Conservatives have used the news aggregate website the “Drudge Report” for years now, ever since Matt Drudge was the first to uncover the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton connection in 1998, a news story that Newsweek first tried to squelch.
How times have changed. This morning readers of the Drudge Report were met by these shocking! shocking! headlines about Ted Cruz and the Christian faith of Cruz and his father, Rafael.
Speaking in tongues! Laying on of hands! Dogs and cats, living together! What next?
Except that if you are a member of a Pentecostal or Southern Baptist church, you might shrug your shoulders and ask, “What’s the big deal?”
Speaking in tongues is what Pentecostals do. The laying on of hands while praying aloud is what Southern Baptists do. Don’t worry, it’s not followed by sacrificing virgins or offering babies to Moloch. And no animals are harmed in these religious activities, either.
Look, I’m a Lutheran. I have never engaged in speaking in tongues. Our pastors briefly place their hands on the heads of parishioners mostly during the Sacraments, or other formal rites. We’re liturgical, sacramental, and stubbornly stodgy in our worship. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Oh, you’re like Catholics, right?” So no doubt I would feel uncomfortable attending religious services that involved the above practices.
But it now appears that the once-respected Drudge news source has now turned to mocking the religious practices of Ted Cruz, inserting him into a National Enquirer type of coverage.
But wait! Look who else has received the laying on of hands! Why, it’s none other than the Drudge Report’s favorite candidate — Donald Trump!
Involved in that little activity from last fall is none other than Rev. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the 12,000 member megachurch, First Baptist of Dallas. Jeffress reminds everyone that he absolutely “cannot officially endorse” a candidate, then continues to slobber all over Donald Trump, saying “I want you to know I would not be here this morning if I were not absolutely convinced that Donald Trump would make a great president of the United States.”
It’s been noticed for some time now that the Drudge Report has been in the tank for Donald Trump. It officially jumped the credibility shark this morning when it mocked another candidate’s religious practices in sensationalistic headlines, especially when its preferred candidate has been the recipient of similar practices. Drudge Pot, meet Kettle.
Charmaine says: What is happening in your country? From where I sit in New Zealand I can see Trump is just going to be another Obama and many of his voters will end up with the same buyers remorse Obama voters have. This I can excuse in the low info voters but the likes of Drudge, Bretibart and Ann Coulter have me scratching my head, what do they have to gain??
Kim Quade says: Thanks for reading us from New Zealand!
And thanks for your concern about the nation. We’re worried too, which is why we write.
GWB says: What some have to gain – and I think it’s a legitimate consideration – is that Trump will break the currently corrupt system. And by “break” I mean burn-it-to-the-ground-and-salt-the-earth.
I’m not so sure he will accomplish that, as the corruption makes a system more resilient in many ways, and Trump actually isn’t intending to burn it all down.
Kim Quade says: I agree. I frankly see no difference between Trump and Hillary Clinton in levels of corruption.
Or maybe my binging on “House of Cards” has just made me cynical.
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