By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. October 16, 2024: In a recent Frontline documentary airing on PBS on Sept. 24, examining the rise of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it was revealed that thrice-divorced, scandal-ridden Christian televangelist Paula White-Cain played a pivotal role in Trump’s endorsement of evangelical voters. during his first presidential run. White-Cain later became Trump’s spiritual advisor during his presidency.
White evangelical Christians have long been a key voting bloc for Republicans, particularly supporting culturally conservative policies such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. According to the latest Pew Research Center poll, conducted between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2, 2024, majorities of white registered voters in the three main religious groups — evangelicals, Catholics and Protestants — indicated they would vote for or lean toward Trump. if the elections were held today.
So why do so-called white Christians fervently support a man whose platform explodes in lies, hate, scandal, violence and deceit?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Christianity as “the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as scripture, and proclaimed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies.” The central principles that Jesus taught include love of God and love of neighbor as self.
So who do white Christians who support Trump consider their neighbors? Are their neighbors just other white Christians like Trump who were “born in America”?
It looks like this; given how quickly they accept the lies and xenophobia propagated by Trump, his running mate JD Vance and their supporters.
Haitians, like many immigrants from Latin America, are predominantly Christian – many of them Catholic. So why do white Christians support a man who sows hatred against other Christians? Is it simply acceptable to ignore this because these Christians are non-white and therefore not considered “neighbors?”
What true Christian can stand by and support a liar, a criminal, an adulterer, a xenophobe, a racist and a misogynist?
What Christian can stand by while Trump continues to spread lies like “they are poisoning the blood” and the absurd charge that Christian immigrants from Haiti are eating cats and dogs or coming from asylums and prisons to kill Americans.
Can a Christian conscience cheer to “Send them back!” as Trump made more baseless claims about immigrants in Pennsylvania last week and once again recycled the debunked conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants consuming pets in Springfield, Ohio?
The Bible, which Christians revere as their Holy Book, contains more than 22 scriptures that call for love for immigrants and foreigners. Leviticus 19:34 clearly states: “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as a citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”
Yet these so-called Christian supporters of Trump continue to applaud when he says things like, “Do you think Springfield will ever be the same? I don’t think so. The fact is, and I’m going to say it now, you need to get the hell out of them. You have to take them out, I’m sorry.”
Christians? I think not!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news paper focused on positive news about the Black Caribbean and Latin American immigrant communities.
