What Could Go Wrong?

Last updated on: January 26, 2017 at 10:15 am by Henry Karlson

What Could Go Wrong? 2017-01-26T10:15:23-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Trump promotes torture as a good, saying it works. What exactly does it do? How does it work? It destroys the dignity of the human person being tortured, making them more willing to say and do anything as their will is destroyed. This is why saints have long said that those being tortured will not be guilty of what they say or do under duress. Therefore, torture is not effective in information gathering, only in breaking someone down, undermining their humanity. It is inhuman, and strikes at the center of humanity, Christ, who takes all the blows anyone unjustly suffers onto himself.

Piece of the Berlin Wall in New York by Gaurav1146 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Likewise, Trump wants to put up walls, to divide the United States from the rest of the world. Humanity is supposed to come together, unified in love: this is the way that the evil of sin is to be overcome, for sin is unlove and divides being into abstract parts which lose their own integrity as they are cut off from the rest of being itself. Fracturing humanity into divided, hostile parts, is a reflection of the evil of sin in being into the world itself, it is the actualization of sin which then turns into tyranny as it seeks to uphold the division it creates. This is why Pope Francis has spoken out against the building of such walls to divide nations, a message he has stated since before the election of Donald Trump:

Walls that enclose some and banish others. Walled citizens, terrified on one side, excluded, exiled, and still more terrified on the other. Is that the life that our Father God wants for their children?

Dear brothers and sisters — all walls fall. All of them. Do not be fooled.[1]

This desire to isolate the United States can be seen in his desire to reduce the connection between the United States and the United Nations (and possibly, later, entirely remove the United States from the United Nations). Indeed, he rejects the global unity of humanity. He rejects the universal humanity found in Christ and instead promotes the division of peoples which rejects the soteriological accomplishment of the cross. It is a heresy which is as dangerous as it is evil, especially when it is being engaged with an “American First” ideology which seeks to create a new world order with the United States dictating to others instead of acting in union with all for the good of all. While imperfect, and capable of being criticized for its failings, the good of the United Nations must be embraced and promoted:

Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of international law, the establishment of international norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of peace-keeping and reconciliation, and any number of other accomplishments in every area of international activity and endeavour. All these achievements are lights which help to dispel the darkness of the disorder caused by unrestrained ambitions and collective forms of selfishness. Certainly, many grave problems remain to be resolved, yet it is also clear that, without all this international activity, mankind would not have been able to survive the unchecked use of its own possibilities. Every one of these political, juridical and technical advances is a path towards attaining the ideal of human fraternity and a means for its greater realization.[2]

What can go wrong with a new nationalism that desires to push all other nations down, to make them bow to the demands of Donald Trump? The very wrong that the United Nations was created to prevent: a hostile, belligerent force that considers its passionate desires to be justice and anyone who does not satisfy them to be its enemy, ready to be stomped upon and destroyed. The wrong which creates wars and wholesale slaughter of nations. The wrong which no Christian can ever defend.

A wrong that can cause slaughter to the people within the nation itself, once it is isolated from the rest of the world. A tyranny which is willing to torture its own people, and prevent them from leaving its borders once its walls have been put in place. That’s what can go wrong.

It’s not just the people outside the United States who will suffer the threat of such a belligerent, anti-human attitude as being demonstrated by Trump. While for those of good moral upbringing, that would be bad enough to create a worthy opposition, for those who need some personal incentive, the rest of what could go wrong should be enough to make them stand with everyone else who seeks to promote the common good.

[1] Quoted on CNN.

[2] Pope Francis, Address to the United Nations, Sept 25, 2015.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook:

A Little Bit of Nothing

Previous Post

January 25, 2017

The Disastrous Implication of America First Is The Same As Before

Next Post

January 30, 2017 Lost in Translation

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz