There is a great deal of disconnect between what many Evangelicals believe and what some of them support politically.
Of course, there is no perfect candidate. Sorry, there just isn’t. David > On Mar 19, 2016, at 3:39 PM, BILROJ via Centroids: The Center of the Radical > Centrist Community <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > The Rise of Donald Trump: Why I'm Embarrassed and Ashamed of My Fellow > Evangelicals > > > www.christianpost.com <http://www.christianpost.com/> > > By Julie Roys <http://www.christianpost.com/author/julie-roys/> , CP Op-Ed > Contributor > March 19, 2016|8:01 am > > > If you had asked me three months ago what the greatest threat to > evangelicalism is, I might have said the evangelical Left. For the past > decade, I have been dismayed as more and more professed evangelicals have > abandoned biblical orthodoxy and have embraced gay marriage > <http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/June/Campolos-Gay-Marriage-Support-Highlights-Divide>, > socialism > <http://thefederalist.com/2015/10/01/the-christian-temptation-towards-socialism/> > and recently — the notion that Muslims and Christians worship the same God > <http://julieroys.com/?s=god%27s+glory>. > > These pose very real threats, undermining the integrity of the church and its > witness to a lost and dying world. But now, evangelicalism has an equally > pernicious foe — the Trumpian, evangelical Right. > > > > At first, I couldn't believe the news reports. Donald Trump could not > possibly be the choice of the Religious Right. How could a man who flaunts > his moral indiscretions, uses foul language, insults the handicapped, and > praises Planned Parenthood become the darling of evangelical voters? Add to > this the fact that Trump openly advocated murdering the family members > <http://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-the-military-would-not-refuse-my-orders-even-if-they-consider-them-illegal/> > of terrorists. And, when challenged on whether the military would follow his > murderous and illegal order, Trump responded: "They won't refuse. They're not > gonna refuse me." > > Not only is Trump crude, brash, immoral and proud. He has zero respect for > the rule of law and talks like some Third World Dictator, not the leader of > the free world. Surely, I assured myself, the exit polls must be wrong. And, > to some extent they were. > > > > As a Religion News Service > <http://www.religionnews.com/2016/03/10/2016-election-trump-cruz-sanders-clinton-surveys/> > article explained, exit polls lump marginal evangelicals and devout > evangelicals together because they usually ask only one question about > religion. When pollsters have asked additional questions, though, it becomes > clear that Trump's support is not nearly as strong among devout evangelicals > as it is among nominal ones. In Missouri, for example, only 30-33% of > Christians who attend church one or more times a week voted for Trump, > compared to 46% of all evangelicals. > > Still, one-third is a sizeable number. Plus, it's not just the anonymous > evangelical masses who are supporting Trump. Liberty University President > Jerry Fallwell, Jr., endorsed him > <http://www.christianpost.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-trump-bible-king-david-a-man-after-god-own-heart-russell-moore-159143/> > too, claiming Trump's indiscretions weren't any worse than King David's, and > arguing that we're electing a president, not a pastor. (Of course, King David > repented of his sin, but Trump said he doesn't feel a need to ask God for > forgiveness > <http://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-why-do-i-have-to-repent-or-ask-for-forgiveness-if-i-am-not-making-mistakes-video-141856/>.) > > Ben Carson, a man widely respected for his sincere Christian beliefs, has > endorsed Trump too, though somewhat begrudgingly > <http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/03/15/3760261/carson-offered-position-by-trump/>. > And, just recently, the Trump campaign hired Sarah Huckabee > <http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/25/sarah-huckabee-mikes-daughter-joins-donald-trump-campaign/>, > Mike Huckabee's daughter, as a senior advisor, sparking rumors that her > father, a former pastor, may soon endorse Trump. > > Though deep divisions already existed between the evangelical Right and and > the Left, now deep fractures are also forming between #NeverTrump or > #AnyoneButTrump evangelicals and #Trump2016 evangelicals. > > > > This week, the Washington Post ran an article on how "Donald Trump is tearing > evangelicals apart > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/03/15/evangelical-christians-are-enormously-divided-over-donald-trumps-runaway-candidacy/>." > The article included testimony from an evangelical pastor who said he > receives calls every day from distressed pastors whose congregations are > divided over the controversial candidate. Some Trump supporters reportedly > have even threatened to leave their churches if their pastors dare to preach > anything against him. > > Trump has also pitted evangelical leaders against each other. > > When Falwell first announced his support for Trump, Southern Baptist leader > Russell Moore called the endorsement "absolutely unbelievable" > <http://www.christianpost.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-trump-bible-king-david-a-man-after-god-own-heart-russell-moore-159143/> > and tweeted: "Trading in the Gospel of Jesus Christ for political power is > not liberty but slavery." > > This week, Moore even admitted that "this election makes me hate the word > 'evangelical > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/02/29/russell-moore-why-this-election-makes-me-hate-the-word-evangelical/>.'" > "The word 'evangelical' has become almost meaningless this year," Moore > said, "and in many ways the word itself is at the moment subverting the > gospel of Jesus Christ." > > Moore is right. > > > > For years, I have defended conservative evangelicals against accusations from > the Left that we care more about preserving power than advancing the gospel. > I have argued that we support pro-life candidates because we love the unborn; > we defend traditional marriage because it leads to human flourishing; and we > advocate for limited government because it respects the dignity and agency of > human beings created in God's image. We are not the ugly stereotype. We are > compassionate conservatives. > > I still believe these are the core convictions of many of my devout, > evangelical brothers and sisters. But clearly, not all. I admit, I am ashamed > and embarrassed by my own tribe. And, I am grieved. > > Recently, Denny Burke, a pastor and professor of biblical studies at Boyce > College, wrote about his experience > <http://www.dennyburk.com/i-spent-super-tuesday-with-donald-trump/> attending > a Trump rally. Burke said repeatedly Trump berated protestors from the stage, > turning a tense situation into a potentially dangerous one. > > "Probably my main take-away from listening to (Trump) in person was his > ability to stoke anger and outrage," Burke wrote. "The people he appeals to > are frustrated with their government. They are frustrated with jobs being > shipped overseas. And they are frustrated with a sense that the political > elite don't listen to them. He knows how to stoke that frustration into a > blazing rage, and that is what he does at his rallies." > > I understand Trump followers' anger. Much of it is legitimate — and there's > certainly a part of me that would like to stick it to the establishment too. > But, every demagogue that has ever risen to power has done so riding a wave > of legitimate rage and discontent, from Stalin to Mussolini and yes — Hitler. > > As Christians, though, we normally distinguish between the means and the end. > Though we may agree with the end of a political movement, we refuse to engage > in any sinful means of achieving that end. Yet, as Trump rallies have turned > violent and even racist, his evangelical support has not waned. As he warns > (incites?) of riots if he's denied the nomination, Christians rattle their > sabers with the rest of Trump's thugs. > > > > Truly, Trump's Christian supporters seem to be just like his godless ones, > proving Trump's boast, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot > somebody and I wouldn't lose voters > <http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/23/politics/donald-trump-shoot-somebody-support/>." > Little does he or his supporters seem to realize that that isn't an > endorsement of Trump's movement, but an indictment. > > So, this is what evangelicalism has become. On the Left, we are abandoning > orthodoxy for gay rights and solidarity with other religions. And on the > right, we are an angry mob, overlooking sin and vice for the sake of our > righteous indignation. For those on the Right and the Left, our faith has > succumbed to politics. > > We are no longer serving Christ; we are serving idols. And, our big tent, > once a haven for so many seeking salvation, is now ripping at the seams. If > we continue as we are now, I fear there will soon be nothing left except > shreds of cloth and vestiges of the gospel. > > > > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > <http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism> > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > <http://radicalcentrism.org/> > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout > <https://groups.google.com/d/optout>. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. 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