When I wrote “I Pray for America,” the Biden administration had recently taken over. I had expressed my opinion previously in “America Held Captive” that religious freedom and fiscal responsibility were going to be under attack by the Biden administration. It didn’t take a prophetic gift to see that, and I think my fears have been proven justifiable. We are not better off now than we were when Biden/Harris took office either financially or with respect to Christian freedom. The question we now face is whether there will be improvement under Trump/Vance.
I don’t want what I say here to be thought of as purely
political, unless you understand “political” the way I described it in “Christianity:
Religion or Philosophy.” As I wrote then, politics is a branch of
philosophy in that it is a practical expression our worldview. If we hold a
Christian worldview, our political views must be influenced by a biblical
understanding. There is another reason why discussing politics can be justified
as a matter of heavenly concern: Paul commands prayer for our civil leaders. We
pray most effectively when we pray specifically. To do that, we must be
informed; hence, political discussion
I believe prayer for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance should be
on two levels. The first level is the same as for any human being: prayer for
their relationship with God. While I won’t hide the fact that I am pleased with
the results of the 2024 election, I am not under the delusion that either of
these men is my brand of Christian, or if they qualify for the label at all. I
am not falling into the trap of dredging up Trump’s past failings. That avenue
leads to the mistaken assumption that men are saved by their works. They are
not. Salvation is through Christ alone by faith alone; worthy behavior comes as
a result of belief. Unworthy behavior is the sad result of being human and does
not disqualify one from salvation. If it did, none would be saved.
That said, believers should be praying for the sincere
conversion and establishment of Donald Trump and J. D. Vance in a form of
biblical Christianity. As I said above, I’m not sure either of these men
qualify for that distinction. Both talk the talk, but I am not in favor of
either of their versions of faith. Trump’s former spiritual advisor, Paula White, is a
charismatic prosperity preacher who has demonstrated all the worst traits of
that ilk. I’m not saying you cannot find Jesus listening to the
health-and-wealth gospel; I just think it puts too much emphasis on material
things. This will sound odd, but I think the shallow depth of Trump’s faith (if
it exists) will keep him from the most unbiblical aspects White’s theology.
Vance, on the other hand, has a depth of faith that is both
sincere and troubling. He was raised in a nominally Christian atmosphere, but
he admits that it was not overly religious. He recently “converted” to
Catholicism, saying that it most clearly represented his idea of what a
Christian should be and do. His personal brand of Catholicism is not
appreciated by orthodox Catholics, however. I think he can best be described as
an intellectual Catholic, as shown by his adoption of St. Augustine as his
patron saint. Vance sees Augustine’s City of God as a manifesto for
proper government. Put this alongside his acceptance of the Catholic error of
works salvation mediated by an earthly priesthood, and you have reason to doubt
the biblical authenticity of the VP-elect’s faith.
The other thing about Vance that troubles me is that he
married a
practicing Hindu and credits her as a spiritual guide in his conversion to
Catholicism. That may sound strange unless you understand the typical Hindu
attitude toward religion in general. While Christianity is exclusive –
salvation in no name but Jesus – Hinduism is inclusive believing there are many
paths to spiritual enlightenment. It would seem that Vance embraces that view
which leads me to doubt the validity of his profession of Christian faith. No
one has biblical doctrine down perfectly (not even me), but to deny the exclusivity
of biblical faith puts the entirety of that person’s faith in question.
That was a long explanation for my first reason to pray for
our new leaders: they both need a clearer understanding of biblical Christian
faith. The second reason to pray is what
Paul said: that we might be allowed to live in peaceful godliness and
dignity. Paul wrote this admonition when the leaders to which he referred were
among the worst imaginable. Christians were being martyred all across the Roman
Empire. It is obvious that the Apostle did not mean to reserve this type of
prayer for believing leaders only. Far from it. He encourages prayer for civil
leaders so that life on earth might be more pleasant. He also agrees with Peter,
James,
and John
that suffering and trials will certainly come to Christians in spite of their
prayers. As their lives prove, life is not always pleasant.
I want to close with one more thought: we should not imagine
that we are electing pastors when we vote for our leaders. It is incumbent upon
all Christians to live by biblical standards; it is wonderful if we can elect
Christians to public office. However, it is not necessary that our leaders meet
every biblical criterion for their personal behavior. The best we can hope for
is that they will introduce policies that align with Judeo-Christian standards,
and that they will defend the Constitutional right to free exercise of
religion. Despite my misgivings about their personal faith, I believe Donald
Trump and J.D. Vance will govern more in that direction than a Harris/Waltz
administration would have. And I will continue my daily prayers as Paul
recommended. Please consider doing the same.
Related Posts: I Pray
for America; America
Held Captive; Christianity:
Religion or Philosophy; Christians
Are Responsible to be Politially Engaged; Honor the King
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