Caucasian evangelical Christians In the United States adore Donald Trump. If you are at all familiar with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible, you can’t help but ask yourself, how do Christians justify supporting this man? Well, let’s dive into this a little more.
Assaults, Divorces, Criminal Charges, And More
Donald Trump has developed a bit of a reputation for his divorces, with accusations of extramarital affairs,
Degradig women, dehumanizing immigrants and has been convicted of sexual assault.
What Kind Of Mental Acrobatics Are Christians Doing?
Moreover, a significant portion of his politics and plans for the country hardly align with Christian values.
Additionally, three are 91 states and federal criminal charges that the former president is up against. So what excuses this behavior? What kind of mental acrobatics are Christians performing to justify supporting this man?
Christian Support Will Aid In A Win For Trump In 2024 Election
It is essential to understand what it is that drives Christians, especially Evangelicals, to support Trump.
after all, they could help him win the 2024 election.
Some Evangelicals Find It Difficult To Understand How Trump Is “ordained by God”
Journalist Tim Alberta tackles this in his book ‘The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory.’
In his book, Alberta explains that there are many Evangelicals out there who truly believe that Trump has been “ordained by God.”
A “Uniquely Blessed” Country
Alberta also stated that a good majority of Evangelicals believe that
“The United States has been uniquely blessed.” If these Christian Trump followers are truly under this impression, then it is no surprise that they are willing to forgive his “sins.”
They Turn A Blind Eye To Trump’s Mistakes
In an article addressing these issues, NPR’s Sarah McCammon spoke directly to white Evangelicals who supported Donald Trump. She tried to understand how they were ok supporting a man who is pretty far from being a good Christian.
Shelly Buhrow told McCammon that Christians like her simply look past Trump’s mistakes.
“Illegitimate” Charges
When McCammon inquired about Trump’s 91 state and federal criminal charges,
Ms. Buhrow simply stated to the reporter that she doesn’t believe the charges are legitimate, and she doesn’t think they will “stick.”
“Have You Read The Bible?”
A Trump supporter since 2016, Buhrow, asked the reporter, “Have you read the Bible? Many people in the Bible were married multiple times, and they didn’t always do the perfect thing.”
Buhrow followed with, “People aren’t perfect. God is perfect.”
Religious Freedom
In an article for Discourse Magazine, Mark David, an Evangelical wrote about his beliefs as to why Evangelicals vote for Donald Trump.
David says that, essentially, he voted for Donald Trump and will again in 2024 because Donald Trump supports religious liberty.
Trump’s Significant Achievement For Evangelicals
Mark David Hall also expressed that Donald Trump also reached a significant “win” for Evangelicals
When he managed to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Trump Is Their Hero
By reaching this achievement, Donald Trump won over many Christains in the United States,
like Hall, many consider Roe v. Wade “the second-worst Supreme Court decision ever made”, and Trump’s role in this makes them a hero in their eyes.
They Don’t Consider Him A “virtuous” Person But They Appreciate His Accomplishments
Hall wrote his thoughts on voting for Trump in 2016 and 2020: “I still considered him to be a less-than-virtuous person (to put it mildly), but I thought his executive orders on religious liberty were wonderful,
his judicial appointments were outstanding, and he had been relatively constrained in his use of violence around the globe.”
Lauren Boebert Articulated What Many Christians Think
The Financial Times wrote an article about why it is that white Christians support Trump. In the article they mentioned comments from Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert in 2022,
During which she shared thoughts that many Christians seem to share.
“I’m Tired Of This ‘Separation Of Church And State’ Junk…”
Boebert, shared this while talking about gun rights, “I’m tired of this ‘separation of church and state’ junk . . .
The church is supposed to direct the government.”
Others Argue That Trump’s Bold Demeanor Is Needed In The Christian Community
State representative and Evangelical pastor, Brad Sherman,
Shared with NPR that even though Trump often “says things I wouldn’t say,” he considers Trump’s brash manner a necessity.
Not All Christians Support Trump
While a large portion of Christians seem to be capable of seeing past Trump’s indiscretions and focus solely on what Trump can achieve for them, not everyone is on the same page,
The fact is that many have significant concerns.
Trump Is The Solution They Are Looking For
Sherman told NPR, “Yeah, he’s brash; he’s a fighter,”
“That’s who we need right now in the political arena, in the environment that exists. You gotta be tough.”
Some Christians Almost Idolize Trump
Al Perez, a pastor from Iowa, told NPR about his concerns over how some Christians practically worship Donald Trump.
Perez is a conservative Pentecostal, and miracles and direct communication with God are widely believed in his community.
Prediction About Trump
Perez shared with NPR that he became concerned in 2020 when some community members said they believed,
“Trump would win the 2020 election because of what they believed were divine “prophecies” about Trump.”
A Boundary Has Been Crossed
Perez went on to say, “I think the lines become blurred. We cross certain lines when we think a certain candidate’s going to solve all the ills and problems of the world, of America.”
Perez Said “This Is Almost Messianic”
Perez said, “As an evangelical — Latino evangelical — I’m very concerned.
That this is almost … messianic, as though that’s the best way to describe it to you. I’m very concerned”
Trump’s Behavior Is A Far Cry From What Jesus Taught
Among some of the most baseline Christian principles are that we should love one another,
Even if they come from different lands or are shunned by our community.
White Christians Are Prepared To Overlook Quite A Bit
However, it appears that an overwhelming number of white Christians are more concerned with having someone in power who is going to “fight” for them,
for what they consider to be right, for their beliefs. In their eyes that person definitely isn’t Biden.
It Is Unlikely That Jesus Would Call Immigrants “Animals”
Donald Trump recently made remarks about immigrants, stating that they were not even people and said they were like “animals,”
Such comments clearly indicate that he isn’t putting in efforts to follow in Jesus footsteps.
