It has been a sad experience for me to watch Evangelical Christianity bow down to Donald Trump, because of their obsession for political power and their desire to end abortion. The problem, as I understand it, is that white Evangelical Christianity believes they need political power to accomplish their Christian goals. Nevertheless, this isn’t so. According to the word of God, the nations, which includes the power of the nations, their wealth, their industry and their resources, their religions and their culture, sum it all up, and the nations, as far as the estimation of the Lord is concerned, amounts to nothing more than a drop of water in a large bucket (Isaiah 40:15). Why would a Christian organization be so obsessed with what means so little to the Lord? Nothing the world has or has become is of any value to God, as far as his labor in men’s salvation is concerned.
It has been a surprising experience for me, to see white Evangelical Christianity sacrifice its integrity and its witness, as ambassadors of Christ, because of their infatuation with Donald Trump and their obsession over the power given them, in exchange for their support of his political machine. Nevertheless, for every act there is a reaction, and with every labor there comes responsibility, and for every mistake there must be accountability. Evangelicals have made the claim that their support of Trump is for a just end, but this doesn’t mean they endorse everything Trump says or does. Nevertheless, that’s simply not enough. Contrary to Evangelical claims, they cannot change the truism that the end does not justify the means, nor are they able eradicate their responsibility in the wicked and illegal works of the Trump administration, by washing their hands, like Pilate tried to do in the trial of Jesus, by saying of Trump, he isn’t perfect; no one is.
The fact of the matter is, every time Donald Trump encounters a Christian worldview, such as showing mercy or compassion or doing acts of charity, he pushes back and tries to destroy it all, just like he did, when Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde, made an appeal to him to show mercy upon the LGBTQ community and the migrant workers, who are in the USA illegally. Trump, the most powerful man on earth, rather than considering to be merciful in his judgments, responded to Bishop Budde’s plea with a demand for an apology.[1] Later in an overnight post on his social media site, he criticized the bishop, ranting she was a “so-called Bishop,” a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.” Yet, all she did was make a plea for mercy for some folks who were afraid of him, a very Christian thing to do.
Years earlier, before Trump’s election in 2016, he was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and, as reported by Ray Northstine, a journalist for The Christian Post, Cooper asked Trump, if asking for forgiveness was a central tenet in his Christian faith. Trump responded with “I try not make mistakes, where I have to ask forgiveness.” However, later in the interview, Cooper pressed Trump once again, asking him about repentance. Trump replied:
“I think repenting is terrific. Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes? I work hard; I’m an honorable person.”[2]
The problem, as I understand it, is, Trump wraps himself up in a Christian facade without ever taking any Christian responsibility, vis-à-vis to be compassionate, merciful, truthful, just etc. We used to preach that it wasn’t enough to say we’re Christian. If we are really Christian, we must follow Christ, do what Jesus did, and say what he said (1Peter 2:21). Jesus is the one we must imitate (2Corinthians 3:17-18). Nevertheless, Trump is Trump, and whatever identity he assumes, ultimately, it is the new identity that must conform to Trump’s image or persona, which in the eyes of the world, Evangelical Christianity has conformed to Trump’s image of a Christian rather than Christ![3]
[1] See Trump demands an apology from bishop who asked him to ‘have mercy’ on LGBTQ+ people and migrants.
[2] See: The Christian Post, article by Ray Northstine.
[3] This study is based upon and my interpretation of, Trump’s War on Christianity, an interview by Pat Kahnke.
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