It is apparently the case that a sizeable part of American Christians, especially those who fall under the banner of Evangelicalism, are throwing their support behind Donald Trump, the bombastic Republican billionaire seeking the presidency of the United States. It is also apparent that these Christians are supporting Mr. Trump not only on pragmatic grounds but also on grounds that he is a good Christian. Witness the spectacle of the endorsement given him by the President of Liberty University. It is also known that one of the places that has remained especially silent in the face of the insults which Mr. Trump has heaped on many groups of people in America and around the world has been the church. It could be that the church is no longer clear about what it means to be a Christian. However, the church has held for a very long time that the character which Mr. Trump is displaying on the campaign trail can hardly be called Christian by any stretch of the imagination. Listen to what he said in an interview with Maureen Dowd of The New York Times: "I am really rich and successful . . . . I don't have to make up with everyone." This was in response to his anger that Megyn Kelly of Fox News asked him questions with which he was not comfortable. Granted that we can hardly talk of morality in the context of politics, one may however wonder about the universe which such absurd claims reflects Christian character. Granted that Christians have already baptized obscene accumulation of wealth, under which universe is it Christian to use such wealth as pretext for enmity? Could it be that Donald Trump is a symptom of what ails American Christianity - speaking Christian but living Mammon.
There are many reasons those who support Mr. Trump may give for offering him their support. However, giving him support under the pretext that he is Christian is a travesty. What Mr. Trump is doing to American Christianity is that he is exposing the hypocrisy of much of what passes for Christianity in America. I have been told by many of my students that Christians are not supposed to judge. However, this has not stopped many Christians to judge other things which they do not find appealing, such as homosexuality and abortion, while turning a blind eye to what may amount to hate speech, rabid sexism and cruelty towards the disabled coming from Mr. Trump. A victory for Mr. Trump in Iowa will be based on the votes of many Christians, especially evangelical Christians. It would be interesting to hear how these evangelicals justify their votes. Would they be able to do so on Christian grounds? Or is it Mammon calling?
There are many reasons those who support Mr. Trump may give for offering him their support. However, giving him support under the pretext that he is Christian is a travesty. What Mr. Trump is doing to American Christianity is that he is exposing the hypocrisy of much of what passes for Christianity in America. I have been told by many of my students that Christians are not supposed to judge. However, this has not stopped many Christians to judge other things which they do not find appealing, such as homosexuality and abortion, while turning a blind eye to what may amount to hate speech, rabid sexism and cruelty towards the disabled coming from Mr. Trump. A victory for Mr. Trump in Iowa will be based on the votes of many Christians, especially evangelical Christians. It would be interesting to hear how these evangelicals justify their votes. Would they be able to do so on Christian grounds? Or is it Mammon calling?
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