Posted on 12/27/2019 6:11:14 AM PST by Kaslin
The battle between church and state is as old as church and state, as is the conflict within religious circles over who supposedly speaks for God.
The latest dustup occurred after the departing editor of Christianity Today magazine, Mark Galli, wrote an editorial in which he said President Trump is an immoral man and his impeachment by the House is cause for his immediate removal from office.
This ignited a firestorm. Major media, which regularly ignore the opinions of religious publications, overnight transported Galli from relative obscurity to national prominence. Anti-Trump evangelicals called his comments a breath of fresh air. More like stale political air.
During the debate over slavery in America, pro- and anti-slavery clergy selectively quoted Scripture to President Abraham Lincoln to justify their positions. Lincoln responded to the contradictory arguments of North and South in his second inaugural address: "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other."
Scripture, which conservative evangelicals claim is inerrant and infallible, contains stories of leaders with severe moral flaws, whom God used for His own purposes. Those who want Trump removed from office and can't wait until the next election for voters to decide, ignore one of the most profound verses about temporal power: "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." (Romans 13:1 NLT)
If "everyone" and "all" doesn't mean everyone and all, including people for whom some evangelicals did not vote, pray tell what does it mean?
Galli and other anti-Trumpers don't tell us their presidential preferences. One hopes it isn't any of those on the far left who have an agenda that evangelicals would consider an abomination. President Trump is right when he says he has done more to advance evangelical concerns than any other president.
What the anti-Trump forces are uncomfortable with are the resumes of people who voted for and still support the president. They are not part of the elites. They didn't go to the "right" universities where truth is subjective, if it exists at all. They don't read The New York Times, or The Washington Post, or watch CNN and MSNBC. They watch Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh. They are tired of being treated like second-class citizens who don't deserve to have their principles upheld by a government to which they pay taxes.
I recently spoke about the Galli editorial with a former Democratic member of Congress, who is a Christian. He said one of the problems with uncritical evangelical support for the president is that it dilutes their "witness" to non-believers, who think faith in God means having to join the Republican Party and support the president.
What would their position have been had Hillary Clinton, a liberal Methodist, been elected president? Do they believe they would have been in a better position to share their faith?
People have always used such excuses for not pursuing faith, but my friend does have a point. When non-churchgoers (who are increasing in numbers, especially among the young) see people they think should be preaching about another kingdom and another King selectively ignore a leader's moral failings, they justify their unbelief.
On the other hand, anti-Trump Christians must answer this question: Would they be happier if a liberal Democrat were president, one who supports abortion and the rest of the secular-progressive social agenda and sees the Constitution as a "living document" to be interpreted by individual judges? That was the choice in 2016.
The same choice is likely in November. Such a "preferred" Democrat might be morally upright and even attend church every Sunday.
Apparently, they forget we have already had such a president. His name is Jimmy Carter.
The Dems are anti-God.
I think these anti trump Christians are a MSM/Soro creation. Very few exist IMHO. Christians aren’t about to support a baby killing poofter or groping Joe.
I’ve actually met liberal Christians who say that if you are a Christian you would support welfare, medicaid, and all the other freebee entitlements.
They completely miss the concept that giving is to be voluntary.
If you like Democrat hostility to Christianity, by all means vote for them!
But you evangelicals don’t come crying to us when they make good on their promise to eliminate traditional values.
Elections have consequences.
No, they have destroyed my church. They are there
Well l think you are referencing a larger issue. The radicle left poisoning God’s churches is a very real thing. Dyke “ministers” and the rest of it have been doing the bidding of the father of lies for years now and split many faithful communities.
“...I think these anti trump Christians are a MSM/Soro creation. Very few exist IMHO. Christians aren’t about to support a baby-killing poofter or groping Joe....”
Agree. I’m sure there are a few “bleeding-heart” type of Christians that see the myriad of “legalized-theft” give-way programs as Biblical.
But basically, for a so-called “Christian” NOT support the POTUS is to support devil worship. Devil worship??? Yeah, devil worship. Abortion is the human sacrifice of the most innocent on the demonic altar to “Self”...it’s same as the ancients sacrificing their first-born, innocent infants on the altar of Molech and/or Baal in search of personal blessings...it’s the same demonic worship. Molech is the demonic god of abortion. To NOT support the POTUS is to support this evil. Maybe these so-called “Christians” should dwell on that thought for awhile...a good, long while.
Since the beginning human behavior has trended toward hedonism and decadence. This self gratification has often had destructive consequences for individuals and entire societies. Religious dictates are often in direct opposition to these tendencies which frankly speaking are embraced by many who constitute the prevailing culture and establish its values. Hence in the absence of stern, oppressive control, religious people, by the nature of their behavior and values, have been and will always be counter cultural and will suffer for it. Christ and the Prophets before him predicted and knew that those who accept real Judeo-Christian values would be persecuted for their beliefs and behavior.
Trump has not lost a single voter, unless they died. He is gaining more voters every day. If he gets 20-25% of black vote, which he can do, it is OVER.
Republicans need to build on economic gains under Trump and the Power they bring to the community. Long past time for them to leave the Democrat “plantation”. The true threat to American prosperity is massive illegal immigration. It will ruin the nation.
If Mr. Trump resigns tomorrow or is removed by the Senate next month (hah!), Mike Pence becomes President. Mike Pence is a devout traditional Christian. But the real truth is that these slugs are really against traditional values--whether advanced by a pious man or a man like Donald Trump.
social justice = force
Cal is correct.
I agree, but they do exist, and they tend to either be in journalism (surprise, surprise) or in leadership/speaker roles (e.g., Tony Campolo, Beth Moore, Jen Hatmaker, Frank Schaeffer). Just like in other areas of life, left-wingers rise to power over the truly faithful.
A Freeper on another thread posted the perfect response:
Anti-Trump Christians, would you prefer a President who supports snipping heads off unborn babies and selling them for research?
Anti Trump Christians tend to be people who demand that the church follow their own inclinations rather than any timeless Truths. The church is there to validate their desires and proclivities, not to enforce some musty morality or eschatology.
Radical.
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