Thursday, November 10, 2016

After Trump, Should Evangelical Christians Part Ways?


The 2016 election has revealed afresh a deep fissure—and a great opportunity.

Donald Trump is now the president-elect. This fact is deeply discouraging for some evangelical Christians. Many fear that Trump’s ascendency will only encourage racism and misogyny. Others see his election as a blow to immigration reform. Those concerned about religious liberty for all worry about the future of Muslims in our land. But Clinton’s loss, and by extension, Trump’s win, brings deep relief to other evangelical Christians. Many feared an acceleration of President Obama’s progressive policies, including the use of their tax dollars to make abortion even more accessible. They are weary of being labeled bigots for their views on human sexuality, and being increasingly subject to social and legal penalties for such views.

Initial reports suggest that four out of five white evangelical Christians voted for Trump, continuing their pattern of support for the Republican candidate in US presidential elections since the 1980s. Not all did so with enthusiasm, and for that matter, Trump received a higher percentage of black and Hispanic votes than did his predecessors, Republican candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain. Still, what makes this election different is how many prominent evangelical leaders—from the Southern Baptist Convention's Russell Moore to World magazine to Christianity Today, among others—made clear our serious reservations about the Republican candidate. White evangelical Christians voted for him anyway.

This points to a significant divide among evangelical Christians of all colors and stripes. From hallway conversations to Facebook and Twitter exchanges, we look at one another and ask, “How could you, as an evangelical, possibly support your candidate?” Read More

Related Articles:
Trump Elected President, Thanks to 4 in 5 White Evangelicals
Should #NeverTrump and Pro-Trump Evangelicals Reconcile?
No, Evangelical Does Not Mean "White Republican Who Supports Trump"
Trumped: American Politics Turned Upside Down
Lovekindness: A Post-Election Path for Christians in America
Evangelicals And The Supreme Court: Why It May Have Swung The Election
Why Bill Johnson's Defence Of Trump Is A Masterclass In Missing The Point
Trump Victory, and Where Evangelicals Go from Here

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