Evangelicals Split Over Trump And Beating Plowshares Into Swords-May Determine Midterms

It’s one thing for the president to proclaim what Robert Bellah called “American civil religion.” But it’s something else for Evangelical leaders like Pat Robertson to do the same. To be sure, he just called for Americans to “cool the rhetoric” on Saudi Arabia over the killing of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi because it’s an ally and has a lucrative arms deal with the U.S. Arguing the Saudi Regime can be used in a future war against Iran, he further called on his listeners to phone or write those like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) who are “screaming blood for the Saudis” and want severe sanctions. As for President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty, he’s fully behind it as well.

Not Buying Robertson’s Snake Oil
But not every Evangelical is buying what some call Pat Robertson’s snake oil- which he peddles through the “700 Club” show. Pastor Doug Pagit, for instance, publish an op-ed in “USA Today” encouraging fellow evangelical Christians to rethink their support of Donald Trump, warning that “Religious leaders have given up moral ground at every renewed show of support for this administration and Congress.” Claiming their support of his policies like separating immigrant families or the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh is “antithetical to what Jesus preached,” he cautioned that God’s righteousness and justice is not necessarily the same as the president’s.

Doug Pagit also believes Donald Trump uses hot button issues like immigration, gun control, and abortion as tools to manipulate other Evangelical leaders like Franklin Graham to do their bidding. Claiming their highest concern is self-preservation, he charges them with becoming “blinded and desensitized to all other injustices and inhumanities: children separated from parents, refugees refused safety, women denigrated and abused, and health care denied to the vulnerable.” As a result, Evangelical leaders are willing, at all costs, to court decisions in exchange for basic human dignity and in the name of a faith that has nothing to do with God’s grace, forgiveness and compassion.

He used the parable of the Good Samaritan of what America should be. Jesus called his followers to let go of their religious agendas to care for the hurt stranger and to champion protecting the most vulnerable. Religious leaders that “deny insurance coverage” or “refugee status” to endorse the president and protect their interests and purity, or ignore a person who’s been beaten and left to die, don’t sit well with God. Neither will ignoring a man who’s mocked a woman who’s been sexually assaulted. It’s actually complicity in an administration’s war on the vulnerable. The same can be said of a nation that’s more interested in militarism and war than feeding the hungry (Yemen) and clothing the naked.

A Theology of “Must Have” Enemies
Others question Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham’s tactics. When fund raising, he often identifies an enemy: homosexuals, abortionists, Democrats, or ‘liberals’ in general. (The latest ones have been the far-left and socialism and Venezuela and Iran.) Then, such enemies are accused, falsely, of being out to get Christians or wanting to impose their morality on the rest of the country. An action plan is offered-Opposing these enemies to ensure that they do not take over America-and a plea for funds follows. The focus is inevitably negative and fearful, and the claims are often outrageous. For example, he’s called for the assassination of certain foreign leaders and preemptive wars.

As for Pat Robertson, he thinks God wants him “to help usher in the Second Coming.” His is a theology that must have enemies, conspiracies and opponents as well as play the role of a righteous victim in order to get people to send in money. Worse, he may believe what he proclaims. He tries to use scriptures to show that Russia and Iran are America’s main enemies in the Middle East-which is why the U.S. needs Saudi Arabia. Believing those who protect Israel God will favor, he predicts a nuclear-like Armageddon that pit’s a U.S.-Israeli alliance against Russia, Iran and China. Scrapping the INF Treaty simply proves his theology, one with his pre-tribulation rapture escape from a fiery end.

Instead of beating swords into plowshares as the scriptures command, it appears that Pat Robertson is doing just the opposite: beating plowshares into swords. Indeed, his argument that the U.S. should overlook the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi hinges on the $110 billion U.S.-Saudi arms deal that’ll be “a lot of money coming to our coffers.” For Iran, it’s part of his apocalyptic world view and Second Coming. This includes the notion that God’s blessings and freedoms come through American Exceptionalism, that U.S. prosperity is a result of God’s providence and it’s a beacon of hope and righteousness, the sanctity of Americans institutions, and that the U.S. always serves the purpose of God.

Voting For Justice And Humanity
In a world plagued by conflict and despair, it’s difficult enough to grasp the true meaning of peace-let alone without Evangelical leaders wanting to constantly beat plowshares into swords. Broken lives, displaced and uprooted people, malnourished children, and innocent victims of war and ethnic conflict are widespread. They’re also the result of the designation of funds from the budgets of national governments to strengthen military forces and buy arms. Consequently, war and poverty do not necessarily exist because we cannot feed the poor and hungry, but because we cannot satisfy the rich and powerful. Peacemakers who want to truly live their faith are called to change such structures.

This includes Evangelicals. As Doug Pagit reminds us: “We know that the pursuit of the common good means taking time to stand with women, people of color, immigrants, refugees, the poor and the sick…, and to concern ourselves with those who have been ignored and harmed by governments and powers. Neither does our faith demand one be Republican or Democrat. Faith instead calls us to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This entails voting for the common good, for justice and humanity.” Such ethical voting for the common good and for justice and humanity may even determine Midterm elections and beyond.

Meanwhile, a nation that continues to spend-and preach-more on preemptive wars, the illegal use of military force, and other forms of violence is also on the verge of spiritual suicide.

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.WN.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and www.WN.com/dallasdarling.