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.
Conservative stupidity strikes again.
Read his screed; sounds like something that would fit nicely as an addendum to the book he’s the author of.
And how is Joe Biden’s character? What an idiot this guy is!
Since, he has renounced New York citizenship and has proven to be an historic American leader.
I seriously doubt this author voted for President Trump the first time. Sounds to me the author is playing old tapes seeking a different outcome more to the liking of say, Reverend Farrakhan.
Oh, another anti-Trump idiot. Got it.
Excellent summary of the response...
“Finally, let us not forget that for many of us, a vote for Trump, with all his flaws and shortcomings, is a vote against an extremely dangerous, radical leftist agenda.”
“That’s a big reason I plan to vote for him again in 2020, as things now stand. Throwing around the “fool” word in this context is not wise. As fellow-evangelicals, we can do better.”
[6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. [7] So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Bulllllshiiiiit!
Apparently this devoted “Christian” will do everything possible to see the Dims are able to choose the next Supreme Court nominations. Also, he and all the abortionists will be so relieved to know that no unborn baby will be safe.
I am sure God will reward him ever so much. /s
So you’ll vote for Marxist scumbags who hate Christianity, indeed any religion? That makes perfect sense, if you have the IQ of a gerbil.
How about your surgeon?
Typical liberal propaganda.
In the mold of a sellout like Bill Kristol.
Exactly, he is a fool.
Wow. These guys are pulling out all the stops. I guess if Trump was breaking the law etc. I would have to agree about voting based on character. But, that is not the case. And Trump’s job performance has been pretty good given all the crap that has been thrown his way. Thus, it makes sense why 91 percent of conservatives will vote for him.
I appreciate your desire for character and your abhorrence of the man who appeared on the cover of a pornographic magazine. Trump was definitely not my first choice. However, my opinion has changed. I have come to see Trump as I see the Biblical character, Sampson. Sampson was self-centered, impetuous, immature and lustful. You would not enjoy having him over to your house or trust him around your daughters. However, God chose him and God used him to accomplish his purposes - and Sampson did have a faith in God. Trump has accomplished a lot of good things for our country and I love how he jumps over the usual carefully nuanced “please don’t hate me!” political communication.
The president of my dreams would possess a deep faith, strong conservative values and be able to articulate them clearly and boldly without bowing to culture. At the same time, he would display the fruits of the Spirit, including humility, kindness, patience, love, joy, peace etc... I still pray for that, but my Christian walk goes on regardless.
I keep on praying for Trump and all the other leaders - the house, the senate, the judicial, the governors and the mayors. God please let truth be known and believed.
One of the many who also sat out 2012, giving us Obola II.
This is the Koch brothers money adopting the Never Trumpers and funding them to write articles to undercut.
18% of evangelicals are not leaving Trump. They never were with him.
These funded articles need to inform folks how they voted in 2016. If Trump never had their vote, he isn’t losing their vote.
Sorry, but these people are idiots!!
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