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.
Never mind the consequences of your actions that a Biden Presidency would do to this country's morals?
John 8:7 comes to mind, Mr. 18% white evangelical.
The author Thurman, claiming to be an evangelical is ludicrous. Apparently he’d rather follow abortionists, those who would have no law and order, anti religious zealots such as commies Antifa and BLM. What a phony!
Probably wouldn’t have voted for King David, either.
As a post here a couple of weeks ago said about a guy complaining to an art museum curator about the quality if a painting on exhibit, “There is nothing wrong with the painting. What is wrong is your ability to perceive the painting properly.”
Author of “the lies we believe”... ironic
Chris Thurman.....the author of Lies.
Oh great. Another fake Evangelical. The father of lies is proud of you Chris.
I was one who would not vote for Trump because of his past. It’s pretty obvious Trump has found God, and I will be voting for him because of his present.
Biden has lied about so muc, including the death of his wife that anyone trying to claim moral high ground with him is comical
for the author, Trump’s character is a mix - just as yours is. NO one is perfect. Get over yourself because that in itself is not christian, biblical etc.
Dr. Thurman is confusing the concepts of “a man of God” with “the man of God’s choosing”. Anyone reading this who would pick a physician based on his religion? Of course not. Trump is neither a prophet nor priest. He is, rather, a business man intent on building a wall, improving the American standard of living, ensuring the US will be the leader in world economy, defeating terrorism (from both external and internal souces), and promoting an American patriotism such as the world has never witnessed.
Let thou that has no sin ,cast the first stone.
He must have loved Jimmy Carter, then.
A Christian voting for a communist.....what irony!!!
If the only way you have of knowing a person’s character is through our media then you do not know that person at all.
I wonder if Chris Thurman thinks King David should be “Canceled” from the Bible.
Well written.
Let all of those without sin, throw the first stone at Trump.
No Doubt!
I tried to make a comment.
I used one the same biblical quotes Mister Thurman cited to make claims about Trump, to make similar claims about the author - lying, bearing false witness, sowing division in the community.
The “Christian” Post moderators marked my comment “Disabled” (does not meet their “community standard”). Yet I set nothing “bad” about the author that was different nor as excessive as what author made against Trump.
I next commented again, calling out the Christian Post moderators for being hypocrites, for disabling a comment that could not be any more contrary to their “community standard” than was the post by Mister Thurman to begin with.
They set that comment as “disabled” also.
I wonder who this jerk voted for in 09.
Trump is not the man we like, but HE IS THE MAN WE NEED!
preach far and wide....the MAN WE NEED.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.