Posted on 01/31/2016 11:25:00 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Evangelical power brokers are losing their influence. Donald Trump is the proof.
Last Wednesday evening, a few hundred Christian conservatives gathered at Noah's Event Venue in suburban Des Moines for a rally with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. It featured leading figures from both the local and national religious right, there to make the case that the movement must unite behind Cruz. "Ted Cruz is one of us," said Bob Vander Plaats, head of the FAMiLY Leader, Iowa's most influential evangelical organization. "He's trustworthy. He hates dishonest gain." Vander Plaats was both referencing Exodus 18:21 ("But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain") and taking a dig at Donald Trump.
The fragile truce between Cruz and Trump--and, more importantly, between Trump and the organized Christian right--had abruptly broken down, with religious conservative leaders lining up to stop the avaricious thrice-married billionaire from winning the Iowa caucuses. Leading female anti-abortion activists from organizations including the Susan B. Anthony List and Iowa Right to Life had already released an open letter urging Iowans to support anyone but Trump, writing that they were "disgusted by Mr. Trump's treatment of individuals, women, in particular." Christian talk radio hosts such as Michael Brown were lambasting Trump and lamenting the endorsement he received from Jerry Falwell Jr., one of Trump's few major evangelical backers. Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, had just endorsed Cruz--on Trump nemesis Megyn Kelly's TV show, no less--before flying to Iowa for the Des Moines rally....
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
God severely punished David for his sin and that punishment caused destruction across all of Israel. David’s punishment was extreme family strife which ended in a terrible civil war. This punishment came even though David repented after the Prophet Nathan confronted him.
In contrast, Trump has never repented for any of his sins. Instead he has arrogantly boasted of his affairs with married women and has publically stated that he has not asked God to forgive him. If we elect Trump, we are signing the death warrant of the social conservative movement.
I have a feeling that Iowa will be more important for Hillary and Bernie than for the Republicans. If Cruz wins, which I hope he doesn’t and doubt he will but anything is possible, people will just say, those gullible Iowa evangelicals, they voted for Santorum and Huckabee just to make a point about how their religion defines them, so let’s move on to the next primaries where voters look for candidate who can lead the country. BTW, my religion defines me and I take it seriously, but I understand that stopping abortion is best served by appealing to the human heart, promoting adoption, and education within the family and extended families giving counsel and emotional support to persons in crisis.
By that standard, Bush 1 and 2 must have been doing a LOT of unrepentant sinning.
Should Trump prevail in the elections, this means that traditional conservative causes will have to forge deals with him, just like he proposed, and people who are devoted will have to pray prayers that actually mean something.
It won’t be a season for laziness, in trusting in throwing all our problems over the transom to Washington. I hope it also won’t be a season for despairing and being “resigned to the worst” in a Pyrrhic I-told-you-so “victory” of powerlessness.
If Cruz does not win, it probably will be due to shooting himself in his own foot, unforced errors, that seemingly unfairly are more strictly judged for him than for Trump. But such is the cost of maintaining a sterling reputation. Trump never boasted that.
God solves sin problems through targeted generosity which leads back to His own kindness and a conviction that His way is the best way.
I can dream, maybe, but what if Donald Trump, who has given lip service to hating the plague of abortion, also offered to found facilities for single mothers in “problem pregnancies.” A move like this would speak volumes of goodness.
David’s visibility as king of Israel made his reputation be intimately tied up with the Lord of Hosts. The bible says he gave occasion for God’s enemies to blaspheme.
Trump is not currently in this danger. To those whom God gives much, God requires much.
Also people keep on (and I wonder sometimes if it is deliberately) misrepresenting Trump’s comments to a secular interviewer, which he is as wary of as a mongoose would be of a cobra snake. He said that he tried not to sin — i.e. we could quite readily read between the lines that he doesn’t believe in cheap grace. A good sign, not a bad one. He would need an interview with someone of the known faith stature of Franklin Graham to find out anything meaningful — someone who isn’t in the media’s “gotcha” corps.
But We re Not Electing a Pastor-in-Chief.
We re not electing a Pastor-in-Chief.
This isn’t a faith based election. Its a survival scenario being played out in the primaries. The strongman on immigration will win. I hope cruz made a convincing case but Trump won the media race on this issue.
No, you are electing a person you want to follow.
I grant that Trump is a worldly person.
Cruz might also be quite worldly.
I believe Cruz is as frank as Trump, but from a Christian perspective.
Trump might be Christian, but from a worldly perspective.
The so-called Evangelical Right is doing what the Left wants us to do: put ourselves in a box. They tell us to go hide in our churches and only affect each other’s lives. When we do come out, they want us in a tightly packed and easy to identify group that is predictable.
Christ tells us to not be single issue voters. He wants us out there among the prostitutes and thieves....and they are Progressives. Instead of declaring that a person is not evangelical ( or even a “true” Christian) for deviating from the party line on one or two things, recognize that we agree on the other things and applaud the person who can get in among the sinners and talk with them as equals who may even share weaknesses.
I’ll tell you the same thing I told CW yesterday:
“I would prefer it if you would not scour every left wing Demorat site and post whatever lameassed defamation they have against Trump. Certainly, if you were posting articles from those same sites, which were generally in opposition to conservatives or even the GOP and not specific to Trump, you would already be gone.”
Follow politically yes. Religiously no, neither Trump nor Cruz.
Christian conservatives are but a part of the GOP, they are not all of the GOP. There are plenty of God fearing conservatives that wish their government to remain largely secular and insular.
You are seeking to follow their thinking.
Whenever a person’s thinking is independent of Christ, he isn’t in fellowship with him.
Doesn’t have anything to do with denominations, but everything to do with one’s object of faith.
The fate of the corrupt, freeloading communist left may also be “foretold in Iowa”.
Sarah sees something alright.
$$$$$$$$
Trump might be Christian.
Jesus said we would know his followers by their fruits and love for one another.
What are Trump’s fruits?
When has he shown love for Christ or his Church?
We shall know Christians by their fruits, not words.
Wow, finally a post of yours with which I can concur. :)
Well, I’m not following your thinking.
>>’ve Had it with the Line “But We’re Not Electing a Pastor-in-Chiefâ€
I’ve had it with the line “consistent conservative” as a means of beating up people who live in the real world of today and not 1988.
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