I am a Christian and I am angry that Christians are voting for Donald Trump

I am a Christian and I am angry that my brothers and sisters in Christ are voting for Donald Trump. There is no shortage of outrage on social media. I have outrage fatigue from all the things I am told that I should be upset about. However, I feel grief and anger at Trump’s popularity among Christians. Trump’s popularity and support from evangelicals stands apart because it is not that Trump is indifferent to the poor, he is actively exploiting the poor.

Trump exploited the Orlando tragedy to smear muslims and Obama. Trump has a history of business schemes that relied on shady tactics in order to profit financially from single mothers, among others. Trump Tower was built on the backs of undocumented Polish immigrants. Now he is exploiting the Other, those who are not like his voter base in some way (think refugees, immigrants), in order to conjure up fear and profit politically from the promise of security. Trump is masterful at this, and has decades of experience.

Anyone who exploits the poor stands in opposition to Christ. The only time we saw Jesus angry in Scripture is when he drove out the money changers in the temple who were exploiting the poor through highly unfavorable manipulation of currency exchanges. (John 2).

Christ takes exploitation seriously, so we need to also. Here’s my logic:

1) Christ defended the poor.

2) The aim of the Christian is to be more like Christ.

3) Christians therefore must defend the poor.

4) Trump is exploiting the poor.

5) It follows, therefore, that Christians must stand against Trump.

The only premise that can be argued by a Christian is #4, and I insist that the weight of the evidence is against them. I am astonished by how many Christians refuse to see that Trump relies on fear of the Other in order to gain power. The only explanation that makes sense to me at this point is either that they are willfully blind to his exploitation or have been cleverly deceived.

Christ brought down the dividing wall between us and our neighbor and between us and the Other. “For he himself is our peace, who had made the two groups (Jews and Gentiles, enemies!) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” Christ came to bring down walls, not erect new ones. Christ broke down the wall between us and God. We are given new eyes to see the sufferings of the poor, the immigrant, and the refugee, and come alongside them to meet their needs in their desperation.

The most common objection I hear to this is that our borders are not secure and that our enemies are “flooding in” to harm us. Acknowledgement of hyperbole aside, one role of government is to protect its people from threats, and I agree that sensible policies need to be created in order to meet the tension between national security interests and the global refugee crisis. There are real threats to Americans that must not be overlooked and must be dealt with aggressively. Frequently when the argument to keep out the Other is made, though, it is made by Christians motivated in some way by fear. But why? Aren’t we told to “be strong and courageous?” Paul asked, “where, oh death, is your victory? Where is your sting?” Why are we so afraid? Are we going to convince anyone we believe Christ is who he claimed to be if fear drives our approach to the poor?

I am astonished that evangelical leaders have rallied around Trump and endorsed him so readily. Even Eric Metaxas, who wrote Bonhoeffer’s biography and deeply understands the horrific outcomes when nationalism and fear of the Other boils up into tyranny, endorsed Trump. James Dobson recently reported that Trump was “born again.” For those unfamiliar with this staple of the Christian lexicon, being “born again” means that a person died to themselves and is actively seeking to become more like Christ. Admittedly, this is not an overnight process and is the greatest challenge in my own life. It’s really hard and I’m not good at it. I’m in no position to say where Trump’s heart is or say if he knows God. I hope he does, and if he doesn’t we should fervently pray for him until he does.

However, dying to yourself inherently means identifying with the poor because, like them, I have nothing to offer Christ. It also means surrender, in every aspect or your life, to exalt Christ as Lord. Christ gave up his power and made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, and died on a cross so that we are brought near and no longer the Other in a spiritual context. Trump’s statements and actions do not show any desire for forgiveness or love for the poor. Christ renounced power to empathize with the poor; Trump thinks Christians need more of it.

Let me be clear. I am not asking to create a theocracy lead by a Christian ruler who implements Christian ideals through rule of law. Far from it. That would be unconstitutional and history has shown that does not work out well for anyone. Instead, I am simply asking Christians to seriously consider if they can vote for a man who exploits the poor.

I can reasonably differ with a candidate on issues of policy, even on the issues I care about most. I can even understand why a candidate would be indifferent to the poor in his or her policy. It’s hard to gain power in politics from those who are powerless. But Trump has gone too far. He shamelessly exploits the poor while claiming Christ and has the support of too many Christians. Anyone who exploits the poor must be opposed through every proper democratic channel.

Besides all these things, Trump is a threat to national security, a threat to democracy, and a threat to the rule of law. It is beyond me how the same people who have so long decried the unfounded yet perceived possibility of tyranny under the Obama administration now so willingly invite it as they vote for Trump. Maybe not on themselves, but certainly on the poor. Christians must care about the “least of these” and advocate on their behalf. I don’t know who to vote for and I am not advocating for Hillary, but a vote for Trump is a vote against the poor.

I am angry at you, brothers and sisters in Christ, but I love you. We all can love the poor better. Let’s start with our vote.