Prior to December 2019, The Christian Post, one of the most popular online Evangelical publications in the world, never penned a critique of Christiaity Today beyond an Op Ed regarding CT’s views on spanking children, and an article about a contributing writer’s questionable business ties.
But immediately following CT’s call for Trump’s impeachment, CP launched a hailstorm of heretofore unmentioned accusations, claiming that the organization Billy Graham founded years ago is, among other things:
“disdainful,” “elitist,” “controlling,” “toxic,” “emotional,” “unbiblical,” “oblivious,” “corrosive,” “condescending,” “ignorant,” “uneducated,” “hypocritical,” and “clueless.”
All of these mined from a single article by CP’s executive and senior managing editors.
Suddenly, at the mere mention of a sitting president’s perceived moral failures, Christianity Today is transformed into a resource that no self-respecting Jesus follower should trust.
I’ve experienced something similar. As a southern-born-and-bred Evangelical, and no fan of the current administration, I have many Christian friends who aren’t happy with me. I face a similar barrage of insults at the mention of our current president’s dubiousness:
“You’re just as corrupt as you claim Donald Trump to be,” “I think you need to clean your glasses,” “Your hatred for Trump overrides the truth,” “Are you objective, or do you simply need Trump to be guilty?” “You’re just a spoiled child who can’t see past your emotions.”
Again, all of these from people who never had anything negative to say about me, now hurling judgments and accusations simply because I think Donald Trump is unfit for duty.
But I’m no angel either, guilty of launching my share of inflammatory tirades on social media, especially in the early days of Trump’s administration. How can my Christian comrades, many of whom lost their minds over Bill Clinton’s indescretions, support a candidate who celebrated, on video, the many virtues of sexual assault?
“What are you thinking?” “Thanks for Trump!” “Way to go, America!!”
In my mind, I’m one of the good guys, firmly convinced that Trump is hurting our country. On his watch the US is experiencing more division than I’ve seen in my lifetime; racism emboldened, racist systems left untouched, a growing insensitivity towards the poor and marginalized. If you support him, you’re hurting all of us, and ignoring the scriptures, right? Shouldn’t I make some attempt to straighten out my brothers and sisters? And isn’t it OK to use a few sharp words to get my point across?
Jesus did. He called king Herod a “fox;” the modern-day equivalent of a rodent. Both he and his cousin, John the Baptist, had choice snubs for the religious elite. The Bible is full of episodes where a servant of the Lord verbally rips into someone. The same goes for church history – Martin Luther once called the pope “a fart-ass and enemy of God.”
When engaging people whose minds have gone so far off track, am I not compelled, by the scriptures even, to ramp things up a bit? Although the Bible strictly forbids divisiveness, aren’t there exceptions? Jesus, John the Baptist, St. Paul, Martin Luther, etc. all brought division, and some insults, into arenas that were full of evil. Isn’t it OK to express myself in ways that my political adversaries might find disrespectful?
Maybe, but there’s a big difference between Martin Luther’s ministry, for example, and the ministry of “rip your brother to shreds on Facebook.”
I believe that Martin Luther was called, predestined, equipped. He had enormous buy-in, risking his life for what he believed to be the will of God. His encounters were personal, face-to-face. Ours aren’t. We don’t have the guts, or the buy-in.
But the biggest difference between Martin Luther’s ministry (or Jesus’, John’s, etc.) is that his detractors were beyond help. There’s no argument or strategy that would’ve changed their minds. The only way forward was direct, brutal.
Is that true for us? Are our political foes beyond hope? Is there a chance that a few face-to-face encounters in a coffee shop might change them, or, God forbid, us? Unfortunately, there’s no way to know. In our fear, anger, and lust to be “right,” we’ve completely skipped that step, choosing instead to embrace a strategy that brings more division into our ranks, if that’s even possible.
Scripture commands us, over and over, to approach our internal problems with longsuffering, humility, kindness, and respect. St. Paul says that we’re not even supposed to sue each other. While there’s nothing wrong with a discussion about Donald Trump’s moral failings, or the reasons why I believe he’s not a good president, I can do that respectfully, without any hint of an insult.
On the night of Jesus’ death, He prayed that we would all be “one.” Not, “everyone on the same page,” but the same kind of oneness that He shares with God – an impossible level of intimacy, interdependence, and love. With very rare exception, we should move forward in our political discourse with a humbling degree of respect (maybe some fear?) for what Jesus seemed to want more than anything else.
When people are overly emotionally invested in a cultic figure or movement, any questioning of that presumed authority figure is received as a direct attack on all things good, decent and true. The one raising objections must be in error, and more than that morally corrupted. Why else would they say such things?
The sociologists who study institutional evil call this “moral inversion” – when the person or persons participating in the morally questionable system name the whistle blower as evil. Of course, we find the detractors of Jesus doing the same thing. He is portrayed as being mad, or worse, possessed.
The hail storm of invectives arising from the truth-telling of CT is not unexpected; it fits with everything else the allies of this golden idol say and do.
In the end the story is about them and in time will be revealed for what it is: People who through brain washing or self interest came to defend the indefensible and attacked any and all who would dare reveal their gross idolatry.
I’m right there with you. It’s difficult to remain civil at times but I made a “Covenant of Civility” back in 2010 (when I only thought we were divided…). I strive to be honest about my political beliefs because they’re rooted in my spiritual beliefs. I’m not afraid to be brutally honest (a “fox” is a bit of a lightweight description), but strive to be respectful. I limit those conversations to in person only and never to social media. I won’t hide behind a cyber wall and most of communication can be non-verbal anyway.
Thank you for your sharing your stories and views. Despite the seemingly overwhelming participation of the Evangelical community in Trump’s camp there is still a remnant faithful to the teachings of Jesus rather than political power.
I am not an American, but I offer this brief thought on the current US president. He is not moving according to the Spirit of Christ, but rather according to the spirit of Constantine. Constantine conquered in the name of Christ, but he himself remained unconquered by Christ. He refused baptism until he was on his death bed. In the same way Trump is a user of the Christian right to advance his personal cult and political agenda. The long term harm he is doing to the advance of the genuine gospel message is immeasurable.
Exactly so.