blog 2- Reflecting of Religious Identity on Memes

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My case study will focus on Trump and Pope Francis and their views during the current Political campaign through memes.  I will specifically use Catholicism and the Pope's views as the center for my case study.  Catholics and the Pope represent and stand by their beliefs very throughly.  I personally am a Catholic and have completed Baptism, Confirmation, etc.  Growing up it was a very strict Religion that had key beliefs including Pro Life, care for the sick, fighting for the poor, etc.  The Pope is the leader and guide to informing the public on social issues and religious issues as well.  Recently, Trump has said he was a Christian to try to connect to a US religious cultural tradition.  He is trying to build favor by claiming to be a Christian as a strategy for advancing public policy.  The meme I chose on the left show the Pope declaring all that the Church believes in and even incenuates he should run individually.  This meme is particularly funny because he does have should a strong follower base and belief system, yet he is the Pope and can not run.  The meme on the right shows the Pope on the left showing a cross as a symbol of worship and the right shows Trump with a "T" that assumes he believes and listens to only himself.  Trump will say what he wants to say, but in the end the people can only trust in what he does by his actions, not words.  He says he is Christian, yet he does and believes in things that are not always correct with the Christian belief system.  Overall, I thought these memes presented the political election in a funny and eye opening revelation regarding politics and religion. 
 

blog 1- Trump and Pope Francis

This Abstract Proposal will focus on the political memes of Donald Trump related to the Pope Francis and how he criticizes Trumps’ through a religious standpoint. Specially, how Trump issued a press statement claiming, “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”  The memes make fun of Trump’s religious hypocrisy in wave with the Pope.  Trump is only okay with questioning someone’s faith when he does it himself.  Trump also emphasizes himself as being very important and creditable when it comes to some of his political stances, but Pope Francis knocks down all of his creditability through these memes. These memes reinforce the idea that Pope is held at a high standard and people look up to him for guidance and wisdom. Pope Francis’ “stamp of approval” is rejected through these meme related to Trump because he is shown doing the complete opposite of what the Pope believes and preaches about regarding the word of God.  Instead of honoring and making God at the center of his political campaign, Trump has made himself the center of attention.