I thought that you might be interested to see what the magazine,
Christianity Today, has written about the impeachment. As far as I know,
this is the only Evangelical Christian voice raised in opposition to Trump.
Miriam
Trump Should Be Removed From Office
By Mark Galli, Christianity Today
22 December 19
Its time to say what we said 20 years ago when a presidents character was
revealed for what it was.
In our founding documents, Billy Graham explains that Christianity Today
will help evangelical Christians interpret the news in a manner that
reflects their faith. The impeachment of Donald Trump is a significant event
in the story of our republic. It requires comment.
The typical CT approach is to stay above the fray and allow Christians with
different political convictions to make their arguments in the public
square, to encourage all to pursue justice according to their convictions
and treat their political opposition as charitably as possible. We want CT
to be a place that welcomes Christians from across the political spectrum,
and reminds everyone that politics is not the end and purpose of our being.
We take pride in the fact, for instance, that politics does not dominate our
homepage.
That said, we do feel it necessary from time to time to make our own
opinions on political matters clearalways, as Graham encouraged us, doing
so with both conviction and love. We love and pray for our president, as we
love and pray for leaders (as well as ordinary citizens) on both sides of
the political aisle.
Lets grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him
from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of
partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts
in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a
serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on
impeachment.
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United
States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to
harass and discredit one of the presidents political opponents. That is not
only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly
immoral.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed
down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a
number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to
immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he
remains proud. His Twitter feed alonewith its habitual string of
mischaracterizations, lies, and slandersis a near perfect example of a
human being who is morally lost and confused.
Trumps evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees,
his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among
other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president.
We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way
the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his
authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The
impeachment hearings have illuminated the presidents moral deficiencies for
all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the
reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our
people. None of the presidents positives can balance the moral and
political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.
This concern for the character of our national leader is not new in CT. In
1998, we wrote this:
The President's failure to tell the trutheven when corneredrips at the
fabric of the nation. This is not a private affair. For above all, social
intercourse is built on a presumption of trust: trust that the milk your
grocer sells you is wholesome and pure; trust that the money you put in your
bank can be taken out of the bank; trust that your babysitter, firefighters,
clergy, and ambulance drivers will all do their best. And while politicians
are notorious for breaking campaign promises, while in office they have a
fundamental obligation to uphold our trust in them and to live by the law.
And this:
Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him
have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.
Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply
almost perfectly to our current president. Whether Mr. Trump should be
removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next electionthat is a
matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not
a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten
Commandments.
To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his
blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you
serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness
to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you
continue to brush off Mr. Trumps immoral words and behavior in the cause of
political expediency. If we dont reverse course now, will anyone take
anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for
decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great
evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the
bent and broken character of our nations leader doesnt really matter in
the end?
We have reserved judgment on Mr. Trump for years now. Some have criticized
us for our reserve. But when it comes to condemning the behavior of another,
patient charity must come first. So we have done our best to give
evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of
view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have
made regarding Mr. Trump. To use an old cliché, its time to call a spade a
spade, to say that no matter how many hands we win in this political poker
game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical
incompetence. And just when we think its time to push all our chips to the
center of the table, thats when the whole game will come crashing down. It
will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the worlds
understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of
men and women whose welfare is also our concern.
e-max.it: your social media marketing partner
Email This Page
