Evangelicals for Biden, Trump or any particular politician is blasphemous
Dear Brothers and Sisters at Evangelicals for Biden,
Thanks for the link to your campaign website, which I read with interest. An impressive 175,000 evangelicals have signed up to your campaign. You certainly make a compelling case for your candidate. He is a devout Catholic who wears his son’s rosary beads every day and whose faith has helped him get through some dark times.
He enjoys eating ice cream at a Christian-run restaurant. He is humble, honest, patriotic, compassionate and a man who keeps his word. His policies are based on Christian values. He can lead us out of Covid because he’s done it before. He will provide economic prosperity, justice, community and he is pro-life. You even have a Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden sub-group who tell us that your policy is all about protecting life from womb to tomb.You assure us that “following God’s will and adhering to core Christian values, Joe will be able to lead us through our nation’s challenges”. We are to vote for someone who truly reflects Christian values, as Joe Biden does. Joe is “as good a man as God ever created’. Who would not vote for such a candidate?
But you will forgive me if I ask a few questions of you. I find it intriguing and somewhat surprising that some evangelical authors and speakers whose work I have benefited from are so fulsome in their praise of one presidential candidate (I would say the same about those who are for the other main presidential candidate – but that can wait for next week!).
So my first question is why?
1. Why have Evangelicals for Biden at all?
I’m from the UK and I cannot imagine an Evangelicals for Johnson, or Starmer, or Sturgeon group! Yes, Christians get involved in politics and may even have groups within political parties, but the notion that ‘evangelicals’ as a grouping would be for one candidate is puzzling, frivolous and to be quite honest, almost blasphemous.
Why not just support your candidate and not bring your religion into it? The ‘evangel’ is the good news about Jesus Christ, not the good news about Joe Biden. You are evangelical leaders. Why do you think you have a right to tell other Christians who to vote for? It is a misuse of your office and the role that God has called you to.
2. Character
One of the problems with making the election about the character of your candidate is that you end up with the kind of hyperbole that is both dishonest and to be frank, somewhat nauseating. I think your candidate comes across as sincere and compassionate, but I don’t know him and I’m not in a position to judge his heart. Even the devil comes as an angel of light.
We have to go by actions and policies, and there are, to say the least, considerable flaws that have been shown in his character that do not quite match the ‘St Joe’ portrayal you make on your website. For example, he said in the last debate that his son did not benefit one penny from China and yet it was documented (see Hamilton and Ohlberg’s Hidden Hand) that his son flew with him to China in 2013, and without any experience in private equity, was made a partner in a firm whose largest shareholder was the state-owned Bank of China – a deal believed to have made him $20 million.
The e-mails found on his son’s computer, if genuine (and your candidate has not said they are false) show that he lied about not knowing of his son’s dealing with Ukraine – where he was paid $50,000 per month by the Ukrainian mining company, Burisma. Stating that you cannot vote for the ‘other’ candidate because of his moral flaws doesn’t carry the same punch if your own candidate shares those flaws.
3. Religion
Biden is, you say, a “practising” Catholic – if what you mean by “practising” is that he attends mass. But I think that is embarrassing for real Catholics who hold to the Church’s actual teaching because, unlike them, Biden is opposed to the Church’s teaching on abortion, euthanasia, marriage and gender. On every single issue where the Catholic Church disagrees with the progressive zeitgeist, your candidate goes with the zeitgeist.
These are not minor trivial disagreements; they are major issues. But you are evangelicals – which makes your endorsement of Joe Biden as the Christian candidate even more puzzling. Because I have listened to numerous of his comments on religion and it is almost entirely a works-based religion – the very opposite of the good news. It’s moralistic therapeutic deism with a bit of new age wishful thinking thrown into the mix. Whilst he often speaks of ‘faith’ in the abstract, I have never heard him speak of faith in Christ.
4. Policies
You state that Joe’s policies are all based on Christian values. Whilst I agree with some of the policies, I would be more hesitant about claiming divine sanction for them. I’m not convinced that Jesus’s values necessarily mean getting rid of the oil industry – I will still drive my car without feeling that I am sinning – and the other policy statements tend to be much more of a wishlist than a reality.
But what is real is the Democratic party policy, endorsed and supported by your candidate, on issues such as transgenderism and abortion. On transgenderism, I was astonished to hear him say that he would repeal the laws on transgenderism and support the ‘transitioning’ of young children.
This ‘faithful’, devout Catholic is thus going against the Pope’s teaching that men and women should accept their bodies as a gift from God and not manipulate them (Papal encyclical – June 2015). But worse than that, he is supporting one of the most hellish and anti-Christian attacks on humanity that has ever been devised. And you support him?!
Your position on abortion is even more confusing. On the one hand, your main website tells us that Biden is pro-life from “womb to tomb” (does this mean he is opposed to euthanasia?); on the other, your Evangelicals for Biden petition states: “We disagree with vice-president Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion.”
And you then go on to state that we should not be “one issue” voters. That may be true but I suspect you would not say that if a candidate was an out and out racist! The fact is that you are urging us to vote for a man who has shifted his position from being anti-abortion, to the Clintonesque “safe, legal and rare”, and now to a place where, unless he is lying (and ‘honest Joe’ surely does not lie?), he supports abortion on demand for any reason up to birth and even the grotesque and particularly evil practice of partial birth abortion.
He has a policy which would ban pro-life judges from being appointed and which would provide government funding for abortion. Perhaps you can hold your nose and vote for such a man because of other policies, but please don’t claim the moral high ground or that this is based upon Christ’s values. That’s blasphemy – especially when Christians who should know better make that claim.
I wonder if part of the answer as to why you formed Evangelicals for Biden is because you were tired of the Gospel of Jesus being associated with support for Trump? I can empathise with that, but I fear you have fallen into the same trap. Why is it any better for the Gospel to be associated with a man who clearly in his policies goes against the Word of the Creator – never mind the policies of his own Church? What possessed you to think that this would be an improvement?!
The Australian senior journalist Greg Sheridan comments: “Conscientious Christians could vote for Trump or Biden or not vote at all. Neither candidate is so bad as to make them unconscionable, as it would be for a Christian to vote, say, for a communist or a Nazi.”
I don’t think it is a sin to vote for either candidate. But to claim that either is the representative of Christ in America is both blasphemous and, to be honest, for the rest of the Church throughout the world, somewhat embarrassing. Maybe it’s time for the Church in the US (as elsewhere) to mature, remember that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, and live in humility as strangers and pilgrims on this earth.
I love your country and pray every day for it at this tumultuous and troubling time. I love the church of Christ even more and pray that we would be delivered from the ugly and partisan political games of this insane world. Imagine if Evangelicals were for Christ – and no other.
Yours in Christ
David Robertson
Thanks David. As an ordained Evangelical minister from America in Scotland, I appreciate the questions and the balanced approach. Haste ye back.
As always, thank you for your thoughtful and well balanced article. I enjoy your articles, blog posts and guest spots on Janet Parshall. It’s always helpful to get an opinion from someone “outside” The US to get me to think about an issue from a different perspective.
The reason there is an “Evangelicals for Biden” is that many American evangelicals believe (or have been directly taught) that the Democrats are evil baby killers and/or that you will go to hell for voting for them. I am not exaggerating.
Further, it is fairly common here in the US for evangelicals to believe Trump has been especially chosen and annointed by God and that any vote against him is a vote against God. Trump himself has declared himself to be the second coming.
The particular practical difficulty with all this (much of it I consider to be pretty blasphemous and obvious manipulation) is that the alternative to voting Democrat has never been so extreme or so life threatening. This particular group has been formed to counter the idea that evangelicals must vote for Trump or face Gods wrath.
The most immediate problem is covid. Its harming all aspects of American life and unchecked would kill something like 2 million and be life changing to maybe 10 million. The incumbent is still suggesting it is a hoax – saying it will disappear on election day – and refusing to act against it.
Americans need to vote for Biden if they want to get passed it. It is as simple as that.
Voting for Biden will not get Americans past Covid – that’s an absurd argument. Trump is not still saying that Covid 19 is a hoax – if he ever did. Thats a lie. Why do you feel the need to repeat it? Where did Trump declare himself to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? You are exaggerating, miscalling and basically passing on lies…why?
According to the Washington Post Trump has publicly stated that the virus will just go away at least 36 times and they have the video evidence to prove it. The latest statement was a couple of days ago, he was saying this to suggest that the pandemic has been made up by the media and the so called “Deep State” just to make him look bad.
His chief of staff said on Sunday that they weren’t trying to control the virus.
Trump tweeted that he was the second coming of God (not Christ) in August 2019.
Please don’t call me a liar. I am not saying these things lightly or without evidence.
You said that Trump currently believes that Covid is a hoax he doesn’t. Saying it will go away is not the same thing….
No on can control the virus. DO you believe Biden when he says he is going to get rid of it? You are more naive and fanciful than I thought!
Could you send me that tweet? Trump says many ridiculous things – but then so does Biden….They are peas in a pod.
Clearly there are things we can and should be doing (and are largely not doing) as a country to protect people’s lives.
Yes, I believe that Biden will work towards getting rid of the virus. Trump has never seem interested in doing this – it is what any country needs in a leader – someone who actually cares about whether his (or her) Citizens live or die.
I’m not sure how I can send you the tweet, but if you just google for it it is pretty easy to find.
I’d encourage you also to read a recent article in the Christian Post (a conservative publication whose editors support Trump) called “Why I’m voting for the first time in 28 years”.
Strange how you ask to cut out the insults yet you feel free to lie about and slander people. It is just not true that Trump does not care whether his citizens live or die. And yes I read lots of material on all sides.
Pete, that is a whole lot of extreme apex fallacies; every bit as ridiculous as the “Saint Joe” trope. No evangelicals I know believe the claims you have made; voting is not a salvation issue. Most of us see two deeply flawed candidates.
Here is a debunk of just one of your claims.
“Despite creating some confusion with his remarks, Trump did not call the coronavirus itself a hoax.”
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-coronavirus-rally-remark/
I’m not going to bother with the rest.
Remember, The Media hates president Trump “like never before”, and will stop at nothing, including openly lying about him (“Trump is a racist! Because I said so!”) to remove him.
And that, if anything, is what has divided us.
“It is just not true that Trump does not care whether his citizens live or die.”
But David, Pete did not say that Trump “does not care”. He did use indirect language so the truth/lie dichotomy doesn’t work. Why the ad hominem responses to Pete?
When someone writes I am going to vote for candidate A because at least he cares whether his citizens live or die – he is by implication saying – as opposed to that other candidate who doesn’t care. It could be that you don’t do logic or that English is not your first language – but I doubt it – you are just up to your old habit of nit=picking. So….no more. Make serious points or in future they will not be posted…it will also save you from embarrassment…
As I understand it Bidens position on abortion is that it should be a moral decision for individuals which the federal government cannot legislate against, but that the abortion rate can be reduced by improving access to healthcare and sex education.
Its unconstitutional to ban abortion so any legal ban would just be struck down anyway.
Trump’s policy is sometimes to say that he wants the status quo and other times to say he wants a total ban. In one interview when seeking his first term he also suggested that women seeking abortion should be jailed, but he doesn’t seem to hold that view any more
Biden’s position on abortion is to support the Democratic party’s position which is for abortion up to birth in all circumstances, funded by the State. It’s not unconstitutional to limit abortion…
I’m sorry, but you are simply wrong – Roe V Wade makes criminalising abortion impossible without a fresh Supreme Court decision
Go check out Bidens policies on his website. He has policies to reduce unwanted pregnancies which lead to abortion. I’m not saying you should necessarily agree with that approach, but it is somewhat different than what the Murdock owned media are claiming about him and the party.
Roe v. Wade can be overturned. Thats the point of Democrat concern.
I have read Bidens policies and he supports the Democratic platform which is as I said. And please don’t play the ‘Murdoch owned press’ are lying about him card. Its pathetic. I’m going by what Biden himself says.
So David, do youactually agree with Greg Sheridan? “Conscientious Christians could vote for Trump or Biden or not vote at all. Neither candidate is so bad as to make them unconscionable, as it would be for a Christian to vote, say, for a communist or a Nazi.”
Of course….that’s why I quoted it – as should be obvious from the context…
Roe V Wade can only be overturned by the supreme court, not the president.
And who nominates and appints Supreme Court judges??
“Conscientious Christians could vote for Trump or Biden or not vote at all. Neither candidate is so bad as to make them unconscionable, as it would be for a Christian to vote, say, for a communist or a Nazi.”
Or one of the 1,214 other presidential candidates which apparently include among their number an ordained pastor (https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54334173). I’ve always been puzzled why there aren’t more successful independent candidates in US elections – Ross Perot is the last one I recall.
“I’ve always been puzzled why there aren’t more successful independent candidates in US elections – Ross Perot is the last one I recall.”
The answer is in the question. Money.
The fact that there is such a campaign as ‘Evangelicals for Biden’ surely can only be because of what’s happened in the last four years – and most especially in 2020? These are unprecedented times!
This election is not about one man or the other ..
it is about the platforms and their ideological differences.
Good vs. Evil
Remember we are talking platforms not specific people
what has President Trump done:
Appointed over 300 conservative Judges. (Protecting our Christian values)
Reduced funding for abortions
Taken us out of many wars
Destroyed ISIS
Brokering peace in the Middle East
Taken The tax from Obamacare
Biden in 47 years?
Part of an administration that has incarcerated black men for minor offenses
Personally gave me Obamacare that tripled my health insurance
Can’t think of anything else
So yes, I do believe that as a Christian I need to vote for Trump…
Evangelical Christianity in both the UK and the USA has long lost its way, it is now simply interested in politics and power, when it isn’t trying to deal with child rape in its own churches. Evangelical Christians like Wilberforce and Fry were interested in feeding the poor, so why it a footballer like Mark Rashford who is helping poor children and not the Evanglical Churches who are more interested in victimhood that they are being persecuted, or are just interested in sexual power.
The Gospel News, the Good News, is salvation in Jesus Christ, it is not salvation by works whether persecuting women or homosexuals or worrying that people might be treated equal or ignoring children who are in poverty or starving. No wonder Evangelical Christians are irrelevant in the UK and seen as power-hungry in the USA, and why people are looking to footballers and not to the self-called followers of Christ. Christ is ashamed of all of us who claim to be His followers!!!
Marcus Rashford cannot be equated with Christians working for the poor. He wants tax payer money to fund school meals out of term time. We already have a social system which rewards single parenthood, which leads to child poverty. He should be philanthropic and use his wealth and connections to start a charitable trust, not expect the population to pay ever higher taxes.
The church is involved in feeding the poor through The Trussell Trust or Food Banks which are available throughout the UK. There is also Fairshare and other groups.
Jesus is not ashamed of us – he loves us and calls us to grow in holiness and love.
I think this says it all about Biden:
https://spectator.us/joe-biden-endless-wars-afghanistan-serbia/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Numbers 3 and 4 are a big reason why I cannot in good conscience vote for Biden. I don’t believe that Trump is anointed or anything similar, but I do believe that he is the best hope for the U.S. to turn away from wickedness.
Did anyone see what John Piper had to say regarding the election? He plays both ends from the middle to get the approval of the people he is writing for? Biden is the carrier pigeon for Marxist radicalism that hates Christian values. There is a HUGE difference between Biden & Trump. If Elijah were here today, I wonder if he would take on the same pussified stance. The Obama administration tried to take God out of the Christian platform. This election is not a normal one. Imagine looking back at this juncture in history telling your grandchildren you were mute and didn’t influence people to do what is RIGHT. To stand by and be SILENT, and say it’s okay not to vote?
Is Greg Sheridan also trying “to get the approval of the people he is writing for”? And I wonder who Elijah would have “taken on” if he had been here in the last three years?
On 15th June, the acting president of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson said, ‘This is literally a life and death election…..we can’t endure another four years of Trump, we have to do everything we can to get him out of office’. Their video endorsing Joe Biden is on YouTube. They have pledged $45 million towards electing Democrats. In 2017/18 they aborted 345,672 babies. Joe Biden could hardly get a more powerful endorsement. Is that sufficient reason to vote for President Trump’s re-election?