Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Eric Trump Offers An Excuse of Biblical Proportions

Eric Trump Offers An Excuse of Biblical Proportions

Last updated on: June 9, 2017 at 1:02 pm by Mary Pezzulo

Eric Trump Offers An Excuse of Biblical Proportions 2017-06-09T13:02:35-04:00 Mary Pezzulo

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.

packs-163497_640

I almost admire Eric Trump.

Almost.

Of any charity in the world you could get caught skimming donations from, Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital has got to be the worst, from a PR standpoint. I can’t think of a charity with a better reputation, or a cause that tugs at the heartstrings more than little kids with cancer. It’s nauseating in its dastardliness. He might as well be tying beautiful young women to railroad tracks while twirling a handlebar mustache. He’s achieved Peak Trust-Fund Baby Selfishness. You couldn’t write a character like this into a novel; you’d get called an uncreative hack who writes stereotypes. Yet here he is in the flesh. A less-appealing Snidley Whiplash.

My friends and I were speculating about how the Trump loyalists would spin this. You know who I mean. Not the people who are staunch conservatives but can’t stand the Trumps– I disagree with them politically, but respect them and can find common ground. Not the people who voted for Trump because they thought he was the least bad choice and are now as shocked as anyone. I’m talking about the people who seem to genuinely admire the Trumps. The people who think they’re classy, that Melania reminds them of the Virgin Mary and that Don and Eric are masculine and tough.

I suggested that they’d probably say “Do not judge!” and act as if not judging meant we weren’t to condemn a horrible act. The Catholic faction would talk about Constantine and the Evangelical would call him a “baby Christian.”

Or, of course, they might say “Rich people are job creators who do more for cancer research than your silly little donations, anyway.”

Or, there’s the ever popular “How can you worry about children dying of cancer when children are dying of ABORTION???” You can’t tell me they won’t bring that up, even though Eric isn’t an elected official and will do diddley squat for the pro-life movement. Criticizing any Trump is considered blasphemy against President Trump, to these people.

Earlier today, I noted, after getting on television to claim that his father’s opponents are “not even people,” Eric came to his own defense. He tweeted, “”I have raised $16.3 million dollars for terminally ill children at @StJude with less than a 12.3% expense ratio. What have you done today?!”

So, that’ the excuse he’s going for. And, mark my words, that’s the excuse that Trumpies are going to parrot: He’s raised a lot of charity money for sick children, therefore he’s allowed to take some of that money in violation of federal tax codes, state laws and human decency.

It’s okay to rob the poor box if you’re a philanthropist.

You’d be surprised how often I’ve heard arguments like this: that people who are generous have the right to do things that are wrong. Leaving aside for a moment that a wealthy trust fund kid who throws a golfing party isn’t actually going to any trouble and therefore is not being generous, no matter how many millions get donated. Generosity involves self-sacrifice. But in any case, I’ve even heard this line from Christians, despite the fact that there’s a grisly story in the Book of Acts which demonstrates that God is of the opposite opinion. Taking charitable donations to profit yourself and lying about it is a very serious sin. Ananias and Sapphira found that out the hard way. It doesn’t matter if some money goes to the charity anyway. It’s still stealing and lying.

Just in case you didn’t know: it is not okay to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars people gave you with the understanding that it would go to help cancer-stricken children. It’s stealing. It’s stealing even if you did give 16.3 million dollars to those same children at a 12.3% expense ratio. You still stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, you’re still dishonest, it’s still a despicable act.

And a person who would do that, is a despicable person.

(image via Pixabay)

Previous Post

June 5, 2017

What's in the Dark

Next Post

June 8, 2017 Should Amazon Give Discounts to EBT Recipients?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the name "Samuel" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Lord is my salvation Heard by God Chosen one Servant of the Lord