I am a subscriber of Christianity Today. It is the foremost evangelical magazine in the U.S. It is a monthly publication. Evangelist Billy Graham and Carl F. H. Henry, its first editor-in-chief, were the two main evangelical leaders who founded Christianity Today, which was in 1956. Mark Galli is now its editor-in-chief.
In today’s issue of Christianity Today, two days after the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of impeaching the 45th president, Donald Trump, Mark Galli writes an explosive article that calls for Trump’s subsequent removal from office by the Senate. The editorial board of Christianity Today generally avoids taking political positions. Until today, it had said nothing about this subject during Trump’s entire presidency.
This decision by Christianity Today about President Trump is significant since it goes strongly against evangelicalism in the USA. Right after the 2016 election, a Pew poll showed that 81% of evangelicals who voted for a presidential nominee in that election cast their vote for Trump. I have blogged multiple times about my frustration with evangelicalism in so strongly supporting Trump as president. Since about mid-way through the presidential campaign in 2016 until now, I probably have blogged 125-150 times against Donald Trump as president. (See “Evangelicals Are Foolish to Support Trump;” “Some Evangelicals Are Abandoning the Term.“)
Mark Galli says in this piece that the evidence about the July 25th phone call President Trump had with Ukraine’s President Zelensky is clear that Trump violated the Constitution in pressuring Zelensky to get political dirt on Trump’s political opponent in the next election. Of course, that was the main evidence that the House investigated in arriving at impeachment. Galli continues, “That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
“The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.”
Galli then acknowledges and lists some achievements that evangelicals claim Trump has produced while president. But Galli’s main argument is that voters should not let this cause them to overlook this president’s glaring deficiencies. Galli alleges, “The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.”
Galli challenges evangelicals who still support Trump as president, “Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come?”
Pretty strong words. But will it make a difference with evangelical voters in the USA?
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