Forgiving Evangelicals

I confess to feeling a lot of anger and a lot of frustration with the American Christian right-wing, whether we call them evangelicals or fundamentalists or some other less flattering term.  This group of folks has me totally stymied and dumbfounded.  Claiming to be the most Christian of the Christians they act in ways that defy both logic and belief.

For now, let’s set aside their stringent commitment to falsehoods, beliefs that are totally contradicted by fact, knowledge and reason.  Among those set-asides are the beliefs that the earth is around 6,000 years old, humans and dinosaurs walked the planet together, the earth is flat, it was created in 6 days, there really was a Noah and an Ark and a flood, and evolution is not a fact.  There are more, but just looking at the belief structure that is in such denial of reality might be enough to get most of them certified and committed.  But, for now, let’s set that aside.

Let’s not set aside the primary tenets of Christianity as defined in the New Testament.  Whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, an atheist or a Hindu the core teachings are pretty obvious even to the most superficial reader:  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Have no hatred for your brother.  If anyone has worldly goods and sees his neighbor in need he does not have God’s love in him.  Honor everyone.  It is more difficult for the rich to enter heaven.  Love your enemies.  Everyone is a child of God. 

So, for 8 years this group attacked the President.  They claimed he was not born in America.  He was.  They claimed he was a Muslim.  He is not.  They claimed he would come and take their guns away.  He did not.  What he did was save our economy from destruction due to the conservative policies of the previous years, he enacted health insurance for the poor and needy, he improved our international relations with other nations, he took great steps in ending the conflicts in the middle east, and he worked on protecting the climate.  There was no hint of scandal or corruption, and yet the Christian right continued their assault.

Now, we have a President who is a known adulterer, a known sex offender, a bigot, a misogynist, a racist, a person who unleashes verbal assault on anyone who dares question him, a person who consistently lies and misrepresents reality, and a person who prides himself on his wealth.  And yet, the Christian right not only ignores those attributes, they defend him fervently.  There are even some who believe that God chose this man to become our President when it is growing more and more clear the Russians chose this man to become our President.  What am I missing? 

If we lay the basic tenets of Christianity down and attempt to align Trump’s programs we have a total mismatch.  Accusing immigrants of being criminals is anti-Christian.  Building a wall to keep people out is anti-Christian.  Dismantling a health care system for the poor and for children is anti-Christian.  Placing oneself above all others is anti-Christian.  Using women as sex objects is anti-Christian.  Blaming the victims of poverty as villains is anti-Christian.  Having great wealth and not sharing it with the neediest is anti-Christian.  And on and on.  This man is clearly the most anti-Christian President we have ever had and yet he enjoys the support of the Christian right-wing more than any other President.

I can reach only several possible conclusions.  Those who call themselves Christian are liars and charlatans.  Or, those who call themselves Christian really rely less on the tenets of their beliefs than they do their own fear and prejudice and greed.  Or, Christians are just stupid sheep.  I can find no way to salute their stand.

Unless, their position is that we should forgive our neighbors.  But, if that was the basis of their support, why did they attack the previous President so much?  No, it cannot be that.

Those of us who struggle with our beliefs, who wonder if there really is a God and if Jesus really existed and was His son, are rocked to our core watching those who claim to be Christian.  I do not understand why so-called Christians are not rising up and offering both forgiveness of Trump and a demand for his impeachment.

Unlike those so-called Christians, I am at least attempting to forgive the evangelicals for the harm they are doing to our country.  I am not there yet.  But I am trying.