The Atlantic says “One of the most extraordinary things about our current politics—really, one of the most extraordinary developments of recent political history—is the loyal adherence of religious conservatives to Donald Trump.”
No it isn’t.
The most extraordinary thing is that the writer forgot that voters faced a choice in 2016. It was Trump or Hillary. The main question wasn’t then, and isn’t now, which of these two had less sin. It was which would treat Christians better after the election.
Trump won on both questions.
At Sea At The Atlantic
The Atlantic writer stressed:
Trump’s background and beliefs could hardly be more incompatible with traditional Christian models of life and leadership…
Trump supporters tend to dismiss moral scruples about his behavior as squeamishness over the president’s “style.” But the problem is the distinctly non-Christian substance of his values.
Trump’s unapologetic materialism—his equation of financial and social success with human achievement and worth—is a negation of Christian teaching. His tribalism and hatred for “the other” stand in direct opposition to Jesus’s radical ethic of neighbor love. Trump’s strength-worship and contempt for “losers” smack more of Nietzsche than of Christ. Blessed are the proud. Blessed are the ruthless. Blessed are the shameless. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after fame.
Okay, Mr. Atlantic, now do Hillary.
Deplorables Unite
In 2015 Hillary looked out across the vast sea of middle-American “deplorables” and found them wanting. She announced that “deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”
This statement shocked even the Washington Post, which wrote it was
perhaps the most radical statement against religious liberty ever uttered by someone seeking the presidency. It is also deeply revealing. Clinton believes that, as president, it is her job not to respect the views of religious conservatives but to force them to change their beliefs and bend to her radical agenda favoring taxpayer-funded abortion on demand.
Hillary’s campaign chairman John “Spirit Cooking” Podesta received an email which proposed Hillary “plant the seeds of the revolution” in the Catholic Church, which was called a “middle ages dictatorship.” Middle ages? Why can’t anybody remember the Catholic Church is 2,000 years old? Never mind.
That email was revealed during the campaign by Wikileaks, which the Post reminds us was one of many in which the “hostility to people of faith [was] simply breathtaking.”
Why would Christians want to vote for a candidate who was actively hostile to their faith? A candidate likely to pack the Supreme Court with ideologues? Answer: they would not.
Nothing To See Here
Then there were Hillary’s, let us call them, predilections. Remember how she said she scored an impossible hundred grand from a $1,000 investment on the commodities markets by “studying” the Wall Street Journal? Funny she clicked here to read the rest.
The really interesting discussion would be about how many Never-Trummpers threw in the towel. Any data or details regarding the votes by Never-Trumpers?
Trump won the election partially owing to what a terrible candidate Hillary was. He won the Republican primaries and nomination because as a television star he was more charismatic than the career politicians. Unfortunately, he cannot cope with being president as is becoming manifestly obvious at this point. His backers appear not to have heard the old saw that one needs a long fork to sup with the devil.
“Religious conservatives” would dump Trump in a minute if another viable candidate arose. They’re loyal to their core principles and he’s the only one around who gives some effective support. The Atlantic can’t tell that story because it doesn’t fit their narrative of RCs being stupid.
America did the right thing but it’s a weird country when you have to ‘vote for your religion’.
The Christian values in a ‘Western’ nation should be an absolute basic minimum. Or proper progress, (sorry to use a trigger word) of mankind has regressed or stalled.
Which it clearly had, for a little while. Sometimes the way forwards is backwards.
America has been treated to the same poison as our country. Just later in the global game plan.
A reach too far. A continued swing further right is inevitable until the people get what they want.
Rise above the media, including fire starters on Twitter. Although it’s done Trump a lot of good, tweeting above the crowd. Brings the entire political debate down to a level where it has been secretly dwelling for a long time and shows things for what they really are.
I just smile every time I hear him speak. When he spoke at some rally regarding the statues and fake media it brought tears to my eyes.
As for his supposed naughty boy behaviour? He’s behaving predictably.
As a female, if I took offence at every incident and action of men I’d be a nervous wreck!
I’ve overheard many a male only conversation in my time. Much of it is bluster for the lads. Women like a gentleman but as my Dad always taught me
“A gentleman is just a patient wolf.”
What needs to be asked now is, would American Christians vote for Trump in the next presidential election, giving his track record so far?
Interesting that you think turning your country over to Russia is doing a good thing for Christians — but then you’re more of a cultist than you are an American; just another hypocritical, cherry-picking “Christian” — who no more lives out Christ’s teachings than the squirrel outside my window…
By your incisive reckoning we should have aligned ourselves with Hitler in WWII rather than that brute Stalin; support for Trump IS undeniably support for fascism. But you’ve made your bed. Sweet dreams.
Shecky, ever since those summers in the Catskills so long ago you’ve always been good for a chuckle, a guffaw or, now and then, a belly laugh. But now I’m worried: are you actually angry when you write this stuff or is it solely to make us laugh?
As somone who voted for Trump but now wishes I had simply not voted, the justification can be found in the passage below. In essence, Christian are to pray government leaves them alone to do their work for God. Hillary stated she was not going to allow that to happen.
So, for Christians believing they have a duty to pray for and support leaders, Trump remains a leader who will leave them alone, spiritually speaking.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Greetings,
Ignoring the fact that he wasn’t elected, but selected and that he lost the popular vote,
I believe that majority of Christians didn’t vote for either him or HC. A large segment of the US population are religiously or culturally Christian and with about 80 mil. of those who did not cast the vote, it’s safe to say that most Christians did not vote for him. Majority of Christians did not vote for anybody.
For some reason, I find DT less of a holy roller than either Obama, Bush or Clinton (quite honestly that’s the only thing I find appealing about him, besides TV/showman personality appeal)
Cheers.
I used to wonder how the media could be so biased. I’ve decided that the media is actually the opposition party, and the Democrats are just following the media’s marching orders, and aren’t capable of independent thought. Many Republicans, too, unfortunately. The media is the superior ruling class, the rest of the unwashed masses just need to be controlled for our own good. It’s all about control.
And judging by a number of the comments above, I can see that independent thought is solely lacking, there’s a lot of parroting of the media’s odd memes on Trump. What happened to common sense? You know, when you are reading a news article, and something just doesn’t pass the smell test (e.g., the Russians did it!) , maybe the rest of the article should be considered suspect, too?
Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, Trump is smarter than you? And that maybe, just maybe, you should judge the man by his results?
Ok, forget all that, I’m just yanking your chain. What I like most about Trump is how he drives you lefties absolutely bonkers!
President Trump annoys all the right people. He obviously loves America. He’s not a communist. He’s a Christian, even if only on Sunday morning. He fights back against the leftists. He’s not a career politician.
That makes him far more qualified than any of his opponents.
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Shecky – Drink some more koolaid. You haven’t imbibed quite enough yet.
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Kalif – Perhaps you should look up how the American voting system works. It’s not complicated. Here’s a link to get you started. https://infogalactic.com/info/Electoral_College_(United_States)
Here’s a helpful video for children and democrats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByiogRyb6Ds
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Sander – In a contest between the man who undid the unconstitutional IRS rules that muffled preachers, and an anti-American, communist anti-theist? It won’t even be close. Donald Trump may not be a perfect man, but he’s on our side on most issues. More importantly, he fights back – something no Republican has done since Reagan’s first term.
When will you people stop with the Hillary bit. She’s gone. Out of the picture. Dead and buried. What is in the collective picture is a nihilistic, Godless President who lies about reading the Bible. Is this not Peccatum Maximum? (I know dear ones, Latin has been expunged, but I like it.) We all know why the “Christian White”, err sorry, “Christian Right” continues to support a faithless philandering leader.
@McChuck. Thank you for the links, but I am more familiar with the US voting system than the majority of the population. All I said is that he didn’t win the popular vote and I’m fine with that, because it is how the system works. I’m fine with the fact that the votes from a couple of guys in Wyoming are worth the same as the votes of my whole neighborhood in California. That’s not the issue and shouldn’t be.
I just don’t know why his supporters think that someone is ‘annoyed’ by him. Quite the contrary. Before he became the president, he was a showman/TV icon, interesting, with the iconic haircut, ‘you are hired/fired’ phrase and all. I would say that he is quite intelligent too, but he may not be fit for the job he took.
He gained his wealth within the US system, but now that he is in charge of that system, he seems a little confused as to how it works. Transferring the model of running an individual business to running the most powerful country won’t work. Things get way too complex. Phrases like ‘closing the deal’ won’t cut it. If I remember correctly, he bragged publicly how he did everything he could to take advantage of the tax system to benefit his company, before the presidency. That’s fine. Everybody else does that too, Google, Apple, your corner grocery store, etc. The problem is how to apply that ‘strategy’ now, when it is about running the country. I believe he pledged to revamp the system that he took advantage of, to gain wealth in the first place, too. Not sure that’s exactly what he had in mind.
Anyway, the topic was why Christians (still) support him and I believe that real Christians (as opposed to ‘official’, self-proclaimed ones) didn’t even elect him, so blame is not on them. Of course, I can’t back my claim as many eligible folks did not even vote (roughly 80 mil. vs 60/60 that voted for him/her). Thanks.