"...Thirty minutes later, Trump backtracked on his pledge, using a word some people consider to be objectionable. "I just hope you don't believe their crap! Because it's all crap!" said Trump.
The candidate again fell off the "curse-free" wagon as he shared a story about his displeasure with the 2012 election and the performance by Mitt Romney, the candidate he endorsed. After watching the GOP and Romney fail, Trump told the audience, "I said, Dammit, I'm going to do it myself."
Watch Trump flip on his promise:..."
Trump: 'I Don't Like to Have to Ask for Forgiveness' from God
TAPPER: Well, let me ask you because one of the potential attack lines has to do with an answer you gave to Frank Luntz months ago when you said that you've never asked God for forgiveness.
Do you regret making that remark?
TRUMP: No, I have great relationship with God. I have great relationship with the evangelicals. In fact nationwide, I'm up by a lot - leading everybody. But I like to be good. I don't like to have to ask for forgiveness. And I am good. I don't do a lot of things that are bad. I try and do nothing that's bad. I live a very different life than probably a lot of people would think."
Donald Trump's saving grace: Televangelists
~~~The GOP front-runner isn't much of a conservative Christian, but he is finding a way to play one on TV.~~~
".........On Monday, on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, he had more luck. At a gathering dominated by preachers of the prosperity gospel and media-savvy faith leaders, televangelist Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, and Jews for Jesus evangelist Kirt Schneider challenged Trump on his habit of personally attacking rivals and critics.
After some back and forth, Cleveland Pentecostal pastor Darrell Scott got up and defended Trump, saying, "To be quite honest, if you tone it down too much, you won't be you." Many in the room applauded.
"You do need to refrain somewhat from calling someone a moron or something, but you can't turn into a milquetoast neither for the sake of winning a vote," Scott, whose church owns its own radio station and who first met Trump at a similar meeting four years ago, told POLITICO.
Roughly three dozen leaders attended the 2 1/2 - hour meeting at Trump Tower, including televangelists Gloria and Kenneth Copeland and Trinity Broadcasting Network co-founder Jan Crouch, who is also the president of a Christian theme park in Orlando.
As it came to an end, televangelist Paula White said Trump wanted them to pray for him. Trump nodded, and the faith leaders laid hands on him and prayed.
Many evangelical leaders look askance at the crowd the businessman is courting. "The people that Trump has so far identified as his evangelical outreach are mostly prosperity gospel types, which are considered by mainstream evangelicals to be heretics," said outspoken Trump critic Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant denomination at 16 million members."....
Megachurch Pastor Paula White Marries 3rd Husband.. [Trump's evangelical connection] FR Thread with links to information
Trump Hosts Televangelists Who Fleece Their Flocks
..."[Paula] White, who hosts a TV show called Paula White Today on The Word Network and pastors New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida... took the helm at that church after its former shepherd died of a heroin and cocaine overdose.
Trump and White have been friends for years, which makes sense because they have a lot in common. In addition to having their own popular TV shows, they're on their third marriage - Trump's to former model Melania Trump, and White's to the keyboardist for Journey.
Trump has been a guest on her programming numerous times, and they seem to be big fans of each other. He's called her "a beautiful person, both inside and out," and recommended that viewers read her book You're All That: Understanding God's Design For Your Life so they would "be ready for great success." White has compared him to "a diamond that reveals a new facet each time it is turned in the light," ..
White, like Trump, is also a big fan of cash. She's typically characterized as a proponent of the prosperity gospel - a theologically suspect approach to Christianity whereby pastors (often before huge congregations or on TV broadcasts) tell listeners that God wants them to become very wealthy, and that if they just give "a seed" to said pastors' ministries, they'll reap great financial returns and be #blessed. White's e-store features a sermon called "Why God Wants You Wealthy." Of course, Donald Trump wants people to be rich as well, which is why White once offered her viewers - for a ministry contribution of $25 - a copy of Trump's book Why We Want You to Be Rich. Everyone wants you to be rich! Praise the Lord!
White's website has...interesting deals. One (your correspondent's personal favorite) is called the "2015 Atonement Package."...
"Donald Trump has a problem with God. Or more specifically, he has a 'God problem.' At least when it comes to voters in South Carolina, for whom Christian faith is often a requirement in a public official. This is simply the reality of the state, not a judgment on religion.
But Donald Trump is not credible when it comes to God. At least, not to folks who take the subject seriously, like they do in the First in the South state. And it already shows.
Last night, I attended an event for Senator Ted Cruz in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The rally was in a large church building, and was packed with people. The crowd was more than enthusiastic, and Rep. Steve King, special guest Glenn Beck, and of course Senator Cruz all included religious themes in their remarks. The crowd most definitely approved.
The event was jam-packed and the atmosphere was excited. The crowd broke into cheers and applause many times, and there were plenty of "testify" moments as members of the audience shouted back to Sen. Cruz, shouted out slams on Trump, or just plain whooped and hollered.
One thing that came up several times was Donald Trump's authenticity on the subject, with both King and Beck specifically mentioning the Donald's lack of credibility, even saying the idea that he had ever "cracked open" a Bible was "bullcrap."
After the event, I asked a number of people what they thought, who they were voting for, and what they specifically thought of Trump.
One older couple really stood out for me. The wife was using a walker, and both were bundled against the cold. They took a minute to speak with me about who they were voting for, without using their names.
She told me that she had not decided yet who to vote for, but that she was now considering Ted Cruz for her vote. I asked her who else she had considered and she surprised me when she said Trump, though not enthusiastically. Her husband leaned forward to quickly say Trump more emphatically. I asked them both why they were now considering Ted Cruz, and she responded that he "seemed to know God better," which I thought was a great line. Her husband nodded along with.
I was expecting a more definitive rejection of Trump from the crowd that cheered so loudly the talk of God and booed so thoroughly recounting of his recent comments and language. But generally those leaving were still soft in their opposition to Donald. The thing that was hanging them up was his faith.
Another woman was leaving on her own. Again, she was older and had a cane, though I suspect for health problems not age. I asked her the same questions and she told me that Trump was no longer a consideration for her, though he had been up until that night. I asked her why and she said "he doesn't seem to know about the Bible."
I got the same from a younger couple, who also described Trump as "awful". I met a member of the military who left certain he was going to vote for Trump, but his girlfriend was for Cruz. Far out in the parking lot I met a group of four girls who seemed to be in their twenties, one of whom hollered out "dump Trump!" I asked her why, and she said he was "fake" about God.
The crowd inside was strong in their support of Ted Cruz and everything the speakers said. They did not in any way seem undecided. In the exodus afterward, nearly everyone who I asked about Trump refused to answer. A "don't say anything if you can't say anything nice" attitude still rules in Fort Mill, South Carolina. As a result, nearly all of the few people would talk to me still had, or had previously held, a soft spot for Donald Trump. But after this event, that soft spot was gone.
In South Carolina, faith matters. It is not some small quirk of the electorate. It’s a big deal. And Donald Trump's overtures toward seeming to be a faithful, Bible-reading, God-fearing man aren't selling. He'd probably be better off toning down his claim to faith. Right now, they see him as a liar. Both the crowd cheering when King called him a liar on faith, and the few people I met who still held some sympathy toward him. They just don't buy Donald Trump as a Bible man."
"We can be in this race to show this country the face of the God we serve."
Let's change a couple of words and see how that would go over.
"We can be in this race to show this country the face of Allah we serve."
Does that Allah statement look bad to you? We all can see how that would work out.
To non-evangelicals, what Mrs. Cruz said is almost as bad. Now do you see what others are seeing in Mrs. Cruz's statement.
Up until at least his mid-50s, Trump supported gays in the military and all forms of abortion, including partial birth.
______________
In continuing his "New York values" line of attack, Ted Cruz brought up an interview Donald Trump gave years ago in which he himself emphasized his New York background as being important to his political philosophy. And now we have that interview.
Cruz's campaign posted the video earlier today of Trump with Tim Russert on Meet the Press in 1999.
Russert asked Trump about gay marriage. Trump didn't want to comment on it, but said he has no problem with gays in the military.
He explained, "I've lived in New York City and Manhattan all my life, okay? So my views are a little bit different than if I lived in Iowa."
When Russert asked Trump about abortion, he said he's "pro-choice in every respect" and again cited his New York background, which he said has a "different attitude" from most of the country.
I don’t think many people mind a rare word here and there for emphasis on an important point. There is a time and place for everything and I am sure that includes an attention grabbing word. But used as often and crass as Trump does it becomes a character definer. Or lack of character.
TDS Just keep listening to Glenn
Burns responded by admitting that Trump’s language is profane.
“Let me tell you one thing, I’m grateful you said that, that Donald Trump is profane, and that’s what you’re saying,” he said. “Donald Trump is profane, but guess what? ... I don’t know about you but I don’t trust a man that doesn’t have mistakes. I don’t trust a man that doesn’t have the ability to have mistakes and then recognize those mistakes and then do what it takes to change.”
Burns tied the argument into the Christian gospel, that no one can earn salvation through works alone....”
This is sad.
I picture Jesus sharing the gospel with the adulterous woman and after telling her to go and sin no more Burns interrupting saying she won’t be her if she tones down that sinning.
I picture Burns saying to Paul after reading Ephesians 4:22 wait don’t put off all your old self!!!
How low some Christians have fallen to make excuses for the sin nature of trump instead of encouraging trump to- “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;” Ephesians 4:22
Judging a man’s integrity by his use of vulgarity is idiotic.
Praise God. God has sent Donald Trump to America in its time of need. The right man for the job. Hallelujah! Trump will add the Amen!
Go Trump!
‘”...Thirty minutes later, Trump backtracked on his pledge, ‘”
See how fast Donald breaks his promises, friends.
Anybody STILL trust this guy?
crap & and he shares a story on himself where he says he said dammit ?
jeeze louise....
Anytime someone running for president uses the word “God” or “Jesus”, change the word to “Allah”.
Now how does the statement sound?
That’s what it sounds like to many non-evangelicals.
Time after time now, Trump is drawing crowds of the size that Billy Graham Crusades use to draw.
Nice to see you post a pro-Trump thread! :-)
Why was anyone heckled at a Faith and Family Forum?
Was Rubio heckled for lying and for betraying the Tea Party by joining the Gang of 8 for amnesty as soon as he got to DC?
Was Bush heckled for allowing Terri Schiavo to die a miserable 13 day long death because he was a moral coward?
Was Cruz heckled for his campaign missteps and for using a former porn actress in a commercial?
Was Carson heckled for being a Seventh Day Adventist?
The point is, no one should have been heckled at a Faith and Forum conference, because they all live in glass houses.
OK, reverend, waiting for the great big wonderful change. tick tock tick tock
Trump will never change. He is a big mouth blowhard and that is all he ever will be.
Like threatening this suit against Cruz yesterday if he did not play nice. BS. In a day or so he will forget he ever said it.
The man child is deranged worse than we think Obama ever could be.
I am hoping one more time in my like I do not have to hold my nose to vote for a presidential candidate.
I may just say eff it if Trump is the choice and save my gas money for more ammo.
Another nothing burger from the TDS section of FR.
Oh my, a dirty word. I think they are more concerned about Cruz casting porn stars in his commercials. Was Teddy involved in the casting calls?
I don’t think that Trump’s lack of religious faith would bother people in South Carolina. I think his crass attempt to fool people into thinking otherwise will.
You get weirder all the time. Glenn Beck’s The Blaze ranks with the NYT as a news source and now crap is swearing? I can only imagine how you speak in your angry, bitter little world. Oh crap I really don’t care.