If you think the latest Trump scandal is going to sink him, you don’t understand America.
You don’t understand the visceral fear that motivates Trump voters, you don’t understand the priorities of American conservatives and evangelical Christians.
There are certainly many thoughtful, compassionate Christians and conservatives who are breaking ranks and condemning Trump. And I believe they are enough to prevent Trump winning in ordinary times (probably even in this election, but it gets more complicated when many progressives cannot in good conscious vote for Clinton either). However, even if Trump loses this election, that isn’t the end of the problem.
You need to understand that most conservatives hold to their political ideology with a religious zeal because they believe it’s the godly position. This is a common phenomenon called syncretism. Most typically conservative positions are unrelated to the Gospel at best or often outright contradictory, but because they are expressed by everyone in their community, and often rationalized by some religious based argument, they are thought to be Biblical. Once a position is associated with God, defending the political position is as important as defending God.
Issues like abortion are a real and understandable moral dilemma for Christians. And to be honest, liberals need to seriously understand both sides of this issue and find a way to frame their position in a more thoughtful way that considers some compromises in tone if not detail. Because as it currently stands, abortion is the largest obstacle that drives so many thoughtful Christian voters away, voters who would otherwise support democrats on most progressive issues.
But the majority of conservative hot button issues like size of government, taxes, social services, use of military force, corporate and economic policies, gun rights, etc, these are all cultural values that they mistakenly think are “Christian”.
And this is key, conservatives are filled with overwhelming fear that liberal policies are destroying the country. They fear that they are being persecuted for their religion. The fear is raw and blinding, and it leads to anger and hate. Trump is not the problem, he is simply saying the things that people already feel.
That’s why Trump was right when he said, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”
Here are just some random comments, from conservative Christians on a thread I read this morning. Read these, and understand what motivates his supporters. Unless we understand each other, we can’t heal our country and make positive common sense progress on important issues. Unless we begin talking, we will never understand each other. We need more diplomacy. We need to learn how to address the underlying fear that drives everything else. We need to strive to remove the fear before we try to pass laws (or at least in conjunction with), because using the power of the state only reinforces the fear (on both sides).
Female Christian: Seriously, JFK, Clinton… lets stick to relevant issues such as a malignant out-of-control Fed. vs protection of our individual/State rights under the constitution. I just loath when an issue such as this become a smear when there’s really vastly greater issues at risk. It’s not like former presidents were pristine. COME ON.
Female Christian: After a great deal of soul searching I feel compelled to vote for him, actually. He is surrounded by many solid advisors and SCOTUS appoinments in this election are crucial. Hillary will appoint radical judicial activits that would render our constitutional protections null and void at warp speed. I’m team Trump at this point and my concience is clean.
Female Christian: I agree, it’s a witch hunt really. What the hell happened to fbi investigations . It’s soooo corrupt .Such a corrupt government I could go on. I won’t .
Female Christian: This was eleven years ago! Dr.Dobson said on TV last night that Donald Trump received the Lord in Salvation five years ago! Let us not throw stones!!! Jesus said those who are without sin to throw the first stone! They all went away! Pray for all Christians!
Female Christian: Let him without sin cast the first stone! How many of us would not like something we did years ago brought against us! Let God judge the heart! Trump is still the best choice! If you are ready for one world government , vote for Clinton!
Female Christian: I do not condone his language or behavior. What matters: is what Hillary has done not what Donald has said.
Female Christian: Why r y’all focused on this look to the bigger picture. Who supports the terrorists?Those r the ones who will destroy America. Look at Tim Kaine’s history . We will be living in a Muslim country and I’ve been to those countries women are not free the oppression is terrible! Both of these canadites need God’s Spirit! muslims do not believe in the same God if they can’t convert you they will kill you! This is very!!!! Dangerous
I will vote for Trump if you don’t vote ur giving ur life away we need to repent and pray to God for mercy on this nation it grieves me sooo We have to stand with Israel God will bring judgement
Male Christian: Do you want Hillary running our country, and increasing government attacks on Christian institutions and unborn babies?
Male Christian: Like Mark Levin and Ted Cruz: holding your nose and wearing a gas mask to vote for Trump because the alternative is even worse, while still critical of his many flaws. I hate that it’s come to this, but a major reason that Trump is the nominee is that millions of Bob’s fellow Democrats voted for him in the crass open Republican primaries.
Male Christian: If the Dems were not the party of abortion extremism, sodomite marriage, confiscatory taxation, welfare dependency, class and race warfare, and attacks on Christian institutions that dissent from the GayStapo agenda, then they might be worth voting for.
Male Christian: For a while, I was seriously considering the Never Trump position. What cured me of this was the Democratic National Convention that had the Black Thugs Matter, Naral, and Planned Parenthood leaders. This made it clear that Hellary was going to double down on abortion extremism, attacking Christian institutions to force them to change their religious positions, and undermining the police with the result that even more black lives will be lost to criminals. My wife is still not sure.
Male Christian: Since voting is not endorsement but a preference among the candidates actually available under the voting system we actually have. Once voting is recognized as a preference issue, our consciences are clear. The “no lesser of two evils” types have never managed to show that voting is NOT preference, so all their arguments can’t get past first base.
Male Christian: Trump is the product of the insufferable unthinking smugness of the Left against those who believe in God, freedom, and self-defense; plus the gutlessness of the Republican Party who just rolled over and funded all the Democratic policies. There is a lot of anger, but unfortunately it was misdirected (and of course the Dems here overlook the role of Dems voting for Trump in open primaries).