White Evangelicals Continue to Support Trump

Why should you be concerned that white evangelicals continue to support Donald Trump? If you deny the facts that describe Trump, you live in a world void of reality. Trump is a lifelong criminal, a sexual predator, the leader of white supremacy in America, and a wannabe fascist dictator. However, this fails to prevent a branch of the Christian faith from calling themselves “evangelicals” from continuing to support the worst man in the world.

I have long claimed that all evangelicals are fake Christians. No one can claim to be a Christian if they ignore the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Luke 6:31 “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

1 John 4:20-21 “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

1 Peter 3:8-12 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’”

Trump’s vile speech at his hate rallies oppose these and every other quote I found in the New Testament where Jesus Christ instructed all men about how they must interact with each other. Trump constantly demeans anyone who disagreed with him while preaching anger, hatred, and violence as the tools they must use to serve him and defeat his millions of enemies.

Evangelical leaders created a lobby, calling itself the “Christian Religious Right.” Their ultimate goal is a direct violation of the first amendment. Evangelicals seek a declaration from our government that Christianity is America’s one true religion.

Any inclusion of any religion in the process of our government is a violation of the rights of those who practice any other faith. It is even a greater violation of the rights of nearly 100 million Americans, like me, who reject all organized religion.

Someone must tell avid Trump supporter, Evangelical Pastor Mark Burns, that he is not only completely wrong but that he is not a true Christian.

Speaking with his demagogue at a Florida rally, Burns declared the following.

“We need to replace God at the center of American politics. The separation between church and state was not designed to keep the church out of the government, it was designed to keep the government out of the church.”

Let me think about that. Okay, I call bull. Burns wants to remain a “non-taxpayer,” and still have an influence in our nation’s governing. He can’t have it both ways.

Our founding fathers forbade the influence of religion because of their experience in England. It was entirely directed at Christianity, and it is intent clear. Religion has no place in our nation’s government.

If Christians are allowed influence in our nation’s political system, lobbies must be created for Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and non-believers such as myself. The Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law for everyone. There are no exceptions.

Here is part of my reasoning for not supporting organized religion.

In 2016, 81 percent of all evangelicals voted for Trump. In 2020 that number remained constant. However, in 2016 evangelicals claimed that “character was of the utmost importance” in their decision. In 2020 they admitted that Trump’s lack of character and actions opposed to their Christian beliefs no longer mattered. He is a white man who believes in white nationalism.

Recent surveys reveal that Christianity is in decline in the United States. Other religions, including “none of the above,” are growing at a faster rate than all Christian-based religions. I believe that the hypocrisy of evangelicals is at the core of this change in America.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Sources:

University of Chicago Divinity School: Why White Evangelicals Stuck with Trump; by Myriam Renaud
Newsweek: Pro-Trump Pastor Rails Against Church Being Kept Out of Government; by Jason Lemon

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