World magazine recently sat down with Donald Trump to ask about his spiritual influences. There were some surprises. The full interview will be published when the devil has to buy ice skates. But until then, here is a sneak peek at some of the things World was frankly not anticipating.
Asked about which book apart from the Bible most influenced his spiritual formation, Trump answered without hesitation. “No question. That would have to be Thomas à Kempis. I often return to him. I still have my Latin copy from my school years—De Imitatione Christi—I find it helpful to use that edition because I have to translate as I go and it makes the experience much more . . . meditative. My Latin isn’t that good and so I have to go slowly.” Trump laughed thoughtfully.
Modern authors? “All my friends cite Lewis, but for my money it has to be J.I. Packer. His Knowing God came at just the right time for me. Did you know that Packer considered blurbing The Art of the Deal? Not many people know that.”
The next question was asked tentatively, given some of the charges that have been leveled against the billionaire businessmen. “Given what some have alleged about you and your attitude toward women, can you cite any women writers who have been helpful to you?”
Trump laughed easily. “No question there either. Joyce Meyer . . . you know, sort of like Osteen with some depth. I mean, that broad can write.”
With that, we were back in familiar territory, and the interview ended shortly thereafter.
Jingle Belz can be contacted at jbelz@world.com.
Is this a rejected Babylon Bee article?
Snortz.
A missed opportunity to broaden the scope of his upcoming “Forward Christian Soldiers – The Complete Unabridged 47 Volume Compilation of Forwards, Reviews, Endorsements, and Blurbs from the Pen of James Innell Packer.”
I feel so much better now. But it may be something I ate.
The most entertaining candidate since Lyndon LaRouche.
I think after Cal Thomas’ interview of Trump, we’re unlikely to see anything like this in the near future.
http://calthomas.com/node/985
A late April Fools Day post, I must assume.
“Joyce Meyer . . . you know, sort of like Osteen with some depth.” LOLz!!
It’s often too easy to say someone is proud and ungodly if he has money, glory and 3 women with his progenies. Many of these men are indeed proud. But there is an insidious reason why we incline to call every one of these “proud”: because we feel inferior in comparison with their worldly achievements. And to the inferior person, every one superior is by definition proud, regardless of actual manifestation. How do you know Donald doesn’t have struggles before God? Doesn’t he also created in the image of God? Isn’t he also a precious being before God? Howbeit voting… Read more »
quote: ” How do you know Donald doesn’t have struggles before God?”
I think we learned the answer to that when he said he didn’t think he’d ever asked God for forgiveness.
Further to the point, because he didn’t need to.
One way or another, he’s gonna have struggles before God one day.
The hair, the rhetoric, the books he reads: Trump continues to delight me with intrigue.
I was compelled to take four years of Latin, at the end of which I could read sentences like “The soldiers were alarmed by the strength of the enemy fortifications, but the sailors were delighted with the breeze that sent their ships across the scudding waves.” I never looked at Latin again, with the result that I can pick the nouns and verbs out of an inscription and I can chant ecclesiastical Latin as if I know what I am saying. Does anyone else find it a little bit incredible that Trump, in his long business and entertainment career, has… Read more »
Agreed. His answers appear a bit quick and easy as though he were anticipating the question.
This is satire. (As if satire was possible this year.)
I’m starting to feel a little optimistic about Trump after seeing this today: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-purge-exclusive-idUSKCN10003A
It’s still a tough row to hoe, but I’m impressed that he’s headed in the right direction.
Perhaps Cruz can rip off this post and use it in his convention speech, THAT would be entertaining.
We must be very careful in offering satire from Jingle Belz. It could have the unintended result of people concluding that Trump is somehow more thoughtful than he usually comes across on TV.
“sort of like Osteen with some depth”
That’s like saying “sort of like Antarctica but warmer.” The comparison is with somebody (Osteen) who is expressly characterized by what he lacks (depth).
Ha! Well this was entertaining and gave me a chuckle. Something else that concerns me about Trump, the man allegedly does not drink coffee. Can you trust a man who does not drink coffee? I don’t think so.
Bizarre.
I can’t stand the stuff. I love the smell though, and every so often I’ll give it another try (I even roasted some in Hawaii). But no matter what, if it’s got a molecule of coffee in it, it’s just extra nasty. I’m also not much of a beer fan either. It was definitely an aquired thing and I do enjoy one now and then, but I could go the rest of my life without it and not be much upset.
“I can’t stand the stuff”
I rest my case. :)
How about a mock interview with Russell Moore..in light of the non-ending violence caused by the Middle Eastern refugees he’s so fond of?