As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Trump/Hillary fiasco...I mean...election, it is appropriate that people have begun to reflect on the job that Trump has done. Social media is marked by a wide variety of responses to this issue: some people think Trump has done all he promised and more (except for build that wall, of course, but not even most Trump supporters really thought he'd get a wall built), others think he has done nothing, and others still believe that Hillary would have accomplished so much more than Trump has. You're bound to have these type of responses, but what troubles me is to see the numbers of Christians who are praising the job that Trump has done as if it is confirmation that they were right to vote for him. "At least we didn't get Hillary," they sigh. "Trump has been great for the economy," they insist. "America is," they allege, "better off one year later because we didn't elect Hillary."
The question I want to answer is, "Are we better off today because Trump was elected?" A question like, "Has Trump been successful?" is difficult to answer, especially at this point. It is difficult to define success, and only time will truly tell the effects of his policies. The short and overly-simplistic answer would be "Yes, we're better off." In a shortsighted and carnal way Trump has been good for America, but that's not the approach I want to take. Instead of looking at things like the particular policies Trump has implemented, the bills he has signed, and the officials he has appointed, I want to answer this question from a long-term, spiritually-minded viewpoint. Statements like "Trump is bringing back jobs!" or "The economy is so much better under Trump!", while they may or may not be true (that really isn't my concern at this time), reveal the focus that lay behind so many votes this past election. I believe that this attitude panders to the materialism and carnality that are latent in American Conservative Christianity today. So, here are three things that are true under the Trump administration that I think would be the same under a Clinton administration.
1) We're still dependent on the government. Both Hillary and Trump have the same basic view of the role that the Federal government should play in the lives of the states and individual citizens, and that role is far too intrusive and imposing. To be fair, this would be the case no matter who was elected, whether it was Trump or Hillary, or if was mostly anyone else in either primary. The two-party system exists to perpetuate the status quo of big government. Uncle Sam will have suffer no rival! True change from the Executive Office will require a drastic reduction of the authority/responsibility of that office, and of the Federal Government as a whole. This is why Ron Paul, despite being learned and respectable, never had a shot at being nominated, to say nothing of actually winning the election. He campaigned on promises of reducing the Federal Government and no one, neither the party nor the populace, was going to let that happen. Our government is just as big as it ever was, and it's not going in the right direction.
2) We're still in debt. Our economy is still debt-based. Our currency continues to be devalued and we still play the same old financial games with our international friends. The debt limit continues to rise as the idea of a balanced budget becomes more and more comical. The Fed still exists and the IRS continues to extend its slimy hand. Big bankers still rule the world, but now, instead of having politicians doing their bidding, we just have one of the bankers in office. Trump has done little to demonstrate that his policies will significantly improve the status and integrity of the American financial system.
3) We're still immoral. This is really the bottom line. My primary objection to voting for Donald Trump was not his political ideology or executive experience, but his character. When it comes to leadership, the Scriptures give far more weight to character than to charisma or political acumen. Donald Trump's many decades in the public eye have demonstrated that he lacks the character to be a good leader. He might have the best tax plan in the world, and maybe his plan will be the panacea for what ails our healthcare system, but he has done and will do absolutely nothing to bring this nation closer to God. For many people, even Christians, that is a positive. "He's the president; not a pastor!" they cry, but there can be no neutrality. Either our nation will glorify God or we will rebel against Him. As a Christian it is my responsibility to vote for leaders who will draw this land back to faithfulness to the Creator. I'm not just talking about voting for someone who has the right policies on social issues. I'm talking about getting a leader into office who will actually stand up to the Washington pundits and lead honestly. I'm talking about a President who would lead by example and show this nation what it means to live a righteous life. Trump is not that President. He might be a decent manager, but he is no true leader.
My idea of what constitutes a successful administration is, I admit, less than popular, even among Christians. What deeply concerns me, however, is the value system that American Christianity reveals when it praises Trump's improvements to America. Where is our treasure? For what price will we sell our consciences? Even if the median income in American rose by 10%, does that constitute a successful administration? If healthcare costs were drastically reduced, does that make Trump a good president? If the United States becomes an affluent moral cesspool, is that success? Conversely, if we have made no progress on the three fronts listed above, are we really any better off?What do we want from our leaders? What are our priorities? What constitutes improvement? Our answers to these questions reveal much about our worldview. Personally, I refused to vote for a man as vile as Donald Trump. He has done absolutely nothing to make me change my mind.
The question I want to answer is, "Are we better off today because Trump was elected?" A question like, "Has Trump been successful?" is difficult to answer, especially at this point. It is difficult to define success, and only time will truly tell the effects of his policies. The short and overly-simplistic answer would be "Yes, we're better off." In a shortsighted and carnal way Trump has been good for America, but that's not the approach I want to take. Instead of looking at things like the particular policies Trump has implemented, the bills he has signed, and the officials he has appointed, I want to answer this question from a long-term, spiritually-minded viewpoint. Statements like "Trump is bringing back jobs!" or "The economy is so much better under Trump!", while they may or may not be true (that really isn't my concern at this time), reveal the focus that lay behind so many votes this past election. I believe that this attitude panders to the materialism and carnality that are latent in American Conservative Christianity today. So, here are three things that are true under the Trump administration that I think would be the same under a Clinton administration.
1) We're still dependent on the government. Both Hillary and Trump have the same basic view of the role that the Federal government should play in the lives of the states and individual citizens, and that role is far too intrusive and imposing. To be fair, this would be the case no matter who was elected, whether it was Trump or Hillary, or if was mostly anyone else in either primary. The two-party system exists to perpetuate the status quo of big government. Uncle Sam will have suffer no rival! True change from the Executive Office will require a drastic reduction of the authority/responsibility of that office, and of the Federal Government as a whole. This is why Ron Paul, despite being learned and respectable, never had a shot at being nominated, to say nothing of actually winning the election. He campaigned on promises of reducing the Federal Government and no one, neither the party nor the populace, was going to let that happen. Our government is just as big as it ever was, and it's not going in the right direction.
2) We're still in debt. Our economy is still debt-based. Our currency continues to be devalued and we still play the same old financial games with our international friends. The debt limit continues to rise as the idea of a balanced budget becomes more and more comical. The Fed still exists and the IRS continues to extend its slimy hand. Big bankers still rule the world, but now, instead of having politicians doing their bidding, we just have one of the bankers in office. Trump has done little to demonstrate that his policies will significantly improve the status and integrity of the American financial system.
3) We're still immoral. This is really the bottom line. My primary objection to voting for Donald Trump was not his political ideology or executive experience, but his character. When it comes to leadership, the Scriptures give far more weight to character than to charisma or political acumen. Donald Trump's many decades in the public eye have demonstrated that he lacks the character to be a good leader. He might have the best tax plan in the world, and maybe his plan will be the panacea for what ails our healthcare system, but he has done and will do absolutely nothing to bring this nation closer to God. For many people, even Christians, that is a positive. "He's the president; not a pastor!" they cry, but there can be no neutrality. Either our nation will glorify God or we will rebel against Him. As a Christian it is my responsibility to vote for leaders who will draw this land back to faithfulness to the Creator. I'm not just talking about voting for someone who has the right policies on social issues. I'm talking about getting a leader into office who will actually stand up to the Washington pundits and lead honestly. I'm talking about a President who would lead by example and show this nation what it means to live a righteous life. Trump is not that President. He might be a decent manager, but he is no true leader.
My idea of what constitutes a successful administration is, I admit, less than popular, even among Christians. What deeply concerns me, however, is the value system that American Christianity reveals when it praises Trump's improvements to America. Where is our treasure? For what price will we sell our consciences? Even if the median income in American rose by 10%, does that constitute a successful administration? If healthcare costs were drastically reduced, does that make Trump a good president? If the United States becomes an affluent moral cesspool, is that success? Conversely, if we have made no progress on the three fronts listed above, are we really any better off?What do we want from our leaders? What are our priorities? What constitutes improvement? Our answers to these questions reveal much about our worldview. Personally, I refused to vote for a man as vile as Donald Trump. He has done absolutely nothing to make me change my mind.
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