December 20, 2019 | Reading Time: < 1 minute
Counterargument to today’s edition
In today’s edition, I said the Christianity Today editorial calling for Trump’s removal wouldn’t make much difference. Here’s a productive counterargument from a journalist with an evangelical background. It’s worth pondering. Let me know what you think. —John Stoehr
In today’s edition, I said the Christianity Today editorial calling for Trump’s removal wouldn’t make much difference. Here’s a productive counterargument from a journalist with an evangelical background.
It’s worth pondering. Let me know what you think. —John Stoehr
John Stoehr is the editor of the Editorial Board. He writes the daily edition. Find him @johnastoehr.
8 Comments
Leave a Comment
Want to comment on this post?
Click here to upgrade to a premium membership.
I sincerely hope the journalist is right. I’ve struggled, along with many of my Christian friends, to understand how people who wear their Christianity like a badge can support a man whose actions are so patently in opposition to the Golden Rule. I mean seriously, how can anyone who complained about having to explain BJ’s to their kids when Clinton was impeached think that a sexist, racist cyberbully is a good role model for anyone, much less someone suitable to represent our country.
The article brought nothing new to the table. Any evangelic Christian surely knows what Trump’s character and morals are. They are not new. The only reason some Evangelists might suggest removable of Trump now is that they have what they needed…SCOTUS majority to overturn Wade and Brown. They will have more than 200 federal judges, some unqualified, to Federal courts. Even when he’s removed, the evangelical have what they want. They are three years too late.
It’s been a long strange trip for right wing Evangelical Christianity in the US. Started in white fight against school integration and, in general, the civil rights movement. Energized, due in chief to John’s correct diagnosis that patriarchy is the beating evil heart of the movement, by reaction to the women’s movement and especially, boy, howdy, abortion rights. This 50+ year history is the transformation of a “gospel of love” into a “gospel of hate” (not a diaplectical transformation orginal to this particular corner of the history of Christendom for the last 2000 years…).
My point is that Trump is a logical outcome of all this culture war, hatred and distortion of the words of the first hippie love child of Bethleham.
This is a dilemma of our own making: never taking these evangelicals seriously for 40 years. I grew up in that environment, went to a christian college to be taught that the world was 6,000 years old despite any scientific knowledge to the contrary. The dean and I decided we were not a good match and parted company. That was 1963. He said it was god’s law and I either agreed or left. He was a tall elegant patrician of a man. He would be obeyed or you would go. Not surprised these people are looking for the USA to become their very own theocracy. I do know christians today who actually do understand how wrong all of this is. But they do not live in the Bible Belt and control the Senate.
Valid points about the need to only reach “a small slice” of those needed. Perhaps it will be one of many small slices from different flippable demographics.
As an atheist, there is much I don’t understand about religion, and why people believe what they do. This is especially true for Christians that believe the Christian bible is the word of god.
Last I checked, the Christian bible contains both the old and new testaments. The old testament contains many instances in which god committed genocide and infanticide, and even more instances where he ordered the Israelites to do these crimes against humanity, as well as rape.
Then along comes Jesus. Did he say something like “Yo, my dad really screwed up, please ignore all the evil stuff he did before I came along.” Did Jesus say that slavery is really bad, don’t do it? Did he say that women shouldn’t be treated as property? Was he OK with homosexuality?
Devout Christians are really good at “compartmentalization”. Thus, I am not surprised that so many choose to support Trump.
Excerpt from a Trump tweet this afternoon: “The fact is, no President has ever done what I have done for Evangelicals, or religion itself!” Source: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1208089293308211202?s=20
And this was jpg was in one of the replies to Trump’s tweet: https://twitter.com/Htygrett1/status/1208090361450704897/photo/1
Since the Trump inauguration, I have struggled with the idolatry that so-called Christian Evangelicals have bestowed upon him. As I’ve watched people I used to admire besmirch their own good names just to descend into the muck pit of Trumpism for the sake of political power, I’ve been distressed that Jesus’ message of love has been struck from their discourse. Instead, Republican politicians and their aligned operatives have engaged in competitive bu77-kissing to gain the favor of Trump and his vaunted tweets, as if each were a commandment handed down by God himself.
The irony, lost on those in the throes of Trump worship, is that these same self-professed Evangelicals have immersed themselves in Old Testament righteousness in their eagerness to cast stones at those without blinders on, who see the corruption for what it is. Does no one remember the story of Jesus’ castigating the Pharisees at the temple? It seems to me that many are rooting around in the depths of the Old Testament to find justification for their flirtations with the Golden Calf.
It may, however, be true that Trump’s presidency is by our Creator’s design. Not because Trump should be worshipped. No, never that. Perhaps God has offered American Christians the ultimate test. Will they stay faithful to the humility and devotion to the well-being of others as Christ taught us how?– Or will “the faithful” sell their souls as Judas did?
With two thousand years of inflation, thirteen pieces of silver would be worth about 300 federal judges, a Republican majority on the Supreme Court, and a tax-cut for the top 1% and corporations.
After all, the Antichrist has to come from somewhere. These very well may be the End of Days–I can’t think of anyone who could be more anti-Christ in his narcissism and racism than Donald J. Trump.