Editor:
I read the article concerning St. Mark’s pastor, Tyrel Bramwell and his blatant disregard of the tax code in the Daily section of the Dec. 19 edition of the NCJ with bewilderment. How is it possible that Pastor Bramwell and his congregation completely overlook Trump’s obvious character and personality defects? Allow me to enumerate: lack of humility, malignant narcissism, prevarication, ignominy, bigotry, misogyny, lust for power, selfishness, greed, infidelity, disrespectfulness, hatred, absolute lack of compassion, cruelty, vengefulness, transactionality, etc.
By his documented words and actions, he has essentially violated every commandment and appears to be the antithesis of Christ. Yet Pastor Bramwell and his parishioners dutifully vote for him, while labelling all Democrats as defilers of God and “evil!” Why hasn’t the thought occurred to them that maybe Trump is an antichrist who is using Christianity for personal gain? This is certainly as plausible as the concepts of virgin birth, rising from the dead, heaven and hell. What’s more troubling is our government’s inability and/or unwillingness to challenge organized religion’s assault on democracy.
Martin Smukler, McKinleyville
This article appears in Through Mark Larson’s Lens 2025.