My Two Cents on Political Choices

I am hearing lots of Christians say they support Trump and I shake my head. He is an adulterer, who admits in his own book he slept with multitudes of married women. He brags about it. He was for partial birth abortion, and abortion on demand for most of his adult life. He changed his views in 2011, when he began considering entering politics as a Republican. He was a big contributor to democrats, including Hillary Clinton.

His current wife is a model who has posed nude. She is wife #3.

Trump is brash, insulting, and petulant. He regularly disparages people he doesn't like with personal attacks. When he is personally attacked, in the rough and tumble world of politics, he threatens to sue.

When I have confronted Christians asking how they could support a man of his character, they say, "I'm not electing a pastor."

No. But you ARE electing a leader. As a Christian, we actually do have some guidelines in what to look for in a leader. When Moses was overwhelmed with the responsibilities of leading his people, his father-in-law Jethro suggested he choose leaders who could assist in his duties. He delineated  the critical qualities in selecting leaders:

Exodus 18: 17-23
¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. ¹⁹ Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. ²⁰ Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. ²¹ But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. ²³ If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Three criteria emerged. Leaders were to be capable, God-fearing, and trustworthy. In choosing leaders the Biblical model is they are to be qualified and able to fulfill the expected duties, follow, trust, and rely on God, and of good character - above reproach, able to be trusted.

Now consider Donald Trump. Perhaps he is capable. He certainly is a capable businessman. 

Is he someone who follows God? Well, God hates divorce. God is pretty clear about sexual purity outside of marriage. God is also clear on the sanctity of life. Did the man who recently said Planned Parenthood does 'some good things' (the top abortion provider in the nation), honor the sanctity of life? God calls us to be slow to anger, with no 'corrupting speech', with gracious words, and words that only encourage and build others up. Would this describe the Donald Trump you have heard over the past few months and years? If he is someone who follows God, the evidence of that commitment is not compelling to me.

Is he trustworthy? Three marriages and countless adulteries might suggest otherwise. The changes in his pro-choice stance for most of his adult life might bring his trustworthiness into question. His change from Democrat to Republican seems to have coincided with his desire to become president in a similar path as his pro-life stance. I hope and pray it is real, but I do not trust him. His character is not one I would emulate, nor portray as God-fearing and trustworthy.

We are not electing a pastor. We are electing a leader. And our leaders should be people of character, above reproach, with the understanding we all are sinners who fall short of the glory of God. They will not be perfect, but surely, as Christians we should choose those who most closely align with biblical standards. We are not a theocracy and I am not outlining what I believe the Bible describes as qualities of religious leaders. These are the general criteria for choosing civic leaders.

There are several men on the Republican side that meet those three criteria. Trump is not one of them.
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1 Timothy 4:12 

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Philippians 2:3 

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Jeremiah 23:1 

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.

Exodus 18:21 

Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Deuteronomy 1:13 

Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

Proverbs 25:28 

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

1 Peter 5:3 

Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.