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Reluctant Trump Christians, Where Is Your Confounding Love?
Consider this an exhortation. I hear things from Trump-ump David French (“calling balls and strikes,” but never tallying RBIs) and read articles from Christians anguished over the President’s ugly, New York Americanism, and I have trouble finding the Spirit in it. Rather than digging a channel to God’s ocean of mercy, it seems some Christians are trying to dispense it with a teaspoon. It’s all so pinched and joyless and, well, unfamiliar to me as “Christian.”
Donald Trump is a sinner. Christians should not be surprised by this. What is astonishing is the good he’s done and is continuing to do, which must, by necessity, originate with God, who is the source of all goodness. “Oh, but he’s not really Christian, he just mouths the right words about the preciousness of all human life as made in the image and likeness of God,” some say. The subtext of this criticism is he’s hopelessly irredeemable no matter what he says or does! Is that Christian love? Is it even recognizable as faith in God’s ability to work in and through Donald Trump’s life?
A reading from morning prayers from the book of James:
Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. Whoever speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save or to destroy. Who then are you to judge your neighbor?
And from Romans:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
“Yes, but affiliating with Donald Trump gives Christians and Christianity a bad reputation.” With whom? Are you really concerned about ingratiating yourself with the worshipers of Moloch?
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
In case you haven’t noticed, apologizing and making excuses to the Left is just chumming the water. Donald Trump gets this. Never apologize. You should not attempt to reconcile with evil or evil ideologies.
“But his tweets are embarrassingly juvenile and crass.” Maybe my response isn’t so much about my Christian faith and is more about my family genetics. My family of origin has ornery in its DNA. We like sassy and get a lot of laughs out of each other’s antics. I like to think of us as little lambs frolicking in the Lord’s pasture, and get the feeling He gets a good laugh, too.
It’s not that I don’t believe we’re all called to holiness, it’s just that these are minor infractions against the calling and I do believe we’ll all get there by the grace of God — eventually. And “holiness” doesn’t mean boring. Even Saint Augustine prayed, “Lord, make me holy, but not yet.” Father Michael Gaitley likes to say, “Make me a saint, but be gentle.” Our Good Shepherd is gentleness personified. Mercy Himself. We should strive to be imitators of Him.
And finally, “But Donald Trump once said he doesn’t need God’s forgiveness, even though he’s been an adulterer, a fornicator, a liar . . .” Were you born knowing you need a Savior? When did you figure it out? Have you never failed to ask for forgiveness when you should have? Have you come to know God better than you did 20 years ago? Why would all these things not also be true of Donald Trump? Whose timetable is he on anyway? Yours or God’s?
Frankly, I see a lot of ego and pride sneaking into the Christian angst over Donald Trump. And we all know where that leads. Will you be a joyful, loving, merciful disciple of Christ? Or a joyless scold, attracting no one to the faith? God gives us free will to choose.
Published in General
How do you know that? What I do know know is that French has worked hard on religious freedom cases, and in so doing has done more solid good for religious conservatives than most, perhaps all, of his critics.
It depends a lot on where one lives, does it not? Jonah lives in an area that is solidly blue. His vote makes no difference. If he chose not to vote (and I don’t know that to be the case), it would make no difference to the outcome at all. Dittos with French, though in his case the state is red, not blue. If they lived in a place where their votes would have counted, I believe they would have voted for Trump.
Good point.
Maybe I shouldn’t have stooped to that level, but Mr. Goldberg’s and Mr. French’s remarks haven’t exactly been compliments.
Then why are they so critical of those who voted for Trump?
No, they aren’t compliments. And it’s fine to disagree with their arguments and conclusions. I just get tired of the tactics of the Left – people who disagree with me are TRAITORS and/or EVIL and/or STUPID! – being employed by the Right. It’s especially tiresome coming from religious conservatives.
Because they have their own ideas and values. They come to different conclusions than you might. If you read those two particular writers, it isn’t hard to figure out their objections because they both express themselves quite articulately. People can disagree. It doesn’t make them traitors or stupid or whatever else gets thrown at them.
Don’t recall using those words.
I’m sorry – I wasn’t referring to you but to others. There have been some here who have been quite explicit in calling people like Jonah and French traitors. Earlier you did suggest that Evangelicals who disagreed with French were more intelligent than he, but no, you didn’t use the word “stupid”. I apologize if I seemed to be directing that at you – I wasn’t.
It’s not their disagreement that is the issue. Having read their articles you must have noticed their oft express low opinion of those that voted for, and still support, Trump. Phrases like “tribal mentality” come to mind, and Mr French doesn’t seem to have a high opinion those Evangelicals that continue to support Trump. He feels they are failing to live up to their own values.
I don’t think that’s quite right. What I gather from reading both Jonah and French is that they, like me, are distressed by people who use one set of values for “their guy”, and another for those who aren’t on their side of the ideological fence. How many Christians rightly criticized Bill Clinton for his moral failings who now give a pass for Trump? It’s a matter of consistency – if you disagreed with President Obama’s overreach of presidential authority, it should be reasonable and not treasonous to decry it in Trump. If you thought that Bill Clinton’s sordid dealings with women was an indication of a character flaw, then it ought not to be treasonous to decry it in Trump.
Jonah’s position is that character matters, and Trump’s lack of it may doom his presidency. I’m very sympathetic to that view, though I will acknowledge that I don’t have enough of a historical grounding to know if that’s likely. I do know enough history to know that very flawed people do manage to be effective. I hope that’s the case here with Trump, but the jury’s still out. I hope he wins reelection, but if he doesn’t I think it will be because of his character flaws that he seems unable to keep under wraps. He shoots himself in the foot every time….
As for David French, here I don’t have much to say because I’m not an Evangelical. But I have met David French, and found him to be a very personable, humble, pleasant individual. I am very aware of the good work he has done for religious freedom and am grateful for it. I have no doubt that what he expresses in his articles comes from a very principled heart.
As for “tribal mentality”, doesn’t that fit? I think it does, and this whole thread illustrates it! Oh, if you are a Christian, you must find your “confounding love” which means you should get past your reservations and objections to Trump, and which, by the way, only apply to Trump! Rank tribalism is on display…
Let me ask a question: How does labeling people like Jonah and David French as “traitors” help Trump’s reelection chances? Does Drew in Wisconsin think that he is adding more people to the rolls of Trump voters by using that term? Does WC ‘s position that criticism of Trump could be a sign of ego and pride in a Christian win more votes?
I don’t agree with French’s focus on Trump’s character as disqualifying him for the presidency. There have been too many examples of presidents who turned out to have roughly the same faults Trump has had, including Lyndon Johnson, and John F Kennedy.
And Richard Nixon had an exemplary married life and ended up being driven from office for corruption. Jimmy Carter also has had an exemplary married life, but he didn’t have other characteristics to be a good president – though you can argue that he was a better businessman than Trump as a peanut farmer. But for crying out loud, he made people reserve White House tennis court time through him.
Ronald Reagan, though not a blatant philanderer (he may have had some affairs while not married), was the first divorced president.
People who run for president are a little unbalanced. Probably one reason French did not – he did publicly toy with the idea in 2016 – is in the end he knew it would unbalance his personal life.
The more normal everyman presidents we have had in the modern era are Harry Truman and Gerald Ford, who did not run for president except as an incumbent.
But getting back to French’s view of Trump, I have heard French concede that Trump has done some good things policy-wise, and he includes Trump’s appointments to the federal judiciary. Yet he can’t get past Trump’s character.
That’s just the way it is.
Exactly. The freak-out over Romney’s vote on impeachment was little different from the Trump Derangement Syndrome that Trump supporters (often correctly) see in the president’s critics.
The linked NR article starts off with this:
I would like to humbly suggest: no, it isn’t a complicated situation. But it depends where you start.
If you start with that 1950s, post-war, support-your-leaders, ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you mindset…then it is complicated. Because no matter who is President you have to find your way to something that you can praise, respect, lift up, put on a pedistal.
This was probably ok back when America’s views were a bit more homogenous. And when it was a lot easier to ignore the proclivities of our elected leaders. And when the deficit was measured in 10s and even 100s of billions of dollars rather than 1000s. And when the Federal government didn’t insinuate itself in to every area of life.
But if you start from the notion that they are all, with rare exception liars. That none of them are worthy of any respect. That they all got where they are with used car salesman tactics, and giving money to the right people. If you start at that spot (which is where I start), then it’s not all that hard to support Trump. Frustration comes from unmet expectations. I expect all politicians to tell me what I want to hear, to utter half truths, to take credit for every good thing under the sun and blame every bad thing on the last guy.
As far as God’s love? I’m sure it says somewhere in the Bible that there are two exceptions: playground bullies and elected leaders.
The week before, Romney required more information. He then voted to convict anyway. One does not have to be enamored of Trump’s behavior to recognize that Romney is the eastern exposure of a donkey headed west.
Haha! Spin!! I did not expect to agree with you (assuming you’re exaggerating that last point for humorous effect).
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I thank you for the rent-free space in your head, but feel free to offer it to someone else.
No. I’m not saying you should get past your reservations and objections to Trump. I’m saying you should love him anyway. I don’t think we Christians should be sneering at confounding love.
Does God love “consistently” or disparately, surprisingly, radically? Let’s ask the Prodigal’s older brother.
Maybe criticizing French isn’t attractive to would-be Trump voters (I think they’re foolish if they base their vote on that). But, I’m more interested in what attracts to the faith that David French claims to care so deeply about. I think David French is highly intelligent and a man of integrity. I also think he’s so wrong in his criticisms of his brothers and sisters in Christ (as is the author of the linked NR piece about the angst-inducing “complexity” of the situation) and perpetual hounding of Trump’s character flaws that it’s a matter of principle to point it out to him.
Donald Trump is the Prodigal President. Sure, he’s not quite within view of home yet and he has the stink of the pig sty all over him. But, he’s headed in the right direction and we Christians should encourage him and embrace him. Love conquers all — even Twitter.
I’d rather be dancing on the floor of some arena at a Trump rally with all the Christians aware of Trump’s flaws, but supportive of him anyway, than sitting in David French’s parlor with the Bulwark and Dispatch crews moaning about his deficient character.
I think this “tribalism” critique has been overplayed almost as much as the “nationalism” slam. What does it mean to be “tribal?” It means your loyalties fall somewhere between the high of self/family/faith and the low of state/ideology/globalism. That you share values and history with a group bigger than your family. Fine, then. I am part of the traditional Judeo-Christian American Nationalist Western tribe who happily supports Donald Trump as the one guy (not David French or Jonah Goldberg) standing between us and the neo-Fascist Globalist Leftist tribe. Yup. That’s me. I’m “tribal.”
Most people would. The President’s rallies are noted for being boisterously fun events that even Democrats have to admit are full of contagious joy.
“But his Tweets!”
Stuff your pious, pinched-faced, church lady nonsense. This joyfulness is what attracts people to the movement. Not the Nevers’ constant drumbeat of negativity or David French telling Christians they had better not be supportive of the President or they’re ruining their Christian witness. I think being a joyless scold is far worse for one’s Christian witness.
No that is not all they did. In the case of Mr. French, he is not called out in the comments here for simply criticizing Trump. He routinely calls out religious conservatives for supporting Trump. In essence, he started the fight. Religious Trump supporters were not running around calling French a bad Christian for not supporting Trump.
There is a difference between criticizing Trump and criticizing Trumps religious voters.
I agree with this completely. I worked on a local campaign for a state senator. There were about thirty of us volunteers, and we had so much fun stuffing envelopes and making calls. The campaign manager had a great sense of humor, and we spent our volunteer hours laughing. Toward the end of the campaign, the other candidates in the area kept calling us asking us for help because they couldn’t find volunteers! :-) No surprise at all to us. :-) I see so much of that good old fashioned fun in the Trump rallies. :-)
Thank you so much for your post. You lay out your disagreement clearly and without resorting to insulting those you disagree with.
I really don’t have a problem with what you’re saying. What I object to is the idea that Trump shouldn’t be criticized by those on the Right. If you extended that to all Republicans and conservatives, I could at least respect your position though I would disagree. But I find the double standard – feel free to dump all over people on the Right you disagree with, but don’t touch Trump! – to be very off-putting.
I agree with you that “tribal” gets overused. But I think it does describe the situation when Trump fans view as traitors those who criticize Trump.
Nor do I get the “one guy” thing. I think there are many people standing up to, to use your words, the neo-Fascist Globalist Leftist tribe. I think Mitch McConnell has been great. The people at the Federalist Society who drew up the list of judges for Trump to submit. Those who debate Lefties on colleges and in the media. This idea that it’s Trump and only Trump smacks too much of those who viewed Obama as their Messiah.
I agree – a joyful witness is always more appealing.
You are of course right.
I think the issue is that a lot of this is more “behind the scenes”. Beyond Ben Shapiro, I don’t know the people on the right that are actually go to Colleges. I know they exist, I am glad for their work but I don’t know who they are. I don’t know who the members of the Federalist Society are or what they do. Most people have never heard of them. I am glad they are doing the good work on judges but they are not “public face”. Mitch McConnell understands how the Senate works as well as anyone and has been doing good work. He is not a great public speaker, he is not really known.
The “one guy” thing is not to say that there is truly only one guy doing good work. More it is that there is a “face” to that work. For years Republicans have been called racists, homophobic, nazis and evil. There has been a desire for a President or Presidential candidate to push back. Bush, Romney and McCain did not do this. Newt led polls in a Primary, not for any policy but for fighting the media. It is not “one guy” but it has to be the right guy, with a big platform.
This presidential campaign is going to even more bitter and disheartening than the one in 2016, isn’t it?
It’s going to be more fun.
I don’t know, but it sounds like you have a problem with what I’m saying.
I don’t see Trump and his critics on the right in parallel situations at all. Trump isn’t just “touched,” he’s slammed up against the wall and beaten about the head pretty much daily. He’s accused of being a clown, a carnival barker, a racist, an anti-Semite, a misogynist, a liar, and Hitler daily in the MSM. What does the MSM have to say about French and Goldberg? Not much, except occasionally to praise their “fair-minded” critiques of the President and his supporters.
David French, in particular, is already in the Father’s house and complaining that Trump squandered his inheritance and smells like a pig sty, and “what has the Father done for me? Not even a young goat!” He’s revealed his unhappiness at the love evangelical Christians show for President Trump.
I’ve been the Prodigal and his brother at various times of my life. But, we’re called to imitate the Father, who loves both sons, but in different ways because of their different circumstances. I’m not a fan of consistency for consistency’s sake. Explain why I’m wrong.
You’ve never answered my question, Jean: what good purpose is served by French’s, Goldberg’s, and your criticisms of the President?