When Donald Trump spoke at a religious college, he pronounced his favorite book in the Bible “Corinthians Two” instead of “Second Corinthians.” People forgave him. Recently, the president stood in front of a burned-out basement, boarded-up church down the street from the White House and held up not his Bible but “a Bible” — upsidedown.
One strong group of POTUS’ core voters has been Evangelical Christians. Yet, not all of these Christians adore him. A new book consisting of 30 essays by a variety of Evangelical Christian leaders has been causing quite a stir.
When Evangelicals prayed over Trump, apparently no one told him to close his eyes. Instead, he stared coldly at the camera. Some Evangelicals considered the president to be “The Chosen One,” but they needed to dust off their Bibles. The book of Revelations addressed the precursor of Jesus’ (the real Chosen One), the fake antichrist.
The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity was just released. It sounded an important warning, urging white Evangelicals to reconsider their support for the president in the 2020 election. It pointed to the harm Trump’s has done to the Evangelicals’ reputations.
The authors come from a variety of political parties. Their professions range from “university professors and theologians to a former congressman and a former CIA analyst.”
Founder of Evangelicals for Social Action Ron Sider spoke to The Christian Post about the book:
‘Our plea is to white evangelicals to please take another look and ask, ‘Does this person measure up to biblical norms?’ We are not telling you what to include. But please prayerfully think about that. Even if you think the book will make you mad, given the title, I challenge you to read it and decide for yourself if there are any valid points that we are making there.’
Sider said that this book would not tell people how to vote:
‘The book is not a book to tell people how to vote. It is a book to call people to think biblically about this election and about the character of candidates. We’re not just left-wing Democrats. We are a whole range of views begging American white evangelicals to ask this simple question: “Does Donald Trump’s behavior and policies fit with or contradict biblical norms?’
Some of the areas that the authors addressed included: Trump’s dishonesty, how he attacks the media, how he views women, his affairs, his harsh policies on immigration, and even restrictions on welfare benefits.
Some of the authors were:
‘Baylor University Professor George Yancey, former Republican Congressman Reid Ribble, conservative speaker and author Vicki Courtney as well as scholars like the Ethics & Public Policy Center’s Pete Wehner and John Fea of Messiah College in Pennsylvania.’
Sider edited the book and pointed toward “common Biblical themes,” which included concern for the poor:
‘One of the most common biblical themes is God’s special concern for the poor. But that doesn’t seem to be a significant part of his policy.’
Founder of Evangelicals for Social Action Sider continued:
‘Our plea is to white evangelicals to please take another look and ask, ‘Does this person measure up to biblical norms?’ We are not telling you what to include. But please prayerfully think about that. Even if you think the book will make you mad, given the title, I challenge you to read it and decide for yourself if there are any valid points that we are making there.’
However, Sider warned that Evangelicals about narrow thinking at the voting booth:
‘I’ve always said I think those are very important issues. But if we are going to be biblical in our politics, we need to go back and ask: “What is it that God cares about?” God cares about the sanctity of human life and justice for the poor. God cares about marriage and racial justice. God cares about sexual integrity and cares for creation and peacemaking and freedom. It is simply fundamentally mistaken to think that one issue overrides all others.’
A Baylor professor of sociology, Yancy wrote:
‘I want to say to my Christian friends, especially the evangelical ones who most support Trump: I hear you. Christianophobia is real. I have studied and debated it with those who do not believe it exists. Trump has promised to protect Christians. The seeking of political control is one way to try to deal with Christianophobia. But it is the wrong way.’
Yancey contended that Trump “can’t fix what troubles Christians” because he can only offer a political solution while the issue is “cultural:”
‘What Trump can do is make the situation worse by turning culture against us further.’
He warned that if Christians did not “push back on the disturbing attributes of Trump, then we will own those attributes:”
‘For example, if enough Christians accept the perceptions of this leader … then our faith will become known for not caring about the race-baiting statements of our president. This will translate into Christians not caring about racism and people of color. The argument that we must vote for Trump as the less bad option will not save us from being labeled racist if we do not challenge Trump’s race-baiting.’
Yancey contrasted conservative Christians and Christians who are Democrats:
‘Many conservative Christians accuse Democratic Christians of endorsing abortion because they vote for pro-choice candidates. If those Christians stay silent on this issue, then they have a point. But if Democratic Christians vote for Democrats despite and make it plain they opposed that plank of their political party, then they do not own the pro-choice label.’
Conservative southern woman, award-winning author, and speaker Courtney wrote:
‘You cannot stand for moral decency and express outrage over the objectification of women if you are willing to give Trump a free pass. No one will respect your opinion.’
Courtney also wrote about Franklin Graham, son of the well-known minister Billy Graham:
‘I recently watched an example of this play out on Twitter in the aftermath of the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. Franklin Graham tweeted concern that Shakira and J.Lo’s performance was “showing young girls that sexual exploration of women is okay.” I share much of Graham’s sentiment, but many were quick to call him out on a double standard.’
She said some internet users responded to the younger Graham in his support for Trump by using quotes from Trump’s past comments on women:
‘The Franklin Graham Twitter exchange perfectly illustrates the larger-scale problem Christians face if they choose to ignore, minimize or make excuses for Trump’s misogyny (and other immoral offenses). No one will take Christianity seriously if we shout about the moral injustices of past presidents but are struck dumb when it comes to the moral injustices of the current one.’
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
