To those of us not on the Trump Train, the support Trump appears to be getting from Christians is somewhat of an unsolved mystery. In South Carolina, exit polls indicated that Trump received the vote of 34 percent evangelical Republicans.
Conventional wisdom would leave one to believe that Southern evangelicals are least likely to vote for the candidate who has had three wives, appears to value money above all else, and has openly bragged about having extra-marital affairs. With God-fearing candidates like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson, the fact that Donald Trump receives anything but outright criticism from evangelicals is something that must be examined.
Why do so many Southern evangelicals appear to be supporting Trump? To find the answers, Ben Domenech compares this election cycle with the last:
“We know how Southern evangelicals typically impact the Republican presidential stakes. You only have to look back to 2008 and 2012, when Mitt Romney was repeatedly dogged by accusations that he was only pretending to be pro-life. Romney had to construct an entire narrative of how his opinion on the issue had shifted, and when, and make the case for himself repeatedly as someone who could be trusted on the issue despite his prior positions on abortion. His Mormon faith was also a barrier for some evangelicals, though most swallowed their concerns and came out to vote for him in an election they felt would direct the future of the country.”
The difference was 2012. The year 2012, he argues, marked the beginning of a significant change.
“Romney ran the last campaign of the pre-gay marriage era. The years since have seen an explosion of controversy over political correctness, with battles over safe spaces, speech codes, and the assertion of privilege spreading from academia into the broader culture. The flashpoint in this new phase of the culture war is the issue of speech: what our culture and politics will allow you to say, and where you are allowed to say it.”
The culture changed rapidly since 2012. The last four years is a period Domenech describes as “post-apocalyptic.” At this point, Southern evangelicals have started to find themselves at odds with what their faith means to them and what it means in relation to the culture. During this time, gay marriage became the law of the land after the recent Supreme Court ruling. Planned Parenthood continued to receive tax payer funding despite the horrific revelations made public by the Center for Medical Progress’ series undercover videos. Despite substantial evidence showing that its clinics are profiting from the sale of fetal organs and tissue, the spineless Republicans on Capitol Hill did not halt government funding of the nation’s largest abortion provider.
At a time when Christian bakery owners are forced to pay $137,000 for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay ceremony, American evangelicals and Christians of all stripes are being forced left and right to compromise or surrender beliefs they once held strong. Some argue that the culture war is lost.
“@JerryJrFalwell: A majority of evangelicals believe @realDonaldTrump is best equipped to save the country. #Greta“
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2016
“In this post-apocalyptic environment, it becomes increasingly clear why Southern evangelicals would drop their requirements that a political leader who seeks their backing be one of them, ideologically or faithfully,” Domenech says. “They have different priorities now: They want an ally who will protect them, regardless of his personal ethics.”
Christians that chose someone like Trump to protect them essentially believe he will act in their best interests and in America’s best interests. How can they be sure, though, that Donal Trump’s interests are the same as their own? What gives them the idea that his interests are the same as patriotic, liberty loving, God-fearing Americans? Expecting a man who all but worships himself, his money, and his material possessions to act according to your own values is sure to leave Christians disappointed.
Yet, Trump’s popularity among Christians has yet to stop growing. Is the culture war lost? That probably depends on who you’re voting for. But as March 1 or Super Tuesday comes near, we will be 10 states closer to the answer.
