First Trump, Now Vance, Flips on Abortion Rights, Selling Out Their Evangelical Constituency

In both of the debates that have occurred since Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee for President, the Republican candidates have completely shifted their position on abortion rights.  

In his debate with Harris, when the subject came up, Trump claimed he wasn't sure how he would vote on Florida's referendum to make abortion legal, up to a point, in the state.  He made it very clear that he appointed three judges to the Supreme Court committed to overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, though all three lied to Congress about their position that it was "the settled law of the land."  But now he is saying that he never meant for that to cause a national abortion ban, only that he "and everybody" wanted it in the states.  And he clearly stated that six weeks was too short a period of time to cut off the ability to get an abortion.  

"That's not long enough," he said, when Harris made mention of the fact that most women don't even know they're pregnant at six weeks.  

Clearly, this is not what conservative Evangelicals have in mind, given their support for a man they claim was "sent by God" specifically to end abortion rights in the United States.  They've taken a beating, been labelled as hypocrites for supporting a man who is an incessant liar, who gropes women and brags about it, who has had five children with three different wives, to whom he has been unfaithful, who pays for sex with porn stars, and who incites violence, and who has denied their own faith by claiming he has done nothing requiring God's forgiveness.  That's a big sacrifice to make for a single political issue, and now, both Trump, and his VP running mate J.D. Vance, have acknowledged that they are fine with each state deciding whether abortion can be legal or not, and for how long during a pregnancy an abortion can be performed.  

Last night, when pressed, Vance denied he had previously called for a national abortion ban and went back to the "states have the right to determine this issue" argument.  Of course, that was a lie.  It was a central theme of his campaign for Senate in Ohio.  But then, this is the guy who once compared Trump to Hitler, and who declared him to be the worst President in American history.  It's been easy to see that he is a slimy, lying opportunist, which is how he made his fortune and why he is attracted to Trump.  But during last night's debate, Vance went out of his way, using the example of California, who, he said, is a state that "thinks differently" on the issue and should have the ability to determine what it will do.  And he covered it all up with a lot of evasive language to change the subject.  

The pro-life position is the centerpiece for conservative, Evangelical support for Republican candidates for the Presidency, the overturning of the Roe decision being their aim ever since the Reagan administration. It's the decisive single issue for a majority of conservative Evangelicals, and is the cornerstone for the fact that a clear majority of their number join the Republican party and sometimes accept positions on other issues that run contrary to the convictions and principles of their faith, particularly economic policy, to show their Republican solidarity.  

And the national ban on all abortions, with no window of opportunity for a choice to be made, is their goal, and always has been.  It's a political goal that they idolize, and that's a correct description of their attitude toward it.  

If I had invested the kind of time, effort, money, support, into the Trump candidacy that most of his conservative, Evangelical supporters have done, and made sacrifices of the reputation and integrity of my faith to continue to support this adulterous, lying, woman-groping reprobate who pays porn stars to sleep with him, incites violence and is a pathological liar, I'd be mighty damned upset this morning, after hearing Vance echo Trump's support for states being allowed to determine whether abortion is a woman's healthcare right.  That's not what they've believed this former President would say, or support.  

So here's the question I want to ask today.  Will they continue to sell their soul to the devil, now that they are not getting anything at all in return?  Not only have they had this issue walked back on them, after they thought they'd won when the courts ruled on Dobbs, but both Trump and Vance, in debate responses to questions, have completely abandoned any reference to, or support for Project 2025, something that has their fingerprints all over it. So the one thing that I believe is the real attraction for far right extremist Evangelicals, Project 2025 and a white supremacist, Christian nationalist regime brought into reality by Trump, also appears to be off the table, at least for now.  

Do they have the integrity to stand up for what they claim to believe, and walk away from their support for Trump because he has thrown them under the bus when he realized how much this issue motivates voters to support his opponent?  Or will they have the integrity to do the right thing, and not give him their votes in November?  

The eight years of unqualified support given by political conservative Evangelicals for a worldly man who holds none of their values or beliefs, uses them only for their votes, and whose lifestyle violates every principle and commandment of their faith has left their reputation in a shambles.  It's made it impossible for people to trust them on anything, especially the Christian gospel they claim to preach.  How many of them will simply ignore this, or attempt to justify it by twisting even more of the Bible out of its intended meaning than they already have?  Who, among their self-appointed "leaders" will stand up to Trump and tell him that they're not voting for him unless he tells the truth and supports their position?  

How many of them really have sold their soul, and find themselves in a place where it's too late to get it back?  And if that's the case, and they have sold their soul, is this just more lying, duplicitous rhetoric from Trump and Vance aimed at reclaiming their lost moderate Republican and independent voter constituency?

 

It's Fall and We Need to Feel the Chill in the Air...

I'm well aware that daytime temperatures are still climbing above 100 degrees out west, in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and poor Laughlin and Bullhead City.  But it is October, and whether the weather is showing a little bit of a fall chill or not, I think some Democrats are in need of a little bit of one.  

This election season is intense.  We know what is at stake.  We saw this man serve in the Presidency for four years and it was a disaster.  Then we saw January 6th, and we know he has no respect for the law, the Constitution, anything, in fact, except his own interests, all of which involve money.  We know that American democracy as we know it will be destroyed systematically by letting him back in the White House.  

We are aware of his attempts to suppress the vote, and of all of the potential damage that will be done to our country if he is elected.  He has threatened, bullied, and his antics have attracted media attention like no other subversive personality in American history.  The fact that he is now the three time nominee of the Republican party, twice impeached, with felony convictions, awaiting sentencing and two trials is an indication that something is seriously wrong with our politics, and the only fix we have is to vote him down once again, this time in such a way that a clear message is sent to the GOP.  Don't do this again!  

And that has created a level of political stress like I've never seen before.  We're stressing out at everything, we're envisioning doom and gloom scenarios as if there is no hope, we're grasping at straws, fearing the worst, trembling at every blip in the polls, scanning them for information that, frankly, isn't there and that they're not going to provide.  

It's time to sit back, take a deep breath, let it out, and relax.  Chill for a moment.  Breathe in again, and relax.  There, I hope that feels better.  

She's going to win this.  It should make all of us feel better realizing that Biden was going to win this, too.  How do I know?  Well, not by worrying and hand wringing over the polls. 

Do some observing.  What's out there?  A Republican candidate who is so desperate, that he's not even paying attention to what he, or his running mate says.  It's a scattershot attempt at trying to pull his base together.  He's lost a lot of support along the margins, a lot of those voters who, because of party affiliation and some sort of vague sense of identity that goes with it, were going to hold their nose and vote Republican, but are giving that a long, hard look themselves.  In spite of some billionaire PAC money, they aren't finding it easy to gain contributions, leaving Trump to grift for money by selling stuff.  

Harris, on the other hand, took in half a billion in September, and the Democrats have enough to make it rain in all 50 states. Her poll numbers, for those who take that seriously, have increased ever since she's been in the race, and if the media is loathe to make known the fact that she is consistently leading in the battleground states as well as nationally, they've had to report her approval rating, double digits ahead of his, and her rising numbers on the only two issues where he has an advantage at all, though not enough to win it, the economy and the border.  

She's offering realistic solutions to problems.  He's whining about them.  

We're stressing about everything.  There's shooting in the Middle East and we're stressed over how that will affect the election.  There's a hurricane that turned into a tropical storm that devastated the hollers of the Appalachian South and we're stressed about how that effects the election.  A deep red Republican pollster defies the majority and becomes an outlier in Trump's favor and there's panic.  

Relax.  It's going to be OK. 

The fact that so many Democrats, independents and Republicans who have publicly declared they're abandoning Trump are worrying about this election is a good sign, and an indicator that we are going to have a huge turnout.  That's a good sign.  Heck, having celebrity endorsements helps, too, it all goes together.  

Heck, even a couple of the composite pollsters, usually dark and gloomy in their forecasts, are thinking that Democrats have a better chance at keeping control of the senate than we may have thought.  

So relax, lay down, take a nap, get up and play a game on your computer.  It'll help big time.  Things are looking good, don't worry about it.   

 

 

Leaving American Evangelicalism Behind, With All its Flawed Politics and False Theology

Salon: An Exvangelical on the Implosion of His Faith  

"Theology is not necessarily the defining characteristic of evangelicalism.  Whiteness, capitalism and power helped to develop an evangelical industry.  The theology takes a back seat.  That may not be the case for every single person that uses the term "evangelical."  But conservative, white Evangelicals act in a particular way and that deserves our attention.  It deserves to be criticized within those terms, as much as whether they live up to their espoused theological beliefs.--Blake Chastain, podcast host, author, Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back.

My own experience involved being raised in an Evangelical church.  Growing up, church was something that happened every week for as long as I remember, and that included the nursery and toddler class in the small, Southern Baptist churches where my parents were members.  And because it was a routine, and was a large part of our family life, it included Sunday school and worship on Sunday morning, a class in church polity and doctrine called "Training Union" on Sunday evening, followed by another worship service, and then missions groups and prayer meeting on Wednesday night.  

When I went to college, choosing a university that was affiliated with the state branch of the Southern Baptist denomination, I discovered quite a contrast between the doctrine and theology taught there, based on the historical and cultural contexts of virtually every part of the Bible, and the simple, folk religion I had grown up with in the church, which included the required intellectual assent to specific doctrines that were "must haves" in order to be truly Christian, according to them.  That included accepting the belief that the text of the sixty-six books accepted as the "Protestant" Bible were without error in transmission and infallible in being the "sole authority for faith and practice," interpreted from a literal rendering of the Biblical text.  

So all of the history behind the writing of those books of the Bible, the myriads of differing cultural contexts which occurred while it was being written, is all basically ignored by a literal reading of the text in English, even King James English, which some conservatives believe is the original language of the Bible, and which large swaths of conservative, fundamentalist churches teach is "the preserved word of God in English."  So, in most conservative, Evangelical churches in the United States, the theology and doctrine upon which the practice of Christianity is based is not the Bible itself, but on the effects and circumstances of American cultural influences, especially those resulting from revivalist movements like the two "Great Awakenings" and various movements that sprang up during the westward expansion of the country.

No Surprises Here, That Superstitious Folk Religion is Connected to Populist Politics

Truth, in the form of objective facts, is the enemy of superstition.  The Southern Baptists among whom I grew up had a strong, anti-intellectual bias, which eventually became focused against its own colleges and universities, most of which had been founded to provide an educated clergy for areas of the frontier where there was a huge need.  Challenging commonly held beliefs and superstitions in local churches is not easy, especially when the superstitious are the ones who are in control of the church, and some of them sit on the trustee boards that run the colleges, universities and seminaries.  

The bottom line is that it has become more about the power to control than it has been over theology and doctrine, which doesn't interest the average pew sitter in the church.  A lot of pastors have been moved along to a different career by elder and deacon leadership in the churches who terminate their tenure for the slightest hint of educated liberalism.  The colleges and universities have been able to survive, largely by changing their governance structure to self-perpetuating boards of alumni who protect the school from conservatives intent on enforcing their own doctrinal positions.  A few schools haven't been so lucky, but most weren't really dependent on the financial contribution from the denomination anyway, a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue they needed to remain viable, which comes from students paying tuition and from alumni donors who are loyal to the school and who have an education that helps them get past religious superstition. 

But, it's those engaged in the practice of Christian folk religion who also connect with populist politics.  The distrust of institutions is something they have in common, the belief that the world around them is going to hell in a handbasket and they must stick together and try to fight it off, whether it's liberalism in the form of educational institutions, or liberalism in the form of government.  

Don't Believe for One Minute That Trump Believes Any Religious Doctrine or Cares About Those Who Support Him That Do Believe

Trump's lifestyle is his clearest expression of his complete and total denial of any kind of religious belief, Christian, cult or pagan.  There's no evidence here of his belief in the existence of any kind of god, because he elevates himself to the highest place of importance in his universe, and that's what he cares about.  If he has to give away a few insignificant political points, like supporting the religious right's opposition to abortion, he'll do that as long as he benefits the most in return.  

He's shown some willingness to throw his Evangelical supporters under the bus as he has realized his stances on abortion, and his helping by appointing the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, have cost him large numbers of votes.  He's also openly denied having anything to do with Project 2025, though his fingerprints are all over it, because when it leaked out prior to the RNC, it also wound up costing him votes, ultimately a lot of them.  It hasn't really dented his MAGA base much, but he can't win on the strength of their votes alone, and he has lost a significant number of votes among independents, and among members of his own party who aren't so much in the MAGA base.  

He basically figured out, once he got politically conservative Evangelicals in his back pocket, that their "theology" is cultural, not doctrinal.  "Whiteness," and the idea that the United States was once a Christian nation that must be "take back" are their theological and doctrinal pillars, not anything that Jesus said or taught, is where they invest their faith practice.  And they've come up with several points aimed at nullifying Jesus and putting Trump in his place, including the cliche, "God sometimes uses evil men to achieve his purposes."  That's theological heresy.  

In the Christian gospel, Jesus is the man God sent to achieve his purposes.  Claiming that Trump is doing this is idolatry, by definition, but those who make the claim know nothing of the significance or importance of this theological point.  They are making Trump into their savior, which is a denial of who Jesus was, something the Apostle John calls "antichrist." [I John 4:1-3]  

Joining the Ranks of the Exvangelicals

For me, personally, setting aside the theocratic heresies of populist Evangelicalism occurred way back in the 1980's, when Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were pushing their own organizations, or "ministries" as they call their profit-making enterprise, to get right wing conservative Evangelicals to vote for Ronald Reagan.  It was pretty easy to see that what they were claiming to offer wasn't Christian, especially since Reagan was no saint compared to his opponent, Jimmy Carter, who was perhaps the single most genuine, sincere practicing Christian ever to occupy the White House.  

It's a good feeling to wake up in the morning, go to bed at night, and not be worried about the eternal destiny of my soul based on the way I've chosen to cast my vote.   

Democrats Are Always Better For the Economy and Now is No Different

The stock market has reached record territory.  Economic policy of the current administration has led to the quickest, and deepest recovery from the inflation that affected the global economy, and has managed it well, with interest rates and a careful balance of spending which has kept a recession completely out of the conversation.  In spite of the fact that we went through the inflation experience, and did see a rise in fuel prices, we also experienced wage growth, once we went through the COVID fluctuations, that topped out at 6.9% and has managed to stay relatively high, compared to the Trump administrations figures on the same economic measure.  

And we've had steady, GNP growth at 3% or higher.  Sustained.  

And of course, we have had the longest period of sustained job growth and low unemployment in literally decades.  The last three Democrats in the White House have combined for the creation of 51.3 million jobs, while Republicans in the White House since then have accounted for 1.3 million.  Of course, Republicans have tried to convolute and twist those facts a thousand ways from Sunday, with no luck, because they are facts that can't be disputed.  The last Republican in the White House accounted for the loss of 2.7 million jobs, another indisputable fact.  And while there was a pandemic going on, mismanagement of it from the White House, inept and incompetent by the nicest of possible descriptions, was a major cause of the loss of jobs and the high unemployment inherited by the Biden administration. 

Unemployment, being one of the most important factors in American economic health, has been something Democrats have been incredibly successful at generating and protecting, not just since Clinton entered the White House, but going all the way back to World War 2. During the 14 Presidencies since the end of that war, seven Republican, seven Democrat, the Democrats added 88 million jobs to the American economy, compared to just 32 million under Republicans.  Wage growth also fares better under Democratic party Presidents.  Those are facts.  

The unemployment and job creation rates are front line signs of economic health.  The healthier the economy, the more jobs it creates, the lower the unemployment rate.  

Trump Economy vs. Harris Economy

The fact that Trump is a rich man, an alleged billionaire, is not an indication that he knows what's best for the economy.  He sure knows what's best for his economy, as far as the rest of the country, he's never acted like he cared.  And what did we get with Trump?  Four years, riding on the success of his predecessor, who led the economic recovery from the Bush Recession, the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression.  Nothing new or innovative, tariffs which created inflation double what it had been, modest growth in the GNP, nothing you'd expect from a self-proclaimed genius.  

And we got trillions added to the national debt, telling us that all the Republican caterwauling we've heard about increasing the debt being impossible to sustain was meaningless.  Trump did it and so they were OK with it.  I mean, he really did it, not only such a gigantic number, but making a tax increase for 80% of American wage earners, and a tax cut for the top 5% the order of the day.  It was pretty deceptive, too, cutting out the exemption for the working class, giving them less than a 1% cut, and then taking away their ability to deduct an additional 7% of their wages.  

What we will be getting from Harris is a guarantee of no tax increases, up to a wage earned of $400,000.  We won't get that from Trump, who is proposing another tax increase for those who aren't already wealthy.  Along with that, economists have estimated his tariff regulations would add almost $4,000 a year to current American's living expenses.   

Harris has been part of an administration that thinks of ways to bring down costs for Americans, not how to make money off raising them.  Biden sold off a nice chunk of our national oil reserves, at a premium price, only to buy the oil to re-fill the reserve at a much lower price, insuring the strategic oil reserves are at their highest level in decades while adding several billion dollars to the plus side of the revenue.  That drove gas prices down, along with some of the pressure that competition is generating now among oil producing countries.  The Saudis need some cash flow, so they're willing to increase production which drops the price of gas.  That's yet to come, by the way.  

I'm sure willing to vote for four more years of this economy.  

Discerning the "Lesser of Two Evils" Requires Defining "Evil" First

"I'm voting for the lesser of two evils."  

O.K., so tell me, exactly what does that mean?  

My personal interpretation of the use of this statement by a voter is that it is an expression of ignorance.  They are patriotic enough to realize voting is a citizen's obligation, something that is a privilege and a right that shouldn't be wasted, but they're too lazy and uninformed to really know much about the candidates so they are depending on bits and pieces of news media sound bytes, probably a lot of podcasts and private sources, not a lot of reliable journalistic sources, and they know the talking points.  

Having been raised in a conservative, Evangelical church and denomination, I was taught that everything, by default, is evil.  Yes, that does seem to be a very pessimistic, negative way of looking at the world, I agree.  It explains the cultural and social restrictions that constitute what they believe is genuine Christian practice, based on a literal reading of a text more than 2,000 years old, without applying much in the way of historical, cultural and language contexts to the interpretation.  

But "evil" is a simplistic way to reject political candidates, particularly on a partisan basis, without having to put much effort into finding out where they stand on the issues or whether or not they are qualified to do the job.  It's a dismissive way of deciding for whom one will vote.  It's an argument that doesn't leave room for reasoning, since it's personal and subjective.  In this way of looking at things, what makes a candidate "evil," by definition, is that they do not see the world, resolve problems or think the same way that the voter does.  It has nothing to do with what is truly evil, as opposed to what is truly good.  

It's a Figure of Speech, Not a Religious Concept

Much of Christianity, the more conservative branches of it, including Evangelicals, believe that human beings are totally depraved, and therefore are inherently evil.  It's a complicated doctrine that rests heavily on the Genesis account of creation in the Bible, so it's not useful in defining a political expression such as the lesser of two evils, primarily because no Bible writer allows for any variation in degrees of evil.  Evil is evil, there's not some kinds of evil that is better than other kinds.  

Any other definition of evil would be a subjective matter of opinion.  I think that inciting an insurrection that led to the attack on the Capitol building in Washington on January 6, 2021 is an example of evil.  Rhetoric full of vengeful threats against personal enemies is evil.  Lying, which is intentional deceit, and which comes from a lack of respect for one's fellow human beings, is inherently evil.  Elevating one's self above others, and seeing one's self as better than others because of acquired or inherited wealth is evil.  And since all of those things apply to Trump, I see him as a much greater evil than I do those things which Vice President Harris supports, but with which I disagree.  

And frankly, I find it hard to disagree with much of anything she promotes as a political candidate for office.  

I have thought long and hard about the issue of abortion, and just what steps government can, and should take, involving the practice.  And as hard an argument that many Christians, especially conservative Evangelicals and Catholics, make against the practice, the Bible on which they rely for their information doesn't actually apply the doctrine of the sanctity of human life to every human in the womb.  And the practice itself, which often involves a life-saving procedure rather than a birth control procedure, isn't covered in scripture when the decision involves saving the life of a mother.  

I do have a problem with the gross misinformation that is spread regarding the practice, in order for those opposed to it to try and convince others they're right, including the lack of ethics involved in making the accusation that Democrats want abortion legal through the entire pregnancy and in the third trimester, which is patently false, and that the governor of Virginia, [medical doctor Ralph Northam, for reference to whom Trump is falsely accusing] never advocated for setting babies aside after birth in order to "decide what to do."  That's a known Republican fabrication, and it's evil to make that statement. 

Trump is the Greater Evil by Any Standard Definition of the Term

By any commonly accepted definition of the term "evil," it's clear that Trump is the worst.  From a personal perspective, I find nothing in Kamala Harris or her campaign that would fit the description.  Try to point it out, at least, if the use of the term is to be applied correctly.  

With Trump, I can use just about any standard definition.  If I take the religious definition, Trump has defined himself, with his refusal to acknowledge and accept any form of Christian conversion.  His character, his behavior, all fall within the biblical descriptions of, and definition of, evil, right down to his organization and incitement of an insurrection aimed at overturning a legitimate election, an act the Bible defines as a rebellion against the authority of God.  

If I use a personal definition, Trump is a tyrant.  He's a control freak, and his lack of humanity bears all of the marks of a sociopath.  He is openly stating that he intends to use the power of the Presidency to avenge himself and the perceived wrongs others have done to him, without an acknowledgement of the fact that the others he wants to persecute were being honest, doing their job and following the law.

Trump is clearly the most evil candidate.  So those who are supporting him cannot be using the argument that they are voting for the lesser of two evils.  There's something else behind their vote, and their position tells me that evil isn't a consideration for them, one way or another, nor is it a real concern.  

  

 

Evangelicals Must "Clean House" and Rid Themselves of the Trump Intrusion, or "Have Their Lampstand Removed"

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.  

For those of you who are not familiar with biblical analogies, I'll try to help provide some information along the way when I use them.  

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.

 

An Opportunity Missed by American Conservative Evangelical Leaders

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Matthew 5:9 NIV 

Texas Baptist Standard: Springfield Faith Leaders Stand With Embattled Migrants

Texas Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black: Condemn False Claims About Haitian Immigrants

It has been heartwarming to see local pastors and church leaders in Springfield, Ohio, step up to help defend and protect their neighbors from attacks that are the result of lies, and there is nothing else to call them but that, lies told by the Republican party's nominees for President and Vice-President, to try and gather support for a political issue.  After all, many of these people, who were invited into the community to fill jobs that are helping support the economic revitalization of the town, are also in the church pews on Sunday, and actively engaging in the church ministry during the week.  

What an awful thing it has been, and continues to be, to see Americans, all of whom are the descendants of immigrants ourselves, either stand idly by while this happens, and not call it out, or join in to help terrorize this community with threats of violence and bomb threats, disrupting the life of the community and spreading fear that helps push hatred of people who were completely innocent of what they were accused of doing, and who have done nothing but contribute to the betterment of the entire community.  

Telling this lie, having it proven to be a lie, seeing the terror that it caused and then seeing both Trump and Vance, a fellow Ohioan, continue to defend it and continue to lie tells me that neither of these men have the moral character to serve in public office, and that they have absolutely no understanding of, or respect for the core values that make America the great nation that it is.  They don't know that the true "blood" of America can't be corrupted or "poisoned" by immigrants, because the blood of America that built this nation is the blood of immigrants, of all races, ethnicities and cultures. 

The fact that there is not a flood of criticism and repudiation of this from Christians of all brands, stripes and varieties in this country is very telling about how much real Christianity actually exists among these sects, and how much the people who belong to them actually know about who Jesus Christ was, what he taught and the values and character traits by which he set an example for his followers to live out.   

Christians who openly support this candidate, his running mate and his party really need to do some sincere, deep, self-evaluation of their own faith.  

My friends, this can't go on.  A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish water the next, does it?  Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they?  Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they?  You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?  James 3:11-12, MSG  

The fact that some of the big names of self-proclaimed Christian "leaders" among conservative Evangelicals have not spoken up to condemn this clearly anti-Christian lie, and the threats that it has caused, as well as condemning those politicians who are defending it and continuing to spread it, is legitimate cause to question their Christian maturity and the depth of their spiritual commitment to the Christian gospel, and to Jesus Christ.  It's not my place to judge their conversion experience, but as a fellow Christian, it is my place to call out this obvious sinful behavior.  And it is also legitimate to call them out for continuing to support politicians who are so obviously anti-Christian in their values and morals, and anti-patriotic in their commitment to America's Constitution and its founding principles. 

I would expect to see Christians who do have sincere convictions and a living, active faith step up and put themselves in a place to be of service to both the people of Springfield, and specifically, to the Haitians who are being terrorized and will wind up bearing the brunt of the threats.  So far, it looks like those stepping up to defend what is right and true, and to help out are more of what the conservatives like to criticize as being liberal, progressive and woke.  I am not surprised that they are the ones who are demonstrating a sincere and committed Christian faith.  

How is it possible, after seeing something like this happen, for people who claim to follow the teachings of the Christian gospel, continue to support a politician who is so much the opposite of what they claim to believe?  And what kind of testimony is it showing to the people of Springfield, especially to those who share a commitment to the same Christian gospel?     

Baptist News Global: Greg Garrett, "Who is my Neighbor?"