So, What Do You Really Believe?
I recently read a very evocative response to the seemingly prevalent Christian approach to our volatile political climate. In response to our damning vilification of Bill and Hilary Clinton, yet our perturbing support of Donald Trump, it declared: “A principle you hold until it gets in the way of what you really want to do isn’t a principle. It’s a costume.”
Any Christian with even a modicum of understanding of the Scriptures knows that all people, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, are sinners [without the profession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior]. Many people are also somewhat familiar with Lord Acton’s phrase, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” To be sure, Christians are not immune to this human frailty. In regard to our stance on Trump then, might we be wearing a “costume”?
Many of our most visible Christian leaders have endorsed Donald Trump as “God’s choice” as the next rightful POTUS. Let me be clear, I don’t have a personal stake firmly planted on either side of the political aisle [I neither believe in Trump nor Clinton], but, at least to my mind, there is no rational reason that anyone would think Trump a Christian [as has been stated by some of our leaders, albeit a “baby Christian”] after he said he has no need to ask God’s forgiveness . Furthermore, his description of the Holy Eucharist as “a little cracker” and some wine is dispositive.
We Christians have all-too-often exposed our collective “butt crack” and yet become churlish and recalcitrant when called out for such an ‘indecent’ act. We have a history of moving the goal posts to suit the present political climate. For instance, when John McCain ran against Mitt Romney for the Republican Party nomination in 2008, there is documented evidence that some Christians actually called down curses on any Christian that voted for Romney, claiming that he was a Satanist [Read Mormon].
Four years later, being the only viable candidate on the Republican ticket following the failure of Mike Huckabee to accumulate the required number of delegates to win the nomination, Christians declared Romney the messiah [read savior of the Republican party and American political system] and urged us all to cast our vote for him against those ungodly, nation destroying Democrats.
By the same token, when the current election cycle began, no one took Trump seriously. Most Christians believed that when the smoke cleared and the field was narrowed down to only the most viable candidates, Trump would have long ridden off into the sunset with his proverbial tail between his legs. Somehow, against all odds, this didn’t happen. Fearing the worst [another 4 years of Democratic rule], the very ones who’d ridiculed and belittled Trump, jumped on his band wagon and lined up to give him their endorsement.
Trump’s character and integrity issues represent everything negative and more than Bill Clinton’s did back when he was POTUS, at least in regard to his morality [I’m not talking fiscal policies, international relations, or healthcare here], yet the demand for Bill Clinton’s impeachment was a resounding cry from Christian Republicans while, at least in many of their minds, Trump remains the viable candidate to rule the country for the next four years. Why?
Sorry, but I’m not buying that beleaguered argument about the Republican platform being the most godly platform, especially since it’s Trump in the White House and not the actual Republican Party. Trump espouses very few of the values of the party that Christians hold most sacrosanct. Aside from his multiple marriages, he’s on record as supporting abortion rights and gay marriages, as well as on record for his many bigoted and discriminatory statements against blacks, hispanics, women and various other minorities. Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m simply pointing out the inconsistencies in our projected values here.
How else can one justifiably argue that one man’s indiscretions rendered him unfit for office while arguing that another man, equally guilty of similar indiscretions, remains worthy of the same office? One might be led to conclude that the mass Christian support of Trump is less about Trump and more about a hatred for what is considered “liberal,” which would go a long way in explaining the limited, binary thinking of casting a vote for the lesser of two evils. But sure, feel free to resort to name calling if that’s the only weapon left in your arsenal.
Look, It’s a general election. If you believe that we only have a binary choice, [I don’t, but it is the prevailing theory] then I get that you’re willing to die on this mountain while name calling other Christians who don’t believe the way you do. But I’ll remind you that no matter who serves in the office of POTUS, they’ll only be there for a maximum of eight years, but the Church of Jesus Christ, and our witness will remain long after. Besides, the future of any nation is hinged on the Church’s faithfulness to Her calling and not on who sits in the seat of political power [don’t hate me, hate 2 Chronicles 7:14]. So why are we burning bridges we’ll one day need to cross back over?
As pastors and Christian leaders, many of us are extremely vocal about which candidate we support, and actually encourage our congregations from the pulpit to align with our particular partisan leanings, effectively alienating those who don’t believe like us. Since it’s more important to preach Christ and Him crucified than it is to take a hard political stance from the pulpit, I’d suggest that, as a pastor you keep your personal convictions to yourself. Of course you don’t have to listen to anything I say.
But while we’re at it, may I suggest that if your church is petty enough to see politics as an equal priority for the congregation, such that you’re willing to place candidates front and center on the pulpit alongside of Christ in violation of the 501(C)3 laws [every church is subject to those laws whether you’ve filed for status or not] then maybe your church should consider paying taxes rather than enjoying the exemption provided by the very laws you choose to violate.
Before we get lost on a rabbit trail, please remember that the point of my conversation isn’t about imposing demerits on the current aspirants for POTUS for their bad behavior in order to determine who’s more suitable. It’s not even about who to vote for come November, and it certainly isn’t about trying to get Christians to uniformly think alike. In fact It’s simply a conversation about how one can reconcile saying that Bill Clinton should have been ineligible to be president solely on the basis of his moral failings while at the same time arguing that Donald Trump should be president in spite of his moral failings which are, at best, just as severe as Bill Clinton’s.
In other words, I’m echoing the sentiment I read a short while back, and reiterating the fact that our principles matter so much more than our politics, especially because our principles represent our values and are a signpost to what we actually believe versus what we say we believe. Remember: “A principle you hold until it gets in the way of what you really want to do isn’t a principle. It’s a costume.” Just my dos centavos!
