Donald Trump has exposed 'evangelical' voters

[Danmark]

I was raised as an evangelical. I WAS an evangelical. It is clear that Trump is not an authentic evangelical; he knows next to nothing about the Bible and has lived and continues to live and promote a lifestyle that is antithetical to evangelical Christianity.
Yet he is doing very well, better than any other Republican candidate, among evangelicals.

My conclusion is that evangelicals care much more about secular politics than about true Christian values. Has Trump support among 'evangelicals' exposed the fact the 'evangelical voting block' is not based on Christian values, but on secular political values?

[WinePusher]

[Replying to post 1 by Danmark]

Although I am a Roman Catholic, I consider myself to be evangelical in many respects and I am going to vote for Trump.

Yes, Trump doesn't appear to be much of a Christian and his attempts to wear his faith on his shoulder have been laughable (TWO Corinthians XD). But at this point I don't care. Ted Cruz seems to be much more of a devout Christian, and Ted Cruz's policy positions essentially mirror mine, but for some reason I don't like him and I don't support him.

Even though Trump doesn't share my views on economics, foreign policy and even though he's not a devout Christian as I am, I will vote for him because he is destroying the political establishment (the career politicians, the donors, the tv pundits, etc).

[Danmark]

[Replying to post 1 by Danmark]

Although I am a Roman Catholic, I consider myself to be evangelical in many respects and I am going to vote for Trump.

Yes, Trump doesn't appear to be much of a Christian and his attempts to wear his faith on his shoulder have been laughable (TWO Corinthians XD). But at this point I don't care. Ted Cruz seems to be much more of a devout Christian, and Ted Cruz's policy positions essentially mirror mine, but for some reason I don't like him and I don't support him.

Even though Trump doesn't share my views on economics, foreign policy and even though he's not a devout Christian as I am, I will vote for him because he is destroying the political establishment (the career politicians, the donors, the tv pundits, etc).

Thanks. I agree with the notion that one might vote for Trump or Cruz because of their policies, but not because they are Christians, let alone evangelicals. I suspect that the unspecified reason you don't like Cruz may be similar to the reasons his colleagues can't stand him. I don't want to go on a Cruz harang or even talk about reasons to vote against Trump, because you've answered the fundamental point of the OP. The rest would be just political argument.

What I find intriguing is the idea that among those who are fed up with the political establishment, frequently their first and second choices are Sanders and Trump even tho' they are political opposites on economics. I too, if I had to choose between Cruz and Trump, would vote for Trump. Cruz (also for reasons, some of which I can't identify) strikes me as ... well... for want of a better term, evil. Cruz somehow strikes me as representing the antithesis of true Christianity as represented by the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels. For me, Trump does not fare much better, but better nonetheless.

[OnceConvinced]

Trump will do anything for power and money. He would surely realise that pretending to be a Christian will get him a lot of favour from Christians. He'd use any trick he could to get votes.

[Danmark]

Trump will do anything for power and money. He would surely realise that pretending to be a Christian will get him a lot of favour from Christians. He'd use any trick he could to get votes.

There are at least two amazing things about the T phenomenon.
1. That he can fool anyone with what he says and his nonspecific generalization that he's just going to make everything better because everyone else is a loser;
2. That there are people who like his message of hate, intolerance, and bigotry.

The second one is very discouraging.
Actually, I guess they both are.

H. L. Mencken's words continue to hold true:

“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.�

Later he added:

“The mistake that is made always runs the other way. Because the plain people are able to speak and understand, and even, in many cases, to read and write, it is assumed that they have ideas in their heads, and an appetite for more. This assumption is a folly.�

[Danmark]

[Replying to post 1 by Danmark]

Although I am a Roman Catholic, I consider myself to be evangelical in many respects and I am going to vote for Trump.

Yes, Trump doesn't appear to be much of a Christian and his attempts to wear his faith on his shoulder have been laughable (TWO Corinthians XD).

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel," Pope Francis told journalists who asked his opinion on Trump's proposals to halt illegal immigration.

Trump immediately fired back, calling Francis' comments "disgraceful."

I'd guess that Roman Catholics who vote for Trump may have some internal conflict.

[Wootah]

I was raised as an evangelical. I WAS an evangelical. It is clear that Trump is not an authentic evangelical; he knows next to nothing about the Bible and has lived and continues to live and promote a lifestyle that is antithetical to evangelical Christianity.
Yet he is doing very well, better than any other Republican candidate, among evangelicals.

My conclusion is that evangelicals care much more about secular politics than about true Christian values. Has Trump support among 'evangelicals' exposed the fact the 'evangelical voting block' is not based on Christian values, but on secular political values?

I'll need details to understand. I think I'm evangelical and I like Trump what is the hypocrisy?

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 6 by Danmark]

I think Pope Francis is causing most mainstream Catholics consternation. What left wing socialist cause doesn't this man support?

[Danmark]

My conclusion is that [many] evangelicals care much more about secular politics than about true Christian values. Has Trump support among 'evangelicals' exposed the fact the 'evangelical voting block' is not based on Christian values, but on secular political values?

I'll need details to understand. I think I'm evangelical and I like Trump what is the hypocrisy?

You mean besides his prideful and unjustified boasting? His constant lying and false claim of being a Christian? How about the fact he has NO plan for anything? He simply says "I'll do it better. I'll do it right."

The Scriptures teach that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45), and so Trump's consistent pattern of reckless speech points to deeper issues which could make him unfit for the office of the presidency.

attacks on Megyn Kelly (blood), Carly Fiorina (face), and Marco Rubio (sweat)
his more serious attacks on Mexican immigrants (accusing the many of what the few do) and others.
his character assault on Ben Carson, comparing him to a child molester who has pathological problems and, most recently, his apparent mocking of the disability of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski.

Worse still, rather than apologizing for his most recent remarks, he claims he is being unfairly attacked for his comments and alleges that he doesn't even know what Kovaleski looks like. Is he lying?

Notice that he referred to Kovaleski, who suffers from arthrogryposis, which visibly limits flexibility in his arms, as a "nice reporter," before saying, "Now the poor guy, you've got to see this guy," flailing his arms as he pretended to be Kovaleski.

Is this the man you want to be our president? The warnings in Proverbs are strong: "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Prov. 29:20). "A fool utters all his mind, but a wise man keeps it in until afterwards" (Prov. 29:11).

We need a statesman, not an irresponsible flame thrower, and one can be a strong political leader who is cutting and fearless with words—think of Winston Churchill—without making a fool of oneself.

What of Trump's claim that, "I have no idea who this reporter, Serge Kovalski (sic) is, what he looks like or his level of intelligence," and, "Despite having one of the all-time great memories, I certainly do not remember him"?

If this is true, why did he refer to him as a "nice reporter" and what did he mean when he said, "Now the poor guy, you've got to see this guy"? And did he merely flail his arms mocking someone who, he claimed, couldn't quite remember things correctly—this was Trump's defense—or was he making fun of Kovaleski's arms? (Watch for yourself and you be the judge as to whether he is telling the truth.)

Kovaleski, for his part, states that, "Donald and I were on a first-name basis for years. I've interviewed him in his office. I've talked to him at press conferences. All in all, I would say around a dozen times, I've interacted with him as a reporter while I was at the Daily News."

How could Trump have forgotten someone with Kovaleski's condition?

Trump pointed to the large sums he has given to help people with disabilities, and I don't doubt that he has, nor do I doubt that he cares about the disabled and handicapped.

But what is undeniable is that he is often irresponsible and reckless in his speech, something that could be utterly disastrous for the president of the United States of America. As noted by Jay Ruderman, an advocate for the disabled, "It is unacceptable for a child to mock another child's disability on the playground, never mind a presidential candidate mocking someone's disability as part of a national political discourse."

Yet there's something that concerns me even more when it comes to evangelicals supporting Donald Trump and that is the issue of pride, the sin that is often at the root of a host of other sins (Is. 14:11-15), the sin which God resists (James 4:6), the sin which leads to destruction (Prov. 16:18).

Trump seems to have little understanding of what it means to ask God for forgiveness, while his very open, unashamed boastfulness is part and parcel of his persona. Trump and pride seem to walk hand in hand, and quite comfortably at that.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in- ... nald-trump
[minor editing, emphasis applied]
Still, I'd vote for him if the only alternative was Ted Cruz, another "super evangelical" who comes across to many as hateful, mean spirited, slimy and is hated by his colleagues.

When a man's ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16:7

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 9 by Danmark]

When I need a doctor I go to the doctor not to a Christian. A Christian doctor is nice but a good doctor more important. Think of the TV show House. Arrogant rude condescending but a good doctor (fictional of course).

mean besides his prideful and unjustified boasting? His constant lying and false claim of being a Christian? How about the fact he has NO plan for anything? He simply says "I'll do it better. I'll do it right."

Anyone can do better. Actually what he says that is appealing is that he will put America first.

Megan Kelly and Fox should be attacked. The world wouldn't have suffered through Obama had Romney been more aggressive. Americans feel defenseless when their leaders are so passive. I feel his berating of the people you mentioned and the joy I and others feel in it comes from finally seeing someone slapping down these idols in our media.

I feel you are asking me to judge the man on trivia, rather than on the things he says he will do and of the candidates, apart from Cruz, I don't see any of them that will get America out of its quagmire.

Mexican immigration is the single greatest threat to American sovereignty right now that I am aware of. If you can't control your borders you don't have a country. If you can't control your front door you don't have a house. It's the elephant in the room.

In relation to proverbs. You assume he is a fool and so think the proverb applies. If you assumed he was wise then you might look to see why he says what he says.

As an evangelical I fear that unless my house is in order then I won't be best able to spread the gospel. I don't think having the mission field at my front door will work out.

When a man's ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16:7

I just don't see the relevance. It's a quote from the Bible that can be applied to the democrats, to Obama, to me, to you. I don't see any special relevance to Trump. Is it a threat to Trump?

I was hoping you would point to policy. I'm not one to judge anyone on a personal basis really. So long as he sticks to his promises then I would vote for Trump or Cruz.