On Monday Spectrum published an article by Dr. Timothy Jennings entitled, “Donald Trump and Christians: What’s the Attraction?” In it Dr. Jennings attempts to explain why Christians support Donald Trump and why that support can be justified. To his credit, Dr. Jennings pens a far-reaching piece, touching on the realms of biblical analogy, constitutional rights, political correctness, and religious liberty. However, he lands in the place that most Christian defenses of Trump land. To quote Dr. Jennings’ conclusion,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. When I read Jennings post, I really felt the sickening feeling I get when I read SDA supporters for Trump. I never fail to think of how Satan has brought about making the writings of Ellen G White irrelevant to a large number of SDA’s. What is happening today is clearly laid out in Great Controversy as well as other Spirit of Prophecy books. While so many are watching for news from the papacy hinting at soon Sunday laws, the fusion of modern nominal Protestantism, Spiritualusm, and the Roman church has taken place. It is not in the future. It is now. Who knew that one evil man would have the power to dismantle the government of the people? He has and he is. Departments are being shredded on a scale no one saw coming. They have the courts stuffed with young men such as Regent University cranked out. Some SDA’s are happy that abortion will be outlawed without realizing a universal day of rest is on the agenda too. It is the Religious Right no matter which church that wants this. Our precious Constitution will be destroyed and soon. You all better watch what you wish for.
Thank you Jason. When I read Dr.Jennings piece, I was sickened to my stomach. When I encounter Adventists who support Trump and his rhetoric and his policies…it is disheartening and to be honest more distressing than the vocalized sentiments of Richard Spencer fans, Neo Nazis and White Nationalists.
I expect evil from evil. But when I see White or White- Latino Adventists defending, advocating for, or celebrating evil of this nature…despite the effect it will have on their fellow church members of darker hue…I am reminded of that Rwandan Pastor whose “Tribe” Trumped his “Faith” and led his tribesmen to his Church grounds so they could act out their own interests in brutality against their percieved tribal enemies.
These Adventists reveal where they would have stood on the Subject of Slavery had they been in following Present Truth in the 1860s, where they would have stood on Nazism, had they been German Adventists in the 1930s, and where they would have stood, had they been Drs and Nurses at the Adventist Hospital in DC that turned away a fellow Adventist to her ultimate demise because she was black.
These apostates have been in every generation since the three Angel’s message began to sound.
They are among us, but they are strangers to the Truth and the Author of that Truth.
Truly…I tire of remonstrating with these latter day sons and daughters of Ephraim.
They are given unto idolotry…their true object of worship? Whiteness and its Continued Supremacy…that’s it…Whiteness is their God…and their true faith is demonstrated by their affinity to Trump and American Conservatism.
They reject the very Testimonies they claim to revere, when they have the temerity to ignore it’s clear arrows at their beloved Apostate Protestantism and its Political party of Choice.
I am nearing the end of my patience and tolerance for them in my own social media and personal life.
At some point I will wash my hands of them. Likely before they are spewed out of His mouth.
Thank you, Jason, for helping me rid the foul taste from my mouth. Monday was a first for me, reading an absolutely horrendous and unpalatable article here on Spectrum. I’m okay with differing opinions but outright support and defense of the indefensible horridness of the current president and his administration practices and policies had me close to throwing up. Thankfully sanity has returned.
Nationalism, The Flag -Red, White, and Blue
is HUGE among many American Christians and Christian churches
as group.
They see Trump as a positive for making things better in society.
Improving the status of America in the world.
See positive in some of the social reforms, and have been quite
aghast at some of the liberal Abortion legislation lately in some of
the states.
Not necessarily following Trump because he goes to church…
Agreed Mr. Hines, Those no longer capable of recognizing his lifelong practices, acts and words are morally reprehensible is exactly what we were warned would come to pass. Brethren who are drawn to Trump (and those like him), embrace him as qualified for service, defend him and condone his acts expose to whom their traits of character have been modeled after. Lacking a secure foundation based on the character of Jesus they by word, attitude and deed expose publically and to the courts of heaven their true nature. The enemy of souls would have us abandon our hold on Christ in such a way that we never realize it. So many of our brethren have indeed exposed themselves for what they truly are and who their true master is…
Thank you Jason for your well thought out rebuttal. But I still give the edge in the argument to Dr. Jennings. One thing that really troubles me is the viciousness some commenters here have against Christian’s who support Trump. I really tire of people’s christianity suspect if they vote for Trump.
One thing is certain. Politics in the pulpit will always devide and seldom unite the masses in attempts to reach them for God. That was one thing I appreciated about the SDA church that I was a member of most of my life. It did not believe in a political version of the gospel. It supported separation of church and state.
The most successful tool of an enemy is to divide and conquer your opponent. Satan uses this tool all too well when he succeeds in getting Christian’s to engage in political conflict with each other.
Jason, I must take issue with your saying there is no threat against religious freedom from the left. What do you call it when Chic-fil-Lay is denied a concession stand at San Antonio airport because it’s CEO believed in traditional marriage and donated to charities that supported the same? If that isn’t persecution by the left then what is it? The company did not discriminate against hiring gays, so no laws were broken by the company. Chic-Fil-Lay donated to some Christian athletic group and Salvation Army. The gay left labels them both as hate groups. This is nonsense. I don’t consider Salvation Army a hate group for their position on marriage. I’m gay and I contribute to SA because it feeds hungry people, not for its position on marriage.
I can understand a bit why many secular gays hate christians . LGBT folks have been demeaned by christians in general for so long, that now many feel its pay back time.
I personally fail to see how this is winsome in convincing doubters that we are not dragging the country down to moral ruin.
I seldom use labels like liberal or conservative here on Spectrum because I know these labels are too often misperceived by readers. When I say Left or Right I’m referring to the extremes. But I see that even those terms get one labeled. If anything, these two blogs have and will continue to spark lively and sometimes
Heated responses until there shelf life expires. I’m beginning to appreciate Spectrums 7 day comment period.
One final thing, the Left (Sadducees) and Right (Pharisees) in the end united to crucify Jesus.
If Trump is a racist, then let us have more of it, since Trump has done more for the black community than have the Democrats who have allowed the inner cities, where they have had decades of political control to fester. Mass poverty, unemployment,
dependence on welfare, high crime, general despair, and appalling public schools, permeate these ghettos.
Trump’s major accomplishment has been the enormous reduction of black unemployment to historically low levels, particularly even among black adolescents. Blacks who have never before had employment, now have a multiplicity of job opportunities, People are graduating from first and second jobs to ones with more lucrative salaries.
Trump’s OPPORTUNITY ZONES, encouraging investment in blighted communities has just been recently initiated and will hopefully upgrade decaying neighborhoods to more livable conditions.
Trump’s FIRST STEP program of penal reform is a huge bonus for the black community, who have a disproportionate incarceration rate.
And finally, his program of school vouchers, allowing students in dismally failing public schools, to have other, better options, may prove to be his greatest gift to the black community, whose abysmally failing public schools have left their alumni woefully unprepared for the job market.
Trump’s booming economy has also benefited other racial minorities
— Hispanics and Asians are also enjoying the lowest unemployment figures for their demographics, in history!
Interesting characterization of sadducees and pharisees as left and right. If memory serves Christ taught that both were out of line with the true character of the father. Evidently both had mistaken Gods ideal, opting instead to misrepresent that character in a way that supported their own misconceptions. In the end God’s love, manifested in the freedom he has given to all people will be demonstrated by the unconditional, universal grace extended to all. Just a thought.
One of the things that is missed thru the whole process of the democrat and republican polarization is… the damage to the structure of how the government (both state and federal operate)…
I’ll try to explain this from a container (ment) perspective.
prior to 1970 the federal function regarding oversight and control was 40% with the state having 60% control (of state and local related issues). Now states rights range from between 5 and 15% depending on state. Federal control is near 90%…
you could not buy the presidency in 1970 - 2005, because dissemination of information and fake news could not permeate the 24 hour news cycle.
-whether liberal or conservative in your outlook, obtaining non-biased data (sufficient enough to make a comprehensive decision from)… is becoming evermore harder to quantify and validate.
-most people obtain news/information from a “preset environmental socialized index” - phone, internet, facebook, twitter, et al.
-there is no actual discussion in today’s news cycle for point/counterpoint discussion.
Summary:
For the 2016 and 2020 election, I must research on the two or three final candidates that are running for office. If all of them do not possess a moral code, or respect the following:
election process
constitution
judicial, administrative, and especially executive function.
Then any person running with cash (insert Trump, Bloomberg, or any person who can circumvent the election process)… the US POTUS can also damage the election and state/federal balance.
Not that this can happen in a 4 year period, but I recollect someone who made of none effect the government in 1928, this person was able to re-structure to government. Trump, Bloomberg, and/or any person henceforth running, has large number of controls (of none effect).
Once the controls are done away with, (think really hard and research what happens when the US goes into a martial law ''state".) You have no rights.
I think this is the major concern going forward. I for one, do not look forward to "not having the freedom and opportunity to worship.
