The Free the Delegate movement is moving. I was in on a conference call over the weekend put on by the Free the Delegate folks and it appears they are serious about proposing a rule change to free delegates to vote for the perceived best candidate, even if that isn’t Donald Trump. One sign of serious intent is the development of a command center in Cleveland. Another is the following ad:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/tFlgP1hnU10[/youtube]
I think this is just the beginning.
Category: Donald Trump
Beware of Churchmen Making Political Declarations
Through an article by Peter Leithart at First Things, I recently became aware of Complicity with the Holocaust, a haunting book about how religious and academic leaders praised the rise of the Nazis. The book by Robert Erickson cites statements of support for the Nazis made by clergy during and after the rise of Hitler’s regime. The reason I bring this up is because some of these statements are quite similar to the glowing statements which have been made about current political figures.
Now, I must hasten to note that I have in mind a time frame beyond this week. In 2012, several candidates were presented to Christians as God’s choice for president (e.g., Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry). This time around Ted Cruz was picked by both the Christian and Latter Day Saint gods as being the anointed one. Now, especially after Tuesday meeting involving Donald Trump and his evangelical friends, more religious leaders are coming out with religious imagery to describe the rise of Trump.
Case in point is an article at Charisma News describing the meeting by Barb Heki. She summarizes the tone of the meeting by the words “amazing grace.” Her summary points are what reminded me of the Erickson book:
Franklin Graham echoed similar sentiments when, after telling the group that Donald Trump offers substantial hope for America whereas Hillary Clinton offers no hope whatsoever, Rev. Graham did this: He acknowledged that we will never have a perfect candidate, and he compared Trump to great biblical leaders who had fallen into sin at various points in their lives, like Moses and King David, yet were used mightily by God to protect and lead the nation He had chosen them to lead.
It made me wonder, as I’ve watched Donald Trump inexplicably winning state after state by record numbers: Are we watching the hand of God upon Donald Trump at this moment in history? I’m not alone in my wondering, and if the sentiment at this meeting was any indication, I have a lot of godly company in my assessment that we have got to vote for Donald Trump in order to defeat Hillary Clinton because the freedoms we will lose with her at the helm will obliterate our ability to accomplish the very thing that is our mission in life—to preach the gospel of Christ and make disciples.
“Are we watching the hand of God upon Donald Trump at this moment in history?”
Consider this quote from Erickson’s book (via Leithart) from a German Lutheran newspaper in April 1933:
We get no further if we get stuck on little things that might displease us, failing to value the great things God has done for our Volk through them [the Nazis]. Or was it perhaps not God but ‘the old, evil enemy?’ For humans alone have not done this, an entire Volk , or at least its largest part, raising itself up into a storm, breaking the spiritual chains of many years, wanting once again to be a free, honest, clean Volk . There are higher powers at work here. The ‘evil enemy’ does not want a clean Volk , he wants no religion, no church, no Christian schools; he wants to destroy all of that. But the National Socialist movement wants to build all this up, they have written it into their program. Is that not God at work?
Heightening concern is the observation that Trump has called for war crimes, singling out and banning Muslims, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants, stigma against children of immigrants, and limitations on the press. He also told religious leaders that he wanted to make Christianity more powerful and somehow coerce businesses to say Merry Christmas. Even the impulse to take power in this manner should be questioned by the church. Instead, religious leaders are telling us that Trump “gets it.”
By now, shouldn’t we question boldly the political declarations of religious leaders? History shows us multiple illustrations of religion being used and abused for political benefit. To be candid, I fear this in the present day. Religious leaders have had a full year to study Trump and become knowledgeable about him. However, after one meeting, many come out declaring him God’s man for the hour. I just can’t get there and in fact their reassurances worry me all the more.
Hispanic Southern Baptist Pastors Criticize Trump's Evangelical Advisory Board
Donald Trump told evangelical leaders on Tuesday that he believes he will do well among Hispanic voters. These Hispanic Southern Baptist pastors see things differently. They lament the joining of evangelicals (especially Southern Baptists) and prosperity gospel preachers and they consider Trump’s rhetoric about Hispanics to fuel racism. Here is their statement:
Our Response to the “Trump Evangelical Advisory Board”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – As Christian pastors, and Hispanic Baptist leaders, we have witnessed with sadness and concern the joining of the “Trump Evangelical Advisory Board” by several respected brothers and leaders, including some pastors in our Southern Baptist Convention. Let us be clear, they all have the right to join any political body, and they have done so on a personal level.
Nevertheless, we think that is not the wisest move by those we call brothers to join this particular board. We understand we need to be of “influence” or salt and light in a very dark world, but joining this board is not the wisest way to be salt and light. Upon occasion, we can influence more by holding forth the unquenchable light of the Gospel outside the camp, rather than jumping into a crowded office where the weed and wheat are undistinguishable.
It is not only Mr. Trump’s questionable character; the boasting about his fornications and his lack of repentance, and the use of an outrageous and disrespectful language to refer to the Hispanic community, igniting the hidden racism still imbedded in parts of our society. it is the joining as evangelicals with people who profane the evangelio.
This is our greatest concern. It is heart breaking to see brothers joining an “evangelical board” with false teachers like Kenneth Copeland and Paula White. These people have profaned the gospel of Christ. They teach a different gospel –i.e. the so-called prosperity gospel. They have deceived many in our Hispanic communities. In our churches, we have received many who have been victims of their fairy tales and false promises. The truth of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is too precious for us to be silent. By being part of a board with people like Copeland and White we send the wrong message to our churches and to our society, as if they are “evangelicals” as we are. Our main concern is not “political correctness”, it is about the testimony of the Gospel that has saved us and the Gospel that we proclaim.
Council Hispanic Baptist Pastors Alliance
Trump Solicited Donations During the Primaries, Now He Says He Didn't Ask for a Dime
On Facebook, Donald Trump is asking for campaign contributions. This is from earlier today:
He said he didn’t ask his supporters for a “single dime.” The only way that is true is if he means that he literally did not ask for one dime. On his campaign website continuously throughout the primaries, Trump had at least two “Donate” buttons on the front page of his website. The “Donate” button is on the page all the way back to at least May 2015. Maybe he didn’t want a single dime, but if people wanted to click the button and donate a couple of dimes or more, they could do that. The media started reporting that Trump’s delegate count reached the magic number in late May 2016. Here is a screen cap from January 2016; notice two “Donate” buttons, one in red and the other in blue.
If one examines the self-funding claim a little more, one finds that Trump had been receiving and reporting donations all along and pretty substantial ones at that. It just isn’t true he didn’t ask for (see above) or take donations (link).
This duplicity seems to be a part of doing business for Trump. For instance, Trump denied he said killed patrons at The Pulse could have prevented the Orlando massacre by carrying weapons. However, he did say it but later walked it back as if he didn’t.
I know voters have a terrible choice if Trump makes it through the nominating convention next month, but if you plan to support Trump, don’t pretend like Jerry Falwell, Jr. did on CNN that Trump is dealing honestly with the voters.
Jerry Falwell, Sr. Condemned Jimmy Carter for Playboy Interview
Times have changed.
Yesterday, Jerry Falwell, Jr. was widely criticized for a photo of Falwell, his wife and Donald Trump posing in front of a framed copy of Playboy with Donald Trump on the cover.
Honored to introduce @realDonaldTrump at religious leader summit in NYC today! He did incredible job! @beckifalwell pic.twitter.com/e2eBSbQwb0
— J L Falwell (@JerryJrFalwell) June 21, 2016
Falwell has been defiant in responding to criticism even blocking critical Liberty University students on Twitter.
While Falwell, Jr. may not have known the Playboy cover was in the photo, he has taken a cavalier approach to Donald Trump’s relationship with Hugh Hefner and the publication. Trump gave interviews in 1990 and 2004 to Playboy and in 2006 rewarded an Apprentice team with a trip to the Playboy mansion. Trump showed up for the festivities.
Falwell, Jr’s approach is in sharp contrast to his father’s expressions of condemnation.
In 1976, presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gave an interview which was published in Playboy magazine. This was the famous “lust in the heart” interview where Carter acknowledged attractions to women in the context of Jesus’ teaching not to engage in lust in one’s heart.
After Carter left office, leader of the Moral Majority Jerry Falwell, Sr. condemned Carter for allowing his interview to be published in Playboy which Falwell called “a salacious vulgar magazine that did not even deserve the time of day.”
