Evangelicals haven’t really rallied around Trump
In the next few weeks, many Americans will give thanks, and the fact that the election will be over will be a blessing to most of us – few more so than Evangelical Christians, who throughout the ugly campaign were torn between candidates and tarnished by the conventional wisdom that they were hypocrites or brainwashed for supporting either one, especially Donald Trump.
But Evangelical Christians aren’t all the same, and they were never 100-perecent Trump supporters. Further, after multiple women accused the Republican nominee of sexual assault (and recordings confirmed he’d claimed to have done so), many Evangelicals publicly rejected him – led by women, understandably.
Of course, mercy is a key part of the faith (and, after all, the Bible says Noah got drunk, David had an affair, Jacob cheated, Peter was intemperate, Paul was a killer and Thomas was a doubter). But some Evangelicals wondered why those willing to forgive Trump didn’t extend mercy to Clinton, too.
Some Evangelicals’ endorsement of Trump is just a part of a story that misled the country.
There’s much more.
First, Evangelicals’ supposed coziness with conservative Republicans has been overblown since 1979, when Jerry Falwell and his “Moral Majority” endorsed Ronald Reagan, a divorced Hollywood celebrity who wasn’t a churchgoer over “born-again” Democrat Jimmy Carter, a devout Baptist and Sunday school teacher. But, again, Evangelicals are no more in lockstep than minorities, unionists or rural Americans.
Trump’s sizable shortcomings are familiar: berating Hispanics, the disabled, veterans, women, Muslims and African-Americans, plus, for Evangelicals, having divorced two wives, admitting to having extramarital affairs, once supporting abortion rights, publicly refusing to seek forgiveness, coming from New York City, and seeking to regulate religion (though not Christianity – yet).
Nevertheless, he was backed by some high-profile Evangelicals, including Jerry Falwell Jr., James Dobson (Focus on the Family [!]) and Tony Perkins (Family Research Council [!!]).
Still, Politico reports that Trump had support of just 37 percent of self-identified Evangelicals, and Pew put it at about 50 percent – compared to almost 80 percent backing the GOP nominee in recent presidential elections.
Generalizing from South Carolina primary results, some commentators asserted that Trump’s victory was ensured by Evangelicals, although he got 33 percent of the self-identified Evangelical vote compared to 27 percent for Ted Cruz and 22 percent for Marco Rubio. Such a leap from unscientific exit polling was like asking if people liked sports and then leaping to the conclusion that they loved soccer. Fans of baseball NASCAR, the NFL and college basketball would scoff. At least.
In St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the Apostle urged him to “convince, reprimand, encourage.” Were there reprimands to Trump? Yes, in fact, from author Max Lucado to Kay Warren (wife of “Purpose Drive Life” author Rick Warren). An open letter was issued by dozens of Evangelical leaders, including Jim Wallis, William Barber and Tony Campolo, saying, “Whether we support Mr. Trump’s political opponent is not the question here. Hillary Clinton is both supported and distrusted by a variety of Christian voters. We, undersigned Evangelicals, simply will not tolerate the racial, religious and gender bigotry that Donald Trump has consistently and deliberately fueled.”
Elsewhere, Alan Noble said, “Any man who is so unaware of his own depravity that he cannot recognize his need for forgiveness is incapable of justly leading any country” and called Trump “a deceptive, infantile, racist demagogue with no political principles aside from his own self-interest.”
Russell Moore called Trump’s campaign “reality television moral sewage,” and the Christian Post denounced Trump in its first political stand.
Owen Strachan called on men to rally against Trump, saying, “We … boggle at how some Christians and conservatives still defend Donald Trump. Without telling anyone who to vote for, let me speak directly: His words are inexcusable. His conduct is reprehensible. He deserves no defense.”
Albert Mohler said, “I am humiliated by arguments about character I am hearing from some Evangelicals. Lord, help us.”
Julie Roys from Moody Radio said, “I honestly don’t know what makes me more sick: listening to Trump brag about groping women or listening to my fellow Evangelicals defend him,” and Republican Congressman Reid Ribble of Wisconsin quoted the Disciple James, who said “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless,” and said, “The Evangelical community’s values include repentance, forbearance, uprightness, and the value of a hard day’s work. In his personal life, his often-changing political beliefs, and especially his language, he totally disregards the values that we hold dear.”
Prominent conservative blogger Erick Erickson wrote, “Shame on Christians Who Support Donald Trump,” writing, “Donald Trump has had no ‘road to Damascus’ conversion. He only wants to date the preacher’s daughter.”
Wallis, from Sojourners, addressed forgiveness in Doctrine, writing, “Even if Donald Trump was sincere in asking for forgiveness (which many still don’t feel he is), people could forgive him and hope that he turns his life around but still not believe he is morally fit to be president of the United States. The word ‘repentance’ means more than just saying you are sorry; it requires a change of heart and direction.”
Instead of questioning why so many Evangelicals backed Trump, a better query might be: Why did so many Republicans stand by him?