Christianity Today reported on November 9th, 2016 that 4 out of 5 evangelicals voted and that that vote was instrumental in ushering Donald Trump into the White House. This after repeated articles all week by Christianity Today warning Christian voters against voting for Donald Trump.
The rationale for this vote was that the candidate had promised to appoint pro-life Supreme Court Justices, which perhaps for the first time since Roe v. Wade would offer a chance to overturn the 1973 decision and end abortion in the United States?? No, not quite, to overturn Roe v. Wade and send the decision back to the individual states.
Now, shouldn't that be enough to make every Evangelical, every conservative Catholic, every conservative Eastern Orthodox, and all Bible-believing Christians want to vote for Donald Trump? Well, 80% felt it was.
An Evangelical or Catholic vote for Trump was a vote cast to hopefully buy some influence to get a U. S. President, who has promised to appoint select judges, who if they are confirmed by the senate, may choose to align themselves with the right-leaning block on the Supreme Court, and if the Court chooses to take up Roe v. Wade, who may well vote to overturn that decision.
Sounds good?
Yes. I think, all other things being equal, that to a pro-life voter that is a real opportunity to address an issue that is important to our pro-life hearts. Super important!!
So why the title "Manipulated"?
When we cast that vote for that candidate -- in particular the candidate named Trump -- we may want to consider (though it is too late now) the tacit approval that comes along with the whole package that we are buying.
Many -- if not most -- hallmarks of what it means to be a good, honest, virtuous Christian have to be brushed aside in order to cast a vote for Donald Trump.
Basic Decent Christian Traits
Simple givens in terms of basic decent Christian behavior, such as civility in speech, respect for persons who are different from us, self-restraint--- seem to be of no importance, if only we can overturn Roe v. Wade.
Can anyone imagine Jesus Christ at a Trump Rally with a clenched fist shouting, "Lock her up"?
Now, while my voting for Donald Trump doesn't automatically make me, the voter, disagreeable, nor does it make me the voter be like Donald Trump --- still, my voting for a candidate does indicate at some level MY approval for what the candidate stands for and how he behaves.
In this case, a vote cast for Donald Trump includes a tacit (perhaps not approval, but at least) lack of concern for all the unchristian behavior and outrageous statements Mr. Trump has demonstrated over the past 16 months: bragging about what he can do to women, his bullying of persons who disagree with him, his mockery of others, his Banana-Republic-style threat to jail his political opponent, to say nothing of a long line of blatant falsehoods.
But... but... his opponent, you say. And I speak nothing of his opponent and her lack of virtue.
We did, after all, have four choices in this election:
1. A vote for Trump
2. A vote for his opponent
3. A vote for a third party candidate
4. No vote at all.
Nobody (Christian or otherwise) was forced to vote for Trump -- it was an individual choice. And I for the record did not. I found the cost in "Christian Capital" way way too high.
We did, after all, have four choices in this election:
1. A vote for Trump
2. A vote for his opponent
3. A vote for a third party candidate
4. No vote at all.
Nobody (Christian or otherwise) was forced to vote for Trump -- it was an individual choice. And I for the record did not. I found the cost in "Christian Capital" way way too high.
Faust, as the old story goes, bargained with the Devil to gain power. Faust signed on the dotted line, and in the process he lost his very soul.
About 80% of Evangelicals sealed that Faustian deal with Trump on November 8th --- to buy what? To buy political influence -- more specifically influence on our nation's highest court. For a good cause, yes. But was sacrificed in the process?
In the process, we sacrificed some of the most precious ideals about who we are as Christians and what it means to be good and pure.
Love of God and love of neighbor. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth, blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
How do those highest Christian ideals square with giving political support to man who riles up his crowds to shout "Lock her up" about his political opponent, or who brags about groping women, a man who only promised to accept election results if he won?
Again, why do I title this "Manipulated"?
Conservative Christians did not use to vote as a block, they did not use to belong to a party. They used to vote, in so far as they parttook in the process of voting at all, each as his or her conscience allowed him to vote, on issues of interest to each one. I understand, however, that there is power in voting as a block, and when the cause is good and Christian, voting as a block brings godly results that we can be proud of achieving.
With Roe v. Wade, Christians who rightfully felt outraged at the whole-sale slaughter of the unborn, and leaders like Falwell's Moral Majority and later James Dobson's Focus on the Family started to 'organize' and streamline the Christian vote by offering guides to people as to which candidates held the requisite pro-life stances.
At the same time, many ministries sprung up, along with Focus, to guide this new invigorated Christian right-leaning block in matters of life and practice. That included scrutiny of types of contraceptives, more detail on the proper Christian life style in regards to marriage and sexuality and family, and over all, this right-leaning Christian voting block has become more and more securely ensconced into the Republican party on issues of sexuality, conception, and life.
At the same time, many ministries sprung up, along with Focus, to guide this new invigorated Christian right-leaning block in matters of life and practice. That included scrutiny of types of contraceptives, more detail on the proper Christian life style in regards to marriage and sexuality and family, and over all, this right-leaning Christian voting block has become more and more securely ensconced into the Republican party on issues of sexuality, conception, and life.
Pro-life became the litmus test for whether or not a candidate met the requirements for a Christian vote for that candidate in good conscience -- though perhaps not so much pro-llife as much as 'anti-abortion', since a lot more issues would properly have to be comprehended by a complete pro-life stance than a mere opposition to abortion.
In short, if a candidate is against abortion, if a candidate honors life from the moment of conception, that candidate has passed the test and is our Christian champion.
In short, if a candidate is against abortion, if a candidate honors life from the moment of conception, that candidate has passed the test and is our Christian champion.
It has worked for years, and for the most part, given the candidates available, produced not too reprehensible results -- that is, until the entry onto the political arena of one Mr. Donal Trump.
Pro-life is no longer enough of a litmus test for a candidate. It MAY BE a good beginning test, but, please.... consider the character of such a person as Donald Trump.
... and consider our witness to the world.
After all, the last command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before leaving this earth to ascend into heaven was ...
Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS... teaching, baptizing .... in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Where is this witness now, after such a majority of the Christian voting block has ushered this monstrous narcissist into the White House? Who --outside the church-- can see anything but a narrow minded, hateful, fearful group of single-issue voters who approve of bullying, of political persecution because of being Muslim, of calling Mexicans names --- and further more a person who speaks proudly of his right to assault women against their wills, merely because he is rich and famous.
I am ashamed to identify as a Christian this week.
We Christians have signed a Faustian deal with a shameful hateful person to put him in the White House. I am horrified every time I think of that man as the world's most powerful person...what will the rule of Donald Trump bring to this country? We Christians in our usual narrow single-issue voting patterns have linked the name of Christ, the name of all that is good, pure, holy, loving, and worth having in this life and in the next-- with a monstrous narcissist -- all in hopes of obtaining a bit of political capital to influence the High Court.
May God have mercy on us and save us!!
