My father passed away 44 years ago. At his life celebration, Mom revealed his favorite poem, Abou Ben Adhem, written by James Henry Leigh Hunt in 1834.
Abou Ben Adhem, may his tribe increase!
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
“What writest thou?”-The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, “The names of those who love the Lord.”
“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, “I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men.”
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blest,
And lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.
I, like my father, am not religious in the usual sense, unless you call humanism a religion. And though I don’t have many years left, I care greatly about earthlings still living and yet to live.
That is why I am more distressed about current politics in our country than I have ever been. I’ve never seen our nation this divided. And I can trace the catalyst for that division to one man, our current president.
At the memorial service for political activist Charlie Kirk, assassinated by a gunman on 10 September, Trump said “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”
One might expect this comment from a bitter, angry sociopath, but not from the leader of our country!
I’ve lost count of how many times I have said to myself upon the latest Trump action or pronouncement “This is not normal.” Here I am not speaking of politics; I am speaking of morality, kindness, decency. The personal qualities of this man are so different from those I have always aspired to (not necessarily followed), those my parents taught. Those my wife and I tried to instill in our children.
It’s surprising to me that Trump is supported by evangelical Christians. Don’t they believe it’s their duty to spread the good message of Jesus, the message of loving your neighbor, forgiveness, and not seeking retribution against those who aggrieve you?
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, says his defining characteristic is “transactional”, not “relational.” What does that mean? In short, transactional people view interactions as exchanges; relational people view them as connections. Transactional people expect something in return for what they give, like a business deal. Relational people seek trust, emotional bonds, and unconditional relationships.
Trump called our soldiers who were killed or captured in service of our country “suckers” and “losers.” This is from a man who used bone spurs to avoid military service, but not to avoid golfing. As an Army veteran, I cannot understand how any service member can support him.
He claimed before the 2024 election that if elected we would see our grocery bills drop on day one, the same day he would end the war in Ukraine. It’s day 260 and we’re still waiting.
Trump promotes division, them vs us, not unity. Egalitarian? Anything but. I hope we will heal over time, and that history will show the Trump era to be an aberration, a time of temporary insanity when we lost our collective purpose. I further hope that Trump’s policies that exacerbate the ongoing global problem of climate change can be put back on track when we are rid of him and his “drill-baby-drill” sycophants.
Abou Ben Adhem’s love of his fellow man is not what we get with Donald Trump. His “love” is restricted to those who bow down to him and kiss his ring (I could have mentioned another object). GOP members of Congress do not dare cross him for fear of being “primaried” out of their jobs. And others of influence know if you criticize him he will use the considerable powers he can muster against them. Long ago I learned in management school that this is not the quality of a good leader.
“These are the times that try men’s souls,“ said Thomas Paine, a hero of our American Revolution. Our nation was in great peril in a fight with an enemy from without. Today our democracy, and the world, faces a threat of possibly greater proportion, this time from within.
I can’t do much to reverse this situation, but I can vote and I can write this piece to share with my neighbors. At least that’s something.
Beryl Smith says
Bob, You need not say more. What you have written is proof enough that there is still sanity in all this madness. Thank you for that.
James Nick says
Well said, Mr Moores.
But I am surprised after all this time anyone remains surprised that trump is supported by evangelical Christians. More specifically, white evangelicals. This phenomenon has long been long-recognized, researched, and discussed. A recent Pew poll* in April of this year showed that among white evangelicals, 72% approve of the way trump is currently handling his job, 69% rate the ethics of top trump administration officials as excellent or good, and 57% say they trust what trump says more than what previous presidents said.
To provide context for how far off the mainstream these opinions are, when all US adults are considered, trump’s approval, ethics, and trust garner a measly 40%, 37%, and 32% support, respectively. And going to the polar opposite from evangelicals, support from the religiously unaffiliated trump tanks at 26%, 23%, and 18%, on approval, ethics, and trust, respectively.
So what’s driving the skewed opinions about trump held by the evangelicals? When challenged about their support for such an obviously flawed individual, they will just shrug their shoulders and tell you that all humans are failed and flawed. That trump is no worse than any other president and launch into a Gish Gallop of whataboutisms. They will revert to the “King Cyrus analogy” to explain their support for a candidate whose character does not align with traditional Christian virtues. He is seen as an imperfect vessel used by God to fulfill a larger purpose. He is doing their bidding and they, in turn, happily jettison any personal reservations they may have to carry his water. Hence the reason that religious leaders refer to their congregations as a flock [of sheep].
* https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/04/28/white-evangelicals-continue-to-stand-out-in-their-support-for-trump/
Deirdre LaMotte says
It is cultural. To be an evangelical anywhere is to be way far right In paternalistic views; women are
inferior and have no individual rights. Look to the Middle East and southern states.
It is also about paternalistic power, disregard for “others”, normally those of color.
It reflects fear which is the opposite of love.
Unfortunately, there are women who are fine with this. I have always thought them to be self-loathing.
Neal Carter says
AMEN………….