A few months ago Republican “Word Doctor” Frank Luntz asked Donald Trump if he had ever asked God for forgiveness. Trump answered that “I am not sure that I have […] I don’t think in terms of that.” He still felt the same way when CNN’s Anderson Cooper gave him an opportunity to refine his remarks in light of the criticism and ridicule they produced. He stood firm because he is simply convinced that he doesn’t need to ask God for forgiveness since he never does anything wrong.

Well, he’s still as certain as ever of his divine infallibility. This morning he told CNN’s Jake Tapper (video below) that he continues to hold a “Get Out of Hell Free” pass and a waiver from any obligation to repent.

“I have a great relationship with God, I have a great relationship with evangelicals. In fact, nationwide I’m up by a lot. I’m leading everybody. But I like to be good. I don’t like to have to ask for forgiveness. And I am good. I don’t do a lot of things that are bad. I try do nothing that’s bad. I live a very different life than probably a lot of people would think.”

This latest assertion of saintliness comes with a new justification. Apparently the polls validate Trump’s bond with the Almighty. He doesn’t say precisely what percentage of the Gods surveyed attest to his holiness, but rest assured, it’s a lot. This may seem to be an unconventional method of demonstrating one’s piety, but for an egomaniacal narcissist like Donald Trump it’s the best you’re gonna get. Last July I laid out in detail why Trump’s views on religion, and his own perfection, were completely contrary to the the faith he pretends to practice.

Trump is effectively saying that a good Christian can avoid having to seek forgiveness from God by simply never making any mistakes. Who knew it was that easy? Of course, to do that would require a level of perfection not seen in about two thousand years from the perspective of believers. And yet he argues that he has achieved this pinnacle of purity. But if you ask the Presbyterian Church, of which Trump claims to be a member (although the church he said he attends denies it), they have a completely different interpretation:

“Presbyterians believe the Bible when it says that ‘all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). Unlike crime, which involves the breaking of human law, sin is a condition of the heart or an expression of that condition where we are estranged from God and fail to trust in God.” […]

“Presbyterians believe God has offered us salvation because of God’s loving nature. It is not a right or a privilege to be earned by being ‘good enough.’ No one of us is good enough on our own — we are all dependent upon God’s goodness and mercy. From the kindest, most devoted churchgoer to the most blatant sinner, we are all saved solely by the grace of God.” […]

“Presbyterians believe it is through the action of God working in us that we become aware of our sinfulness and our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Just as a parent is quick to welcome a wayward child who has repented of rebellion, God is willing to forgive our sins if we but confess them and ask for forgiveness in the name of Christ.”

Trump seems to think that forgiveness is something that you request when you have told a lie, cut someone off in traffic, or cheated in golf. His understanding of religion is on the level of a four year old (no offense to four year olds). He has no concept of the tenets of his faith that regards all men and women as sinners. And setting aside the scriptural rendering, Trump doesn’t seem to think that his own mistakes (of which he has none) rise to the level of sins. That means his three marriages and serial infidelity are wholly virtuous in God’s eyes. His four bankruptcies that left thousands of creditors in the lurch were just divine accounting. His fraudulent Trump University that ripped off hundreds of “students” actually taught them a valuable lesson in dealing with charlatans. And these say nothing of his sins of greed, lust, and pride.

So despite his heresy, profanity, and obvious Messiah complex, Donald Trump is certain that evangelicals and other faith-based voters will flock to his holiness. If they do they are confessing that their faith is a fraud that can be spun by a political charlatan known for being a vainglorious self-promoter and a serial liar (See the Trump Bullshitopedia). They are willfully falling under the sway of a scam artist and celebrity cult leader. And by the way, these are the same people who have been calling President Obama the Anti-Christ for seven years.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.