By Erick Erickson
USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “As far as single payer, it works in Canada, it works incredibly well in Scotland.” “I would press for universal health care. … I would put forward a comprehensive health care program and fund it with an increase in corporate taxes.” “We must have universal healthcare.”
“I hate the concept of it, but on a humanitarian basis, you have to (take in Syrian refugees).”
“I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.” “I hate the concept of guns.” “The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions.” “I probably identify more as a Democrat.”
“Everybody’s got to be covered. This is an un-Republican thing to say. I’m going to take care of everybody. … The government is going to pay for it.” “I believe the Republicans are just too crazy right.”
“I’ve very impressed by (Nancy Pelosi). I like her a lot.” “Hillary is a great friend of mine. Her husband is a great friend of mine.”
“I’m a liberal on healthcare.” “As far as single payer, it works incredibly well in Canada.” “I am pro-choice in every respect.”
Those are Donald Trump’s words over the last number of years. Trump’s position supporting a socialist healthcare scheme is about the only consistent position he has maintained.
In 2010, Donald Trump funded Democrat efforts to stop Republicans from taking back Congress. In 2014, he switched teams and supported the Republican Establishment against conservatives. Now he has tilted all the way to the right to support the anti-establishment conservatives he so recently hated as “crazy right.”
Conservatives, particularly evangelicals, have lost their ability to discern wolves in sheep’s clothing. Donald Trump calls himself a Christian, but has never asked God for forgiveness and sees no need to repent. Point that out to many an evangelical Christian and they will be quick to accuse you of judging Donald Trump.
And if you point out that 1 Corinthians 5 makes clear that Christians are to judge anyone who calls himself a Christian, Trump defenders will proclaim they are not electing a pastor. Paul wrote, “(do not) associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler.” The Bible also implores the faithful to seek out godly men for their leaders.
Pastors in the United States — including Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, an evangelical megachurch — have hitched their wagons to Trump. Jeffress and other evangelical ministers seem convinced that the flawed vessel of Donald Trump can make America great again when they, as pastors, are supposed to be saving souls, not nations. Jeffress and his cohorts are seeking earthly powers to fight spiritual battles.
That men who spend their time wrapped in scripture and preaching in pulpits are quick to embrace a man who is on his third wife gets me thinking.
This man is on his third wife — after having cheated on his first wife with his second — and says he has never asked God for forgiveness, cannot name a favorite book of the Bible and has no favorite passage of scripture. This suggests to me that many Christian preachers in this country have unsure moorings and let their homesickness for this country as they think they once knew it supersede their homesickness for the land to which they have not yet been, but to which they supposedly long.
As Screwtape wrote to Wormwood, “we want a man hag-ridden by the Future — haunted by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon earth — ready to break the Enemy’s commands in the present if by so doing we make him think he can attain the one or avert the other — dependent for his faith on the success or failure of schemes whose end he will not live to see. We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow’s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present.”
Many a pastor and Christian for Trump seems hag-ridden by the Future and ready to pursue a rainbow.
About Erick Erickson
Erick Erickson is a politically conservative American blogger who hosts “Atlanta’s Evening News with Erick Erickson” broadcast on 750 WSB (AM). He previously served as an editor-in-chief of the conservative political blog RedState and was a political contributor for CNN.
February 5 , 2016, I heard Trump stating that Planned Parenthood has done wonderful things for millions of women. He went on to say that he is for women and women’s health. Thus is a very liberal argument. One it isn’t true. Two there are many women health clinics that actually do perform the services that PP claim to perform in their arguments, but actually do not. If you are really for women’s health but opposed to abortion, then you woukl take the funding from PP and give it to the clinics and health centers that actually do provide women’s… Read more »
It makes me sick to see people condem others and run their mouths by saying oh they’re not Christian. Oh there not godly. You realize the bible also bans polyester, eating crab and shrimp and also tells you to stone your child if they’re bad and stone your wife if you find she wasn’t a virgin when you married her. Grow up and practice what you preach or shut up. And no I don’t support trump.
Find me the exact date of that exact quote. It creates doubts for sure but the simple fact is PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS! I know a lot of people who were more liberal when younger and became more and more conservative as they got older and THANK GOD!! we need as many “converts” as possible! Trump has never once denied that he used to feel differently, he openly talked about it, but he stated that as the years passed and he watched how the liberal policies failed time and time again his eyes were opened. Think about it. Its a… Read more »
You people are about the most “SHEEPISH” individuals I have found on the internet…you believe what ever your read…try researching the topics once in awhile…got off your lazy asses and be informed…JEEEEEzzz
This is BS…check the records…Trump has been a Republican since 2006…dont believe every thing these left leaning commies have to say about Trump….
Kinda sad the day when we hold the opinion of a person years ago and turn it to sound like he voted to strip gun rights on capital hill. Are we above him to the point he cant of had an opinion? It doesnt say we should strip us of all gun rights! Wow we have fallen. print some dates of these quotes please i mean your quoting the books he wrote we all know it. With the politics of what he says he will do. Thought i would find something more then a person trying to use things like… Read more »
How about we skip 4 years if we cant get more than 30% on a candidate.
Imagine that he’s just another politician, saying whatever he thinks the masses want to hear to get him elected then change everything and do the exact opposite of what he said he’s gonna do especially with the whole 2A deal because that’s a very hot topic he knows going with us supporting 2A definitely don’t hurt when it comes to the polls. I think any of them that don’t do exactly what they say they’re going to during they’re campaigns should b impeached immediately
Santinni well put. Rubio is more electable in the general election. I think that if Clinton is nominated, he is the best chance to beat her. If it’s Trump or Cruz, hello Madam President. If it’s Bernie he is likely to beat only Trump and be swamped by any other current leader.
Finally, the truth gets out to the right audience! Here is something I saw in an e-mail today: “Anyone (Trump) that admits to donating money and supporting socialist democrats to get what he wants (i.e. payoffs) is someone that CANNOT BE: A) a Christian, B) a conservative, C) a believer in the Bill of Rights, D) a true American, E) a moral person. “But Donald can change his mind can’t he!!!!” And “Donald is so brilliant!!!!!” Really??? If he is so brilliant, then why he did he just wake up to conservatism in his mid-60s when he decided to run… Read more »
Mr. Trump’s “I love Iowa, I think I’ll buy a farm here” speech after the results were finalized rather sums things up. I’m not pushing any candidate but compare Mr. Trump’s “speech” to that of Marco Rubio’s speech. Mr. Trump claims that he is not treated fairly by Megyn Kelly. Does he think Putin or other powerful leader will genuflect before him? Ms. Kelly fried Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio at the last ebate with past videos of their policy statements. Neither of them whined about it, on stage or at a later time. They both just handled it. Mr.… Read more »
Ben Carson ? Yeah right !
Cruz or Rubio are the current best bets for election (certainly not Bush–dynasty problem). The democrats offer up a communist or a socialist-just wonderful! The next president will place 2-4 supremes in the Court and that can affect our country for the next 50-100 years-but it will not last the next 20 as we currently now know it.
Mr. Erickson. Thank you for writing a cogent article on one of the true contradictions of our time. Mr. Trump lacks truthfulness and says whatever it takes to fire up a crowd. Yet some evangelical leaders embrace him. I am not surprised that disenfranchised average Joes with little political sophistication are all agog at his nonsense simply because he is raucous and says things they would like to say. But religious leaders, right or wrong, usually use good faith and support candidates who they believe to be good human beings and will have some value to the church or their… Read more »
Ben Carson for President. Judge him, and find him diligent, steadfast, and worthy.