Last week we witnessed Jerry Falwell Jr. endorse Presidential Candidate Donald Trump for the Republican nominee, calling the real estate mogul, "one of the greatest visionaries of our time." But while Evangelical endorsements of Republican candidates is nothing new in American politics, what is disturbing is Falwell Jr.'s more specific assertion that, "Mr. Trump lives a life of loving and helping others as Jesus taught in the New Testament."
For those of us who identify as Christian--who regard Christ as the incarnation of God--such a claim must be condemned as complete blasphemy. But in response to Falwell's endorsement and Trump's candidacy as a whole, Christians have lined up to praise the brusque billionaire; in fact, Trump overwhelmingly leads the evangelical vote in every poll. At a recent campaign rally, one woman even held a sign reading, "Praise the Lord Jesus for President Trump."
But Falwell's assertion is upsetting on a much deeper level beyond temporary American politics. To say that Trump "lives a life... as Jesus taught" reaches to the core of Christianity--to the gospel Jesus exemplified in his life and paid for with his death. In other words, if we as Christians stand silently by or, worse, endorse such a person as Trump, we are making a blasphemy of Jesus's sacrifice.
In truth, the life "Jesus taught in the New Testament" bears no resemblance to the life and actions of Trump. It is in the New Testament where Jesus says that his gospel can be summed up in "two commandments": "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and, "Love your neighbor as yourself." All of Christ's teachings center on these two principles--that as believers we must dedicate ourselves to God first and live out that dedication through compassionate treatment of others.
There are no exceptions to these commandments. Jesus doesn't say that we are to love our neighbors except those who are Muslim, or except those who are immigrants. In fact he calls us, in other New Testament passages, to embrace those who are unlike us, to defend the weak, and even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
In one of the most striking passages of scripture, Matthew 25, Jesus illustrates what his gospel looks like in action. He says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. [...] Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." In other words our faith is made tangible in how we treat society's neediest, weakest members.
In contrast, Trump has led a campaign that demonizes "the least of these" in our contemporary society. He has generalized all Mexican immigrants as rapists and "people with a lot of problems." He has called for an outright ban on all Muslim immigrants, including those seeking asylum after their nations have been toppled, their cities barrel-bombed. He has characterized women as "dogs," "ugly," and "disgusting" (when breastfeeding). He even made fun of a disabled reporter by mimicking him at a rally.
Further, in a demonstration of his personal character, Trump has gloated about this marital infidelity and said he never asked God for forgiveness about anything. He denounced John McCain for being caught as a POW, saying he likes "people who weren't captured." When Trump chose not to snub the recent Fox News debate, he bragged that it was "an eye for an eye," ironically endorsing the Old Testament vengeance Jesus decried. And in one of the most shocking and revealing statements of his candidacy, Trump crowed that he could "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue, shoot somebody, and still wouldn't lose any voters." The list could go on and on, but what these actions expose is clear: Despite Trump's assertion that he is a Christian, his life in no way resembles Jesus's "life of loving and helping others." Evangelical voters have been fleeced.
But more than shaming the gospel of Christ, believers who endorse Trump are also forfeiting a remarkable opportunity for political action on the part of "the least of these." In the twenty-first century, Americans face social and economic challenges on every front--from poverty and immigration, to crowded prisons and extreme "Islamic" terrorism. We've seen African-American communities erupt in frustration due to racism in the justice system and a general, systemic lack of opportunity. Muslims and immigrants face violence and discrimination by those who see them only as terrorists and job-stealers. Veterans are denied adequate health care and a staggering number are homeless. The mentally ill cannot afford treatment, and innocent civilians are gunned down in their schools and places of work. Overall, the elite and powerful enjoy all of the gains in our economy--posting record accumulations in wealth, according to the Pew Research Center--while the middle class continues to disappear and gaps between rich and poor widen.
These are the individuals Christ has called us to defend. The poor. The weak. The voiceless. The forgotten. Trump's self-focused bluster does nothing to come to their aid, but Christians too have remained silent, charmed by the billionaire who gives voice to their anger and hate.
In the end, Falwell's endorsement is a fallacy, a blasphemy of the gospel message. The life that "Jesus taught in the New Testament" is the antithesis of Trump's rhetoric and actions, and it is time for Christians to speak out, to vote with their faith and convictions. It is time for us to embrace the Jesus we know in the New Testament and to make tangible Christ's gospel by defending, not demeaning, "the least of these."
Cara L. Snider Williams is a professor of English, who holds a Doctorate of Philosophy from West Virginia University and teaches rhetoric, composition, and literature at Shepherd University. Her scholarship includes intersections of race, religion, and social justice in American literature, with a focus on Christians "on the margin" who advocated for a social gospel. When she is not grading papers or writing, Cara immerses herself in contemporary global and national politics.