Posted on 04/24/2018 9:53:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)
The verse refers to money, but in light of today's debate about the unaccountable devotion many Christian leaders have for President Trump it is not a stretch to apply it to their relationship with him.
Last week at Wheaton College in Illinois a number of Christian pastors and leaders gathered to discuss the future of "evangelicalism" in the Trump era. Some who were not there claimed it was a forum for Trump-bashing, some who were in attendance disagreed.
There is a conceit among some conservative Christians that God is only at work when a person they voted for is elected and that the rest of the time He must be attending to other countries. "God showed up," said Franklin Graham following Trump's election. Scripture states that all authority comes from God and that "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants."(Proverbs 21:1)
That means that God also must have "shown up" when Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and every other president was elected. The Almighty does, in fact, have a different agenda than us earthlings and sometimes He puts up leaders to judge people for their wicked behavior.
Long ago I stopped answering people's questions about my denominational background for at least two reasons. The first is that I don't want to be defined by a label, the meaning of which can mean different things to different people. The second reason is that I don't want to be aligned with various causes and movements (spare me from movements) that have little or nothing to do with the God in whom I believe.
Which brings me to today's "evangelicals." If you do not identify as one, or if you are secular, can you define the term without a Google search? Probably not, but the word has invaded the culture much like "born again" (usually in quotes in newspaper stories) in the '70s when Jimmy Carter publicly pronounced his second birth.
Evangelicals mostly voted for the church-going Carter in 1976, though not in 1980, preferring instead the non-church-going Ronald Reagan. I understand. It was more about policy than piety.
That brings me back to the debate within evangelical circles as to whether President Trump deserves the support, even adulation, even fawning, of some in their tribe.
I will leave that for now to those debating the issue and ask a more important question. What would happen in our culture and especially in our politics if all of those who call themselves evangelicals began obeying the commands of Jesus of Nazareth?
As I read the Scriptures, which evangelicals believe are infallible and inerrant, both Testaments place obedience as a top priority for believers.
If God is supreme and Jesus is Savior, doesn't it follow that their commands and teachings should be paramount?
There is no expectation, much less any command, for believers to prop up a fallen world through government. It's quite the opposite. What would be the world's perception of evangelicals if they started obeying the commands of their true leader? Those commands are to love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry (that's personal, not government), clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans.
Yes, some do these things, but not enough. Today, "evangelicals" are perceived by many as one more interest group attached to the Republican Party and especially President Trump. Its members need to make a choice as to which one is their true "master." They can't serve both.
On the other hand, if everyone was perfect, there would be no need for Church, or evangelicals.
God is not running for President, He already IS.
Trump is our leader here in the USA, he’s not a preacher, not a saint, and not the Pope. We didn’t elect him to be a spiritual leader, but to run the country. So far, he’s doing a great job.
Invoking God in an attempt to put down Trump is counter-productive, in a religious sense, as they’re using religion to try to put down Trump, and God says we’re suppose to “love our fellow man”...so, the afflicted writer of this piece, is already sinning himself.
You want religious leadership, go to church, read the Bible. Religion is a private matter, between you and God, those who try to make it group-think, are looking for a cult, not a religion.
There’s mever been a more pro Christian President. The best leader we have ever had...by far.
I stood up and asked about qualifications saying his religion was not just cause. I was sent to detention for being impudent.
The declaration of independence is there explanation.
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
I don’t follow Trump. Trump is not some sovereign ruler; he is the executive representative of the people. We put him there to execute the laws, and to remove the lawless actions of the previous administration.
No one running for office is perfect, but Trump made it through the primaries, and was clearly the better choice in Nov ‘16.
So Cal Thomas is pining for Jimmy Carter?
Following Trump is the same as following Jesus when it comes to fighting to maintain the freedom of Christians to make a change in this country.
Cal, when it comes to religion and politics, there is a simple choice. One side is lamentably short of perfect. The other side is somewhat short of perfectly imperfect.Journalism is the business of reporting bad news. Journalists know that perfectly well, all others should know that. Journalism does of course report good news, of course - but they charge the people (advertisers) for doing so. But to the extent that any person knows that journalism is negative, and yet believes (explicitly or implicitly) that journalism is objective, that person has internalized the conceit that negativity is objectivity. And yet “the conceit that negativity is objectivity” is a fine definition of “cynicism.”
It follows that anyone who considers journalism to be objective is, to that extent, cynical. And cynicism is an antonym for faith. Hence, anyone who thinks journalism is objective is to that extent hostile to Christianity. Just like all those delegates to the 2012 DNC convention who booed the inclusion of a reference to God in the Democrat Platform.
In contrast, the Republican party has never had such a public moment - and President Trump promised - and has delivered - a SCOTUS justice to replace Scalia who thinks like Scalia did. That is, Christians who voted for Trump voted against persecution of Christianity. Anyone who has difficulty understanding a Christian vote for Trump should do a public service by not voting.
Cal goes to my church. Never met him personally, but heard him speak a few times and he comes across as somewhat arrogant and a few beers shy of a six-pack.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s
Give to God what is God’s
If you follow Jesus, you support Trump.
If you are “religious” person pretending to be Christian you arrogantly presume to judge him instead.
The alternative to Trump is a groups of people pushing for Government paid for Abortion on demand. They would create polices that would result in millions of more abortions around the world.
If the overly religious supposed “Movement Conservatives” think God is more disgusted with Trumps sinful past then their indirect support for a culture that mass murders the innocents, they have a large surprise coming to them
If you follow Jesus, you support Trump.
If you are “religious” person pretending to be Christian you arrogantly presume to judge him instead.
The alternative to Trump is a groups of people pushing for Government paid for Abortion on demand. They would create polices that would result in millions of more abortions around the world.
If the overly religious supposed “Movement Conservatives” think God is more disgusted with Trumps sinful past then their indirect support for a culture that mass murders the innocents, they have a large surprise coming to them
I think that is more relevant than the verse quoted by Mr. Thomas, because the "two masters" alluded to in that part of the scripture are assumed to be on the same plane.
With that said, I certainly hope no one is literally worshipping Donald Trump, or thinks that Jesus Christ is the president of the United States.
Exactly.
Also, do you walk to school or carry your lunch?
Christians are ignoring that he is a profane adulterer and kissing his hand.
History will likely condemn the Evangelicals for being myopic.
.................
And you will be judged as a profane liar. What do I mean? You state that Trump is a profane adulterer. Is means present tense. Either give us a link to the proof that Trump is currently committing adultery, or shut the hell up. I see significant evidence that Trump has made strides towards finding Christ in his life. Self-righteous trolls like you, not so much.
“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God, what is God’s”
Sounds like Christ himself answers such a question about how it is NOT a case of ‘serving two masters’.
I disagree with Cal’s premise. Christians aren’t following Trump. We may have voted for him, but beyond that.....no.
This article is a bit ridiculous.
We were presented with two options, back in November 2016:
1) President Donald Trump
2) President Hillary Clinton.
We were offered:
1) A patriot with a sketchy personal background and uncertain principles
2) A communist traitor with a background of extreme corruption, pathological dishonesty, and murder.
Anybody who had trouble making that choice is too stupid to be allowed to vote.
False choice.
“So Cal, you seem to be saying that unless the perfect Christian runs for president then evangelicals can’t vote for or support anyone.”
Would make sense to many still infesting FR.
Unless the perfect Conservative (Rafael Cruz, of course) ran for president, then the #neverTrump FReaks would not accept anyone voting for or supporting Trump.
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