Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse was ridiculed after he compared himself to Jesus Christ and said that he, much like Jesus—whose flagellation and subsequent crucifixion are recounted in both the canonical and synoptic gospels—has "experienced the hatred of the world."
Writing on Twitter, Rittenhouse quoted a portion of scripture from Chapter 15, Verse 18 of the Gospel of John, which reads:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."
Rittenhouse then questioned whether the "harassment" he receives on a regular basis is a sign he should remain "quiet about [his] values and beliefs," concluding:
"But then I remember that God sent his Son Jesus, who experienced the hatred of the world first."
You can see Rittenhouse's tweet below.
\u201cIf the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. \nJohn 15:18\n\nAll the harassment I receive makes me wonder if it would be easier to stay quiet about my values and beliefs. But then I remember that God sent His Son Jesus. who experienced the hatred of the world first.\u201d— Kyle Rittenhouse (@Kyle Rittenhouse) 1669610653
Rittenhouse's complaints about "harassment" would be funny were his crimes not so serious.
Rittenhouse has remained a darling among the right since he was acquitted for the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz during the Kenosha unrest, which took place after police officers shot in the back and partially paralyzed Jacob Blake, a Black man.
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree crimes which legal pundits cite as the only reason he was acquitted as the evidence left reasonable doubt on the requirements for a first-degree conviction. Had Rittenhouse been charged with 2nd degree homicide or manslaughter, they surmise he would have been found guilty.
Since his acquittal, he has attended several events hosted by conservative organizations and individuals, including a meeting with former Republican President Donald Trump and Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, using his newfound notoriety to mock his detractors and raise funds.
Given how easily Rittenhouse got away with murder, it's no wonder his critics mocked him and his blatant martyr complex.
\u201cHow many people did Jesus kill in \u201cself-defense?\u201d He was killed for promoting peace and the tearing down of religious institutions that placed systems over people. \nThe opposite of what you did.\u201d— Dart Bored\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (he/him) (@Dart Bored\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (he/him)) 1669909122
\u201cguys remember when jesus said it was okay to kill people to protect property\u201d— Possum \ud83d\udda4\ud83d\udc9b\u2764\ufe0f (@Possum \ud83d\udda4\ud83d\udc9b\u2764\ufe0f) 1669881182
\u201cWe hate you because you're a murderer Kyle\u201d— Sonya the Moo! \ud83d\udc2e \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Sonya the Moo! \ud83d\udc2e \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1669884310
\u201cmen will literally Kill multiple people then be like "Im fighting demons \ud83d\udc94"\u201d— princess lufty \u2661\u2728 (@princess lufty \u2661\u2728) 1669889464
\u201cKyle Rittenhouse equates himself to jesus, as a result I propose we crucify him and see if he comes back after 3 days\u201d— Goblincore Marxist (@Goblincore Marxist) 1669896005
\u201cDude is literally equating himself to Jesus Christ because he gunned down minorites\u201d— mizuki (@mizuki) 1669927466
\u201cThis religious teaching is brought to you by someone who has actively gone out with a gun and killed 2 people\u201d— \ud83d\udea5 Charlie \ud83d\udea5 (@\ud83d\udea5 Charlie \ud83d\udea5) 1669914437
\u201cI swear american Christians are weird. You went into a different state illegally with a weapon you shouldn\u2019t have been in possession of due to age and state differences all so you could pretend that you were protecting property that wasn\u2019t yours. You shot and killed people.\u201d— Josh | blm \ud83d\udda4\ud83d\udc9b\u2764\ufe0f (@Josh | blm \ud83d\udda4\ud83d\udc9b\u2764\ufe0f) 1669876723
\u201c"Don't kill" is literally one of the Ten Commandments. This is like the most basic thing you learn in catechesis Kyle\u201d— Asuka \u2640\ufe0f (@Asuka \u2640\ufe0f) 1669897728
Rittenhouse has continued to capitalize on the Kenosha shooting, displaying no interest in penance or remorse.
Earlier this year, he released a video game that gives players the option to shoot "fake news turkeys" that he is selling on his official website for $9.99.
Rittenhouse collaborated with game developer Mint Studios to create the game, titledTurkey Shoot, and plans to use the proceeds from it to fund his lawsuits against media outlets he's accused of defamation.
His promotional video for Turkey Shoot refers to the media as "nothing but a bunch of turkeys with nothing better to do than push their lying agenda and destroy innocent people’s lives."
A few months ago, Rittenhouse announced the creation of a "Media Accountability Project" aimed at suing everyone who called him a murderer, a move celebrated by Tucker Carlson, on whose show Rittenhouse had appeared.