One of the things that disturbs me no end – and should bother every true follower of Jesus Christ – is how when it comes to politics and election time, countless Christians will basically throw away everything they claim to believe and endorse, as they shill for candidates as if they are the messiah, and basically renounce their faith in the process.
All the values, principles and beliefs which are meant to characterise the follower of Jesus Christ are simply thrown out the window as their overwhelming passion for some political figure takes priority over everything else – even the Lord they claim to serve.
The temptation to run with human vanity and pride, worldly power, and humanistic answers to spiritual problems is a recurring one. Throughout both the Bible and church history we see this happening time and time again. Folks claiming to be God’s people will reject every clearly stated biblical principles on these matters as they actively seek to elevate some human ruler, deify some politician, or idolise some leader.
And it certainly is idolatry, pure and simple. The Bible is one hundred per cent clear on this. We are not to put our trust in princes or horses or pagan alliances or human powers. That is always a recipe for disaster, yet God’s people keep doing this over and over again.
It is sinful, it is rebellious, it is idolatrous, and it is blasphemous. Yet so many believers do it anyways – they treat some human leader as if he was the long-awaited messiah and shill for him accordingly. The end overtakes any means, and anything and everything is done to get this leader into power.
And every day I find countless examples of this idolatry. The cult of Trump has been one of the most shocking things I have come across in recent years. I expect pagans to treat some mere mortal as if he were Jesus Christ, but when I see people claiming to be Christians doing this it makes me sick to the stomach. How must Almighty God feel about this rank idolatry?
It is one thing to prefer Trump over Hillary, and to acknowledge he is a very flawed candidate who really is not even a conservative, and try to make some sort of case as to why we must nonetheless support him. But millions of his groupies go completely beyond this, insisting that he is the perfect man, the chosen one, indeed, God’s own special and anointed choice.
They actually claim they have some inside track on God’s inner purposes and plans as they insist that Trump is the blessed and favoured servant of God, come to save not just America but all the earth! There have been far too many of these loons running wild with this utter nonsense.
There are plenty of cases I can point to here. Consider just two recent examples of this. The first is this completely bizarre rant which I just received as a comment to my site:
THESE TWO MEN CRUZ and KASICH , AS WELL AS OTHER ” REPUBLICAN ” SENATORS AND CONGRESS MEN and WOMEN HAVE ACTED IN A MANNER NOT BEFITTING THEIR ELECTED OFFICES (TO SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ) !! THEY HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT DIVISION , STRIFE AND DISCORD !! THEY ARE IN REBELLION AGAINST THE GOD OF THIS NATION AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !!! NOW, YOU AMERICAN VOTERS, TAKE NOTE COME NOVEMBER !! BY YOUR GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO VOTE , REMOVE THOSE REBELLIOUS POLITICIANS ; ALL OF THEM ; DEMOCRATS INCLUDED !! I / WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED AND WANT UNITY IN THIS NATION !! UNITY IS A MUST IN ORDER FOR THINGS TO GET BACK ON A GODLY TRACK !! DONALD TRUMP , HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY OUR GOD , (JESUS CHRIST ) TO BRING ABOUT GOD’S WILL FOR AMERICA DURING THIS PARTICULAR TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY , NOT OUR OWN WILLS OR UNGODLY DESIRES !! MATTHEW 6 : 9. After this manner therefore pray ye: OUR FATHER which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10. THY KINGDOM COME ; THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH , AS IT IS IN HEAVEN !. SO, GUESS WHAT , FATHER’S WILL IS GONNA BE DONE ; REPENT OF YOUR REBELLION AND GET ON BOARD WITH OUR LORD JESUS, THE ONLY TRUE GOD !!! AMEN !!
You just gotta laugh – or weep at such craziness. It is so patently hilarious, but also so patently diabolical. The level of satanic deception here is simply off the charts. While he is obviously a bit of a loon, consider what this ‘Christian leader’ said as he demonstrates that gross, despicable idolatry can come in any form:
I was reading the Bible this morning and I found the perfect verse that explains the success of Donald Trump: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint” (Is. 40:30-31, MEV). It’s almost like God created this verse for Donald Trump and this moment in history: Trump is our energy. More energy than any candidate EVER. He took on the 16 best candidates in GOP history … all younger than him … all with better political credentials … and destroyed them with his energy. You mean that kind of energy in a 70-year old isn’t inspired by God? Trump renews our strength. Or does the all-time record turnout and all-time record votes for a GOP presidential primary candidate not define “strength?” With Trump we mount up with wings like eagles. With Trump as our leader there is nothing we can’t do. Any man that can build skyscrapers in Manhattan and vanquish 16 presidential opponents, while spending almost nothing … can lead us to the heights of eagles. With Trump we run, we are not weary. Just when we get tired of the fight against Obama, Hillary, big government, big business, big media, big unions …just when it all seems impossible to overcome the powerful forces of evil … along comes Trump to re-energize us. Trump inspires us. Trump gives us hope. Trump gives us confidence in victory. Trump gives us just a touch of arrogance. Maybe God understands that’s exactly what we need right at this late stage to save America. So, let me repeat my message to Christians: “You’re missing the boat.”
Wow! Double wow! One of the most heretical things you can do is now being done by this guy: rewrite the very Word of God and misuse it for your own carnal and worldly agendas. We expect militant atheists, radical homosexuals, and deceptive cults to do this, but when we have those claiming to be good Christians doing this? Really? Mind-boggling!
And “a touch of arrogance”. So a little poison is OK? A little sin is something God is happy to use and bless? Is this guy for real? The sin of pride is among the most harshly condemned sins in all of Scripture, yet this guy thinks it is actually really neat stuff.
Why any Christian magazine would print this garbage is completely beyond me. This is not just diabolical deception of the highest order, but this is blasphemous idolatry which Scripture everywhere condemns in the strongest of language. What is wrong with these people?
And the real fruit of all this is just how these Trump cultists treat other Christians. I have seldom had so much reprehensible bile, hatred, poison and filth thrown at me than by these “Christian” Trump supporters. The most ugly, nasty and unChristlike rage pours forth from these guys, complete with plenty of cursing and swearing – all the while these guys tell me they are doing the perfect will of God!
I have had so many of these folks who claim to be Christians and conservatives hating on me because I refuse to fall down and worship their idol. I have lost count of how many have unfriended me on social media sites. It seems for them Jesus Christ is not the one we all rally around and be subservient to, but the Lord Donald Trump.
Satan is having a field day, and when these folks stand before their Lord they will have to give an account for their idolatrous and pagan actions. Their appalling idolatry will be dealt with in a flash, and they will have nothing to say in their defence. They need to repent now.
Oh, and let me finish with one word, unnecessary as it may be to make it: I have said over and over again that genuine Christians and conservatives like Ted Cruz are not going to make America great again. They are not going to save the US. They are not the messiah.
No one but the Lord Jesus Christ when he comes again can make anything great again. As a Christian and a conservative I fully support those politicians who are Christians and conservatives. I cannot and will not support one or the other of these two New York liberals.
One might as well choose between Ahab and Jezebel. One might as well demand that I choose between arsenic and strychnine. I cannot and will not betray my Lord, violate my conscience, betray my principles, and renounce my faith, just for thirty pieces of silver. I will never sell my soul for a sham political messiah.
If that means I get even more ugly hatred and abuse, just as Ted Cruz recently experienced, so be it.
22 Replies to “Big Time Christian Idolatry: It Must Be an Election Year”
Well said Bill. Only God can make America (or any country for that matter) great again. It worries me that Donald Trump has the arrogance to say he can fix America’s problems. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. The future of America looks very grim indeed.
Yes it is looking very bleak Alison. My only assessment of it is this: if we still end up with these two New York liberals as our main choice in November, this may well be part of God’s just judgment on America. Repentance is the only way out of this mess it seems to me.
Another good essay Bill.
and there you have little Pence standing right behind,,did it ever occur to you that Trump is 70, and if something happens, an actual christian might end up President?you will not get that with Hillary. I say go with the clown over the murderous lying witch.but mostly pray that whatever God’s plan he spares us judgement.
And if nothing else, breaking the automatic elections of career politicians is a good thing.
Thanks Faith. Yes it occurred to me – and I immediately rejected it for the foolishness it is. Banking on the POTUS to die in the hopes that a slightly better VPOTUS might get in is just silly – and not how we should do politics, certainly not conservatives and Christians. And Pence has flop-flopped almost as much as the conman Trump has. His most despicable cave-in was to the homosexual mafia over the issue of religious freedom – one of the key issues for conservatives and Christians. Sorry I will not run with the fraud Trump. As a Christian and a conservative I cannot and will not.
Ahhhhh love the outfit. But yes your right Bill. But a Christian posed this question to me the other day. What is witchcraft ???
Well us spiritual ones gave every answer you name it. He said no the Bible describes Rebellion as witchcraft.
So the question I pose to you Bill is do you agree ( I do by the way)
If that being the case all these trump fans are practicing witchcraft & don’t even know it. Come Lord Jesus” come
Yes Kerry. When folks put unquestioning trust, hope and devotion in an immoral pagan political candidate – the sort of unswerving devotion and faith which only Jesus Christ deserves – then you know you have a bad case of idolatry on your hands. And that is rebellion as well of course. Thankfully we are not talking about all Christian Trump fans here, but very many sadly. I have encountered so many of these folks myself. It really is shocking to encounter. And so very painful. They will actually hate on me and savagely abuse me simply because I will not bow down to their idol Trump – never mind that we are both supposed to be Christians, and worship the one Lord Jesus Christ. I can understand a pagan hating me for not going along with his pet crusade, but a person who claims to be a fellow believer? It is so staggering really.
Interesting, but I just got this when I tried to open the article I linked to at the bottom of my article: “An error has occurred. The requested page cannot be found. #404 Article not found”
Perhaps so many people rightly complained about this terrible and blasphemous article that it was pulled. I sure hope so. But I have since discovered it is still in print at a secular conservative site:
I dislike Trump as much as you all do. At this point I will vote for him only because we KNOW what Hillary Clinton will do to the Supreme Court and thus to our constitution. At lease it is possible that Donald Trump will do either well or middle of the road here. If Scalia is replaced with a progressive, I honestly believe that our constitution will very soon be interpreted out of existence, and our nation, as a constitutional republic, will be finished.
Thanks Gene. Given that Trump has said his liberal pro-abortion sister would make a “phenomenal” SCOTUS judge, among other things, I think the Republic will be destroyed under Trump (who has supported the Clintons for years) just as much as under Hillary. A devil’s choice – not one I can take part in.
For the last year, I have been wrestling with “what to do with Trump”. I have been reading, praying, listening, discussing. Two incidents at the Republican convention stand out to me as revealing. A Muslim prayer for “peace” and Trump’s LGBTQ protection statement last night. So many in the crowd bowed their heads to his prayer to Allah. One man resisted and cried out “no islam!” “This is an abomination to God.” Many around him challenged him. One woman told him she was a devout Christian and Jesus called for teaching and tolerance. Trump’s call for protection of the LGBTQ community is understandable after Orlando, but only to a point. I think by singling them out he is signaling to Conservatives that Obama’s LGBTQ policy will stand in his administration. How did they respond? Clapping quite heartily. Seems the conservative Christians in the party will concede their moral convictions and true worship to the one and true God to Trumps “peace and safety” message. Trump is fundamentally transforming the Republican party. I’m not wrestling anymore.
Yes quite so Deborah. It is pretty clear that conservatism has now been completely trashed by Trump and the Republican establishment. RIP GOP:
Being an Ozzie I’m not DIRECTLY involved, even though we, along with the whole world, will be effected to more or less extent. However, the fact is, we DO know what Hillary is – quite possibly the MOST corrupt, evil individual ever to enter US politics (including her husband!).
Don’t think I’m a Trump lover of any description, but there is at least some fragment of a glimmer of a feint hope for some miniscule positive difference. The point is, what are your other choices? In part I agree with Gene (above). I know for sure I don’t want to see Hillary as POTUS.
The yanks, like we Ozzies, get the best pollies money can buy.
This is definitely a case of having to choose the best of two evils. How on earth is it possible that this is has come about. Your message here hits the nail right on the head Bill. It’s the terrible complacently that exist in the mind of so called Christians. No matter how close to the wind we may have to sail with this Trump guy, at lease he is in the republicans court despite popular believe that he is an outright democrat. It still is better then having Hillary for a further 4 years possible 8. The country will be then have gone totally to the packs. Can you imagine having the author and founder for the Emilies list movement in charge of the nation.
Thanks Wilhelmus. They are both evil, toxic choices as I have carefully explained in dozens of articles now. As a Christian and conservative, I cannot and will not sell my soul to vote for either one.
Yeh, but Bill how then do I explain this in conversation with my son I law and Daughter, now living in Australia, but still have the right to vote back home. So you would simply choose to not vote? What am I missing out on here. I always thought it be better to have your say with a valid vote.
At lease you have the right to comment on the opposition.
Thanks Wilhelmus. It is very easy what you should tell them: No one has to vote for these two devils. People are free to vote for who they like. If every real Christian and conservative for example did a write-in vote for Cruz, he would easily beat these two other liberals.
He Bill we need a lesson on how to vote in the United States.
I never knew it was possible one could do a ” write- In vote”
Doing that here would make your vote invalid.
Thanks again. Different countries have different voting criteria of course.
Could a Christian who can’t abide either Trump or Hillary in good conscience vote for one of the third party candidates? Part of the reason why Bush lost to Clinton in 1992 is that Ross Perot took votes from him. The danger is that this could happen again.
Thanks Ross. It is always good to do that which is right – and voting one’s conscience is one such thing. Supporting some political party that has long ago abandoned its values and beliefs is not virtuous or politically savvy. I have been saying all along that Clinton will win as long as Trump is her competitor. And if this happens, I sure as heck will not take the fall for this, nor will millions of other true conservatives. The fault will rest entirely on three villains here: the Republican machine, Trump, and the deluded Trump supporters. They are the real dividers here: they are the ones who trashed the conservative brand, destroyed the Republican party, and put Hillary in the White House. Shame on them. They are the real culprits here who ought to be condemned, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.
We must speak up or shut up! The Church and those who are truly Christian and Born-Again must speak up for the right. At this point before the election I am persuaded that neither candidate for the White-House is qualified or should be elected, but one of them will be if the Lord does not intervene. I am saddened that my children and grandchildren have to grow up under such godless arrogant leaders. All I know is this! There is an accounting day and it may be closer than we may think. Rome and all its folly, and those who lead in such will bow a knee before the LORD of Glory! I am praying for God to raise up a leader who will be respected, and who will have earned our respect by his or her defined relationship to God!
Well said Bill. Only God can make America (or any country for that matter) great again. It worries me that Donald Trump has the arrogance to say he can fix America’s problems. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. The future of America looks very grim indeed.
Yes it is looking very bleak Alison. My only assessment of it is this: if we still end up with these two New York liberals as our main choice in November, this may well be part of God’s just judgment on America. Repentance is the only way out of this mess it seems to me.
Another good essay Bill.
and there you have little Pence standing right behind,,did it ever occur to you that Trump is 70, and if something happens, an actual christian might end up President?you will not get that with Hillary. I say go with the clown over the murderous lying witch.but mostly pray that whatever God’s plan he spares us judgement.
And if nothing else, breaking the automatic elections of career politicians is a good thing.
Thanks Faith. Yes it occurred to me – and I immediately rejected it for the foolishness it is. Banking on the POTUS to die in the hopes that a slightly better VPOTUS might get in is just silly – and not how we should do politics, certainly not conservatives and Christians. And Pence has flop-flopped almost as much as the conman Trump has. His most despicable cave-in was to the homosexual mafia over the issue of religious freedom – one of the key issues for conservatives and Christians. Sorry I will not run with the fraud Trump. As a Christian and a conservative I cannot and will not.
Ahhhhh love the outfit. But yes your right Bill. But a Christian posed this question to me the other day. What is witchcraft ???
Well us spiritual ones gave every answer you name it. He said no the Bible describes Rebellion as witchcraft.
So the question I pose to you Bill is do you agree ( I do by the way)
If that being the case all these trump fans are practicing witchcraft & don’t even know it. Come Lord Jesus” come
Yes Kerry. When folks put unquestioning trust, hope and devotion in an immoral pagan political candidate – the sort of unswerving devotion and faith which only Jesus Christ deserves – then you know you have a bad case of idolatry on your hands. And that is rebellion as well of course. Thankfully we are not talking about all Christian Trump fans here, but very many sadly. I have encountered so many of these folks myself. It really is shocking to encounter. And so very painful. They will actually hate on me and savagely abuse me simply because I will not bow down to their idol Trump – never mind that we are both supposed to be Christians, and worship the one Lord Jesus Christ. I can understand a pagan hating me for not going along with his pet crusade, but a person who claims to be a fellow believer? It is so staggering really.
Interesting, but I just got this when I tried to open the article I linked to at the bottom of my article: “An error has occurred. The requested page cannot be found. #404 Article not found”
Perhaps so many people rightly complained about this terrible and blasphemous article that it was pulled. I sure hope so. But I have since discovered it is still in print at a secular conservative site:
http://townhall.com/columnists/wayneallynroot/2016/06/24/a-message-for-christians-about-donald-trump-n2182796
Please have a read – it is a complete shocker!
I dislike Trump as much as you all do. At this point I will vote for him only because we KNOW what Hillary Clinton will do to the Supreme Court and thus to our constitution. At lease it is possible that Donald Trump will do either well or middle of the road here. If Scalia is replaced with a progressive, I honestly believe that our constitution will very soon be interpreted out of existence, and our nation, as a constitutional republic, will be finished.
Thanks Gene. Given that Trump has said his liberal pro-abortion sister would make a “phenomenal” SCOTUS judge, among other things, I think the Republic will be destroyed under Trump (who has supported the Clintons for years) just as much as under Hillary. A devil’s choice – not one I can take part in.
For the last year, I have been wrestling with “what to do with Trump”. I have been reading, praying, listening, discussing. Two incidents at the Republican convention stand out to me as revealing. A Muslim prayer for “peace” and Trump’s LGBTQ protection statement last night. So many in the crowd bowed their heads to his prayer to Allah. One man resisted and cried out “no islam!” “This is an abomination to God.” Many around him challenged him. One woman told him she was a devout Christian and Jesus called for teaching and tolerance. Trump’s call for protection of the LGBTQ community is understandable after Orlando, but only to a point. I think by singling them out he is signaling to Conservatives that Obama’s LGBTQ policy will stand in his administration. How did they respond? Clapping quite heartily. Seems the conservative Christians in the party will concede their moral convictions and true worship to the one and true God to Trumps “peace and safety” message. Trump is fundamentally transforming the Republican party. I’m not wrestling anymore.
Yes quite so Deborah. It is pretty clear that conservatism has now been completely trashed by Trump and the Republican establishment. RIP GOP:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2016/07/23/rip-gop/
Being an Ozzie I’m not DIRECTLY involved, even though we, along with the whole world, will be effected to more or less extent. However, the fact is, we DO know what Hillary is – quite possibly the MOST corrupt, evil individual ever to enter US politics (including her husband!).
Don’t think I’m a Trump lover of any description, but there is at least some fragment of a glimmer of a feint hope for some miniscule positive difference. The point is, what are your other choices? In part I agree with Gene (above). I know for sure I don’t want to see Hillary as POTUS.
The yanks, like we Ozzies, get the best pollies money can buy.
This is definitely a case of having to choose the best of two evils. How on earth is it possible that this is has come about. Your message here hits the nail right on the head Bill. It’s the terrible complacently that exist in the mind of so called Christians. No matter how close to the wind we may have to sail with this Trump guy, at lease he is in the republicans court despite popular believe that he is an outright democrat. It still is better then having Hillary for a further 4 years possible 8. The country will be then have gone totally to the packs. Can you imagine having the author and founder for the Emilies list movement in charge of the nation.
Thanks Wilhelmus. They are both evil, toxic choices as I have carefully explained in dozens of articles now. As a Christian and conservative, I cannot and will not sell my soul to vote for either one.
Yeh, but Bill how then do I explain this in conversation with my son I law and Daughter, now living in Australia, but still have the right to vote back home. So you would simply choose to not vote? What am I missing out on here. I always thought it be better to have your say with a valid vote.
At lease you have the right to comment on the opposition.
Thanks Wilhelmus. It is very easy what you should tell them: No one has to vote for these two devils. People are free to vote for who they like. If every real Christian and conservative for example did a write-in vote for Cruz, he would easily beat these two other liberals.
He Bill we need a lesson on how to vote in the United States.
I never knew it was possible one could do a ” write- In vote”
Doing that here would make your vote invalid.
Thanks again. Different countries have different voting criteria of course.
Could a Christian who can’t abide either Trump or Hillary in good conscience vote for one of the third party candidates? Part of the reason why Bush lost to Clinton in 1992 is that Ross Perot took votes from him. The danger is that this could happen again.
Thanks Ross. It is always good to do that which is right – and voting one’s conscience is one such thing. Supporting some political party that has long ago abandoned its values and beliefs is not virtuous or politically savvy. I have been saying all along that Clinton will win as long as Trump is her competitor. And if this happens, I sure as heck will not take the fall for this, nor will millions of other true conservatives. The fault will rest entirely on three villains here: the Republican machine, Trump, and the deluded Trump supporters. They are the real dividers here: they are the ones who trashed the conservative brand, destroyed the Republican party, and put Hillary in the White House. Shame on them. They are the real culprits here who ought to be condemned, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.
We must speak up or shut up! The Church and those who are truly Christian and Born-Again must speak up for the right. At this point before the election I am persuaded that neither candidate for the White-House is qualified or should be elected, but one of them will be if the Lord does not intervene. I am saddened that my children and grandchildren have to grow up under such godless arrogant leaders. All I know is this! There is an accounting day and it may be closer than we may think. Rome and all its folly, and those who lead in such will bow a knee before the LORD of Glory! I am praying for God to raise up a leader who will be respected, and who will have earned our respect by his or her defined relationship to God!