Posted on 07/15/2020 8:40:48 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
In 2016, I signed the “Never Trump” pledge and did my part, as a “keyboard warrior,” especially on the Facebook posts of The Christian Post, to persuade fellow Christians not to support Donald Trump.
I have a Ph.D. in church history studying the Puritans and am the pastor of a Reformed church and Mr. Trump struck me as a decline from the kinds of leaders Puritans would expect. Many CP readers may remember my incessant campaigning against Trump four years ago. I argued that he had a checkered past, that he was unlikely to support the causes which Christians should be most committed to (namely, life — including for the unborn — and religious liberty) and that he was likely going to lose in the general election. Being wrong about the latter gave me the opportunity to consider that I was wrong about my other arguments against him.
It’s true that Mr. Trump has things in his past that he should be ashamed of. I cringe at Christians who exalt him as if he’s a godly champion. However, when voting for a leader’s re-election, we vote based on what he’s done in office, not what they’ve done before.
Mr. Trump’s record has been surprisingly good on Christian issues, especially the sanctity of life. He’s nominated consistently pro-life judges, done what he can do to defund Planned Parenthood, and spoken up more loudly on the issue than any president in history. Since pro-life issues are the leading issues guiding Christians today, Mr. Trump has earned the support of Christians.
Further, since 2016 the left, which I used to call “liberalism,” has metastasized into an illiberal movement that I now believe is a serious threat to the liberties of all Americans, especially Christians. They have no humility or sense of reserve or respect for American traditions that would restrain them from using their power to crush those who would dare oppose them, including Christians, if they were given power. That is, if they were to win this upcoming election, we could see the unleashing of a wave of persecution in America that most of us never dreamed was possible, all of it justified in the name of “social justice” or “public health.”
So, now is not the time to quibble over Mr. Trump’s antics on Twitter, to pronounce him “wicked” for insulting his critics, because we’re holding him to the standards of a by-gone era of political civility or even, perhaps, because we’re too watered-down ourselves by the gentility of “moralistic, therapeutic deism” that rejects Mr. Trump for not being a soothing Mr. Rogers.
I rejected the “Flight 93,” “binary choice,” “critical election” rhetoric in 2016 people used to force me to choose him as the “lesser of two evils.” I no longer reject it. I would urge you not to reject those arguments either and vote like your liberty depends on it. Because it might.
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John B. Carpenter (M.Div. Fuller Theological Seminary, Th.M., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Ph.D. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) is pastor of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Danville, VA. www.covenantcaswell.org.
Trump has been the most effective Pro-Life POTUS since ‘73.
Never-Trumpers may not like him, but the alternative is a simply, utterly vile.
That was a well-worded and thoughtful statement. That last line says it all.
“It’s true that Mr. Trump has things in his past that he should be ashamed of. I cringe at Christians who exalt him as if he’s a godly champion. However, when voting for a leader’s re-election, we vote based on what he’s done in office, not what they’ve done before.”
President Trump is the most Christian ACTING president we have had in 40 years. Quibbling over YOUR judgmental calls is wicked, Mr. Preacher Man.
Although a good sign for Trump, Mr. Carpenter needs to recognize and apologize for his role in causing this current unrest. By giving aid and comfort to the left in 2016, he is directly responsible for fomenting the spirit of hate and emboldening the left to terrorism. Mr. Carpenter, like all in the Never Trump movement, has blood on his hands.
“It’s true that Mr. Trump has things in his past that he should be ashamed of.” But of course this guy doesn’t have any such things in his past. But better late than never and we welcome his support.
I wonder if Mr. John B Carpenter has anything in his past that might cause him to be ashamed? Any thinking Christian should have known that Hillary and the rest of the dems would be much worse than anything Trump might do. I know it was plain to me. However,it is good to know that Mr.John B Carpenter has finally “seen the light”.
He’s virtually admitting he thought Hillary Clinton was more “moral” than Trump. Why should anyone listen to him?
I suppose this guy cringes over King David.
“vote like your liberty depends on it. Because it might’
Agreed. At least he gets it in the end.
The “religious” writer of this article is a wingnut.
The vote back then in 2016 was Hitlery or DJT.
And he was unsure who to vote for?
Never again should anyone wonder why the churches are empty across this great land.
We’re not electing a Pope to preach to people.
We need a street fighter to kick some Prog arse to save our Republic.
This toolbag has no moral compass if he looked at Hillary and Trump and saw Trump as the bad choice.
why listen to someone who was so wrong?
Now is not the time to name call among ourselves.” It is a time for us to close ranks for this nation. I had very serious misgivings about President Trump in the primaries. So did lots of moral people. We wondered if he was really committed to his recent pro-life stands. Suffice it to say that my wife, my daughter, and myself would now crawl over glass to vote for the President this time around. Instead of bad mouthing a “never Trumper” who has seen the light, we need to welcome him/her. We need every soldier for the cause we can get!
It's truuuuuuuue!
RE: why listen to someone who was so wrong?
Because he’s right this time.
Agree.
There are a LOT of people out there being forced to face the folly of their past actions.
Fortunately for me, I watched Trump's rallies, and heard what he actually said, NOT what the media said he said.
While I applaud his change of heart......did anything he said in 2016 justify supporting Hillary.....really!!!!
In 2016, I signed the “Never Trump” pledge and did my part, as a “keyboard warrior,” especially on the Facebook posts of The Christian Post, to persuade fellow Christians not to support Donald Trump.
Sounds like the offering plate's now getting empty.
Because he will again pretend to change his mind just before the election. That's what partisan media shill NeverTrumpers do.
/bingo
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