10 Reasons Jesus Would Never Win The American Evangelical Vote

5. He often resorted to name calling when confronting the popular religious leaders of his day.

While I think many American Evangelicals would appreciate the fact that Jesus got verbally punchy at times, I don’t think they’d appreciate the people who were his target. When facing off with the Franklin Grahams and Jerry Falwells of his time, Jesus called them names like: hypocrites, fools, white-washed graves, blind leaders, and children of hell (see Matthew 23).

Thus, Jesus could never win the American Evangelical vote, because too many powerful Evangelical leaders would hate the names Jesus called them during his sermons.

4. Jesus would be viewed as anti-death penalty and soft on crime.

Jesus had his chance to prove that he was tough on crime, and he failed miserably. When faced with the public execution of a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery– where there was little doubt of guilt– Jesus stepped in and halted the execution. To make matters worse, he actually turned the tables on her would-be executioners and claimed they were no more righteous than the one who stood condemned. 

The fact that Jesus would be advocating mercy for prisoners, while spending so much of his time rebuking the governors of America’s Bible Belt, would make winning an election impossible.

3. Jesus’s absurd teaching on enemy love would be seen as a threat to national defense.

If I’ve learned anything this election season, it’s this: The candidates who most claim terms like Evangelical or Christian also happen to be the candidates who most talk about slaughtering our enemies. But Jesus? Jesus taught the opposite– consistently teaching that we must love and serve our enemies, instead of killing them. In fact, the word Jesus used for “enemy” included both personal and national enemies, meaning his platform would be a threat to national defense.

Thus, in an election cycle where a bigger military is an Evangelical priority, a candidate like Jesus would never stand a chance.

2. Jesus rebuked those who were into concealed carry.

One could never win the Evangelical vote without being in extreme favor of unrestricted gun rights. But Jesus? Well, Jesus claimed that in order to become a child of God, one had to embrace a life of nonviolent enemy love (Matthew 5:44-45). In fact, he even publicly rebuked his best friend for pulling out a weapon with the intent to use it in self defense.

To all those looking for a leader to protect their gun rights, Jesus would be seen as a weak hippy instead of the Warrior Messiah they’re longing to follow. He wouldn’t be a candidate who gave speeches at the NRA, but he’d certainly be the guy who showed up to kick over their tables.