appeals to Trump so much.  That's why Messiah Jesus had to correct his disciples as to <AHEM> the "original intent" of their nation's "founding document" in the Sermon on the Mount:

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.  Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. [emphasis added]

- Matthew 5:38-42


Forgiveness, in other words, not revenge.  This was, of course, in the context of interpersonal relationships, not domestic or international policymaking, but you can see why the proper interpretation of Leviticus 24:17-20 would hold much less appeal for the New York liberal conman.  But it fits on a bumper sticker, which is the extent of his literacy and memory capacity, it seems, and that's all he thinks he needs.

It should be a dead give-away to inexplicably Trumplican evangelicals that when their hero is asked to quote his favorite Bible versus, nowhere in the ensuing word salad (with "little cracker" croutons") can be found any actual quotation, much less a Scriptural reference.  The latter I could allow for, but not the former.

Remember, if it doesn't have a centerfold, Trump doesn't "read" it.

He'd have been better off saying his favorite Book of the Bible was Song Of Solomon.  That I could have believed.