Monday, October 23, 2017

Christian Support for President Donald J. Trump

Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host


The Presidency of Donald Trump is a fascinating occurrence.  I haven't seen such political drama and blood squirting out of the eyes of the liberal left since the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 (and his subsequent reelection in 1984).  In fact, this is even worse.  We have violence in the streets, and a segment of conservative folks who call themselves #NeverTrump using the same kinds of tactics as the liberal lefties when spewing their madness about the new President of the United States. The rise of the billionaire to the White House has divided families, fractured friendships, and made much of a conservative's navigation of public life nearly unbearable if one dare's to voice one's opinion (if you are pro-Trump, anyway).

Many of the conservative #NeverTrump folks were the same people criticizing many of the Tea Party people when they (the #NeverTrump folks) thought during the Obama administration that the Tea Party folks were demanding too much right-wing purity in politics.  Now, the table has turned, and the Tea Party and Christian Conservatives, who were accused of demanding purity, are jazzed to have Trump instead of Hillary Clinton in the White House.  Meanwhile, the #NeverTrump folks who once ridiculed the idea that anyone would demand purity are suddenly ticked off because Trump isn't a pure conservative.

Usually, when the "how is it you can possibly support Donald Trump" question is spit at my face, my first words are, "He's not Hillary."

Mrs. Clinton hates the American System as it is, and I believe Trump when he said he loves America.  While the Democrats were falsely accusing the Trump Campaign of colluding with the Russians, the reality is that it has been the Democrats all along working with the Russians.

The Democrats are brilliant, in that sense.  They knocked everyone off of their trail of colluding with the Russians by simply accusing their opposition of being guilty of it. Meanwhile, as the hounds were howling on a false trail of Trump's alleged sins of colluding with the Russians, according to FBI documents, the Obama administration was not only well aware of illegal bribery, extortion and money laundering schemes being conducted by the Russians to get a foothold in the atomic energy business in the U.S. before approving deal that handed them 20% of America's uranium reserves, but knew that it resulted in a windfall of donations to the Clinton Foundation.

The cultural Marxists have infiltrated our society at all levels, and the Clintons have been a large part of encouraging it, and enabling it, because they have been profiting from it, both in power, and in economic benefit.  As the onion unravels, its becoming clear that collusion with the Russians is nothing new to the Democrats, and many of them have participated in the game.  Heck, according to Trevor Loudon's film "Enemies Within," more than a hundred Democrat members of Congress have connections to communism and socialist groups.  And, it doesn't stop there.

We have communists at West Point.  We have a leftist anti-Trump movement that calls themselves "Antifa" planning on launching a violent revolution on November 4th of this year who are, surprise, surprise, funded and populated by communists.  We have States suing the federal government because Trump cut off the unconstitutional subsidies regarding a communist-style health care takeover by the federal government under Obama we lovingly call Obamacare.  We have the communists in California actually passing a law that allows some people to be jailed or fined for using the wrong pronoun when addressing certain people (He, She, They, and only God and the Democrats knows how long the list has gotten) thanks to ridiculous leftist Democrat Party support of a mental sickness that involves confusion regarding one's sexual identity (in an effort to make us all exactly the same regarding "gender" in a communist "equality" fashion).  Willingness to challenge the transgender madness puts you "under siege" if you dare to speak out against it.  California also sought disallowing pro-life pregnancy centers from refusing to hire pro-abortion applicants, homosexual applicants, or transgender applicants - but Governor Brown vetoed that one.  If Gavin Newsom is the next Governor of California, he'll be willing to sign such madness.  As the Democrats fight against Trump's immigration policy, and his call for a wall, the communists of La Raza and the communist open border folks have done all they can to keep the flow of illegal aliens coming into this country without any vetting or immigration procedures applied - despite that its killing people (Hepatitis A running rampant through San Diego County, the arsonist who lit the Napa Fire was a Mexican National illegal alien killing 2 in Napa Valley and 21 died from fires in northern California overall), and as for the sexual harassment and sexual sins of Trump, the attacks were all a part of the Democrat Party plan!

The sexual harassment attacks are a part of what they do.  Even in local politics I have seen innocent people who, with no evidence other than a woman hired by the Democrats or opponents of a political figure screaming "harassment" losing position, and having their political career ruined.

The conservative #NeverTrump crowd is blind to the real storyline, however, because they are too busy hating Trump, and literally buying into the Democrat Party's narrative.  For the the conservative #NeverTrump knuckleheads, so-called "ideological battles" have now become "dogma", and the conservative #NeverTrump brethren are somehow now righteously above the Democrat versus Republican battles.  These are the same people who scoffed at those who said there is no difference between the political parties during Obama's reign, but now that Trump is President of the United States, to them there is not only no difference between the parties, the party system is now an obsolete system that offends their senses.

Battles of faith have taken on a whole new identity for the righteous conservative #NeverTrump crowd.  All of our lives we, as Christians, have recognized that people change, all people can be reached by Jesus, some people are at different locations in their walk with their Savior, and we've always recognized that nobody is righteous.

Romans 3:23; King James Version (KJV) - 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

The conservative #NeverTrump people, however, have abandoned those beliefs, thanks to their hate for Donald Trump that has been planted in their head by the communists of the liberal left.

Donald Trump's campaign appealed to the religious segment of the Republican Party.  Unlike Hillary Clinton, who actually turned down opportunities to speak to church crowds, Trump embraced this segment of the population, and made campaign promises the Christians appreciated. . . like the desire to eliminate the Johnson Amendment.  Senator Lyndon B. Johnson added the amendment to an unrelated law to silence churches who were campaigning against him, but the reality is the threat to take away a church's non-profit status has a larger bark than its bite.  No church has ever lost its non-profit status for addressing political issues.  Personally, I've always felt that the best way to address the issue is not to protect a church's non-profit status, but to get away from direct taxation (IRS and Income Tax) altogether by repealing the 16th Amendment.

At a recent Value Voters Summit, Trump's third appearance, but first as President, he made a statement that was constitutional, in line with the Founding Fathers' opinion regarding the Laws of Nature of Nature's God, and in line with mainstream Christian beliefs.  "We worship God, not Government."  Yet, the #NeverTrump crowd was upset he was even at the event, considering his (and Bannon's) presence at the summit "offensive."

As Christians, according to the conservative #NeverTrump crowd, based on their reaction to Trump's presence among Christians, we should be offended when someone we believe to be an unbeliever walks into our church.  According to theme we should be offended if a new believer who hasn't quite gotten a handle of their new Faith in Jesus takes the stage at church to give their testimony.

The attacks by #NeverTrump folks about his connection to Christians, and Christian events, is not only ridiculous, it's downright unChristian!

The #NeverTrump conservatives use extreme and absolute language when discussing politics regarding President Trump - a vitriolic method that is also used by hard left Democrats.  They claim Christians who support Trump "worship" him, and have become "sold-out disciples" - both ridiculous accusations.

Shouldn't they be excited that a President is willing to court the Christian Community at all?

The Democrats are so anti-Christian they actually removed God from their party platform, and then narrowly voted Him back on with a roomful of "boos" as they did it.  Meanwhile, the Republicans have always been the political party that has a platform more in line with Christian Values, and now a President who it is said accepted the Lord (or renewed his Faith) during his campaign, and they are angry and offended he spoke at a Christian event?

For the doubters about Trump's prayer during his campaign to bring Jesus into his Life, I have met three pastors (all of whom reside and preach in Los Angeles County) in my constitution literacy and education effort who personally knows a pastor who was in the room when Trump dropped to his knees and called out to the Lord.  So, if the claim is true, and I believe it to be true because I do not believe those three pastors who do not know each other but gave me the exact same story about the their black pastor colleague who was in the room with Trump are liars, Trump is a baby Christian.  He later went to Texas, under a recommendation by Dr. Ben Carson, to meet with a group of pastors (some skeptical of Trump), coming from diverse backgrounds both religiously, and ethnically (James Robison was one of the pastors in that room).  Trump, as they talked to him, simply agreed, and responded with "I understand."  According to a conversation I had with a pastor I know from Dayton, Ohio, Pastor Donovan Larkins, the men in the room believed Trump, and believed he had humbled himself before the Lord.  One of the black pastors in that room, I don't recall his name at this instant, who was originally not supportive of Trump, changed his mind, and now he and Trump are on the phone daily.

But, the conservative #NeverTrump crowd doubts that Trump's faith in God is even possible, and are down on Christians for believing that such a possibility could be true.  Red State went so far as to accuse Christians of worshiping Trump, and what's worse, they claim, "We hurt our witness. People are less likely to hear our message about Jesus when we seem oblivious to the president’s clay feet."

If our witness as Christians depends upon the righteousness of a politician, there is something seriously wrong with our witness, and how we run our own personal lives.

"But, Doug," I can hear the author of the Red State piece yell, "'Why should I listen to you? You guys voted for the pu$$y grabber.'  'Christian? Why did millions of you vote for the guy who lies nonstop and won’t even ask for forgiveness?' This is the kind of response you get from non-Christians these days. I’ve heard it first-hand."

Lies nonstop?  This information is coming from a media and leftist movement that fabricates and manipulates the news constantly.  I am not so sure he's quite the liar he's being made out to be.   Okay, fine, tell you what, those of you who have never told a lie, go ahead and throw the first stone.

As for the sexist remark about grabbing female body parts; first of all, show me a male when he was younger that never made sexual statements (or had sexual thoughts) about women and I will show you either a liar, or a person who chose to be homosexual very early in life.

Isn't the very attack conservative #NeverTrump folks are making regarding Trump's alleged past contrary to Christian belief, anyway?  Do we not believe as Christians that we are forgiven, whether we go out of our way to make sure we ask for it, or not?  Do we not believe we change over time, mature as people, and mature as Christians?  Are we not changed creatures once we accept the Lord?  Isn't that supposed to be our witness?  We are all sinners, we all fall short of the glory of God, and some of us, despite our faith, still struggle sometimes with it.

Or is it safe to say that Bill S. at Red State (who wrote the above mentioned article) is so perfect and so righteous that he never committed any sin in his past and therefore never went through the type of growth Mr. Trump may have had to endure from the time he made the silly body-part-grabbing remark until now?

Or, perhaps the #NeverTrump people believe it is not possible that the Lord can change people like Donald J. Trump.  Perhaps Trump is beyond the reach of a God who I thought was omnipotent, but according to conservative #NeverTrump people, Trump was beyond even God's reach.  Perhaps they believe, despite his alleged statement of faith, God was unable to reach the man, and he's the same foul-mouthed guy he's always been. . . because apparently, the #NeverTrump crowd believes people can't change. . . which means they must've never been foul-mouthed, because apparently such growth is not possible.

In truth, there is no "Christian lovefest" going on, like the #NeverTrump people say.  It's just another example of their extreme language in an attempt to attack Trump, and those who voted for him and support him.  I don't believe Trump is the antithesis of a Christian, either.  I do believe he's a baby Christian, and he's still trying to figure out his new-found faith, path for growth and the amazing changes in his life.

I believe Trump was not necessarily a conservative going into his candidacy, but he had begun to realize the Democrats he had been befriending were not who he thought they were.  Then, the liberal left went haywire on him, and with their attacks, they literally threw Trump into the arms of conservatives and Christians.  While he did not fully understand the new camp he was in, he realized it was much more refreshing than where he had been willing to venture before.  He had arrived at a political and religious home in his soul he did not believe was possible.  Then, after meeting with pastors, he was humbled by the fact that they welcomed him into their midst, despite all that was being said about him by the media and the liberal left crazies, and despite his past transgressions.  From what I've been told, his epiphany was much like Benjamin Franklin's, who, while younger did not give God much credence, but as he got older the evidence in his life showed him that God indeed exists, and is involved in the affairs of men.

Is Donald J. Trump some kind of super-conservative?

Far from it.

Is he an inspiring religious figure with mature Christian actions and words?

Hardly.

Frankly, this conservative Christian thing is relatively new to him.

One of my constitution students was a San Francisco Bay area liberal Democrat who voted for Obama in 2008, but once he realized he had no answers for what he politically believed, and realized the liberal left Democrats had been lying to him, his journey to the world of conservatism was pretty rapid.  The more he learns, the more he realizes he made the right decision.  Why couldn't Trump have gone through the same realization?

As a Christian, my faith comes first.  As a Christian, my admiration of the principles and philosophies of the United States Constitution are very important to me.  As a logical person, I want to take the best path to preserve, and restore, our constitutional republic.  In 2016 the choice was an A or B choice.  Either vote for Hillary Clinton, or vote for Donald J. Trump.  Even if I thought the things the #NeverTrump folks say about Trump were true, I would have voted for him.  Hillary Clinton is a Marxist, criminal, and someone who has a list of dead bodies and a list of treasonous activities following her around.  The choice of Trump, from a logical point of view, was a no-brainer.

And, despite what the conservative #NeverTrump folks predicted, it turns out Trump did not suddenly rip his sheep mask off when he moved into the White House, and show himself to be the wolf the #NeverTrump folks say he is.

His accomplishments, despite the accusations, are extensive, so far.  Conservapedia has listed them all.  But, the media keeps saying he's accomplished very little. . . and for some reason the #NeverTrump conservatives believe the media's lies.

Among his accomplishments, Trump nominated Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, a strict constructionist.  As for Trump's other judicial nominations, the Democrats have been doing all they can to stop their appointment, including by using the unconstitutional practice of demanding a religious test during confirmation hearings - meaning they are holding up the nominations because they fear how deep the faith of the nominees are.

If Trump is not who he says he is, but instead some evil atheist leftist crazy, then why are the Democrats trying to block his very Christian, and very conservative, judicial nominations?

Again, let me repeat: my support for our President is not because I worship at the alleged alter of Donald Trump, as the #NeverTrump conservatives claim.  But, I am going to praise my President for a job well-done.  That said, I have been critical of President Trump a few times, but I also don't fall for every ridiculous fake news story that crosses the wire, and often hold off writing about certain things until I have the details right, and have figured out what are definitely lies by the leftists.

Why would I just automatically believe anything the liberal left says, especially when they spout garbage about someone they are willing to call for the assassination of, or celebrate the theatrical assassination of, because of the level of their hate for him?

In short, supporting Trump does not hurt my Christian witness (just because the liberal left spreads lies about him).  My witness as a Christian does not depend upon my political opinions.  My Christian witness, however, is sometimes enhanced by my support of Trump.  The people who hate President Trump, when they challenge me about my support of Trump, don't realize that they are giving me an opportunity to talk to them about the godless Democrats, the horrors of the liberal left, the divine Providence of the U.S. Constitution, and how as a Christian I recognize that none is righteous, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  I recognize that the President is merely a man, and I don't place all of my hope in his presidency.  We are flawed as humans, including Trump, so we make mistakes.  The difference between those with Jesus, and those who do not have the Savior in their heart, is that Christians usually recognize our sins, don't try to justify them with worldly excuses, and recognize that in the end our time here is short and our primary job is to share the good news of the Savior.

I said "usually" because as I stated before, even as Christians, we have a sinful nature.  Our flesh is constantly at battle with our faith.  Sometimes, even when we are Saved, we foul it up.  Fact is, nobody is perfect, and nobody is fully righteous. We all fall short of the Glory of God.  We are simply trying to do the best we can, and sometimes the logical choice is not the perfect choice, but we try to at least make the better choice.

Galatians 5:1, King James Version (KJV) - Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

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