How can you follow Jesus and support Donald Trump?
Like
many, I’m perplexed by the divide in the Christian community over
President Trump — but I’m not surprised. The media is fueling lies, and
the world is listening. This was demonstrated in a worship song by
Daniel Deitrich (talk about the wrong place to express political views).
Deitrich’s song was written in response to the 81% of white evangelical Protestant voters
who supported Donald Trump in 2016. Here are the lyrics: They started
putting kids in cages. Ripping mothers from their babies. And I looked
to you to speak on their behalf.
This, of course, is in response
to what is “perceived” as happening at the border. I assume that Mr.
Deitrich is sincere and his heart truly wants to help people, but we
must get our facts from reputable sources or first-hand experience. God
willing, I’m touring the border with other California pastors very soon
and hope to gain that perspective personally (look for that op-ed in
mid-February).
Some say, “How can you follow Jesus and Donald
Trump?” We are not following a man, we are shaping a movement. A better
question to be asking, though, is What direction is the country heading?
If a leader lacks Christian character but is pointing the nation back
to God, is that a bad thing? If they are minimizing murdering babies and
maximizing godly values, is that a bad thing? If they are being a
terror to terrorists and making America secure, is that a bad thing? If
they are honoring hard work and minimizing free handouts, is that a bad
thing? God doesn’t judge a nation based on the character of one man; He
judges it based on the spiritual health of her people. Never forget
that.
I regularly say that we Christians love refugees and
immigrants and are eager to help with food, lodging, and jobs. But at
the national level, the president is to put the safety and provision of
the American people first. When an airplane loses cabin pressure,
parents put on their oxygen masks first to better assist their child.
This isn’t selfishness; it’s wisdom. Opening the borders parallels cabin
pressure falling and a limited supply of masks. Our law enforcement
officers could not sustain the load, nor could our nation. Let’s
streamline the process and welcome God-fearing immigrants and have them
contribute to society so everyone benefits. The truth is, kids are not
being put in cages and ripped from their mothers, as the song accuses.
The
majority of news outlets spin everything (yes, everything) to put
President Trump in a bad light. Their hatred for him trumps the truth.
Their agenda is simple and clear: remove him from office at any cost!
And I hope you realize this: they are really coming after you, me, and
our Christian values.
The push toward open borders is more about
votes than truly helping people. Open borders would be like me telling
my kids to leave their windows open in case a stranger needs a warm
night’s sleep. That would be severe parental neglect because many
harmful things could also enter through those open windows. Open borders
would parallel that type of irresponsibility. Additionally, our
financial system cannot support people flooding in who need assistance.
How is that using wisdom? It’s not a matter of if this type of financial
irresponsibility causes damage but when and how much. Our California
representatives in Sacramento need to wake up to this fact—and wake up
quickly. There is a better way, but our leaders must repent and seek God
for wisdom.
Most critics don’t care what the facts are. Their
hatred for the president overshadows their desperate need for humility.
Let this sink in: innocent children are being protected, godly counsel
is surrounding President Trump, terror is being restrained, good judges
are being selected, socialism is being resisted, families are being
encouraged via employment (black employment is at an all-time high),
prayer is being brought back in schools, God’s wisdom is being sought,
and on and on it goes. So again, we are not following a man, we are
revitalizing a movement — a movement back to God. I’m more concerned
with our nation’s national character than I am with the president's
personal character.
An analogy that I often use will bring this
point home. The head of a neighborhood watch program, who took the
late-night watches, had previously had an affair. He was occasionally
gruff and impulsive, and sometimes his words were crass and offensive,
but he watched over the neighborhood diligently each night. Each week he
invited church leaders into his home to pray for him and his family and
to seek their advice. He often stood against others on the committee
who wanted to enact policies harmful to the neighborhood and to the
children, such as advocating an open-door policy where residents were
required to allow anyone into their homes at all hours of the day for
handouts.
Is this not the kind of person you would want leading
your neighborhood watch? Does his past or his demeanor matter more than
the results he is accomplishing? If you are intellectually honest, the
answer is not difficult. In the same way, the answer is simple for
America. Again, we are not voting for people based on how godly they
are; we are voting for the future direction of America: the right to
life, the elevation of God’s Word back to its proper place, the
appointment of conservative judges, securing America and her borders,
creating jobs, and improving the quality of life for all Americans.
As a personal
observation, I have noticed that those who oppose president Trump
typically embrace liberal theology. It makes one wonder what is truly
leading them: worldly mandates or biblical principles.
I will close with what I stated in a brief op-ed:
we can’t have our cake and eat it too — there is no middle ground for
Christians today. You can choose a president who will wear a Planned Parenthood scarf
at her inauguration or one of the countless others who would seek to
destroy the America we know and lead us down the primrose path of
socialism — or worse. Or you can choose to back President Trump. There
is no Plan B.
The HiV of Western Culture
4 years ago
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