Posted on 07/10/2020 8:12:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
After reading Leonardo Blair’s article in The Christian Post, “82% of white evangelicals would vote for Trump despite concerns about job performance: study,” I was disturbed by the fact that a majority of white evangelicals would still vote for Trump even though his job performance has been among the poorest in presidential history.
As an evangelical who is both a conservative and a Republican, I’m writing to suggest that voting for Trump should be tied to his character, not his job performance. It is out of one’s character that presidents generate the policies they come up with and how well or poorly they execute them. A president’s policies and performance don’t take place in a vacuum, and, when both are bad, you can be reasonably sure their character is as well.
At the risk of inflaming pro-Trump evangelicals, Trump is a deeply flawed human being when it comes to his characterological make-up. Allow me to use two passages of Scripture to make this point, both of which speak to the why Christians who support Trump should seriously reconsider whether or not to vote for him in 2020.
In Proverbs 6:16-19, the Bible says, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Trump frequently manifests many of these troubling traits in how he conducts himself in the White House. I would think it hard for any Christian to truly believe a holy and righteous God would want His followers to support someone who regularly and remorselessly practices the things He hates.
In 2 Timothy 3:1-4, the Bible says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
Once again, Trump exhibits most of these character defects. If this is true about the president, he can’t possibly be God’s choice to lead our country. God is clear about how we are to deal with someone as deeply disturbed as Trump: “Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:5). Nothing means nothing.
Trump is a racist, misogynist, xenophobe, narcissist, and sociopath. He is someone who has a “seared conscience” (1 Timothy 4:2) in that he never admits to doing anything wrong and is utterly unrepentant about his sins. Remember, this is the man who said he has never asked God to forgive him because he hadn’t done anything bad enough to warrant doing so. Most followers of Christ are more aware of their fallenness than that.
I’m under no illusion that my words are going to persuade any of the 82% of white evangelicals who support Trump to start opposing him. It’s probably the case that those who back the president strongly disagree with what I have written and are greatly bothered that I would say such negative things about his character.
Nevertheless, character in a president matters, and it matters a great deal. When character issues in a president are this problematic, his policies and performance inevitably follow suit. Do we need to look any further than Trump’s malevolent border policy mishandling of the coronavirus, or the mean-spirited way he stokes racial unrest in this country to know this is true?
My hope is that evangelicals who support Trump will be willing to think through the passages of Scripture mentioned and be honest about whether or not they fit the president. If these passages describe Trump, I would further hope pro-Trump evangelicals would be willing to admit as much and have nothing to do with this president.
Trump has had three-and-a-half years to prove he is up to the task of being a competent and moral leader, and he has fallen short in the ways that truly matter. Trump’s immorality, ignorance, and incompetence clearly demonstrate he is not fit to be president and should not be given another four years to further prove it.
When the dust settles from this presidency, we are going to see that Trump was the king who had no clothes, an unrepentant “lover of self,” and someone who conned the majority of white evangelicals into believing he truly cares about them, our nation, and, most importantly, God.
Ours is a great nation. Our country deserves a leader who doesn’t spend his day devising wicked schemes, pouring out lies, rushing into evil, and stirring up conflict in the community. It deserves a leader who is loving, forgiving, honest, self-controlled, genuine, humble, compassionate, and kind. Trump is the former, not the latter.
When it comes time to cast your vote in 2020, vote for the person who best personifies the character of Christ, not someone who personifies the opposite.
Chris Thurman, Ph.D., is a psychologist and author of The Lies We Believe.
Twisting scripture. Trump is the most prolife President ever, great friend to Israel as well.
This guy is borderline insane. If God had followed his advice He would never have chosen King David. I see the man bills himself as a “psychologist.” If he was one of my interns I would pull hIm from the floor until he resolved his own personal problems. Based on this rant of his, it would be unethical for him to be in practice.
Chris is certainly in the 18% who are complete idiots.
WHERE WAS THIS FOOL WHEN SLICK WILLEY WAS IN OFFICE....
His character in office has been outstanding. Not only that but considering the millions of dollars spent investigating him and their inability to find anything he has done wrong.
This man is lying. Did he read the part of the Bible that talks about bearing false witness?
I tried posting this comment on that page, and got the message it was blocked as it didn’t meet community standards.
” Good thing God overlooked the character flaws in Solomon, David (you know, that whole Bathsheba thing), and many others He chose to lead, huh?
Or are you second-guessing, judging, His judgment?
Wait, is that a POLE in your eye?”
Not saying God CHOSE Donald John Trump, not sure at the time of some of the corrupt bilblical rulers the PEOPLE thought that, or if it was a bit of historical revisionism; time will tell, and the choices are chaos, destruction, starvation, pestilence, plague, you know, what the good socialists are bringing down on our cities as I type.
Pshaw. Right
Biden and his family were influence peddling with enemies of state. Ditto clintons. For their entire political careers
This creature Is blabbing about trusting the judiciary and public opinion as being judge of politicians
That is certainly Not, as he proclaims, in accordance with what Jesus would do
I discern these politicians on whether there is evidence shown to me that they love this country
He says he’s evangelical
I say I’m Catholic. The Dominican nuns and my catholic community as
Well as Jesus Himself reinforce that I am to think for myself based on Jesus’ teachings
Kanye! ....well maybe not.
I need to get working on my book “Stupid Christians”
Chapter One: “The Christian Post is a Propaganda wing of the Socialists”
If he’s concerned about ‘character’, he’ll NEVER vote in another election (or for ANY politician) at all.
If all voters felt like that about of ‘character’ - a guy like “O’bozo” would never have made it into the WH!
Truman was right:
“ All politicians are bad. You vote for the one that’s bad for you.”
EXACTLY - I was banned in my comments saying he same thing - I guess we still have Pharisees among us today a well
I guess the author hasn't voted in years.
I wonder how that worked out.. ?
The truth is not in him.
This guy does not know the first thing about the works of God. King David did not have a stellar reign looking at his personal life. Neither did his son Solomon. The whole Democratic platform is anti-God and anti-Christ. This where Jesus said that he who is worth out sin can cast the first stone. This diatribe is satanic and fills the rest of the deception going on in this world. Those 18% of Christians attend mega churches where the Word is not accepted and social justice is preached.
The 18% of evangelicals who are completely cucked.
Typical educated Evangelicals, they are so perfect they get to judge others.
“Trump is ‘pure’ enough for me”...
Bla bla bla.
This guy has ‘drank the Kool-aid’...and it ain’t Christian Kool-aid.
What a crock. This clown is a lying democrat.
Which candidate is at all Christ-like?
Is the author Christ-like in supporting abortion?
So, in short, Chris has no problem being in the “second” group of people put up against the wall.
JoMa
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