Food for Thought for the Trump-Supporting Christian

OK, let’s get real here.

You say you’re a Christian, right?  You’re a disciple of Christ.  You’re committed to following His path, His teaching, His Word… and not only living it, but spreading his message throughout your world both in word and by deed.

But… do you MEAN that? Does Jesus know that you mean it? I’m not talking about Him knowing due to your church attendance, how often you tithe, or often you attend your church.

Does He know that by your actual actions – particularly when it comes to the current political arena and the worship-like obsession that some Christians have with Donald J. Trump.

So… does your love of Trump mean more to you than your love of Christ? Do you think that they’re compatible? Does Jesus support Donald Trump?

I not only encourage you… I DARE you… to read this completely before you write this off as just some “Trump-hating rant.”

Pure in Heart?

Now, when Yeshua says,

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see G-d.” (Matt 5:8 NIV)

Do you assume that Donald Trump fits that mold, or do you remember when he said,

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

Adultery & Sexual Abuse

Does Trump’s well-known, publicized, and rarely-denied but frequently boasted-about multiple episodes of adultery and sexual assault and use/misuse of women square with the teachings of Christ?

What does the Bible say?

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)

And that’s just one verse addressing adultery and sexually immoral behavior. Yet Trump, far from being ashamed or expressing remorse, has consistently boasted with pride about such behavior.

Is that something that Christians should support?

Love Thy Neighbor?

How about when Yeshua said,

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 25:35, 40 NIV).

But Trump said of the Syrian refugees,

“I’m putting the people on notice that are coming here from Syria as part of this mass migration, that if I win, if I win, they’re going back.”

And no one can forget his famous “build the wall” rhetoric which was often coupled with his naked disdain and outright hostility toward aliens or “migrants” as Democrats like to call them.

Do you agree with these Trumpian attitudes?  Regardless of whether you agree with them or not, do you know if these Trumpian attitudes align with Christ’s teaching?

An Appalling Lack of Humility

OK then, what about when Yeshua said,

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 NIV)

But Trump famously said,

“Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest – and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.”

Does that sound humble?  No – it’s arrogant, proud, and boastful – the polar opposite of how we are told to behave as Christians.

What Defiles Us

“It is what comes out of a person… that makes him unclean. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness. All these wicked things come from within, and they make a person unclean.” (Mark 7:20-23 CJB)

Can you plainly see which items on Christ’s list line up Trump’s felony conviction?  Or, do you say that the conviction was political show and unjust because Trump is G-d’s chosen leader?

How often has the entire world seen him engage in unrepentant and outright deceit?  How can we reconcile that with Christian faith?

Mocking Christians and Rejecting Christianity

It’s extremely well-documented that Trump strokes the egos of Christians, and turns around and mocks not only our faith, but each of us for holding onto such faith.

Is that type of attitude from a political leader, something that we should just ignore and “wink at”?  Or, should we reject the political leaders who treat us with such duplicity, pretending that they are our friends in order to get our votes, all the while scorning and laughing at our faith and the author of that faith?

Sha’ul instructed us in G-d’s way of behaving:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV)

Does Trump live by this word?  Or has unwholesome, corrupt, mocking, lying, and malicious words publicly – and consistently – come out of his mouth?

A Christian?

Can he really be a Christian?  Can a Christian support Trump’s behavior and rhetoric?  If so, what does that say about our commitment to Christ?

You’ve been saying and posting that you pray for Trump and ask G-d to give His angels charge over Trump and provide protection.  You may say that “OK, he’s not the best Christian, but if we pray, he will repent.”

So you say you have been praying for 8 years.  Has he yet shown any inkling at all of anything resembling repentance, any suggestion that he is sorry for what he has done and continues to do in the cold light of public scrutiny (let alone in private), any hint of a turning to Christ and living a godly life?

Bad Fruit

He is clearly not a Christian.  That is not some angry rant by some anti-Trump Christian.  His words and his actions, seen over decades, judged against the Word of G-d, makes this clear.

“For no good tree produces bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit—figs aren’t picked from thorn bushes, nor grapes from a briar patch. The good person produces good things from the store of good in his heart, while the evil person produces evil things from the store of evil in his heart. For his mouth speaks what overflows from his heart.”  (Luke 6:43-45 CJB)

Judging Trump

We don’t have to “judge” Trump – because he has already been judged:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Ephesians 5:19-21 ESV)

So, with the fact that Donald Trump is judged by G-d and found wanting, is no lover of G-d and no friend of the Christian, what does that mean for us?

So, What About You?

What does that mean for you?

Do you give Donald Trump a “pass”, and say that it’s OK for you to support him even though it’s clear that he embodies the clear violation of all of our Christian principles?

By doing so, does it even faze you that you are violating the same very Christian principles that you committed to uphold in Christ?

“You Don’t Have the Authority to Speak For G-d”

When addressing this very subject on social media in recent months, some people professing to be Christians, claimed that Christians don’t have the authority to speak for G-d or to rebuke fellow Christians.

So, is it right for “anti-Trump” Christians to speak rebuke to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Sha’ul said:

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2) (emphasis mine)

But you don’t like hearing rebuke. It hurts. It cuts into your views, your opinions, and your lifestyle.

“Only G-d Can Judge Me!”

Maybe you say, “only G-d can judge me…”

But Sha’ul said:

“…you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)

Itching Ears

OK, but maybe you still say, “There’s nothing wrong with Trump… I can support Trump and be a Christian… I believe whatever Trump says… it’s the ‘deep state’ spreading lies and persecuting him.”

But the Bible says:

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

What Would Jesus Do?

So, Christian, let me ask you: what would Jesus do?  Would He support the words and behavior of Donald Trump? Will He bless you for your support of evil? 

Would He celebrate the elevation of a convicted felon, a proven sexual assaulter of women, an adulterer, a swindler, a cheat, and a proven fraud, to the highest political office in the country that he used to bless, or would He disapprove of such a travesty against everything that He wants his people to hold dear?

How do you reconcile Trump’s constant open, naked, unrepentant, arrogant fist-shaking sin against G-d, with the purity of Christian doctrine?

What Will YOU Do With Your Faith?

So, again… you claim that you’re a Christian and that you follow Christ.

Do you MEAN that, or is your loyalty to Christ conditional, only when it doesn’t impact your views of Donald Trump and other political leaders?

Does your discipleship get put on pause when it comes to Trump?

So then, who is your leader – Jesus Christ?  Or Donald Trump?

One thing is as certain as the air that you breathe:

YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH, AND STILL CLAIM TO BE A CHRISTIAN.