Can A Christian Vote for Trump? Must a Christian vote for Trump?

Written by Rev. Thorin Anderson

Are you confused by the calls from well-known evangelical leaders like John Piper to not vote for Donald Trump in November? Everyone but God makes mistakes, but I believe that to boycott Trump because he does not measure up to evangelical standards is a mistake with potentially catastrophic consequences.

If you witness a little child, without a floatation device, falling into a swimming pool you don’t need to wait for the Spirit to prompt you to go in after him! Some things are that obvious. Today, we have one political party leaning heavily into communism, immorality, lawlessness and death. On the other hand, God is righteous, the Truth, the source and giver of life and He  opposes the killing of the innocent!

The course upon which a Kamala Harris presidency would take us may well be one from which the nation could not recover.

To say that rejecting Trump is not equivalent to supporting Harris is a distinction without a difference. There really are only two candidates!

Donald Trump falls short of biblical ideals in many ways, but there is no evidence to suggest that should he be elected again the situation he would leave the nation in would be beyond recovery, as so many claim. And while many criticisms of Trump are valid, he is not alone in allowing his mouth to get him into trouble. If we are honest, we all probably say things from time to time that are dubious in merit, and it may be that Trump is just too careless. I understand that Mark Twain’s eccentric humor got him into trouble from time to time.

I would suggest that we consider both candidates’ actions rather than their words. Harris’s words generally sound gracious, but it may be that Christ’s admonishment of the Pharisees would apply, for of them He said, “these people honor me with their words, but their hearts are far from Me,” (Matthew 15:8, 9). And Trump’s apparently favorable comments regarding some of the world’s worst dictators may well be an example of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer!”

Let’s also remember that the fear mongering over Donald Trump comes largely from people who for four years have intentionally lied to us that Joe Biden was perfectly fit and able to hold the most important and powerful job in the world. I would give their words no credence whatever! We may be wise to ask what actions of Donald Trump while he was president, or otherwise, have threatened the nation? I personally know of none.

The accusations that he is an existential threat to the nation are spurious. His words can be irritating, and at times inflammatory to the Left, but evidence is sparce that he is a real threat to the country. It is mere demagoguery from the Left, and we do well to follow the adage, “believe half of what you read and even less of what you hear.” The important thing is that you do not base your opinion of Trump from those who hate him!

Related to this is the issue of his being a “convicted criminal.” Recall that there is substantial reason to think these convictions are bogus and more befitting a banana republic than the United States. They do remind me of the Biblical narrative found in the Book of Daniel where a law was passed by Daniel’s associates to undermine the trust King Darius had for Daniel and to get him removed from power via the lion’s den. Not so different from current events, right? It was all about jealousy!

I would ask who, besides Donald Trump, is willing and able to take on the Left and fight the corruption, wickedness and woke agenda they promote as well as he already has? Is it not obvious that he has the “right enemies?” He is hated by the God haters, the “destructionists,” and the baby killers. Clearly, they see him as the greatest threat to their agenda. That should give any doubter pause.

And while life-time politicians, such as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, leave office as multimillionaires at our expense; by some reports, Trump’s net worth has decreased by a billion dollars or more since he entered the political arena. It is difficult to say that he entered politics to enrich himself!

I have listened to John Piper, read some of his books, and consider him an honorable and respectable pastor. However, I believe that he is mistaken regarding Trump in several regards.

I am not the first to note that we are voting for a president, not a pastor. Christians certainly prefer to have leaders who exemplify biblical virtues in their everyday life, but such is, for better or worse,  secondary to how that person would lead the nation. To suggest that Christians can only support godly believers in positions of leadership is simply absurd. God Himself will institute such a scenario in His time, and only when He establishes His Kingdom. In the meantime, we are left to seek the best from among the available fallen candidates.

In the same vein is the error being made by some evangelicals in believing that America is a theocracy. This misunderstanding of Scriptures, if followed, would lead the nation down the same pathway Europe ventured under Catholicism. However, one “Dark Ages” is enough for the West! Because of the Fall, no mere human, even a Christian, can be entrusted with absolute political power, which is what occurs when a church takes the political reins of a country. Therefore, we ought to be concerned primarily for how one will perform as president, not whether he meets the qualifications of a pastor.

Does Piper believe that if we Christians stand firm on certain principles God will protect us from the aggressive ungodliness a Harris presidency will unleash in America? This would appear to be nothing more than an errant pietism which believes that God will intercede miraculously on behalf of His people when they act foolishly because they “trust” Him. No, He will not likely protect us from injury if we leap from a cliff while “trusting” His protection.  Such actions fall under the command, “Thou shalt not temp the Lord thy God.”

Wisdom would suggest that because actions have consequences we must judge and act in such a way as to produce the least harmful results.

The election of Kamala Harris will continue the deadly culture she, Biden, and the Democrat Party have fostered. Millions of Americans, born and unborn die every year due to the policies of the Left, and we can only assume that God, in His sovereignty, has raised up Donald Trump to be the “point” of the spear in combatting those evils. If you question God’s choice of Trump, do you question His placement of Sampson in Faith’s Hall of Fame, Hebrews chapter eleven? I don’t get it either. But I am not going to argue with God about this.

Donald Trump is apparently the primary obstacle to Communists getting another four years in the White House. And yes, the Democrat Party is now the party of the Communists. The Communist Party USA has not fielded a presidential candidate of their own for a number of election cycles as they have largely attached their wagon to the Democrat Party. This alone ought to render the Democrat Party a very weak minority party, but few Americans are aware of how far Left they have moved. While they may not publicly endorse communism, the real communists see them as comrades.

And has not the last four years of abominable policies by Biden/Harris provided ample evidence of what is to come if Harris is elected?

From the beginning of time God has used people to accomplish His purposes. He stated that He would not do anything without advising His prophets, and He has not changed in this. Therefore, it is foolish to think that God will rescue America without using people. Genuine, long-term change will only occur with a great spiritual repentance and revival; but even small, temporary improvements will only come via men and women who promote such things.

Statements from Christian leaders that we must trust God and not politics or politicians are foundational and biblical, but let us not forget that from Noah, to Moses, to David and beyond, God has virtually always used men to work His deliverance.

If the above reasons are not enough to convince you and turn you from supporting anyone but Trump, I suggest one more point that should settle the issue. While a Christian may find some of Israel’s policies and activities questionable, we have no alternative but to support their right to exist as a nation. And on that point, there is no debate. Donald Trump and the Republicans win hands down.

The Democrat Party is home of many antisemites, and Party leaders, such as Barak Obama and Joe Biden have been transparent in their disdain for Israel. Recently, Kamala Harris refused to meet with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited the U.S., even as Israel is in combat with a mortal enemy.

Also, voting for a third-party candidate is unacceptable unless doing so somehow makes a positive difference in the outcome.  I am not sure that has ever happened.

If we did not have a Trump first term to judge him by, I might be a little more cautious; but it is not difficult to examine what he did the first time around to get an idea of what he might do the second time. He did much good for America, Israel, and the world, and there is no explanation for why people like John Piper don’t consider his actual track record as president.

This entire discussion reminds me of Winston Churchill’s comment regarding frustrations with capitalism. He noted, tongue in cheek, that “Capitalism is the worst economic system, except for all the others.”

And maybe the same applies to Trump. “He is the worst candidate for the Whitehouse, except for all the others.”