What is the core argument behind the claim that the United States is becoming “sick” due to religion?
It is argued that Donald Trump is politically exploiting religion to gain the support of evangelical Protestants, and that this is intensifying anti-intellectualism and extremism in American society.
1. Religious Conflict in American Society and Its Political Exploitation
This argument claims that American society is becoming unhealthy due to the political use of religion, particularly pointing out that former President Donald Trump’s alignment with evangelical Protestant groups is deepening anti-intellectualism and extremism.
1.1. The Sensitivity of Religion in Politics and Trump’s Actions Regarding the Pope
Religion is an अत्यंत sensitive 영역 that politicians should not interfere with.
Many people place deep trust in religion, and once it is touched, it can destabilize political power.
Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope on social media shortly after the Pope’s death, causing controversy.
This could be interpreted either as an attempt to suggest that the world would improve if he became the Pope, or simply as an act to draw attention.
Following this incident, the first American, Leo XIV, was elected as the new Pope.
The Pope criticized the Trump administration’s potential use of force regarding the Venezuela situation and emphasized dialogue and peace.
There were reports that a U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense summoned the Vatican ambassador and warned that it would be better for Catholicism to stand on the side of the United States.
Trump has been actively using evangelical Protestant pastors for political purposes.
On March 5, 2020, Trump invited well-known pastors to the White House and received a laying-on-of-hands prayer, which was posted on the official White House website.
At that event, pastors prayed for protection over Trump and the military and asked for strength to lead a great America.
Trump was portrayed as someone walking a difficult path, almost like carrying a cross, receiving prayers for God’s blessing and help.
1.2. Pentagon Worship Service and Religious Extremism
Under the Trump administration, a Protestant worship service was held at the Pentagon under the leadership of the Secretary of Defense.
During the service, a prayer was made saying, “May the righteous and great bullets of our United States strike all enemies.”
Such a prayer is criticized as heretical because it contradicts the teaching of Jesus Christ to “love your neighbor.”
Treating the killing of enemies as justified goes against the essence of Christianity.
1.3. The Pope’s Message of Peace and Trump’s Response
On Palm Sunday, the Pope emphasized that Jesus is the King of Peace and rejected war.
He stated that using religion to justify war is unacceptable and that prayers offered with blood-stained hands would not be heard.
This echoes Isaiah 1:15 from the Old Testament, emphasizing that prayers from sinful hands are not accepted by God.
Trump, however, made a threatening statement about Iran, saying, “Tonight they will be destroyed, and they will never return.”
The Pope urged that threatening an entire nation is unacceptable and called for peaceful solutions.
Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV as weak on crime and incompetent in foreign policy, even mentioning that he preferred the Pope’s brother Louis.
This is interpreted as an attempt to undermine the Pope by creating division.
Trump appears to want to portray the Pope as someone obstructing America’s progress and security.
He also referred to the Pope as “very left-wing” in front of reporters.
However, an hour later, Trump posted an image portraying himself like Jesus Christ, drawing accusations of blasphemy.
This is criticized as evidence that Trump is not a genuine Christian but is instead using religion politically.
1.4. Trump’s Political Use of Religion and Its Impact
Trump actively uses religion to consolidate his evangelical support base.
After posting an image comparing himself to Jesus Christ, he faced heavy criticism and deleted it within 12 hours.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned Trump’s remarks about the Pope.
David Brody, a commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), urged Trump to take down the image, stating that Trump is not God and had crossed a line.
Trump defended himself by saying the image depicted him as a doctor healing people, calling the criticism fake news.
He later posted an image resembling a Christian saint with a likeness to Obama, misleadingly suggesting it was posted by Obama.
Trump also posted an image of himself together with Jesus Christ, claiming that radical leftists would dislike it, attempting to deflect criticism.
This ignores the core issue—that he merged his face with that of Jesus Christ.
American society has a large knowledge gap between the top 1% and the rest, and Trump is criticized for exploiting this by treating citizens as uninformed masses.
The problem is not just his policies but his political use of religion, which is seen as harmful to the nation’s future.
Those consumed by political bias tend to label the Pope as left-wing simply for opposing Trump, reflecting binary thinking.
The Pope does not adhere to a specific political ideology and has criticized issues such as the persecution of Uyghurs in China and human rights violations in Iran.
Vice President J.D. Vance, despite being Catholic, publicly challenged the Pope’s theological views, causing controversy.
This is seen as a direct challenge to papal authority, and some argue it could even lead to excommunication.
Defense Secretary Hegseth also led worship at the Pentagon and made prayers about bullets striking enemies, further illustrating the political use of religion.
He has been described as having dangerous views, even having a tattoo reading “infidel” on his arm.
1.5. Characteristics of Evangelical Protestantism and Its Impact on American Society
One major reason cited for America’s decline is the extreme tendencies within evangelical Protestantism.
Evangelicalism emphasizes biblical literalism, attempting to apply scripture directly to modern society.
This often leads to anti-intellectualism, such as rejecting evolution and promoting creation science.
Evangelical pastors frequently emphasize divine punishment and judgment, advocating the elimination of heresy, cults, and idolatry.
This contradicts the core Christian teaching of loving one’s neighbor.
Evangelicals strongly emphasize evangelism and spreading the gospel.
Originally, during Martin Luther’s Reformation, evangelicalism meant living a devout religious life, but its meaning has since shifted.
American society has historically exhibited anti-intellectual tendencies, such as witch hunts in the 1800s, rooted in Puritan traditions.
As science advanced and weakened the authority of the church, movements emerged to unify Christianity, emphasizing group identity and exclusion of non-Christians.
This led to the development of creation science, attempting to align scripture with scientific claims, including asserting the historical reality of Noah’s Ark.
Historian Richard Hofstadter identified American anti-intellectualism as early as 1963, linking it to evangelical Protestant traditions.
Anti-intellectualism prioritizes “God’s word” over science and expert knowledge.
Evangelicals are often portrayed as attributing problems to Satan and falling into conspiracy thinking.
They may view homosexuality, political correctness, and environmental movements as satanic influences.
About 23.1% of American adults—around 62 million people—identify as evangelical Protestants, forming a key support base for Trump.
They prioritize scripture over science and believe Trump will create the world they desire.
Trump appeals to them by labeling Islam as a false religion and criticizing China.
1.6. Influence on Korean Protestantism and Criticism
Korean Protestantism has also been heavily influenced by American evangelicalism from the early 20th century to the 1950s, leading to political tendencies.
In the past, anti-communist pastors focused on criticizing communism but often neglected the core teaching of loving one’s neighbor.
Korean society tends to place excessive trust in famous organizations or elite institutions, which requires caution.
Unlike in the U.S., people in Korea should critically evaluate such influences rather than be swayed by scale or authority.
Some Korean Americans who have lived in the U.S. for decades still misunderstand the country and tend to support Trump, influenced by politically driven church sermons.
The use of religion by those in power is extremely dangerous and should be carefully scrutinized by believers.
Korean evangelical pastors intensified political activity during the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, driven by a sense of crisis.
This coincided with declining religious participation, accelerating politicization.
Christianity itself is not the problem, but those who misuse it are seen as causing harm.
True Christianity lies in loving and caring for others, not in blind evangelism or political slogans.
