The Evangelicals’ Support of Trump is Puzzling

Much of his life and actions seem contrary to their beliefs

Religious people have been some of Trump’s faithful supporters

It has been common to hear Trump brag about the support he gets from Evangelicals and many other Christians. They have been part of his loyal base of supporters. Along with white men without a college degree, they are some of his strongest followers. There are millions of people who agree with Trump and think he has done a good job for the country.

Evangelical is taken from the Greek word euangelion, which means “the good news” or the “gospel.” The evangelical faith focuses on Jesus Christ and the salvation he brought to sinners. Evangelicals are Christians of many churches and denominations.

There are a number of Evangelical preachers who have made millions of dollars by appearing on television to teach their doctrine. They are often boisterous and loud in their preaching. People send them money and provide a lavish lifestyle for them. Many of their followers are Republicans who are vocal fans of Trump.

Joe Forrest wrote an article which was in Interfaith Now and Medium on November 7, 2020. It was titled: “The Final Evangelical Reckoning of Donald Trump.” I recommend that you read the article if you are interested in the subject. Here are a few paragraphs from the article:

To my fellow Republicans, you can do better. I know you can do better. There are respectable conservative men and women of high moral character that you can rally behind. It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump is an aberration or the “new normal” for the Republican party. Please let it be the former.

To my fellow Democrats, you’re not off the hook. There’s a lot of work to be done. Serious work that affects the safety, security, and well-being of the marginalized, vulnerable, and underprivileged. And when the final election demographics are sliced and diced, it will undoubtedly be those people who delivered you the presidency. If you forget them, they will remember. The American people are not tools to be leveraged for victory; for democracy to work, we must believe in the systems that delegate power to those elected to represent us and have faith that those in power will be good and honorable people.

To my fellow Christians, we have a lot of repenting to do. I’m not sure what a cultural post-mortem of the “Trump Years” will say about American Christianity, but I doubt it’ll be kind.

Christians generally have strong moral and family values. They believe in honesty, integrity, and virtue. Trump does not exemplify those values. Yet many follow Trump and rally for his causes.

It is time for change and a return to civility.

[Sources: Medium (Joe Forrest), Wikipedia]