The Pope and the Donald: Why Donald is Not a Christian & Neither Am I

Even the Pope is going after Donald! Pope Francis took a clear shot at him yesterday –

A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the Gospel.

Pope Francis is right. Christians shouldn’t be building walls that divide us from them. We should build bridges that unite us and them. There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s true.

But then Donald went on the attack, as he’s wont to do. Donald defended his Christian faith and then he threw down the gauntlet,

If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened. ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with all our talk, no action politicians.

In defending his Christian credentials, could Trump have come up with a more un-Christ-like response to the Pope’s comment? Being a Christian must at least include taking up Jesus’ invitation to follow him and his teachings. Jesus responded to his persecutors not by eradicating them, but with radical nonviolence and universal forgiveness.

Trump is not a Christian. He doesn’t follow the Christ who calls us to love our enemies. He prays to an idolatrous god who justifies eradicating his enemies.

But here’s the thing, it’s very easy for me to scapegoat Donald Trump. And now I have the Pope on my side! We all know Donald can’t name his favorite verse of the Bible and he calls it Two Corinthians. And yes, the wall is un-Christian and so is eradicating our enemies.

Trump’s power is shown with threats of violence. Jesus’ power is revealed through nonviolent love and forgiveness. So, Trump is not a Christian, but when push comes to shove, I don’t know if I am a Christian, either.

Sure, I attend church every Sunday. I’m a former pastor. I volunteer in my neighborhood. I write about how great Jesus is. I read the Bible. I do all the “Christian” things. But if I’m being honest, I’m more like Donald Trump than I’d like to admit.

How would I respond if ISIS – or anyone else – attacked me or my family? Would I stay committed to being a Christian? Would I follow Jesus in the way of nonviolent love?

I’m not absolutely sure, but I think I’d build a wall between us. I think I’d want them eradicated.

Which leads me to believe that Trump isn’t a Christian, but I might not be a Christian, either.

Photo on left: Flickr, Donald Trump Sr. at #FITN at Nashua, NH, by Michael Vadon, Creative Commons License, some changes made.

Photo on right: Flickr, Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Mexico, Aleteia Images, Creative Commons License, some changes made.