Dear President Trump,
I’m writing to welcome you to Scotland. I realise that you are engaged in important work with NATO in Brussels, but you are going to be in my country this weekend – and I would like to welcome you. ‘President Trumps Welcome to Scotland’ sounds like the title of a pipe tune – some would want it to be a lament, others as a march.
As you will be doubtless be made aware of, there are those who will be protesting against your visit. They will tell you that you are not welcome. They will hold rallies and even float a giant balloon of you as a baby over London….this is not just a waste of money (£25,000) but a crass and immature stunt which reflects badly on our country. The fact that the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has permitted and encouraged this, says more about him than it does about you. I cannot believe that he would have allowed a similar balloon of your predecessor when he visited. Doubtless it would have resulted in accusations of racism if such a thing had even been attempted.
Can I also apologise for the hypocrisy of some of my fellow countrymen when they gather to protest against your visit. They say that it is because of your misogyny and racism, accusations which I am sure you would deny. But what bothers me is the fact that the US is our strongest ally and a bastion of the Western freedom which allows them to protest freely (and me to protest against their protesting), and they are both showing disrespect to your office and a degree of hypocrisy in their protestations. You are coming here as President of the United States, not as Donald Trump, reality TV star, and as such the office should be respected and honoured. The hypocrisy is because most of these protesters were not on the street when the Chinese leadership visited, (nor were they asking parliamentary questions about Chinese human rights) or when other countries with far worse human rights records than the US, have sent their leaders (ie. President Erdogan of Turkey or Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman). I’m not sure what the message that Patrick Harvie in the article above is that will be sent ‘loud and clear’. But let me say loud and clear that we welcome you as the President of the United States to our country.
As you are well aware welcoming you is not the same as agreeing with all your policies or endorsing all your statements. We Scots are not good at that kind of flattery and I’m sure you would not want us to be. For me I would agree completely with your view that the European NATO countries have for too long been relying on America to defend them, and to pay the bill for that defense. Your complaint in that regard seems spot on. Can I also commend you for your choice for the Supreme Court – Judge Kavanaugh seems a wise and appropriate choice, his legal experience and Christian values make him a worthy candidate. I hope it works out.
But there are a couple of areas where I would like to express some concern. Firstly and most importantly, the stories and pictures of migrant children being separated from their families are abhorrent, and do not reflect well on your administration and country. I realise that President Obama had a similar policy, but two wrongs don’t make a right. I also realise that children are often used, but that still does not justify the policy. One of the great experiences of my life was to visit Ellis island and see the memorial to the many immigrants who came to the US and made it ‘great’ in the first place. Can you still not be a land that welcomes the poor, the refugee and those who only want to make a new life for themselves? I realise that you must have immigration control and that you cannot take everyone – but surely you can take more than the 50,000 being proposed. (the figure for 2017 was 85,000)? The US has a population of 325 million – 50,000 refugees is only 0.002% of the population. Given that the US is the richest nation in the world and that at least some of the refugees (ie. those in Iraq) are refugees partially because of US foreign policy – it seems you could be a bit more generous. And could you please take more Christian refugees who are being persecuted from their faith? You are aware that the number of Christians in Iraq has fallen from more than 1.5 million less than one-third of that?
You say that you support Brexit and Britain becoming independent of the EU – could you encourage our government by making clear that you would be prepared to have an instant trade treaty with the US – one that was advantageous to both countries, whilst respecting our different cultures and traditions?
Let me go one step further and invite you to visit our church in Dundee on Sunday. You would be as welcome as any other sinner! I don’t say that to be rude or to make a judgement upon your personal character. God alone is the judge. But the Bible teaches us that we are all sinners – in different ways. That is not to excuse our sin, but to point out that we are all in need of salvation. I respect your office and you as the President, but in the church we are all equal – you would be as welcome as, but not more than, anyone else. In our church the pauper is as welcome as the President.
Your mother came from the same Scottish island as my wife – an island which has been shaped and developed by real evangelical revival. Your country was also founded on the principles of biblical Christianity and was shaped by great renewals and revivals of Christianity. That is what your country needs. That is what you need. Come to St Peters at 11am on Sunday morning and hear the Good News! You are very welcome,
Yours respectfully,
David A. Robertson
PS. It can be done. Your vice-President Mike Pence popped in (security men et al) into the church of a friend of mine and was well received as a member of the congregation! See you on Sunday….!
PPS – You’ll need to get there in good time (11am) as we are usually full on a Sunday morning (evening at 6 there is much more room!)….let me know and I’ll keep a few seats for you and your family!
PPS – In case you are interested – in the morning we will be looking at Romans 7:14-25 – how we by nature are slaves to sin and need to be set free. And in the evening we will be looking at Philemon and asking what does the Bible say about slavery….!
Is Donald Trump the Christian President?
And this just came out from Paul Joseph Watson –
Well said, David.
…I especially loved the invitation to attend church. You preachers just can’t help it, can you? 🙂
Are you preaching on Sunday?
Yes – twice! In the morning on Romans 7 and in the evening on slavery!
Pastor David, this is so encouraging. Thank you for the invitation to our President!
A man who has so disgraced and disrespected his office – not least by crude public abuse of his predecessor – forfeits the respect otherwise due to it. Otherwise we would be complicit in that dishonouring and no friend to the country he thus betrays.
By all means welcome him to church among the other sinners – perhaps the Holy Spirit will speak to him, and if God wills, do it through you. If he does come, let us know and I will add a further special intention to prayers which already include you by name.
Pastor a David, a wonderful blog I loved it.
Thank you for welcoming our President. I agree with you on everything except immigration. I’m afraid that I am a proponent that all ILLEGAL immigrants come in legally. Coming in as they are doing, they are going around the system and bumping those trying to come in legally down the line. Totally unfair! The laws need to be changed and the people coming in illegally need to be sent back to their countries until they get legal status, lest we encourage more illegals to come in (which is what is happening now).
By definition illegal immigrants cannot come legally or they would not be illegal. Its a bit naive to think that they are all in a position to apply to come legally in their own countries. Where would they go to in Syria? North Korea? Iran?
They need to go to the U.S. Embassy in their country and apply for asylum. Then, once granted, they can come in legally. As it is, they cross our borders first and then ask for asylum. Thus, they are coming in illegally. We are a country of immigrants but we cannot economically support all of these people crossing illegally and claiming asylum. We don’t want to be like Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, etc. We want people to start off right by following the laws. Over 10000 of the children in the centers were sent by their parents to the US. Unaccompanied! Who does that? If an American parent sent their child alone across the border to Mexico, outrage would reverberate around the world! I’m just asking for common sense to prevail and for Congress to pass laws that closes loopholes so that those who come in truly need asylum and will be contributing members of our society. That makes us all safer and more secure.
I’m curious. How easy is it for an Iranian to go to the US embassy? Or many others?
I am specifically referring to the immigrants in your post, those who have already crossed our border illegally. As for Iranians, I don’t know so I can’t answer your question. We Americans don’t go into other countries and just expect to live there indefinitely and illegally. There are laws protecting borders for a reason. Without borders, we are no longer a sovereign nation.
I claim no expertise on the subject, but surely those who live in the countries named must pass through other countries in order to reach the USA (or the UK!). Ought they not to be applying, legally, for asylum from one of those countries?!
Just a point of information! Delighted that you appear to have wanted to follow me on “Newsfromtherosses”. However, I have not used that site for years (it was originally set up for our annual newsletter which missionary friends in Nepal were having dfficulty downloading!). If you are interested, I do blog – with some regularity! – at http://www.crazyrev.blogspot.com If that link does not work, please try http://www.crazyrev.blogspot.fr Blessings, and shalom.
Thank you!
“Unaccompanied! Who does that? If an American parent sent their child alone across the border to Mexico, outrage would reverberate around the world! ”
They have been made that desperate, in a large part by US intervention (both Democrat and Republican are to blame) over the past 50-100 years, so that Americans can be comfortable, prosperous and safe within their borders. Your life does not exist in a bubble, and your comfort is in part built on the misery of others in the developing world,. The very least we can show is compassion, legal avenues towards immigration and citizenship do not come cheap.
Reblogged this on Anonymous Controversy.
Greetings.
I am going to have to agree with Vicklea. It is not the Immigrants that many of us are objecting to, it is the Illegal immigrants that are the source of the problem – those people that have illegally crossed not just American borders, but in many cases Mexican borders as well. Their first act on American soil is to violate the law.
Every nation in the world today has immigration laws. Some are far sticker than Americas. We ask only that you obey those laws, just as if you immigrated to Mexico, Canada, England or Brazil. Come to us by the legal entry points, not sneaking across the border in the dark of the night. (and stop trashing the land, we’ve been doing a good enough job of it without your help. **See some of the damage ** http://www.ournationalparks.us/park_issues/illegal_immigrants_bring_problems_to_border_parks/ & http://www.desertinvasion.us/invasion_pictures/invasion_diablo_mtn_2.html)
When you do come here, please please try to leave your old country behind. One of my favorite blogs is by a first generation American writer. (Sarah Hoyt) She often talks about how hard it was for her to become acculturated. But she did. Yes, it is hard but not impossible. If you want to be American, then BE and American, not a (fill in the blank) living in America.
Why is it wrong for us to ask this?
As to the charges of “children being separated from their families”: Good sir, are you aware that not all of the minors are the children of those adults accompanying them?
“Internal Homeland Security documents reviewed by the newspaper show that adults trying to illegally cross into the U.S are pairing up with unrelated children to pretend to be families and fabricate heart-breaking stories in order to convince border agents to admit them.”
[https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Illegal-Immigrants-Record-Deportation/2016/11/22/id/760167/]
In fact some of them allegedly are stooping to kidnapping.
“Two years later, children are indeed being kidnapped or borrowed by illegal immigrants trying to pose as families, according to Homeland Security numbers, which show the U.S. is on pace for more than 400 such attempts this year. That would be a staggering 900 percent increase over 2017’s total.” [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/22/children-abducted-illegals-posing-families-us-bord/]
“Can you still not be a land that welcomes the poor, the refugee and those who only want to make a new life for themselves? “
Yes. Sarah did it. Her friends Kate and Nicki did it. They came here legally, followed the law and showed that they could be contributing members of society.
Perhaps we are just a little more cautious about the legal/illegal division here after the Home Secretary had to resign recently.
For those of you who don’t know, it recently came to light that a policy of presenting ‘a hostile environment’ to illegal immigrants, introduced by a former Home Secretary who is now the Prime Minister, has been applied to immigrants who originally came to help what they thought of as ‘the Mother Country’ in England’s hour of post-war need. Amber Rudd proved not to be up to speed with her department’s internal quota policies and so she had to go. Just labelling other humans being ‘illegal’ — because civil servants with quotas to fill have moved the goalposts, for example — neither puts you/us in the right nor takes away the so-called illegals’ need for and right to justice.
Furthermore, it is the case, whether we want it to be so or not, that if we are to get the immigrants we need and desire, then we need to accept that we will also get some people that will not be desirable, whose acts might might well call for justice to be applied rather than dispensed. When we try drawing lines we invariably come up against cases where the policy says someone is on the wrong side of the line both common sense and justice declare that they should be treated as though on the right side.
If English is taught as it is all over the world, we ought not be surprised if both economic migrants and asylum seekers who speak even a modicum of English will make their way through a variety of other countries — and perhaps many dangers — to reach the UK or the USA.
On the other hand, it is far too easy for those of us who think that the free movement of peoples is the right thing to do and a great Gospel opportunity, to treat the slightest reservation from what we construe to be our liberality as out-and-out racism. It was a salutary lesson to see good people use unfriendly and ungenerous language about immigration during the Brexit referendum simply because more compassionate language and reasoning has not been available to them.
However, once you have met a few people who’ve had to leave their country of origin because of real threats to their lives, it changes your attitude to proper channels and legal proceedures. The advice we give ought to be the same as what was told to Lot: ‘Escape for your life; don’t drag your feet; don’t even look back.’ And we can add the coda to it: ‘Remember Lot’s wife!’ For ourselves, we can’t believe that fleeing from the wrath to come would be helped by passing by on the other side.
Yours,
John/.
“However, once you have met a few people who’ve had to leave their country of origin because of real threats to their lives, it changes your attitude to proper channels and legal proceedures.”
I have met those people. Sorry, it does not change my opinion about people who do not even make an effort to a) follow the law b) become members of this society c) learn at least the basics of “English”. These are not asylums seekers in the sense that you are thinking. The ones I have met assimilated, became members of our society, had jobs and spoke enough English to communicate. In other words, everything the Illegals do not do.
The media made a bit to-do over the photo of a young girl supposedly separated from her mother at our southern border. What they left out was that her mother was not an asylum seeker; she was just looking for a “better job. Her husband, whom she had left behind with her three other children, has a good job. He makes enough to support his family. There are people here that do not have the luxury of making enough. Her husband did not where she was until the photo showed up. She had not discussed her plans with him, including the plan to take their youngest across dangerous lands. Oh, and they were not separated – the mother is in the upper right corner of the photo.
I do not dispute that we need to modify our Immigration laws, but I can not, will not condone kidnapping in any form. I will not accept drug lords or members of violent gangs entering the country. If that means everyone must enter by way of a standardized method (to weed out the criminals) then so be it. ((Not like it is all that new anyway. I know of people who were turned away at Elis Island.)) Heartless? Perhaps, but I have to think about, protect, my family because the Government won’t.
Obama spent 8 years punishing our country and our Christian faith.
Our daily experience now is hopeful and buoyed by respect.
Thanks, David, well said. Incidentally, which (UK?) church did V-P Pence visit?
It wasn’t a UK church and I”m not sure I am at liberty to say…!
It was nice to read a courteous invitation, which included some respectfully presented challenges too and also very beneficial to read the comments from people who live in the States. There is so much ‘fake news’ and biased opinion, that one wonders if they ever truly know what is going on and where to go to for reliable news sources. I thought that a lot of people were praising Trump only a few weeks ago for his work in the peace summit involving Kim Jong-un!! (although I wouldn’t trust Jong-un!)
I had always thought it interesting that Trump’s mother had come from one of the most evangelical islands on earth, which had at least 2 revivals, one of which was not that long ago. I don’t know much about her except that she fled from abject poverty to the USA, but maybe she sowed the seeds of faith in his heart and mind as a child?? Maybe we will see faith coming to fruition over the months and years? He does have Mike Pence to influence him also. I, like anyone else, held my breath as his presidency unfolded and didn’t see much to commend him for at first – he didn’t seem to have ‘knack’ for diplomacy at all!! But his election was maybe the only way for people to have their voice heard on certain issues.
I noted also that before the election, Franklin Graham held prayer rallies in every State. God answers prayer? Although Trump maybe couldn’t be seen as God’s man in the White House, perhaps the church in the USA did get something of a reprieve by his election.
Over the course of his presidency, I haven’t seen any signs of repentance over his attitude to women and former treatment of them (although I don’t know fully what to believe in that respect either).
But I have noticed a few qualities to his credit, things that are sorely lacking in politicians and leaders:
1) He is decisive
2) He is not a coward
3) He recognises a ‘good’ man when he sees one and stands up
and speaks out for them. (He defended Mike Pence when
he was booed by actors in a theatre; he has directly
addressed the plight of Andrew Brunson (pastor
imprisoned in Turkey) and appealed to him to not lose
hope.
So I’m ‘watching this space’ to see whether he blossoms into a ‘good’ man, or even a Christian president who grows in grace and diplomacy, and I am certainly praying so. I do hope he takes himself out from under the influence of Paula White!
My loyalty is not to the protocol of society or the office of the US President, but too the Kingdom of God. So any person who endorses the destructive word faith ministries, as Donald Trump does, is not a person I would welcome. I believe in the gospel of Christ, not the money and power gospel of this man, I could not care less where he visits. I hope he visits your church.
@ David Lynch. I too like to try and see things through the Kingdom of God lens. Donald Trump is not a Christian, as far as anybody knows, so his endorsement of Paula White for example, is done in ignorance surely. When people don’t have the Holy Spirit, or the discernment of the Holy Spirit, they are open to believing just about anything – it doesn’t matter what their stature is. Look at Tom Cruise, you would think he would know better. I pray for Trump anyhow, because I actually think, despite his bullish characteristics that he has potential and so has Melania. They are strong minded but not hard hearted I think. Trump’s simplistic way of looking at things has a sort of childlike quality. Maybe I’m naive, but I think he would be open to the gospel.
Melania was the epitome of grace and elegance at the Royal Hospital Chelsea today. Her gentle and warm manner with local school children was outstanding and so touching – the children obviously loved her! She seemed to have a great rapport with Philip May and it was lovely to see them interacting so graciously and adding civility to this controversial visit. They enjoyed a game of lawn bowls with the children and the Chelsea Pensioners and the atmosphere was genuinely relaxed and happy. The Chelsea Pensioners LOVED her!! I don’t know much about her past and I know there were some ‘risque’ photos – but she can behave like a lady when she has to – maybe she is even is a lady! She looked to me like a really good role model for young girls at this moment in time.
Martha, like most of us First Lady Melania has a past but it isn’t who she is now. Thank you for your gracious comment! Many of us are very discouraged here in the U.S. because of the constant strife.
Not many people seem to be mentioning the sex allegations against Trump, good Panorama programme about it on the BBC. He does seem to be quite a predatory man.
David, can someone never leave his sins and failures behind? I’m grateful that I can. Please can’t we move on?
If I had heard any news of his repenting them, rather than boasting them as evidence of his power to do whatever he likes with impunity, you would have a case. Mrs Trump appears to have tried to “move on”, but he shows no sign of it yet – and neither of them show any evidence of being more than cultural churchgoers at best.
This is no endorsement of his rivals: the fact is that Christians and power are an uneasy mix, and those who genuinely follow it tend not to seek that kind of position. But even on practical terms, someone who doesn’t just admit, but boasts, of using power in that way is not someone I’d trust not to abuse power in other ways.
America, and the world it so impacts on, have never been more in need of prayer.
Of course, they own up to them, but he denies them, making the 40+ women out to be liars. Is forgiveness not intimately linked with repentance?
“Of course, they own up to them, but he denies them, making the 40+ women out to be liars. Is forgiveness not intimately linked with repentance?”
I agree with David and Karen Watson on this matter. Your comments were very well put Karen. We need to hear Trump express publicly that his attitude towards and treatment of (as long as the allegations are true) women was immature and disrespectful at least, and if he violated any women in any way then that is a very serious charge. I am fed up with the word ‘mysogynist’ now because all the protesting Trump haters have overused it and probably half of them don’t even know what it means.
I didn’t realize the Trumps were even church goers.
I suppose many Christians are really hoping for revival and a Christian in the White House would seem to give comfort and hope to Christians that maybe America could be made ‘great again’ because surely the great blessings that the USA enjoyed must be connected with the huge influence of Christianity there. But a denial of the influence of Christianity there and here in the UK (“British Values”) carries the same significance – we want ‘good’ without God and the ‘gifts’ but not the ‘Giver’. We think somehow Americans and British have an intrinsic excellence based on past glory – but that simply isn’t true! So if we don’t get revival – and get more liberal, godless laws passed – then we will only see persecution of Christians followed by God’s judgement on the nations, which is actually already evident. Can a nation be saved?
We should not protect this man. It is clear from his own mouth that he has a low regard for women (and many others), why do we pander to him. I would also like to know when ‘America was Great’? Just like the illusion of the British Empire, there is very little to be interpreted as great. The fundamental difference, for me at least, is that Christianity, as developed in the West, is not the same as the Kingdom that Jesus ushered in. Can a nation be saved? I struggle to answer that question, as Jesus never talks about nations in salvific terms, only people. So I guess no, a nation cannot be saved, but Donald Trump can.
Though I think it may be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
Yes, Amen to a lot of what has been said here! Especially that forgiveness is intimately connected with repentance. I would just urge those in this discussion to continue to pray for our leaders as we’re been instructed to, and that this be our chief focus.
A clarification: The President was raised in Norman Vincent Peale’s Presbyterian Church – remember Peale’s Power of Positive Thinking? Also, the First Lady is now a Roman Catholic (her roots?). On the couples’ trip to the Vatican, Pope Francis blessed Melania’s rosary.
Thanks Maria…elaboration and clarification is always helpful! I can now pray more intelligently. Catholicism also comes in different ‘brands’ too. I know that from personal experience. xx
It does help, Martha. I was raised and educated as a Catholic.
Lord bless you and all here!
@ David. We should hope and pray that Trump repents of his treatment of women. That would be good wouldn’t it? I am not meaning to be sarcastic but why would so many people over many years have wanted to get into the USA or the UK, if their reputation wasn’t ‘great’? The USA was once considered to be the ‘land of opportunity’. The country is populated by people from every nation on earth. The UK is the same. The NHS and the Social Welfare system, the values and the quality of life were surely the envy of the world. But the problem is this is all past tense… The USA is no longer great and the British Empire is a bygone relic of past glories. Yes there were inconsistencies and evils in both countries but Christianity did civilise the UK. Remember the barbarous English and the Scots clans who were so fearsome. But with the decline of Christianity and associated social norms, we are returning to the barbarous people of pre-Christian times. Same in Europe. Look at what is going on around us! Football celebrations! Breakdown of families, morals and trust – violence, drunkeness, and terrible heartlessness evident. Christianity is pushed to the margins now. Surely a post-Christian country now is the WORST kind of country!? Christians used to be respected in the West – now we are scorned, oppressed and yes, persecuted. The question is – is this the continuing trend? Or can we regain any ground that was lost? Can we have revival? Can a generation be influenced or won for Christ?