There is no circumstance under which I would vote for Donald Trump.
Trump represents or exhibits most of the things that run counter to the Christian values, morals, virtues, and principles I have spent half a lifetime attempting to model, preach, and teach. Am I to classify these as mere trivialities such that in the interest of political expediency I would be willing to reject them all in order to have a Republican president for our country?
Nope. Not now. Not ever.
His personal morality is not atypical for our times but hardly represents anything in the neighborhood of Christian values. His personal fortune is built in part on development of casinos and the gambling industry, something that most of us have held to be a moral vice that destroys lives and families. His reputation as a skilled negotiator may be well earned, though he has acknowledged using bankruptcy laws to skate when it was financially advantageous for him to do so, leaving others to suffer the losses.
From Trump, I’ve not seen an ounce of humility, something Scripture defines as a foundational virtue for a leader, while shameless arrogance drips from every syllable he speaks. His approach in running for public office has been to ridicule opponents, call them ‘losers,’ mimic physical handicaps, and employ other puerile bully tactics.
No thanks.
His recent statement about banning Muslims from coming to the country is a frightening reminder of the past. What’s the difference between banning Muslims for reasons that sound convincing and banning Jews or Baptists for another set of reasons that are convincing to the public? None that I can see. Religious bigotry. Dangerous religious bigotry.
On this Russell Moore speaks better than I:
Make no mistake. A government that can shut down mosques simply because they are mosques can shut down Bible studies because they are Bible studies. A government that can close the borders to all Muslims simply on the basis of their religious belief can do the same thing for evangelical Christians.
A government that issues ID badges for Muslims simply because they are Muslims can, in the fullness of time, demand the same for Christians because we are Christians.
Trump is a rich, bombastic bully without any core principles that I can discern, other than what elevates him must be good for America.
Liberals often attempted to minimize Ronald Reagan as a B-movie Hollywood actor but he had a well-developed set of conservative principles, honed over decades of reflection along with a body of serious work as a governor.
Trump is supposed to have some, similar set of principles? Where have these been? What are they now? I don’t see anything but reality show bluff and bluster.
But, we’re electing a president, not a pastor.
Indeed. I’ve often said that. I voted for the candidate who declared himself not to be a born again Christian (McCain). I voted for the good Mormon (Romney) because I thought he would be a better president than the self-identified follower of Christ (Obama).
But Trump? “No, never,” puts me in with about 30% of Republicans who say the same thing. No problem in the primary. When the SEC primary rolls around next year I’ll have Rubio or Cruz or Fiorina or others, all serious, reflective, candidates from which to choose.
But what if Trump is the nominee?
I’ll either vote for Hillary or not vote. I can think of a thousand reasons not to vote for Hillary but not one good reason to vote for a billionaire demagogue reality TV show star.
Who knows? 2016 could be the year conservative Christians were finally and completely exposed for selling their birthright for a mess of reality show pottage.
