December 25, 2016

Christmas with POTUS and POTUS-elect.

President Obama, with his trusty sidekick Michelle, adopt a sit-com couple demeanor that might seem in tune with the tenor of the times (if you're one of those people looking forward to a reboot of "The Honeymooners"):



Michelle is festooned with glittery floral appliqués and heavily made-up with contouring that did not take proper account of the lighting and HD photography conditions. I'd develop that as a metaphor about government, but it's Christmas, so let's be Christmas cheerful.

The President-elect, Donald Trump, went to The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach and got a standing ovation:



Not even Jesus gets a standing ovation in church — especially Episcopal Church — so this Donald Trump must be really something.

I don't think the word "trump" appears in the Bible, but the word "trumpet" appears many times. I picked one out for you. It's not that Christmas-y, but it's government-y:
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh, the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent;
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
Disaster follows hard on disaster,
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed,
my curtains in a moment.
How long must I see the standard,
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
“For my people are foolish,
they know me not;
they are stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
but how to do good they know not.”

122 comments:

Laslo Spatula said...

"...Not even Jesus gets a standing ovation in church — especially Episcopal Church ..."

A friend visited me in Seattle a few years back over Easter weekend.

On Easter he wanted to attend an Episcopalian Church service, so I took him to one, and picked him up afterward.

Laughing, he told me how they played Lennon's "Imagine" for the Easter Service.

Imagine No John Lennon: it's easy if you try...

I am Laslo.

JAORE said...

Good lord her makeup makes it look like it was applied via finger paint. Especially under her cheekbones. It appears she's starting to grow 1960s style sideburns. Who did this to her?

Michael K said...

I'm a little surprised. I thought the Episcopal Church went off the left side of the road into the ditch years ago.

Michael K said...

"Who did this to her?"

One of the fashion consultants who refuses to dress Melania.

The Vault Dweller said...

A standing ovation from the Frozen Chosen? Maybe those people were feeling like things might change, and it could be for the better. Is it hope? Maybe ask Michelle Obama about that.

Or maybe they had a few Christmas Libations prior to church.

Laslo Spatula said...

The still photo shows how the Obama marriage has survived through thick and thin.

I am Laslo.

Meade said...

"but how to do good they know not."

Yeah, well, Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's been keeping a list,
checking it twice
of who know not-y
and who know nice.
So know good
for goodness sake.

And for Christmas,
give her not a trumpet
but a drum.

Bob Ellison said...

The political part in the middle was atrocious, but otherwise, it seemed like a nice statement of good wishes.

robother said...

Yikes! It's curtains for us all. That First Person narrator of the Bible certainly takes a dim view of humanity. Doesn't He get that we prefer upbeat storylines in the 21st Century?

Kirk Parker said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kirk Parker said...

Michael,

The Episcopal leadership certainly did, but there are plenty of the faithful in the pews, as shown by the recent movement of some congregations to disaccociate with Canterbury.

Quayle said...

Merry Christmas Laslo.

Ann, your citation is noted and taken to heart. I agree and confess my part in that.

My hope stems from Ezekiel, from which I conclude, fortunately, that the narration doesn't end at your insightful and timely quotation:

Therefore say to the house of Israel [which includes more than just the tribe of Judah - it also includes all the other 11 tribes of Israel (Son's of Jacob) which have been scattered among the nations],

Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes.

I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors [and if 11 of the tribes have been led away and scattered around the world, there are likely more lands that the Lord has given the house of Israel than just around Jerusalem; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

I will save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.

I will make the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field abundant, so that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine [of all kinds, nut just food] among the nations.

Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your dealings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominable deeds.

It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord God; let that be known to you.

Gary Petersen said...

The word trump does appear twice in the King James Version.

1 Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Webster's Dictionary of American English (1828) defines trump as this:

TRUMP, n.
1. A trumpet; a wind instrument of music; a poetical word used for trumpet. It is seldom used in prose, in common discourse; but is used in Scripture, where it seems peculiarly appropriate to the grandeur of the subject.

TRUMP, v.i. To blow a trumpet.

I rather doubt I'd declare our President-Elect as "the trump of God" but there you are. Have a very merry Christmas.

tcrosse said...

Well, Michelle's make-up has a hint of the drag-queen, which might be the origin of the Michelle-is-a-man meme. Otherwise, it looks like they're auditioning to host Good Morning America.

Wince said...

...adopt a sit-com couple demeanor that might seem in tune with the tenor of the times (if you're one of those people looking forward to a reboot of "The Honeymooners"):

Except when JFK said, "to the moon, Jackie, before this decade is out!" people believed him.

MayBee said...

Things that have improved over the Obama years:
1. Michelle's Eyebrows
2. Gay Marriage
3. Michelle's bras

I wonder if those appliqués are her way of announcing she is opening up an Etsy shop.

Merry Christmas, Obamas and Trumps! And all this who like either or neither!

Laslo Spatula said...

Merry Christmas from the Obamas.

Happy Hanukkah to Israel, not so much.

I am Laslo.

Bob Ellison said...

Quayle, that's an interesting quote from Ezekiel.

The refrain "It is not for your sake" shows the vengeful, Old-Testament God. He is prideful.

Jesus, born on this day, preached differently. Love and peace, and humility.

Bob Ellison said...

By the way, Barack's getting thinner and Michelle's getting fatter. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it might be an interesting trend over the years.

James Pawlak said...

The Nov. 8, 2016 response to another trumpet.

"He has sounded form the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on."

Wince said...

Anybody else think Ivanka Trump has more than a passing resemblance to Audrey Meadows as "Alice Kramden"?

For that matter, Ralph Kramden's hat in that clip looks like Donald Trump's hair!

rhhardin said...

Brassed Off (1996), girl trumpeter wants to join the colliery band, says she might be a bit wobbly, youtube, they try her.

JML said...

Obama might start to put on weight once he leaves the stress and strain of having to abstain from his duties. As for Michelle, I can see her only getting fashionably big. Like Oprah.

Laslo's Christmas and Hanukkah sentiment was brilliant.

But I can Imagine no less from him.

JML said...

Those 200,000 cookies go straight to her hips...

AllenS said...

Barack is getting thinner, because he's had to go on the Michelle school lunch diet. He'd like to say something about it, but he's afraid that she'd kick the shit out of him if he did.

traditionalguy said...

This time Jeremiah's Trump sounded for the Dems and their Media allies announcing a Destruction they cannot escape. The final blast came out of Wisconsin putting DJT over 270.

The Episcopalians have a good heritage. They make a comeback every time they believe the Book of Common Prayer's words.

Sally327 said...

I thought Valerie Jarrett was his best friend. Maybe she did Michelle's make-up for her.

virgil xenophon said...

Allen S is on tgt. Mel B was known as "Scary Spice" but she had NOTHING on Michelle who redefines the very word "scary." Obama probably spends so much time on the links because it's the only way he can max out his escape time..

gspencer said...

The contrast between these two AA beneficiaries and DJT are as stark as the reception that the troops gave to this AA president and the reception they gave to Bush 43.

O is not an American in the heart. Most people sense that.

Hagar said...

Michelle is still ageing more gracefully than 90% of the ladies on TV.

Susan said...

Is Michelle's make-up artist Jewish?

Just curious.

Once written, twice... said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Once written, twice... said...

"Trusty sidekick"?

Ann, in the not to distant future you will look back and be embarrassed at how uncritical you were of Trump.

12/25/16, 9:42 AM Delete

rehajm said...

I look forward to the Donald/Melania Christmas address in a year's time.

David said...

A standing O from Episcopalians?

Most of the Episcopalians I know these days are to the left of Bernie.

Roughcoat said...

Jesus, born on this day, preached differently. Love and peace, and humility.

The New Covenant. It supersedes the Old. Salah.

chickelit said...

Trump is more popular than The Beatles, now.

Hagar said...
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Hagar said...

Michelle is from Chicago; Obama is from the junior law faculty lounge.

mockturtle said...

Bob Ellison, the OT God and the NT God are the same God. And Jesus quoted the OT prophets continually.

Thank you, Quayle, for posting the quote. Because Israel is God's chosen nation, they often need reminding that their blessing is not their own doing but that their purpose is to bring glory and honor to Him. And, most especially, to give birth to the Christ.

Per the Westminster Confession:
Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

lemondog said...

Not even Jesus gets a standing ovation in church...

In church? Must everything be overtly political?

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all.

Laslo Spatula said...

“Merry Christmas, Michelle.”

“Merry Christmas to you, Barack.”

“Michelle…?”

“Yes, Barack?”

“Do you think that, in the future, they’ll celebrate my birthday like this? Because I can see that happening.”

“Barack, people love you. You inspire them, and have given them Hope. That’s as good as Jesus, in my book. Maybe better: Jesus didn’t have to deal with the Republicans.”

“Maybe I should write a book, like the Bible, but more Progressive? Obama’s New Testament?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Obama. I bet we will get a GREAT book deal.”

“I can include Scriptures about Diversity and Social Justice. Make it more up to date.”

“Blessed are the Transvestites, maybe?”

“I think I’ll just stick with Gay. Leave it open to interpretation.”

“Good thinking, Barack. You don’t want to box yourself in.”

“The tough part is that Jesus died in the end. It’s hard to top that.”

“Barack, you have spent your time on the Cross for the last eight years. After the Presidency you will be resurrected to an even higher plane.”

“That’s good! I can use that…”

“Maybe you can write about how the bitter clingers are the new Pharisees?”

“You ARE brilliant, Michelle.”

“And I can be like Mary Magdalene, only empowered and equal.”

“I like the ‘empowered’ part, but the ‘equal’ part might be too confusing to people. Maybe I’ll save that for my New Revised Testament.”

“A series of Testaments: I like that. Keeps things fresh.”

“I’m liking this idea. I can embody all the things people wanted Jesus to be, but found him too judgmental.”

“”It’s like you will be the People’s Jesus.”

“Yeah. Have the Pope suck on THAT one…”

I am Laslo.

mockturtle said...

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, everyone. Or, as my mother says, "Bah Humbug".

Jim said...

I seem to remember a song from my holy-roller days forty some years ago with the line, "with the trump of the Lord and a soul stirring sound."
P.S. Autocorrect wants to change soul to should. Interesting.

mockturtle said...

Great job, Laslo! ;-)

mockturtle said...

Michael K remarked: I'm a little surprised. I thought the Episcopal Church went off the left side of the road into the ditch years ago.

Depends on the church. Some are very conservative.

Wince said...

Michelle's make-up reminds me of Lez Warner's sideburns back when he was touring with the The Cult in the 1980s.

Achilles said...

1. How many times did the person with the card that had SMILE! written on it have to remind them?

2. In the middle part there he must have known he was lying to himself and everyone who bothered listening. He is one of the most bitter and spiteful people I have ever seen.

Curious George said...

"JAORE said...
Who did this to her?"

God. An all knowing merciful god. Just imagine...

Quayle said...

Bob Ellison, I see it differently.

I know of no more merciful act than to save a people that don't really deserve saving. And to effect a change in them ( a new heart) which they themselves could not do. That is love and that is grace.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"the sit-com couple."

The Hollywood couple. The LA county couple. The Hunger Games couple.

Anonymous said...

Impressed by the Christmas spirit shown in this blog post. Well, everyone needs a trusty sidekick. Meade fills that role for Althouse. At least he doesn't wear eye makeup and frills and he's a darn good little gardener.

Hagar said...

Bob Ellison, the OT God and the NT God are the same God.
And so is the God of the Quran. Just a different prophet, and the one with God's last words to man - according to him.

Bob Ellison said...

mockturtle, I'm aware of that view of OT/NT teachings.

But it's inconsistent, and that is a primary problem with the bibles we use.

The view that man's purpose is to glorify God is cultish.

Jesus taught something different.

William said...

It's good that you allude to the Honeymooners when you mention the Obamas as a sit com couple. Otherwise people might think of Bill Cosby and his tv wife and their folksy, reassuring way of addressing life's problems. And that would be racist.......Merry Xmas to Laslo who has consistently brightened my year.

David said...

Nice message from the Obamas. It would have been outstanding if they could have left out the political plug.

Anonymous said...

Melania Trump's very lovely and short Christmas dress worn to church. Such a classy First Lady.

Big Mike said...

This post seems as good as any to wish Professor Althouse and the esteemed Meade a Merry Christmas!

Ken B said...

About Episcoplaians and Anglicans. The Anglican Church in general is heading for a schism. The Establishment in the UK is very Left, very skeptical of this god fellow, wonders aloud if Allah is his real name, but the bulk of the church, increasingly in Africa, is much more socially and doctrinally conservative. Contrast the Archbishop of Canterbury with that of York for a stark example. The sharpest issue, aside from whether muslims and atheists can be priests (and with their bishop's approval have been in some English parishes) is homosexuality. Schism seems inevitable.

David Begley said...

Laslo

But will Bill Ayer get credit this time? Meaning a full royalty cut.

Michael K said...

there are plenty of the faithful in the pews, as shown by the recent movement of some congregations to disaccociate with Canterbury.

You might be interested in the experience of an Orange County congregation which disassociated. The Episcopal Bishop took the church they had built and tried to sell it to a developer.

Allegations of misconduct against the Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles stemming from his attempt to sell the St. James the Great Episcopal Church property in Newport Beach are expected to be considered during a disciplinary hearing in March.

On Oct. 26, a five-member national Episcopal Church panel in Chicago made up of a priest, three bishops and a layperson denied Bishop J. Jon Bruno's motion to dismiss the allegations by the St. James congregation, which include entering a sale agreement without proper authorization, making false statements to the St. James congregation and Newport Beach city officials regarding his intentions for the property and locking out the congregation from the church at 3209 Via Lido.


Several Episcopal churches have been seized by the diocese and are fenced off from the congregation that built them.

lemondog said...

A special Happy Hanukkah to President Obama.

Comanche Voter said...

Mercifully I had trouble with the Obama and Michelle link. I will survive. Laslo you are outdoing yourself.

And my local Episcopalian church is having a fight with the hierarchy over who owns their church building; seems that they have strayed from the path of organized righteousness--or Episcopalian correctness. Each side wants its church back. I'm rooting for the local congregation, although as a lapsed Methodist, I have no particular dog in the fight.

Qwinn said...

It'e always hilarious watching the Left bounce back and forth between being hedonist libertines when Democrats are in power, to puritanical scolds when Republicans are in. See Unknown's post. When was the last time you heard a Moral Majority type begrudge a barely above the knee skirt? At least two decades for me. Yet here's Unknown clutching her pearls to remind us what it's like. Remember kids - Melania lacks class, but trannys in your daughter's bathroom is the new frontier in civil rights!

walter said...

Ughh..it is not by coincidence he puts his out of place/needless campaigning before his religious message.
Just remember when he says "We", he means "I". At least it's reprieve from the bleating/pleading scold.

I don't know about "contouring" here..maybe she's simply been hate-eating a bunch of those pastries she mentioned.
I love the terms though.."foundation", "contouring"..very construction-y.

mockturtle said...

Per Bob Ellison: Jesus taught something different.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.

There is an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. While the covenants are different, the ultimate purpose is the same. It was necessary, when Israel was born, that it be protected so their purpose would be fulfilled.

You are, of course, entitled to your own unbeliefs. :-)

mockturtle said...

And Jesus spoke of God's wrath as well as His love.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Qwinn said...
It'e always hilarious watching the Left bounce back and forth between being hedonist libertines when Democrats are in power, to puritanical scolds when Republicans are in. See Unknown's post. When was the last time you heard a Moral Majority type begrudge a barely above the knee skirt?

"Unknown" has obviously never been to an Episcopal service in Florida or Arizona. Little black dresses are fairly common Episcopal church wear in the summer. It doesn't bother me, I just wish they'd ban the over 60's from doing it.

boycat said...

Nice to see Michelle with a smile on her face.

Yancey Ward said...

Laslo knocks it out of the park with the St. Obama riff. Brilliant.

Seeing Red said...

Merry Christmas!

JTR said...

It was an error in the phonetic transcription. *Trumpet="Trump-Pence."

As in:

"I cannot keep silent;
for I hear the sound of the Trump Pence,
the alarm of war."

"How long must I see the standard,
and hear the sound of the Trump-Pence?
“For my people are foolish,
they know me not;
they are stupid children,"

rhhardin said...

Potu select comes with free shipping.

madAsHell said...

I was really waiting for the..."but this is not who we are". The irony is rich in this one.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!!

Thorley Winston said...

The still photo shows how the Obama marriage has survived through thick and thin.

I always assumed that it was because spouses can’t be forced to testify against each other.

mikee said...

A standing ovation in church? Ever been present for the Hallelujah Chorus?

Sure, it began as an unforced error due to an earthly king, but has evolved into a standing ovation for Jesus.

n.n said...

A trumpet also signals coming of the King.

Bob Ellison:

In the Torah, God is referred to in the singular and plural. Perhaps God represents an entity similar to humanity, one and many coherent, causal entities. His dual concern would then be comparable to our effort when we isolate and contain a contagion (e.g. dysfunction) and either treat or destroy those who have been exposed or exhibit symptoms of corruption.

veni vidi vici said...

Buttock Trumpet. Be of good cheer. That is all.

Sebastian said...

"Not even Jesus gets a standing ovation in church — especially Episcopal Church — so this Donald Trump must be really something." Jesus doesn't get an ovation because he doesn't need it, and gets better things. DJT is something, but not for this reason. Applause by Episcopalians, even stray conservative ones, is significant. I think it signals a deep hope for change. America won't get many more chances. (And perhaps even a few Episcopalians have been turned off by the leftist vilification of the Trumps, and thought this would be a good way to protest: if everything is politics, let it be.)

Anonymous said...

Rightists would never dream of vilifying the Obamas.

alan markus said...

Unknown Dumbass said Rightists would never dream of vilifying the Obamas.

I do! It is my dream to give them the same "blame it on the predecessor treatment" that he showed to Bush for the last 8 years. Especially if his narcissistic personality doesn't allow him to keep his mouth shut.

Qwinn said...

Yep. And if there is a major terrorist attack on US soil on January 21st, liberals will insist it was Trump's fault for not stopping it.

wild chicken said...

Again, Father went off on "hateful and racist political rhetoric!!" during his homily. I do not know what or to whom he refers, but feel very grateful for the way things turned out.

2016, what's not to like?

tcrosse said...

A Christmas Greeting from a President who suddenly finds himself on the Wrong Side of History.

Quaestor said...

Someday, Michelle, someday... POW! ZOOM! To the Moon!

Anonymous said...

Yes, the very same treatment Trump is in for. Trump isn't a narcissist, no not one bit. Whoopie, Merry Christmas!

PaoloP said...

I don't like standing ovations in church, much less standing ovations for political reasons. I'm certainly not a liberal, but in church you cannot upset people who may think differently about politics qua politics.
More importantly, from a Christian perspective, every faithful, should concentrate on God, his Word and the event of Incarnation - and let everything else recede in the background, needing a superior light.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's nice to check into this blog from time to time. So I take it things are going well with your Lord and Savior Don Tiny Hands Trump?

Anonymous said...

Hallelujah, glory be to the New King Trump! GOP messaging.

Michael K said...

"Rightists would never dream of vilifying the Obamas."

Just like leftists leave the Trump children and grandchildren alone.

I am not aware of any attacks on the Obama children even though Obama cancelled the scholarships for poor children to attend their school.

Here's hoping for a peaceful transition like the one Republicans provided for Obama.

Freeman Hunt said...

The Obamas look cheerful in every recent picture I've seen. I think they're happy that it's almost over. I would be too.

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tcrosse said...

t's nice to check into this blog from time to time. So I take it things are going well with your Lord and Savior Don Tiny Hands Trump?
We don't know yet, and neither does anyone else. BTW how did it go with that guy who was going to make the seas recede ? The one with the Greek columns who was going to fix race relations. That guy. I forget his name.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

I forget his name.

Not remembering things is almost as high a priority for a Republican as never having known something in the first place. Like which party controlled Congress for the majority of "what's-his-name's" terms in office and scuttled everything useful.

You'd better believe the ocean levels will rise once Tiny Hands withdraws from the Paris accords. But that's Republicans for you: confusing political power with an ethical imperative or rational priority.

David said...

Freeman Hunt said...
The Obamas look cheerful in every recent picture I've seen. I think they're happy that it's almost over. I would be too.


They are downright giddy in parts of that video. The home stretch.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

R&B: "..Lord and Savior Don Tiny Hands Trump?"

Uh, that's MISTER Lord and Savior Don Tiny Hands Trump to you bub.

Drago said...

R&B: "Not remembering things is almost as high a priority for a Republican as never having known something in the first place."

Lol

So, to summarize, the Republicans have a hard time remembering things they never knew.

Is this superior or inferior to Democrats remembering things that never were?

Some people see things that are and ask "Why?".

I see things that never were and ask "who are these people and why are they putting this very constructive white jacket on me?".

Drago said...

Constrictive (not constructive)

mockturtle said...

Freeman Hunt said...The Obamas look cheerful in every recent picture I've seen. I think they're happy that it's almost over. I would be too.

I think First Ladies are particularly happy to be rid of the White House. There are some exceptions. I think Mrs. Taft had to be pried out with a crowbar but it's got to be a strain for most. Much as I dislike the Obamas, I do wish them well.

gadfly said...

Trump went to an Espiscopalian church? I thought that Trump said he was Presbyterian, as was his Scottish mother and because he thought his Scots-Irish supporters were mostly Presby, which had original meanings of "old man " and "one who leads cattle."

Trump, who attended First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens according to an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 2012, has always been proud of his faith, identifying as “a believer” throughout his life [CBN dutifully reports].

"I think religion is a wonderful thing," Trump told CBN. "I think my religion is a wonderful religion."


I would bet that Trump shows up in church far less often than Obama does or did when he went to the Trinity United Church of Christ to watch Reverend Jeremiah Wright rant about "America's chickens coming home to roost."

Gospace said...

Unknown said...
Melania Trump's very lovely and short Christmas dress worn to church. Such a classy First Lady.


Hard core jealousy and virtue signaling there. The Mennonite ladies I know would never attend Sunday service dressed like that. But when I do attend mass with my wife (she's Catholic, I'm not) I see women with dresses that short. And many not as good looking as Melania. The 1950's have been over for a while now.

I still remember the first time we walked to Mass in Ocean Beach CA in 1978, shortly after we were married. The guy in the pew in front of us had on his Hawaiian Primo Beer t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. But the important thing was- he was at Mass. Took the time out a perfect surfing day to show up.

Gospace said...

gadfly said...
Trump went to an Espiscopalian church? I thought that Trump said he was Presbyterian, as was his Scottish mother and because he thought his Scots-Irish supporters were mostly Presby, which had original meanings of "old man " and "one who leads cattle."


Most of us Protestants aren't too fussy about which brand of church we attend when away from our home Church. I was baptized, brought up in, and confirmed in the United Methodist Church. Attended a local Evangelical Free Church in HS, by invitation from some friends, and found it welcoming. Non-denominational services for the most part during my 21 years in the Navy.

Most Protestants can't tell you the doctrinal differences between their Church and the next. But they're comfortable where they're at. And I've known nominal Catholics who didn't know what the virgin birth or the Holy Trinity were. But we all recite the Nicene Creed- I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church regardless of the name on the sign out front. And I do know for a fact that the practices of the United Methodist Church of today aren't the practices of the Church I was confirmed in. Maybe someday I'll get around to formally joining another denomination. Until then, I'm a Methodist. And, BTW, for the most part I do know the doctrinal differences between neighboring churches. I just don't consider most of them to be all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Michael said...

The Anglican Communion has been victimized by its success in converting the Pagan Africans to the faith. The Africans believed what they were taught. The English teachers are astonished that the Africans are not coming along with this sudden "evolution" in the Church's thinking about matters of sex, marriage, bishops, priests, etc. The backward Africans. It is very tricky trying to bring them around to the new thinking without calling to mind their natural inferiority.

The Episcopal Church is an offshoot of the Democrat Party in everything but the liturgy and the rubrics which have remained fairly constant and faithful but for the altar no long east facing.

Michael said...

Trump will make it to church more during his time as President than Obama did. He may not have attended previously with regularity but then, unlike Obama, he was not a politician ingratiating himself with a particular constituency.

Darrell said...

The Obamas are in Hawaii on vacation so their message was pre-recorded, of course.

Quaestor said...

gadfly wrote: I would bet that Trump shows up in church far less often than Obama does or did when he went to the Trinity United Church of Christ to watch Reverend Jeremiah Wright rant about "America's chickens coming home to roost.

Sucker.

Quaestor said...

Abie Someone wrote: Hallelujah, glory be to the New King Trump! GOP messaging.

Quick! Give her the said-a-give!

rcocean said...

"Most Protestants can't tell you the doctrinal differences between their Church and the next. But they're comfortable where they're at."

Yeah, that's right. The fact is there really aren't that many major theological differences between Lutherans, Episcopalians, baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc.

That's why I and most Protestants can visit another Protestant without any major problem The real split is between the "liberal" and "Conservative" factions in each Church.

rcocean said...

"Scots-Irish supporters"

There's nothing "Irish" about Trump. IRC, he's 1/2 Scot and 1/2 German. Of course, most "Scot-Irish" were just Scots who spent a few years in Ireland before they came to America.

But everyone wants to be a little Irish. 'Cause they're cool (or used to be)

mockturtle said...

Scots-Irish are not Irish. They are Scots [and some English] who settled in Northern Ireland in the 1600s.

mockturtle said...

Quick! Give her the said-a-give!

;-)

Darrell said...

Hillary in a Mao suit would be perfect for Unknown Inga/Not Inga.

Darrell said...

If you look around those church photos in the Daily Mail, you see other women will hems above the knee. Why is Melania singled out?

JML said...

A buddy of mine with a very Irish name who's Grandfather came to the new world from Ireland was on a long layover in Shannon. He went to a local pub and remarked to the barkeep that he was Irish. The barkeep came over, looked him up and down and said, "Your'e not Irish laddie, your'e a fouckin' America you bleedin' Yank, and don't your forget it."

Saint Croix said...

I got a standing ovation once, when I returned to school after a 10 day suspension for fighting at school. Nice feeling, very surprising.

We kneel before Christ, Althouse, every Sunday!





Saint Croix said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hey Skipper said...

I am Laslo.

12/25/16, 10:08 AM


Mark the day and time -- that right there is peak Laslo.

David said...

"you see other women will hems above the knee. Why is Melania singled out?"

Because she is the newsworthy one?

Unknown said...

I enjoyed the Obamas video. These are not evil people, no reason to vilify. I think Obama will be Obama in the coming years that he hangs around Washington DC, yet I think he is going to give President Trump a chance to succeed. As much as I can get down on Obama, there is a part of me that recognizes he is not a bad of a person. This is not a diabolical anti-Christ.

Unknown said...

A comment for Althouse and her fashion critique of Michelle. I felt there was no need to comment on her drab wardrobe and makeup.

Gretchen said...

I do feel sorry for Michelle, her outfit is hideous, and the makeup is not professional. Any makeup "artist" at the local department store makeup counter, or someone with access to youtube makeup tutorials would have done a better job, the contouring is poorly blended, and her lipstick isn't flattering either. Her slicked back hair makes her shoulders look bigger, overall, as Donald would say "so sad". Her hair, and makeup are usually nicely done, and while I don't care for some of her fashion choices, this is particularly tacky.