The South Carolina pastor who prayed over a 22-foot-high golden statue of President Donald Trump last week says it is not an idolatrous golden calf as described in the book of Exodus.
Mark Burns is a self-appointed pastor who previously lied about his educational background and previous military service. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in in 2018, 2022 and 2024. He was an early and ardent supporter of Trump’s presidential campaigns.
The statue of Trump holding up his right fist defiantly evokes his “Fight! Fight! Fight!” response after a lone gunman allegedly tried to assassinate him in Butler, Pa., in 2024. It was created by sculptor Alan Cottrill and commissioned for $300,000 by a collective of crypto investors.
It now stands at Trump National Doral Miami, one of Trump’s golf courses.
Pastor Mark Burns (via Facebook)
“One of the greatest honors of my life was leading the dedication of President Donald J. Trump’s statue to the world,” Burns said on social media. “What amazes me is how quickly some people have compared this beautiful statue, created and made possible by more than 6,000 patriots, to a golden calf or idol worship.”
He quoted the Commandment to “have no other gods before me” and said he is not guilty of that.
“Honor is not worship. Respect is not idolatry. Celebration is not bowing down to a false god,” he said.
Then he drew this contrast: “Giving honor where honor is due is biblical. Bowing down and worshipping an idol is sinful. There is a major difference.”
The giant golden statue “was not created for worship,” he said. “It was created as a symbol of resilience, patriotism, courage and gratitude. It was created to honor a man whom many may disagree with, but millions of Americans believe has done extraordinary things to make this nation stronger.”
Trump previously has been accused of comparing himself to Jesus Christ.
Last fall, a group of crypto investors briefly placed a giant rolling Trump statue on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Last fall, an AI video came out of a proposed “Trump Gaza” that featured a golden Trump head balloon, a gold-lit Trump Gaza hotel, a giant golden Trump statue in a city center that looked like something straight out of the Left Behind series, a wall of mini golden Trump statues, and an outdoor shop filled with golden Trump statues.