"I Just Don't Get the Evangelical Support for President Trump" (Post #58)

"Matthew 7:18-20 says, “(18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit… (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”(NKJV).  In other words, The Word challenges us to never judge people without merit."

Fact:  there are few things in the world that make me as weary as the current state of American politics. 
 
Now, as I say that, it’s important for you to consider who I am and how the American governmental scene has impacted me personally.  I am a 38-year-old, black citizen of the US.  As a citizen, I have seen a host of disappointments within our government.  Everything from the mishandling of several gunned-down black and brown citizens by law-enforcement; the many sentencing inconsistencies within our judicial system for like crimes across the racial divide; the dilapidation of schools in poor neighborhoods versus the opposite, and the professed defense of ‘WHY’ the confederate flag should still fly over any building funded by tax payer dollars in the Lord’s year of 2019.

You’d surely think, that after all of this, I would have been long tired, long frustrated, and long exhausted with any hopes of any expectations, of anything worthwhile coming from our government. 
 
Well, to that I’d say, “you’re wrong.”  Sure, all of that bothers me.  If I’m honest, it burns me, disgusts me, and offends me.  However, I’ve been black in America for as long as I’ve been in America.  Therefore, I’m used to that, I understand that, and believe me – that’s a sad fact. 
 
So, if not that, then what is it?  What has my heart weary?  Well, consider this…
 
If you’ve been a follower of me or my blog, then you’ll know (at least by my own admission) that I’m also a Christian.  Like many other Christians, I have a personal respect and reverence for the Bible.  I read it, I teach it, and I strive diligently to honor it with me life.  I say all of this because I need you to know that I know and respect the Bible’s position on governmental leadership (cf. Romans 13:1).  However, with all of that said, I pray you’ll still consider what I’m about to say.  As this point, is the point, that has me the weariest with all things political.

"Sure, all of that bothers me.  If I’m honest, it burns me, disgusts me, and offends me.  However, I’ve been black in America for as long as I’ve been in America."

I simply cannot understand why President Donald Trump is being purported as the Christian’s (or evangelical’s) candidate. 
 
On April 26, 2017, Gregory A. Smith authored a piece (click here) for the Pew Research Center which stated that “Trump’s support from evangelicals is strongest among those who attend church regularly.” 
 
Do you know what that means?
 
This means that the current president has his most unyielding support from those who have a “seemingly” strong allegiance to God.  I read that and thought 3 things:
 
1.I think KNOW I have to be missing something (and if you clicked the link, you already know).
2.I think there has to be more to this (and I promise we’ll get to that later.)
3.I then ask, why?  Why is this so?  What exactly has President Trump done, that has touched the hearts of professed Jesus followers so deeply, that they (by-in-large) are representative of some his greatest supporters?
 
Some would say, “it’s because of his Republican connection to anti-abortion legislation.”  To that I’d say:  we’ve always had Republican candidates; however, none have even remotely garnered the unyielding support of this president.  No, this support is different.  This is unbending and immovable.  He said crassly that he could shoot a man in the face and possibly get away with it.  There is a blind allegiance dedicated to this president that is phenomenally strong.  And I ask, “why?”

"I simply cannot understand why President Donald Trump is being purported as the Christian’s (or evangelical’s) candidate."

In all honesty, I’m having a very hard time trying to make this evangelical support make sense.  Fact:  there is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the racial views of President Trump, and trust me when I say, it’s a really tough read.
 
In an attempt to be fair to him, I sought to see if the site had pages dedicated to the racial views of other presidents.  I went to the search bar and began to type “racial views of…” and before I could complete the phrase, auto populate revealed that there were only 2 pages like this.  And for the record, the other page is (to put it mildly)… yikes.
 
I also noted that there was another page, entirely dedicated to the “…sexual misconduct allegations” of President Trump.  Needless to say, this page was also a terrifying read.  In the same fairness test, I sought to see how others compared to him in this category.  In this search, I found 4 similar pages with 1 also having served as President (i.e. – President Bill Clinton). 
 
I haven’t even touched the topic of his financial abuse, lawsuits, tax manipulation, demonstrated ego, divisiveness, and many other things.  There is literally a website dedicated to publishing only the provable and documented atrocities of the president (click here).  As of this writing, the total number of bedlams was over 500 and it appears that website’s publisher has waved the white flag and called it quits. 
 
Now, as you read this, please don’t get lost in the imperfections of the man.  I know full well that there hasn’t been (nor will there ever be) a perfect candidate to ever grace the oval office.  

"No, this support is different.  This is unbending and immovable.  He said crassly that he could shoot a man in the face and possibly get away with it.  There is a blind allegiance dedicated to this president that is phenomenally strong."

This piece is not regarding his perfection or lack thereof; rather, this piece seeks to understand why so many evangelical leaders and lay people have in major numbers, deemed this man to be deeply deserving of their support?
 
The aforementioned, Pew Research article confirms that “Trump’s support from evangelicals is strongest among those who attend church regularly.” 
 
(In my Kanye voice) “How Sway?!”
 
Matthew 7:18-20 says, “(18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit… (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”(NKJV).  In other words, The Word challenges us to never judge people without merit.   It is unfair and even sinful to make assessments of an individual without character evidence to support it.  Instead, we are called to give all peoples a chance to self-define.  And when they do, they (through their actions) will undoubtedly demonstrate their “fruit.” After demonstration, it’s important for believers to be honest in our findings and move accordingly, until they denounce and change their former ways. 
 
Important and Unnecessary Note (because the instance you start to speak truth about our president, this point will 100% come up):  No, I also don’t believe his former running mate was deserving of mass-evangelical support and if received, certainly not unyielding support.  However, that’s not the point.  After all, she isn’t the professed “Christian” candidate, he is.   This President in all his name-calling, deception, dishonesty, racial disparities, ego, and so much more – this President has the support, and I can’t understand why. 
 
IF our goal is to reach the lost for Christ, I believe we do our mission a disservice by overly esteeming this president.  The lost are indeed lost; however, they aren’t without a portion of morality.  Therefore, the world is watching the evangelical defense of the indefensible and many evangelicals are standing without good reason or excuse. 
 
God has called for His people to be the “light of the world.”  We, in our illumination, should serve as a standard of distinction from the world in areas of love, goodness, faith, and courage.  We must be bold in our willingness to identify the opposite and say so. 
 
Is there an answer to this conundrum?  Yes, I believe there is, and to get it – I’d urge you to finish the Pew article.  However, (if you need a hint) I’ll simply say this:  sadly, I believe that this support of President Trump, has a lot to do with the specific evangelical voice for Donald Trump, and it’s contrast of silence for people like Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice.  I think any faith-based cry for Trump, and a lack thereof for Bland and Rice tells me everything I need to know (both honest and ugly) about the support he receives.
 
And that is what wearies me the absolute most 
 
But, that’s another post for another time. 

Subscribe, follow, comment, and share.  Thanks for your support.   

Kevin D. Jones, Sr.

Author and Publisher of Perfectly Imperfect Perfectionist
(@kevindjonessr)
(@imperfection360)