In an interview today with a local New York radio host, Bob Lonsberry, on WHAM 1180AM, Donald Trump said his favorite Bible verse is the Old Testament passage which says one can take “an eye for an eye.”
In response to Lonsberry’s question about which verse in the Bible is his favorite, Trump initially responded “so many,” then followed it up by saying that “an eye for an eye” is a good verse for Americans to follow, even if it is, by his own admission, a little mean.
“Well, I think many,” Trump said. “You know when we get into the Bible I think many, so many. And ‘an eye for an eye,’ you can almost say that. It’s not a particularly nice thing, but you know when you look at what’s happening to our country, I mean, you see what’s going on with our country how people are taking advantage of us and how they scoff at us and laugh at us an laugh in our face and they’re taking our jobs, they’re taking our money, they’re taking our — you know, they’re taking the health of our country. And we have to be very firm and we have to be very strong and we can learn a lot from the Bible, that I can tell you.”
The phrase “an eye for an eye” appears elsewhere in the Bible, too. In Matthew 5:38, Jesus tells his disciples that instead of seeking revenge by taking “an eye for an eye” they should “turn the other cheek.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has given an interesting answer when asked about his faith. Last September, when Trump was asked “who is God to you?” he responded by talking about his business deals.
Earlier this year, Trump cited a verse from “two Corinthians.” The unconventional wording — although not entirely incorrect — caused some to question the seriousness of his faith.
In July, Trump was asked if he had ever asked God for forgiveness. In response, Trump described taking communion.
“When I drink my little wine – which is about the only wine I drink – and have my little cracker, I guess that’s a form of asking for forgiveness,” he said.
(h/t BuzzFeed)
