What Are Christians Who Vote for Trump Really Voting For?

They say politics makes strange bedfellows. It’s also been said that all is fair in love and war. TrumpOhioThe idea behind that one implies that some areas of life are so important that you can’t blame someone for lying, backstabbing; making deals with enemies, selling out allies, if it works in your own self-interest. It also implies that your enemy or opponent doesn’t have to abide by your moral standards. The same could go for love, in that devious tricks and deceit can be used to win the ‘object’ of your affection or desire.

When it comes to the duty of voting, one of my favorite quotes is by Samuel Adams. “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual–or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

I have to wonder if those who self-identify as evangelicals and Christian leaders who are standing with Trump are interested in what God thinks or about what this country was founded on.

While surveys show Protestants and regular church goers are likely to vote for Ted Cruz, the mainstream media has hyped up the evangelical angle which indicates more are likely to vote for Donald Trump. Like many words these days the term evangelical is fluid and means very little when it comes to a collective core doctrine and belief. The term is actually comparable to how someone claims to be a devout Roman Catholic, such as Nancy Pelosi, who is very much pro-abortion in spite of her religious affiliation or how Secular American Jews commonly vote for democrats who are anti-Israel. Simply put, for many evangelicals, their political and religious beliefs are more cultural and not as much of a part of who they are.

There are a number of Christian leaders who endorsed Donald Trump which have left many of us scratching our heads in wonderment. I have some questions for Jerry Falwell Jr, Pastor Jeffries and others who have fully supported and endorsed Donald Trump. What is it that made you and other Christians support him.

Is it his Money? A lot of people seem impressed with Trump because of his fortune and the fact that he says he can’t be bought. However, the flip side is not as shiny or golden. While money itself isn’t evil, the love of it is the root of all evil.

Donald Trump has said in the past that money is an addiction for him. He may not be able to be bought, but he sure can buy with his money right? He’s bought power and influence from the likes of politicians which Christian Conservatives have been railing against for decades, and for his own gain. Using one’s fortune, might and power for political persuasion and favor is something our founders never intended. Buying political influence, media attention and power for one’s own gain is not an endearing quality, nor is it very biblical. Not to mention that ‘our side’ detests that other powerfully rich people such as George Soros have done similar things.

Are you voting for his Constitutional or Conservative Values? A lot of Christians seem resigned to the fact that we may never get a strong Christian leader in the White House. I have to wonder though if these same Christians consider how many Bible believing Christians have been praying for years for Godly leadership. Now that we have someone who espouses the same values and beliefs most of us do, they’re shoving him aside and going with the tough guy instead. You say you’d like a Godly leader, but claim we can’t get one. No, you just won’t vote for one, so you’re only fulfilling your own false prophecies.

It seems to me that the word conservative has become about fluid as the term evangelical. Maybe I’ve got conservatism all wrong since people like Trump, McCain, Christie, Graham, and Bush all call themselves Conservative. And there is also the Mitt Romney version of the “Severe Conservative”, but I digress.

I’ve always considered conservatism to be respect, adherence to and desire to preserve the Constitutional Republic which this country was created as; keeping the tenets which our founders believed in and embedded in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. That it means preserving or reclaiming the inherent, God given rights to personal liberty and pursuit of happiness, keeping these from being encroached on by an ever growing out of control government.

John Adams observed, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Face it, people are justifiably angry and have been for a long time, but now they throw out all discernment because they want a guy who is tough. What is wrong with this is that they desire tough because people no longer respect or care about the Constitution or our Christian heritage. Of course they want tough, because to them, tough means results- it just doesn’t seem to phase them that it would bring us even closer to tyranny.

Are you voting Christian values? You want someone tough, but judge the rest of us for judging Donald’s behavior. Jerry Falwell Jr. has been one of the more vocal supporters of Trump and not too long ago he said, “Jesus said ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’ Let’s stop trying to choose the political leaders who we believe are the most godly because, in reality, only God knows people’s hearts. You and I don’t, and we are all sinners.”
While we are all sinners, and we can’t judge anyone’s heart, I have to say, we are allowed to judge the fruits of the spirit. What fruits come from someone who is proud, arrogant, boastful, lying, and vindictive? Honestly, does this sound like a person you think would lead our country in a positive direction and honor our Constitution and values? Or does it sound similar to what people have been so angry about the past 8 years?

The Bible has a lot to say about pride. It also says something about bearing false witness which Falwell did in his robocalls for Trump down in the south the past few weeks in gearing up for Super Tuesday. Continuing a misleading and false narrative is wrong and deceitful. But when one props up a boastful, brash, loud mouth that blatantly lies during debates, I guess we can’t be surprised that he would do that.
What really disturbs me about that call however is when he called Trump the best candidate while trashing a Jr. Senator who has fought for the Constitution all his career as well as displaying moral behavior as a career politician.

All in all, Falwell and others support a malleable candidate who has donated large amounts of money to life long career politicians who have almost destroyed our country. He’s a candidate who barely talks about the Constitution, but loves to boast about all the things he will do to make America great again. As Christians, how can they endorse someone who was pro-abortion until a few years ago, yet would think his pro-abortion sister would make a great SCOTUS pick, still praises Planned Parenthood and who would continue tax payer funding of the abortion mills for the ‘great things’ they supposedly do.

They prefer a candidate who has slandered people like Pamela Geller for using her first Amendment right to freedom of speech against the evils of Islam, yet would, as president sue any media outlet for liable if he didn’t like what they say about him. Hmmm this makes me wonder, if he’ll sue me for this article.

What it all comes down to is choice. Obviously Christians such as Falwell and others have made theirs and would like to convince other Christians to vote for someone who talks a great talk, while bearing false witness against someone who has proven himself a leader, respects the Constitution and still walks the walk.

Politics are interesting and can be contentious. One thing remains clear however, that this really is what amounts to as a two man race. Does that mean I’m going to tell Christian leaders to jump off the Trump train and hop on the Cruz missile? No, I can’t do that if I take the right and duty to vote for conscience seriously.

I am asking that Christians examine their hearts, and ask themselves what is it that they are really voting for, and whether they can accept the consequences to our Constitution, religious and other liberties which our nation has been built on, and when they cast their votes, whether they realize they will have to answer to God some day for their choice.

Carolyn Elkins

Carolyn Elkins' PolitiChicks articles have been shared by Mark Levin, NewsBusters and New Media Journal. She writes about everything from military issues, the Middle East, Islam, politics to the Founding Fathers. Carolyn is a guest writer on The Right Scoop and PolitiBrew under the name American Duckie. Born in Canada, but now a proud U.S. citizen, Florida PolitiChick Carolyn is an unapologetic Christian and Constitutional Conservative. She studies the Founders and their writings, and uses what she learns to try and educate others. Carolyn is the founder of the Constitutional Freedom Party, a completely grass roots organization whose foundation is on God and the Founder's intent for a Constitutional Republic. Carolyn is married with one child and has taught American Government and Constitution to her home school co-op group of 12- 14 year olds. You can visit her via the Constitutional Freedom Party blog or on twitter @ABiCduckie and @CFP4US

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