In a February 29 Washington Post article Russell Moore, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, blasted evangelicals for supporting Donald Trump for president.
He went so far as to say this election has made him “hate the word ‘evangelical’,” accusing evangelical supporters for Trump of corrupting everything evangelicalism stands for.
A day later Peter Wehner, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center who served in the last three Republican administrations, wrote a similar article for the New York Times.
Like Moore, Wehner is shocked by the support evangelicals are giving a man who he insists is basically a moral degenerate.
Progressive voters in general and Christians in particular should welcome articles like the ones Moore and Wehner have written, except for the fact that…
Well, except for the fact that without realizing it Moore explains exactly why it is entirely consistent with modern evangelicalism that so many evangelicals are supporting Trump…
And Wehner shows that he really does understand what evangelicalism is.
Let’s start with Wehner.
He writes, “At its core, Christianity teaches that everyone, no matter at what station or in what season in life, has inherent dignity and worth. ‘Follow justice and justice alone,’ Deuteronomy says, ‘so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you’.”
The problem is, what Wehner believes is the core teaching of Christianity is not at all what evangelicalism teaches and what evangelicals believe.
Evangelicals for Social Action may believe in justice seeking, but the group was only founded in 1973 precisely because justice had not been on the evangelical radar up to that point. Today its members have at best a tangential influence within the evangelical movement.
What is much more impactful on evangelicalism is precisely what Moore says in his article is its heart and soul:
“…good news for sinners through the life, death, resurrection and reign of Jesus of Nazareth as the son of God and anointed ruler of the cosmos…[and] “a commitment to the truth of God’s revelation in the Bible and a conviction that the blood of Christ is offered to any repentant, believing sinner as a full atonement for sin.”
Translated he is saying: “All Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and all other non-Christians have been doomed to hell by a God who set only one gate at the entrance to heaven with a sign over it that reads, Christians only.”
This is what evangelicals have been taught to believe, making the support of Trump among rank ‘n file evangelicals entirely predictable.
After all, Trump speaks with certainty about everything, especially the decline of America and whose fault that is, Islam as an enemy of America and all Muslims as a potential threat to our way of life, or the need to build walls to heaven to keep out whoever he says should be kept out.
Trump is the perfect candidate for evangelicals precisely because he thinks politically the way they think religiously – in absolutes.
In short, the Republican Party created Trumpism, and evangelicalism gave birth to many of its supporters.
This is what Wehner doesn’t understand and Moore doesn’t like.
It is difficult to be sympathetic to their dilemma since, to paraphrase an old axiom, Republicans and evangelicals chose to ride on the back of a tiger and now don’t know how to dismount without ending up inside.
linnposts.com 
Your definition of Evangelicalism: fine, probably about right. Definition of Trumpism ?? Maybe not associated with Evangelicals as much as you might think. The people of USA are TOTALLY ANGRY AT WASHINGTON — at liberal Democrats and also at Republicans who, in spite of bills passing both Houses, don’t get signed, and no 2/3 override vote. Stagnation. Trump came along, appealing to anger, expressing it ?? outlandishly, but people signed on because “he gets it” about the futility and anger they personally experience. The Southerners who could have gone with Evangelical Cruz .. . did not do so. Evangelicals have OTHER things than religion to vote about. They voted for Trump over Cruz in Evangelical states for OTHER than religious concerns: jobs going away, no reason to save because no interest rates, no money to save anyway, college grads can’t find jobs even with a degree. Trump doesn’t do any favors for himself by his outlandish criticisms of so many others–but notice that it does get him attention! He shoots from the lip. Trump’s ideas change daily, as he gets “talked to” by others, so he’s NOT an “absolutist”–he’s just dumb on lots of things and has to go back and “change his mind.”
Oh, the Republican Party did not create Trumpism! The Republicans by 2/3 do NOT want Trump at all. The world does not want Trump. Trump is the “voice” of voiceless people that have been ignored when they don’t want to bake a cake for a gay couple on their personal religious grounds, their own freedom to do commerce is being abridged. That’s only one example. Too much government of ALL kinds being shoved down people’s throats. Nobody can dictate morality to others. As Kasich said in May 3 debate, “Leave people alone to do their own business–go somewhere else; let’s just get along in spite of differences.” or something to that effect. Which is the way it was not that long ago.
You contradict yourself so much it is difficult to keep up with what you wrote. No amount of anger at Washington can justify the racism, bigotry, hate mongering, and name calling Trump has been doing. If he speaks for you or anyone else, our nation is worse off than I thought. This anti-government mantra will be the undoing of our country. I heard it during the civil rights movement to justify racist business owners and parents wanting segregated schools. I think the political establishment on both sides of the aisle deserve all the criticism they get, but the kind of politics Trump represents is far worse than anything we see now. You don’t make government better by electing people who don’t want it to function in the first place. Moreover, less government in an age when corporate America controls America is about as naive and dangerous as it gets. Does government overreach? Yes. Does it do important and necessary things for the common good? Yes. It is all about balance. Tearing it down does not do that. Extremist don’t believe that and don’t care about the damage they do. The fact is, all extremism – all – is an expression of narcissism. That is not what our nation needs, regardless of how angry any of us may be.
Did I not say that 65 percent of Republican voters DO NOT WANT Trump?!! Do not want/like/approve of his big mouth? I did! After that, “making government smaller” MEANS GIVING IT BACK TO STATES where better efficiency, more accountability, more personal involvement can happen. There are some federal laws in place to give direction to the states, but the IMPLEMENTATION of education, highways and bridges, business taxes, etc can take place on the State Level, not with Big Brother and layers of administration clogging everything up and putting additional layers of “cost expenses” on taxpayers.
Now what else did I leave out in responding.
If 65% of Republicans don’t want Trump, how is he winning so many caucuses and primaries? I was sure when he announced to a fake crowd that he was running that 65% of Republicans would in fact reject him, that his campaign would be over as soon as it began, yet here we are.
Given the support Republicans in the House and Senate have for demeaning President Obama and at every turn refusing to work with him to govern the country, and now won’t even consider his nominee for the Supreme Court, and given the fact that Cruz and Rubio agree with Trump on policies such as registering American Muslims, carpet bombing ISIS, and building a stupid wall on our southern border (and maybe between us and Canada), it seems as if the only difference between Trump and all Republicans is his mouth, not his ideas.
As for leaving it all up to the states, I need only mention Kansas, Michigan, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Maine, just to name a few, as examples of Republican tax policies and governance that have left these states in chaos and economic ruin.
Enough said.
The majority 65 percent non-Trump voters are divided among three other candidates currently. Appears that those 60-65 percent will decide on one of them to make a majority in the summer Convention. Biden spoke on record some years ago, videoed and shown on TV, that “No candidate for Supreme Court Justice should be considered in an election year, until the new President is elected.” Republicans are moving on The Biden Rule of Conduct for Supreme Court Justice Nomination/Confirmation. Citizen Muslims will be left alone. I think they are speaking of immigrants, as far as registration, and that also pertains to ALL immigrants/student visas, borders. Yes, I heard about the Canada border wall–to keep Americans out of Canada who are fleeing a Trump administration–I’m heading for Canada before wall is built. NOBODY “anticipated” Trump would last this long, but he has a rallying cry: “flipping the bird” to Washington establishment basically. Too many lobbying groups, insiders, etc. calling all the shots and not working in the interests of the people. Obama has NEVER tried to “work with Republicans” and make ANY concessions to achieve “common ground” all 8 years. He EXPECTS that his word is already law, no exceptions, no listening nor consideration for those who have good reasons to disagree and have good arguments. No compromise. “Working with Obama” is just acting like a lap dog, doing his bidding. No thanks! The southern wall should aleve issue of drugs and other criminals coming in. And getting a handle on the people who illegally crossed so that something can be done to fix this festering issue.
One final word. The notion that Obama has not tried to work with Republican is pure baloney. I have quoted former Republican Senator George Voinovich before and I will do it again here. He described the attitude Mitch McConnell promoted in the Republican caucus in regard to Obama right after he was sworn in: “If he was for it, we had to be against it.” How in the hell can anyone say the lack of cooperation was Obama’s fault.
Your arguments would have more credibility if you didn’t make claims that have no foundation in facts.
One name you didn’t bring up: Harry Reid who never would bring any legislation to the Senate floor. Stalled everything with no debate, “saving” Obama from even having to deal with anything.
Also, Bernie Sanders is calling his politics/his following “a revolution.” No name for Trump’s popularity/following exactly, but one might say (as regarding the Russian Revolution I believe) “The peasants are storming the Winter Palace!” Political climate, politics-as-usual, is changing radically in both parties. Blue-Dog Democrats signing on with Trump.
Lynne, while I understand your desire to defend the Republicans and their ideology (we all have our opinions), trying to equate support for Sanders as being in the same group as those “angry at Washington” that are supporting Trump just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Angry white people who are sick of anything politically correct, who have found a fascist bigot to rally around are not the same demographic as youthful optimistic people turning out for Sanders. Just my opinion…
Rollie, I couldn’t agree more. Thanks.
Thank you for your opinion. Nothing in life is free ultimately. Young people who expect free college will be paying for others “free” education later on for the rest of their lives. Guess growing up and preserving our own food, economizing our own recreation (ball games instead of movies for example), saving for our future no matter the small change instead of dollar bills, does not matter in Sander’s society. If I were growing up NOW, I could spend my own allowances on beer and cigarettes and get the free college on top of that! Oh, fun for me! No responsibility, no accountability, and no self-respect.
BTW, NOT a Trump or Cruz fan. Kasich for me!