Brad Reed
October 3, 2023
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 03: Catherine Castillo prays during the 'Evangelicals for Trump' campaign event held at the King Jesus International Ministry as they await the arrival of President Donald Trump on January 03, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The rally was announced after a December editorial published in Christianity Today called for the President Trump's removal from office.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Conservative columnist Matt Lewis has written a new piece for The Daily Beast where he hammers American evangelicals for "worshipping" former President Donald Trump, an act which he describes as "un-Christian as it gets."
Lewis begins his piece by marveling at the way many American evangelicals feel beholden to Trump despite the fact that his allegedly un-Christlike behavior has led to him getting indicted in four different jurisdictions on 91 felony counts.
However, notes Lewis, many evangelicals have rationalized this by claiming that God personally told them that He wants Trump to lead America.
"Never mind the humiliation that pro-Trump prophets have faced for prophesying he would win in 2020—and then that, despite losing, he would be reinstated in 2021," he argues. "There is a real sense among many Christians (whether this 'word of knowledge' came directly from the man upstairs, or was shared second hand) that Trump is still God’s vessel in 2024."
Lewis, who himself is an evangelical Christian, then zeroes in on the theological issue he has with so many of his fellow evangelicals have with emphasizing belief in prophecy.
"The notion that Trump could be an imperfect vessel ordained to do God’s will (see Cyrus or King David) is not without precedent," argues Lewis. "Then again, that projection could also be applied to any political leader... Just as slaveholders cited scripture to baptize an evil institution, one could cite this scripture to argue that any current political leader, no matter how tyrannical, is ordained by God. By this logic, criticizing Biden (or anyone in power) is sinful."
Conservative columnist Matt Lewis has written a new piece for The Daily Beast where he hammers American evangelicals for "worshipping" former President Donald Trump, an act which he describes as "un-Christian as it gets."
Lewis begins his piece by marveling at the way many American evangelicals feel beholden to Trump despite the fact that his allegedly un-Christlike behavior has led to him getting indicted in four different jurisdictions on 91 felony counts.
However, notes Lewis, many evangelicals have rationalized this by claiming that God personally told them that He wants Trump to lead America.
"Never mind the humiliation that pro-Trump prophets have faced for prophesying he would win in 2020—and then that, despite losing, he would be reinstated in 2021," he argues. "There is a real sense among many Christians (whether this 'word of knowledge' came directly from the man upstairs, or was shared second hand) that Trump is still God’s vessel in 2024."
Lewis, who himself is an evangelical Christian, then zeroes in on the theological issue he has with so many of his fellow evangelicals have with emphasizing belief in prophecy.
"The notion that Trump could be an imperfect vessel ordained to do God’s will (see Cyrus or King David) is not without precedent," argues Lewis. "Then again, that projection could also be applied to any political leader... Just as slaveholders cited scripture to baptize an evil institution, one could cite this scripture to argue that any current political leader, no matter how tyrannical, is ordained by God. By this logic, criticizing Biden (or anyone in power) is sinful."
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