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Worldview Watch issue #82   posted 10/24/2025     

 Baffling Support for Trump: Vertical, not Horizontal, Morality Based?

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in the news: In the October 6th issue of The Huffington Post, Caroline Bologna addresses the question, "What Drives MAGA Christians' Un-Christian Actions? She asks, "How can people profess faith in Jesus—who preached love, mercy, and care for the oppressed...[support] policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty?"  She goes on to distinguish vertical morality, summarized as "morality that comes from authority above" (i.e. God on high,) from horizontal morality, which she links to prioritizing "the well-being of our neighbors, communities, and personal relationships."  

The previous month The Huffington Post, during the week following Christian activist Charlie Kirk's death and efforts to sanctify him, featured a story built around 14 quotes from Kirk.  In the first quote Kirk said he thinks gun deaths are "worth it" to have a Second Amendment; the second quote expresses his dislike for the word "empathy." While this suggests his preference for vertical morality, it's the last quote that makes this preference clear. There, in response to children's show host Ms. Rachel linking Pride Month and to the New Testament in expressing the importance of "loving every neighbor," Kirk (rather ineptly) cites an Old Testament verse "Thou shall lay with another man, shall be stoned to death" to advance his anti-gay views. 

worldview related analysis by Stephen P. Cook, Managing Director, project Worldview    
In a way, what I have to say in this issue of Worldview Watch is an extension of the previous one, with USA and world political events dictating the need for elaboration. And my feeling that beyond the three worldview theme choices my previous analysis featured, are four other choices (to be discussed below...)

The second part of the last issue of this blog, titled "Rocks, Religion, Romance", identified the Council of Nicaea in 325 as a key event in the history of Christianity. Although I didn't use those terms there, I believe that the Council's rejection of the book of Thomas and canonization of the book of John represents a victory for vertical morality. As I explained, in undermining not only Thomas, but portrayal of Jesus as just an extraordinary human being and suggestion of personal soul-searching freedom, John stressed that Jesus was God and the need for obedience to that belief.  Not surprisingly, few if any mainstream media outlets have noted the 1700 year anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, given the extent to which, as I previously put it, belief that "unless you believe Jesus is God you’ll burn in hell" pervades Christianity.  Put another way—in vertical direction terms— the fate of those who aren't obedient to God won't be ascending to Heaven but rather descending into Hell.  

One worldview theme choice omitted from the analysis in that last blog issue is this one: 

Generally speaking in worldview terms, I fear, for those characterized as authoritarian followers, obedience to God (or Allah?) and obedience to Trump (or some strong man) are not that far removed. For those identifying as Christians, it could be minds are so connected to (vertical morality) professing obedience to God that the (horizontal morality) essence of Jesus' message is forgotten. In the USA currently—given the rough balance of power between left and right and the leverage Christians potentially hold in reining in Trump— the Christian preference for vertical morality goes beyond affecting the well-being of communities but now has ramifications extending to challenging the foundation of education and our democratic society. 

Simply put, that foundation is built around people agreeing on facts—statements grounded in reality and based on objective analysis. Not only is this the basis for education, it's the foundation for law and order. So Donald Trump's increasingly scary authoritarian behavior and exercise of power goes beyond threatening USA democratic traditions as a recent USA Today October 19 opinion piece by Rex Huppke—headlined "Lying Trump, GOP create their own reality. Which one do you choose to live in?" points out. This was written as millions of people in 2600+ USA communities gathered in "No Kings" protests, and Trump threatened sending National Guard troops into Portland.   

On October 18th I joined 2500 other people in attending one of those protests. Sadly the local newspaper's brief report on it ignored the hundreds of home-made anti-Trump signs people carried, but noted one sign that essentially said God was the only King we should recognize. No doubt carried by a vertical morality—perhaps Old Testament quoting—Christian. Horizontal morality / New Testament oriented Christians who detest Trump—I know many of them — realize that Donald Trump and Jesus can be distinguished by their diametrically opposed worldview. For starters, consider their identification with themes in these two choices (also omitted from previous analysis):  

Trump's rise to political power has been built around playing the victim card. He's encouraged people to blame others for their woes and societal problems. Recalling what happened in 1930s Nazi Germany, Trump / MAGA blaming has progressed to scapegoating and rhetoric that promotes hate. Since that last blog was written, Trump's lingering bitterness and calls for vengeance have resulted in (what is attempting to pass for) legally justifiable retribution. Witness USA Department of Justice successful pursuit of indictments of three prominent Trump critics: New York Attorney General Lettica James, former FBI Director James Comey, and  former (Trump first term) National Security Advisor John Bolton. 

One final worldview theme choice I must mention:

Theme #43—what Donald Trump is the ultimate characterization of—might simply be called "greed."  I use this word partly because the Columbian president Gustavo Petro recently referred to it in denying Trump's charge that he is a drug dealer. In a lengthy interview with Columbian journalist Daniel Coronell (see note #1 below)—one that portrays him as a thinking, environmentally-concerned, progressive person—Petro said that he didn't have a greedy bone in his body. I should add "courageous" to that list, in that he suggests the way out of the Columbia—US crisis is to "get rid of Trump."

Besides Petro's response to Trump bullying,, I'd like to end with another example of behavior that shows principled integrity. The September 22 Charlie Kirk Memorial in Glendale, Arizona (note #2 below)—which many felt was otherwise a lot like a Trump political rally—had a moment of telling disagreement. The authoritarian President admitted that he hated his enemies, whereas widow Erika Kirk summoned some horizontal morality courage, cited what Jesus would do, and offered forgiveness to her husband's killer.  

Notes

#1 I'm unable to link to this interview. I suspect someone is attempting to block access to it and the whole website, which offers news from the nation of Columbia. But, you should be able to find it by googling "Columbia President Petro responds to Trump in interview with Daniel Coronell"

#2 The political violence that ended Charlie Kirk's life and has threatened Trump's is deplorable. 

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