Donald Trump’s words on the now-infamous Access Hollywood videotape gave me pause. The lewd comments and racy language left me with one unavoidable question –how could the Religious Right rationalize supporting Trump now?
For years, the Religious Right has believed that laws should be based on the morals established through Judeo-Christian traditions. Not only does every American have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness established in the Declaration of Independence, but this is a nation under God that must adhere to all of His laws.
This belief is why all pregnant women, even victims of rape or incest, must carry pregnancies to term. Political leaders must ensure laws are passed to make these things happen –regardless of their own moral character.
As a Christian, I was always torn. God’s law is God’s law, regardless of what Congress, the President or the courts say. God’s judgement is absolute. So if we as Christians truly believe in Him and know that justice will be served in the afterlife, why worry about manly laws? On the other hand, how could I support allowing innocent, unborn children to be killed for convenience?
Then the videotape surfaced. Here was a man openly showing disrespect for one of God’s highest institutions: marriage. His apology was more about shifting focus to Clinton’s transgressions than about finding true remorse in his own. When allegations of Trump’s sexual assault resulted (i.e. women saying he did the things he admitted to in the tape), the reactions from him and his surrogates did not show Abraham-like humility at all. Threats of lawsuits against the accusers and the press, redirects to Bill Clinton’s issues and minimizing the importance of such attacks were the norm. Where was the humility, remorse and empathy for women that truly have suffered through such attacks (or worse)?
Donald Trump leads in polling among Christians.
Evangelical Christian leader Jerry Falwell was criticized when he tweeted this photo of him, his wife, and Donald Trump, accidentally posing in front of a Playboy magazine featuring Donald Trump on the cover.
Let’s be clear, this presidential election has arguably been the worst in recent memory. The major-party nominees are awful in terms of integrity and popularity.
The difference? There is only one who is supported by those who feel God’s laws should guide our self-governing process. Trump’s supporters are saying we should give him the power to appoint judges who will tell our daughters, significant others and sisters what they can do with their bodies – although he cannot adhere to God’s direction himself.
Seems ironic, doesn’t it?
But this is the conundrum of the Religious Right. Christians give power to men and women mostly unwilling to completely submit to God’s moral code. These same men and women utilize that power to try to tell rape victims they must carry their babies to term because their God says so. The hypocrite politicians are not held to the same standard.
Bob McDonnell provides an ironic example. The former governor of Virginia signed a controversial mandatory ultrasound bill into law to violate women seeking an abortion since he could not ban abortion outright. Yet, McDonnell had his own ethical test. He failed it and then blamed his wife in an attempt to save his own skin but was convicted anyway (later reversed by SCOTUS on a technicality).
There are many other examples. Why do we as Christians give our time and money to support such hypocrites when those resources could be used to evangelize and win more people over to Christ, which is God’s highest calling?
While this conundrum may or may not give Christians pause, my mind is made. I will no longer vote based on my Christianity. My Christian duty is to evangelize and convert people to Christ. I will no longer give power in the name of God when the recipients cannot live by those same rules. I would rather vote to allow people to follow their own direction and deal with God on their own terms.
Unfortunately, the alternative to Trump has too many leadership issues, so my final decision is yet to be made.
In the meantime, I just hope more Christians can be as self-reflecting as I have learned to be.
