Trump Hypnotizes Evangelicals
Here’s what Trump said to the National Religious Broadcasters.
Former President Trump needs to attain LOTS of Evangelicals’ votes.
His speech to the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) was their catnip.
White Evangelicals are the largest demographic that supports Trump. The NRB is ostensibly the group that broadcasts religious news. In reality, it majorly broadcasts to Evangelicals.
Please understand that Evangelical Protestants are not the only Christians. Other Christians include Mainline Protestants, Catholics, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Eastern Orthodox Christians. And obviously, there are religious broadcasters who represent non-Christian faiths.
But make no mistake about it: NRB almost exclusively caters to Evangelicals. So does Trump.
This article cites messages said by Trump at the February 22, 2024, convention. Kudos to Bob Smietana for his excellent original article (February 23, 2024).
· Trump wants to restore Christian preachers to power. “If I get in, you’re going to be using that power at a level that you’ve never used before.” Since when did Evangelical pastors decide American policy? Certainly, Evangelicals can express their political opinions. But America is not a theocracy — a nation ruled by one religion. Catholics, Atheists, and, dare I say, Evangelicals do not get to establish a religious power over other religions in America.
· Trump is ready to restore God to His rightful place in American culture. America is “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” People have lots of different conceptualizations as to what constitutes God or gods. And yet, America must make sure that justice is provided for all. Evangelicals deserve justice; so does every other American.
· Trump described himself as a friend and fellow believer. Is Trump, therefore, not a friend to Mainline Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Atheists, and all religious groups? Trump himself is not an Evangelical, yet “fellow believer” is a code phrase for being an Evangelical. Trump has never said he aligns with Jesus. Certainly, he exudes the opposite of Jesus’s selfless, merciful aid to all.
· Trump portrayed Evangelicals as a persecuted group. Evangelicals have often received mocking from the secular press. And yet, Evangelicals have typically persecuted Blacks, LGBTQ, and feminists. Are Evangelicals presently persecuted more than Jews or Muslims? Hardly. Trump knows that to call Evangelicals “persecuted” is an aggressive “call to arms” for Evangelicals.
· Trump intends to create a task force that will root out anti-Christian bias. No religion wants to receive biased persecution. But the thought of Trump (as President) creating a “task force” to discover (and then persecute) reporters who speak against any Evangelical positions sends shivers up my spine. Such action is not free speech nor freedom of religion in America.
· Trump claims he will be a peacemaker. In Trump’s first four years as President, would anyone in his right mind claim that his reign produced peace rather than rioting or violence? President Trump proudly wears the title of a law-and-order sheriff. Apparently, Trump’s definition of “peacemaker” is someone with enough clout to suppress a World War III. Jesus’s definition of “peacemaker” is very different.
· Though he admitted that he wasn’t a very good Christian and didn’t know much about the Bible, Trump told broadcasters that he shared their faith. A follower of Jesus would claim that being “a good Christian” is to love all others in Jesus’s way. Trump acknowledges that he is lacking in that area. And since the NRB conference was theoretically for all religions, Trump’s “shared faith” is really just with the Evangelicals. In Trump’s speech, he did not express a shared faith with Muslims, Jews, Catholics, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Perhaps Trump doesn’t need their vote in order to win — he just needs Evangelicals to vote for him.
· Trump said he would always stand up for God. Some detractors of Trump perceive him to be someone who thinks he is a Messiah sent from God. I am confident that he is not.
· Trump received the loudest ovation when he promised to promote school vouchers. This issue of school choice ensures that no “Woke” education about Black or LGBTQ history is ever provided. Personally, I am in favor of all varieties of school choice — putting the power into the hands of the parents. But I support teaching the history of Blacks, gays, and lots of other minorities.
· Trump vowed that America would only have two genders: male and female. Clearly, Trump is a threat to the transgender community in America. There has already been enough piling on the trans community. We don’t need a president joining the mob.
· Trump bragged about being indicted more than Al Capone. Humm…
· Trump claimed that “bad things” were being done to Christian crosses. As a Christ-follower, I do not want Americans denigrating the cross. But is this really happening in America — or is Trump creating a “boogeyman” to get more votes?
All registered voters in America should be privileged to vote for whomever they want. Clearly, former President Trump is pandering to Evangelicals to get their votes. But does Trump equally show support for other Christian denominations (e.g., Mainline Protestant, Catholic, Latter-Day Church of Jesus Christ) or other faith practices or those who claim no religion?
Americans ought to be very suspicious of a presidential candidate who is willing to defend only one religion.
Dr. Mike Rosebush (Ph.D., Counseling Psychology; he, him, his;) is the creator and editor of GAYoda, plus a writer for Backyard Church. A short synopsis of Dr. Rosebush’s life can be found at I Lived the Most Unusual Gay Christian Life Ever. He may be contacted at mikerosebush75@gmail.com.
