A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit~ Matthew 7:18 NASB

 Regular readers of this blog may have noticed I rarely delve into political issues. I have many political opinions and I certainly don’t have a problem sharing those opinions. However, one of my principal objectives in life is to keep the main thing the main thing, whatever that thing may be. In the case of this blog the main thing is Jesus, not my insignificant little political opinions.

 That said, ultimately all of life is spiritual, and there are times when the spiritual and political intersect. Such is the case with the 2016 presidential election. 2016 is without question the strangest political primary I have ever personally witnessed—possibly the strangest on record.

 Experience is a dirty word. Being loathed by anyone even loosely linked to “the establishment” is ballyhooed as a badge of honor. As a result the outsiders are now the insiders and every political analyst on the planet is face palming right now. It’s been a wild ride and we have yet to cast a single vote.

 Then there’s the Trump thing. The candidate who began as a punch line has become the odds-on favorite. Trump is leading in nearly every poll and his endorsements are piling up. Some Trump enthusiasts make a strange kind of sense. It came as no shock to this blogger that Charlie Sheen, Jesse Ventura, Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman and Tila Tequila all threw their support to Donald Trump. Like attracts like. I get it.

 Other endorsements make far less sense. Mega-Church Pastor Robert Jeffress, Willie Robertson and Jerry Falwell Jr. are respected, intelligent Christians who have all formally or informally endorsed The Donald.

 I have come to believe that many in the Christian community have lost their way this political season. We could very well find ourselves choosing between a geriatric communist and a loudmouthed reality television star this November. That scenario will not happen without evangelical votes. It’s not my business to tell anyone how to vote. That said, I feel an obligation to share why I believe Christians would be wise to reconsider a Trump vote.

 Trump doesn’t even pretend to be a nice person-

 Trump is a bully. He mocks the handicapped and criticizes women he views as unattractive. If you want to see a display of classic mean-girl maneuvers, take a peek at the ABC interview where Trump tells the reporter “nobody likes Ted Cruz” because “he’s a nasty guy.” Trump regularly shreds anyone who opposes him. Imagine what his level of spite and pettiness will do for democracy and civil discourse.

 He acts like a toddler-

 Maturity and willingness to tackle tough situations are the foundation of strong leadership. Trump skipped out on a debate because he didn’t like (felt intimidated by?) one of moderators. Need I say more?

 Trump thinks way too much of himself –

 Trump’s promise to single handily make America great again encapsulates his pride. The Bible is clear that arrogance, pride and absence of humility are dangerous traps, especially for leaders. Pride blinds folks to the obvious and opens them to deception. Trump’s ego is so out of control that he is doomed to be a victim of deception.    

 

The press wants him to win-

 Two acrimonious divorces, innumerable flip-flops, four bankruptcies and a tongue he is clearly unwilling to control. Trump is the definition of a target-rich environment. Every other candidate has been scrutinized to the point of absurdity (Rubio’s finances, Carson’s books, Cruz’s citizenship, etc.). Yet none of Trump’s issues have been discussed in any detail. I understand how irrational and crazy-town this sounds, but I believe that many in the media want Trump to win. If he secures the nomination it will be easy to discredit him; at that point it will be too late for conservatives to choose another candidate.

 He’s playing us-

 Trump freely admits that he is not, nor has he ever been, a spiritual man. But out of nowhere he’s dropping God bombs and lugging around a Bible the size of a smart car. He’s quoting “two Corinthians” really badly, and swearing up and down that when he’s elected, “everybody will say Merry Christmas”. Trump obviously believes evangelicals are stupid and easily fooled. God help us all if his theory is correct.

 He is either a deceiver or he has no idea what he believes –

 He was for partial-birth abortion; now he’s pro-life. He was pro-immigration, now he wants to build a wall. He was for single-payer insurance; now he’s not. Trump’s flip-flopping is more than mere political evolution, as some have suggested. It’s indicative of a man who will say anything to get elected.

 I do not know what the Christian community sees in Donald Trump. It’s possible that the Church has been worshipping at the altar of worldly success for so long that we have forgotten what God’s definition of success is. It could be that we have given up on getting a godly leader, so now we are willing to settle for any leader we see as tough. It’s possible that some of us have lost our ability to think biblically about secular issues.

 Whatever the reason, the time has come for the people of God to get on their knees and pray like crazy for this country and the people in it. It’s time for those who call themselves Christians to think about life and politics from a spiritual perspective rather than a worldly one. If we refuse, we will get the leader we deserve, and if that happens we will have plenty of time to repent of our foolishness.