CHRISTIAN EVANGELICALS’ SELLING THEIR SOULS FOR TRUMP
by
J. Dan Rothwell, Ph.D
Apparently, Christian evangelicals who gathered in force at the Values Voter Summit on Friday are willing to forgive Donald Trump for his decidedly un-Christian ravings and behavior. Trump, the flatulent phony, has seemingly convinced gullible evangelicals that he truly believes in God. In fact, he said so: “I believe in God. If God ever wanted an apartment in Trump Tower, I would immediately offer my best suite at a very special price.” God has to pay Trump for his best suite? You’re offering a mere discount to the Divinity? How truly Christian of you, Donald. Always ready to make a buck—so selfless!
Some attendees at the summit expressed unease with Trump’s boasting and his past “mistakes.” These mistakes were typically referenced in the most general of terms. Let me be more specific for the attendees purposely wearing blinders--his serial adultery, fraudulent business practices, refusal to pay workers for services rendered, slanderous name-calling, pathological lying, nonstop bragging about his ill-begotten wealth, persistent bigotry, and bullying tactics—these are just some of his “mistakes.” Nevertheless, most seemed fine with “forgiving” him for his past iniquitous behavior, even though he ratchets up most of his deplorable antics on a daily basis.
What astounds me is the gagging hypocrisy expressed by attendees that Trump is acceptable to them when almost everything Trump says and does is the antithesis of the example Jesus provided us. Jesus, as depicted in the New Testament, was a man of peace, kindness, humility, empathy, love, and understanding, and he was profoundly wary of accumulating material possessions. When has Trump exhibited any of these Christian values?
Even more troubling, however, is that evangelicals conveniently ignore the numerous flagrantly immoral positions Trump has touted during this disturbing presidential campaign. Trump not only advocates waterboarding, a practice clearly defined as torture by the United States when prosecuting and subsequently executing some Japanese officers after World War II for engaging in such behavior, but he loudly proclaims to his cheering hoards that he would gladly do much worse. In other words, he embraces engaging in war crimes as defined by the Geneva Conventions. He espouses killing the families of terrorists; yet another war crime based on the same tenets of international law. At last week’s Commander-in-Chief forum, Trump also repeated a previous viewpoint that the United States should have seized the Iraqi oil fields before leaving. That is plundering; also a war crime. How many war crimes do you have to embrace before those who call themselves Christians repudiate Trump?
Is there no limit to Trump’s embrace of violence and aggression? He even speaks casually about loving the power of nuclear weapons. The almost unimaginable thought of actually considering using these weapons of mass destruction that would kill millions of innocent people doesn’t seem to bother Trump. His callous disregard for the most basic moral principles is staggering.
So, Christian evangelicals are willing to vote for Donald Trump despite his persistent odious behavior and espousal of criminal, immoral practices. I guess as long as Trump is not Hillary Clinton, a practicing Methodist who has devoted her life to helping the less fortunate, most evangelicals plan to vote for Donald the Demagogue, a man whose entire life has been devoted to helping himself while hurting others! So much for Christian values! So much for practicing what you preach!