Pornography

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when asked to define pornography said, “I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it.” Whether it is verbal details or X -rated motion pictures, porn is readily available. However, to limit it to sexually explicit images is to turn a blind eye. Perhaps a vulgar dishonoring of that which is sacred might be an alternate definition.

I’m certain we have all seen images of Trump holding a Bible at St. John’s church. Attorney General Barr, for whom Trump can do no wrong, insisted that there was no relationship between the gassing of citizens on Trump’s parade to the church and the Bible fiasco. There follows a report of an eye-witness.-.

I was at St. John's, Lafayette Square most of the afternoon, with fellow clergy and laypeople. We were passing out water and snacks, and helping the patio area at St. John's, Lafayette Square to be a place of respite and peace. All was well. Around 6:15 the police started using tear gas and folks were running at us for eyewashes or water or wet paper towels. At this point, one of our seminarians and I looked at each other in disbelief. I was coughing, her eyes were watering, and we were trying to help people as the police in full riot gear drove people toward us. She left and I stayed with Back Lives Matter folks trying to help people. Suddenly, there was more tear gas, more concussion grenades, and I saw someone hit by a rubber bullet. We had to try to pick up what we could. I was so stunned I only got a few water bottles and my spray bottle of eyewash. We were DRIVEN OFF of the St. John's patio with tear gas and concussion grenades. WE WERE DRIVEN OFF OF THE PATIO AT ST.JOHN'S, a place of peace and respite and medical care throughout the day - SO THAT MAN COULD HAVE A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH!!

Washington Bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde, blasted Trump for the grotesque stunt.“Let me be clear: The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, at one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as the backdrop to a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for. I am outraged,” she fumed. “The president did not pray when he came to St. John’s nor did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now.”

Here stood Trump, Bible aloft, pretending it was a solemn act of Christian piety, when it was blasphemy! So Trump was trespassing on church grounds after gassing the crowd that had peacefully assembled there.

If the evangelicals he had hoodwinked cannot identify either pornography or blasphemy when they are hit in the face, one wonders just how corrupted they have become, abandoning any resemblance of authentic religion.

Justice Stewart knew what it was when he saw it, and so might anyone not blinded by the pomp and bigotry of America’s law and order President.