There are still some conservative, Evangelical readers here, so I'm putting this in terms that some of those within that particular theological and doctrinal interpretation will understand. Please note that I am not claiming that the Bible is predicting these specifics, as some of those preachers who have sold out to Trump as their savior are doing. I'm simply pointing out that the Bible's writers did address the intrusion of lies and false doctrine into the church as well as the fact that its members were capable of being deceived by them and blinded by misplaced loyalty.
A Church That Has Lost its First Love
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love that you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent...Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 2:4-7a, NRSV
This passage from the book of Revelation, an often misunderstood and misused prophetic word from one of Jesus' apostles, John, to a group of Christians in churches where he served and worked during the early first century, in and around the city of Ephesus, on the west coast "bulge" of the Asia Minor peninsula, was both a warning and encouragement to what was the largest and most prosperous of seven churches addressed in this particular book. Ephesus was a large, prosperous city, a seaport on the Mediterranean coast, and also a hotbed of Christian evangelism.
It was the headquarters of the Apostle John, and the other churches addressed in the book, scattered around the province in the same general area of the southwestern part of Asia Minor, were part of his ministry. Paul also addressed the church there with an epistle, Ephesians. It was the location of the temple of Artemis, and a riot which occurred there, which occurred because Paul was accused of winning converts among the pagan worshippers of Artemis, which took them away as customers of the silversmiths who made her statues.
It became the subject of John's revelation as a result of having lost its first love, a statement that reflects the turn this congregation was making toward its own self-satisfaction and complacency, allowing worldly success, including a strong relationship with the local pagan government, a political infiltration if you will, replace their love for Jesus Christ and the practice of the Christian gospel. I'm using it as an example, because it is exactly what I observe among conservative, Evangelical churches which have become nothing more than political action committees for Trump. Unable, or somehow unwilling, to do their evangelistic ministry, these churches have turned to secular political power to work for them in achieving their mission and purpose.
There's no question that Trump's words and deeds are antithetical to the Christian gospel. His lies have become his personal and political trademark, to the point where even his own supporters never actually believe what he says anymore. His open denial of his own sinful nature, and refusal to acknowledge spiritual conviction, claiming that he hasn't done anything requiring God's forgiveness is a hostile position against Christianity and the church. But many Christian pastors and church leaders have chosen to continue to support him, most of them greedy for the same worldly success he expects, and they've lost sight of their first love, Jesus, and his gospel.
The language of having their lampstand removed is symbolic. What John meant was that the continued failure of the Ephesian church to turn back to the priorities of loving Christ and using spiritual help from God to practice the Christian gospel, instead of depending on the worldly power they'd discovered, would result in the church ceasing to exist, which it certainly did. In this prophetic book, addressed to seven specific churches, this warning was given to five of them, while two of them, Philadelphia and Smyrna, were commended for their commitment and assured of spiritual protection.
Bowing the knee and giving loyalty to Trump has caused the churches whose pastors and members who have done it to be guilty of many of the things John mentions in his warning to these seven churches in Asia. This also includes idolatry and false doctrine, sexual immorality, being spiritually dead and disconnected, and having spiritual fervor tempered by secular politics into lukewarm apathy. All of those things are part of any church that has raised Trump up to the point where they are willing to make him a political leader, and it has led them into sheer hypocrisy, and apostasy.
And there is evidence that lampstands are being removed, so to speak. Evangelical Christian churches and denominations in the United States have lost 16 million members and have seen their attendance plummet, by almost 10%, over the time that Trump has been the nominee of the GOP for the Presidency. I want to make it clear that this prophecy is not literally applied to today's church, but it is a prophetic word. Trumpism is a non-Christian, perhaps by definition an anti-Christian intrusion into the Christian churches of this country, a huge distraction from their mission and purpose.
Keep it up and see what happens. The Bible is giving a big hint, and it might be time to stop merely proclaiming belief in its infallibility and inerrancy, and actually take seriously what it says about Trump's hate-filled rhetoric.
Character Matters, and That's the Issue
It is possible for Christians, including those who have been elevated to leadership positions, to be deceived, not being able to accurately discern the character of individuals whose selfish ambition is intended to deceive, in order to personally benefit. The Bible's writers provided multiple warnings for their fellow Christians to avoid being taken in by deceivers, an indication that not only could such deception occur, but that it would occur.
"For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an Angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." I Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV
Is it possible for people to get themselves into positions of leadership among the Christian community in order to deliberately be deceitful, with some kind of personal benefit, say money, as the motivation? That is absolutely possible, considering the apostle's words in the above reference. I'm saying some of the leaders are the spiritually insincere imposters, keeping people from seeing the truth and doing so because this is their source of money. Paul is saying that it is possible for someone who is not Christian to put themselves in a position of church leadership in order to "deceive the very elect," as the Apostle Matthew says, for political purposes.
Even Democrats who have never had any religious affiliation or practice can recognize the nature of evil present in the rhetoric of Trump. There is nothing in anything this man says, and virtually nothing in what he has promised politically, that can be considered to be supportive of a "Christian worldview," which is the standard position taken by religious conservatives when it comes to the election.
Navigating the Divide Between Religious Liberty and Constitutionally Guaranteed Individual Rights
The immovable rock on which the extremist religious right rests all of its politics is a doctrine they refer to as the Sanctity of Human Life. This doctrine, which, like almost all of the rest of conservative, Evangelical doctrine and theology, is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, which is a faulty way of looking at a text more than 2,000 years old. In their way of thinking, the Democratic party support for reproductive rights for women, which includes giving them the ability to choose to have an abortion, is the "evil" that disqualifies all Democratic party candidates from office and renders the entire platform useless in their eyes.
I'm just wondering how many Evangelical leaders have paid attention to Trump's words, and to how his position has shifted on the issue as it has become clear that the Dobbs decision activated a political alliance with the kind of voter support capable of defeating him. Trump made an astounding statement in that debate, stating openly that "six weeks is not long enough" when it comes to abortion bans put in place by some states. He also made it very clear that he does not see abortion as either evil or as a problem, provided the majority of voters in a state have approved it.
"That's all we were trying to do," he said, "with overturning Roe." And he also made it very clear that he did not believe Congress would ever come up with a national abortion ban, and so he would never have to worry about signing it, because "we got it into the states, that's what everybody wanted." He's now supportive of abortion rights as long as a state has let the voters approve of it.
In other words, he's either shifted his position away from the anti-abortion rights position of the GOP, or he is lying through his teeth. Either way, any Christians supporting him are going to have to be accountable for this sin of lying, like they must accept all of his other character failures and his immoral baggage. My guess is that he's lying about this, and if, by some chance, he does become President, he will forget what he promised, as is always the case with him.
Apart from abortion rights, conservatives share nothing else in common with Trump, except, perhaps, his racism and his hatred of immigrants. That, they share. But that's not a Christian value. When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Trump's never been on board with his conservative, Evangelical constituency. He wants their favor and their votes. He's left it up to his conservative, Evangelical supporters to figure out how to handle his duplicity while still supporting him. So, they ignore it and deny their own convictions.
Trump has been almost as emphatic in his repudiation of the Heritage Foundation and its draconian, Christian nationalist agenda characterized by Project 2025 as Democrats have been. Apparently, there's been a lot of deception going on here. It's much more likely, in my own opinion, that Trump indicated his full support for everything in Project 2025, read it, discussed it and agreed to make it the basis of his 2025 campaign, until he saw reports of how unpopular it was after news of its existence and its potential use leaked out. Then, not wanting to lose the votes support for this would cost him, he backed away and told another lie. I think he fully intends to help it get implemented, regardless of what he says. He's lying about not knowing about it, and about it not being part of his political agenda.
The Standard Bearer of the Republican Party, and of Conservative Evangelicals is a Liar, an Adulterer, a Fraud and a Grifter
To stand with Trump, as a conservative Evangelical, is an open denial and repudiation of the Christian gospel.
There, I said it.
He's a convicted felon, a lawbreaker, with more than 60 indictments still pending, and the argument that these are just politically motivated won't fly. He called together and organized the January 6th insurrection aimed at overturning a legitimate, provably accurate election and subverting the Constitution's peaceful transfer of power. That's a sin, according to scripture. And it's accompanied by a host of crimes he committed, evidence provided, under the law.
He is a duplicitous liar who believes the conservative Christians in his own base are too ignorant and stupid to think for themselves, and too cowardly to speak up to his face when he is in error. He has no convictions, his perspective blows with the winds of whatever he thinks will get him the most votes. His rhetoric, in his rally speeches, news conferences, and public appearances, shows a man full of vitriol and hatred, a divider, someone who doesn't understand that loving one's neighbor is a demonstration of loving God.
He does not believe in the sanctity of human life, he believes in using the emotion and convictions people have over the issue of abortion rights as a means to get votes, whichever side he must take, both if he can depend on his Evangelical base to be blinded by masquerading as an angel of light, deceiving the very elect [see Matthew 24:24].
His hatred of Americans who aren't Caucasian, and who have come here for the same reasons all of our immigrant ancestors did, which is to build a better life for their families, children and descendants, is also a denial of the Christian gospel. His lies about the Haitian families living in Springfield, Ohio are a demonstration of a spirit of antichrist [I John 4:1-3].
It doesn't matter that Trump is theoretically a secular leader, and that, as so many conservative Evangelicals have used to wrongly excuse support for people with bad character, the excuse that "we aren't voting for a pastor-in-chief, but a commander-in-chief," is not plausible. Standing with Trump means standing with a liar, a deceiver, a fraud, a sexually immoral adulterer and with one who has even rebuffed the conviction of the Holy Spirit by publicly proclaiming that he has committed no sin which God needs to forgive.
And so, the choice is clear. Keep the lampstand in its place, or support Trump and have it removed.
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