There is an attempt by the left to redefine the Christian faith. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Democrat candidate for President asserted in a speech in early April, “That if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”
Challenges to the Christian faith sometimes emerge from the unlikeliest of places, Christians themselves. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to give the commencement address at Taylor University, a Christian liberal arts college in Upland, IN. This ought to be cause for celebration for the Taylor family, and it is, for many. Some, however, infected by the Never Trump virus, have attacked the Pence invitation. A petition, started by a Taylor alum asserts, “Inviting Vice President Pence to Taylor University and giving him a coveted platform for his political views makes our alumni, faculty, staff and current students complicit in the Trump-Pence Administration’s policies, which we believe are not consistent with the Christian ethic of love we hold dear.”
I wonder what policies the petitioner is referencing. As I see it, the Trump administration has had the strongest pro-family, pro-faith, pro-life record of any administration in the last fifty years. However, truth is sometimes unable to penetrate Trump hate. David French, writer for National Review, attacked Franklin Graham in an April 25, 2019 column asserting, “It’s hard to think of a single prominent American Christian who better illustrates the collapsing Evangelical public witness than Franklin Graham.” French’s wife Nancy opined in the Washington Post, that religious conservatives should be “ashamed that LDS Romney stands up for Christian values more than Trump and his sycophants combined.”
Much to the chagrin of the Mr. and Mrs. French and, I suppose, some of the Taylor University alumnae, most Christians who voted in 2016 supported Donald Trump.
This is undisputable. The question is: ‘why?’ I don’t think the answer is complicated. Here’s a quick overview.
First, President Trump has been one of the most outspoken proponents for the pro-life position and people are listening. His words are clear, understandable, occasionally blunt and exaggerated, but they reflect the truth of the horrific nature of abortion.
In his State of the Union Address from February 5, 2019, the president said, “Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: All children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.” He’s denounced the governors of both Virginia and Wisconsin for holding positions that do not protect the lives of babies born alive. Though the media pounced on the president’s remarks about the governors, calling them “a lie,” “blasphemy,” and “cruel and mean-spirited,” the truth still emerges that about 71% of Americans think abortion should be illegal in the third trimester.
For the first time since 1973, our country is as close as it’s been to overturning Roe v. Wade. The New York Times, in a May 13, 2019 article by Leah Litman lamented that, “The Supreme Court made clear on Monday that Roe v. Wade may soon no longer be the law of the land.” Those who’ve battled this atrocity for years are encouraged and emboldened by this administration.
Second, the Trump administration has defended faith communities more than many others. In a February 24, 2019 post on NBC’s website, Adiel Kaplan, David Mora, Maya Miller and Andrew R. Calderon wrote, “In its first two years the Trump administration’s Justice Department submitted more friend-of-the-court briefs in religious liberties cases than the Obama administration and the Bush administration during their first two years.”
Additionally, this administration has been outspoken about all attacks on houses of worship around the world and has, much more than previous administrations, opposed the persecution of Christians.
During a speech to advocates for the persecuted church in 2017, Vice President Mike Pence unveiled plans for the United States to provide more direct aid to Christians and other minorities facing genocide in the Middle East
Third, this administration has taken some steps to reverse some of the cultural leftward lurches of the Obama administration. Andrew Sullivan, in a May 18. 2018 story in New York’s Intelligencer laments, “In one respect, it seems to me, the presidency of Donald Trump has been remarkably successful. In 17 months, he has effectively erased Barack Obama’s two-term legacy.” The article bemoans the changes the Trump team made in reversing the “gains” of the Obama administration. The Trump administration has battled aggressive LGBTQ activists, environmental activists and the resurgence of socialism. As I, and a lot of other Christians see it, that’s good news. Additionally, Christians, like everyone else, enjoy a booming economy, more and better jobs and a restored sense of pride in our country with the hope that our best days are ahead
These are just a few of a myriad of reasons Christians support the Trump administration. They did in large numbers in 2016 and will likely again in 2020.
