On Trump saving Christianity
Christianity can be ascribed as the bedrock of the United States. With its scope traversing the founding fathers, constitution, oaths, and political leaders ending their speeches with ‘May God Bless the USA.’ Trump has outlined his defense for the religion, “We’re going to protect Christianity. We don’t have to be politically correct about it.” While there may be reservations if Christianity is indeed under attack in the U.S, could Trump be the one who saves it?
If you are still reading then you probably agree with the last statement and I’ll urge you that it is pivotal for not just you but the religion as a whole that you read until the end. If you did not agree then you are probably thinking of the many ways in which am wrong. Well what if the statement is true but not in a way either side might be thinking of? Why does everything have to be so black and white? This is not about arguing for one side or attacking the other but holding the various sides accountable or in the least plead for people to introspect.
Whether Trump is a Christian or not is not for me to judge but what I could lay out is where Christianity is in the U.S at the moment. Pew research shows a decline in the religious landscape and rise of Atheists over the past decade. Why is this even important? Well to some progressives, you scream inclusion yet often put all Christians in one box and ridicule, criticize and label them.
There is also quickness in pointing out the sins or scams of the church while not conceding its positive impact, or how many lives have been uplifted; from ex alcoholics, the poor, lonely or sick as well as free counseling and guidance. As a majority of Americans still identify with one respectable religion or another, shouldn’t inclusion at least not pool the extreme vocal few with all of them?
As for the religious right, the downward trend of Christianity is alarming especially among young people. Your first instinct may be to point out that it is liberals or Hollywood or blame Soros. It is actually funny how evangelicals have become such victims to conspiracy theories but I’ll get to that later. The truth is it is not as much the left, but rather the right’s affiliation with fear and hate.
When someone mentions ‘love’ in a political setting which side would it be attributed to, what about refugees or the sick? Then what of the economy, or Guns or death penalty or White nationalists? While you ponder think of the side Jesus would be attributed with. Some have lamented that conservatives would have denied Jesus entry into the U.S currently, Him being a Middle Eastern albeit refugee after all.
So why is there seemingly pushback against organized religion? If the previous pondering didn’t answer this, well, evangelical camps are depicted as sheep, or at least the most extreme of them are the most vocal. They are outlined as having blind faith, shoving their beliefs down people’s throats and ridiculed for not believing in facts or science. The Bible does speak about seeking knowledge & being wise yet so many evangelicals have fallen prey to conspiracy groups like Qanon and spew rhetoric against vaccines, climate change reduction, masks, social distancing as well as basic science.
How can one truly take care of the earth as God asks while being against reducing emissions, clean energy, wildlife protections, clean water and conservation? They can’t expect anyone to take them seriously if they state things like they need guns for protection yet don’t need masks as God would protect them. Fact is you can’t legislate salvation thus separation of church and state is important.
What is clear is that the left seems to embody more the generosities scripture admonishes believers to live by. Which takes us back to the point of hate and fear. Republicans and conservatives have become quite adept in use the tool of fear to outrage their supporters. Their main talking points are often Abortion, marriage equality and 2nd Amendment.
They decry Planned Parenthood and dangerous immigrants, yet as reality shows government funds are restricted towards abortions and a very small fraction of immigrants pose a danger. It may be time to ask yourself if your conservative politicians are using you as a tool to further their agenda.
After Trump won, Republicans had the majority in both houses and eventually a conservative majority Supreme Court. What policies or legislation did they push to keep their promises of ending all the fears they had stocked? What direct policy did Trump or any republican enact that actually made Christianity better?
Republicans passed a wealth tax that mostly benefited them and their donors but of course they let abortion and the rest remain at play, as, why ‘solve it’ If it helps them win repeatedly. Data does show abortion rates went down after Roe Vs Wade and late term abortions are still illegal, what the issue is boils down to is having a woman make that decision for herself.
Yes as an evangelical Trump might have seemed as a barrier from all your fears, but did it enhance your Christian life? How much energy have you spent defending him instead of let’s saying sharing the gospel? How much as a group have you actually lost? There is a major decline in those going to church, and now ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ has been turned into a sneer. Prayer from a believer held authority and power, and now it’s treated like inaction.
The true question is, would God chastise you for not voting for Trump/Republican, or for not caring about the sick, for letting small kids whom He loves so much be caged, for banning refugees, for desiring earthy riches/economy, for not acting on school/mass shootings, for not loving unconditionally, for not living as Jesus did or letting the gospel seem dependent on a man?
‘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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Mathew 25:35-40.
So how would Trump save Christianity? Trump didn’t bring the worst in Americans, he revealed or gave them spotlight to show whom they really are, and for this the church would need to reflect and transform going forward. Thing is, the Bible has been used for centuries by some for hateful deeds and Christians ought to be careful else they become like the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Some have already realized that they may have strayed from putting God first & loving God & their neighbors, for others hopefully, they will realize soon enough. It would be like the awakening of the Israelites when they realized that laws couldn’t make them righteous & their earthly leaders were often corrupted by greed and power.
Christianity should be back to being associated with love, fighting for equal rights & justice, forgiveness, kindness, taking care of the earth & its people and having works as well as Faith. Hence Trump would save Christianity by hopefully losing badly in 2020 so that the Republican party can reset to the true, principled & Godly party this country needs them to be. A mention of evangelicals or republicans should not trigger or associate with Trump & his many misdeeds but the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit & the Light of the world. To truly forget that a Christian ought to be the reflection and ambassador of God is to undo the walk of Christ on earth.
