Christianity Today, an influential evangelical magazine, says Trump should be ‘removed from office’

By artappraiser on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 8:49pm |

For those seeking background about, and a better understanding of the significance of, Christianity Today’s call for Trump’s removal from office, please read this from one of the Washington Post’s religion reporters: https://t.co/lHgVlmAdUY
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 20, 2019

URL:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/12/19/christianity-today-an-influential-evangelical-magazine-says-president-trump-should-be-removed-office/

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It will be interesting to see the responses of Franklin Graham, Paula White, etc will be. Their argument is that Trump has been anointed by God.

by rmrd0000 on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 10:05pm

Consistent. (from Oct 2016). Did they just refile the previous article? @CTmagazine

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/october-web-only/speak-truth-t...

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 11:51pm

Ted Olson signed off on the letter?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/603952/

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 12/20/2019 - 12:26am

The Mark Galli interview at CNN is good at showing how simple the motivation for the editorial is.
His points about not expecting to change "peoples' opinions" is noteworthy. He says he would rather not say anything about something so political but felt silence in the face of so much evidence would imply approval of the acts.

by moat on Fri, 12/20/2019 - 5:27pm

Sociology academic specializing in religion and politics, supporting Galli's p.o.v.:

Actually, in America our “authority” as citizens is the Constitution. We don’t have “rulers” that are laws unto themselves. And because Trump violated the Constitution (again, our real authority), Christians are biblically bound to oppose him. https://t.co/sQkwQAj7Wr
— Samuel Perry (@socofthesacred) December 21, 2019

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/21/2019 - 5:42pm

I think of it as a simple matter of listening to the teaching that "by their fruits, we shall know them."
It is parallel to the teaching that one should be less concerned with what one puts into their mouth than what comes out of it.

So the statement that people believing X are morally bound to do Y is not helpful.

The biblical teaching regards whether one can perceive what is happening or not. Apart from whatever one "believes" as creed, it places the importance of means versus ends in a precise context. Hiring thieves to do serve a common good is not on the program.

by moat on Sat, 12/21/2019 - 10:37pm

Opinion: Trump insults rather than rebuts Christianity Today. His outrage act is getting old https://t.co/g5gjeM5fHe
— Kenny_ANTI_gop (@Hope012015) December 21, 2019

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/21/2019 - 3:31am

Greg Sargent @ WaPo, similar thoughts: Trump’s rage at Christianity Today gives away his scam, Dec. 20:

[....] In an unwittingly self-revealing moment, Trump responded to the magazine’s indictment of his profound moral failings with an argument that is thoroughly transactional and megalomaniacal: How dare you criticize me, after all the power I’ve granted to your movement? You’re breaking our deal, and now you’re dead to me.

Trump raged: [....]

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/21/2019 - 4:47am

"Some evangelical Christians are turning against Donald Trump in the immediate wake of his impeachment by the House of Representatives. This was bound to happen. ... But I didn't expect the reversal to come with such thunder." | Jay Parini for @CNNOpinion https://t.co/26a5OCGdOQ
— CNN (@CNN) December 21, 2019

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/21/2019 - 3:41am

The Christianity Today editor appeared on CBS 'This Morning" show today, The Hill summarizes:

"It strikes me as strange that for people that take the teachings of Jesus Christ seriously ... that we can't at least say publicly and out loud and in front of God and everybody that this man's character is deeply, deeply concerning to us." https://t.co/tajTkM901k
— The Hill (@thehill) December 23, 2019

by artappraiser on Sun, 12/22/2019 - 7:59pm

"At the end of the day, we write for a readership of One. God is our Tower. Let the whirlwind come..." Christianity Today has published a follow-up to its editorial calling Trump unfit for office and unworthy of support by evangelical Christians. https://t.co/a0pJSTggRb
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) December 23, 2019

by artappraiser on Mon, 12/23/2019 - 12:47am

Rut roh, this is the stuff of schisms, heresy, witch hunts....

New: 100+ prominent evangelicals, including multiple conservative Christians who have advised Trump, today wrote to Christianity Today’s president — a further offensive against the magazine’s Thursday editorial that called for Trump’s removal.https://t.co/WTmVqR0q5c
— Elana Schor (@eschor) December 22, 2019

Thou shalt have no other gods before me

by artappraiser on Mon, 12/23/2019 - 8:56pm

no Soros!

Breaking news. Turns out we're *not* funded by George Soros.

You can all sleep a little sounder tonight ;-) https://t.co/7hxzgXe1tX
— Timothy Dalrymple (@TimDalrymple_) December 24, 2019

by artappraiser on Mon, 12/23/2019 - 9:11pm

Christian publication editor quits over pro-Trump editorial

By Allison Gordon @ CNN.com, Updated 5:14 PM ET, Tue December 24, 2019

Washington (CNN) An editor for a Christian news website says he is resigning after the publication of a pro-Donald Trump editorial, saying his former employer has chosen to make a "business decision" to align itself with the President rather than follow its moral principles.

The resignation of Napp Nazworth from The Christian Post, announced on Twitter Monday, is the latest example of a recent heated debate among evangelicals about Trump, who enjoys overwhelming support from the community.

"The Christian Post does not normally discuss personnel matters though we would like to say that we are so very grateful for Napp's contribution over these many years and we wish him the best," the Christian Post said in an email to CNN on Tuesday. "We will remain a publication rooted in our Christian faith & committed to objectivity in our reporting & diversity in our opinions."

Last week, another evangelical publication, Christianity Today [....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 12/25/2019 - 10:29pm

Mr. Rogers, the anti-Trump : blessed are the meek (or is soft and listening pro-actively "meek"?)

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/october/mr-rogers-good-neighbo...

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 12/27/2019 - 2:01pm

I like the title of the book by the author of the review article: D. L. Mayfield is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith (HarperOne). In a nutshell it blasts purist ideologues of all kinds, culture warriors and the screamers against "cultural appropriation."

by artappraiser on Fri, 12/27/2019 - 5:30pm

I think the more appropriate biblical reference, in this case, would be Jesus saying he had come with a sword.
Mr. Rogers repeats the rebuke delivered to those who waffled and misconstrued.
As the passage goes: "Worry less about what you put in your mouth than what comes out of it."

by moat on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 5:31pm

I'm sure that was a phallic reference. Jesus was probably just flirting with one of his followers. I never bought that chastity line. All those Christian leaders are fucking around now. Jesus was probably no different

by ocean-kat on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 6:28pm

Don't hold back, dude, don't hold back.

PS - what was Jesus's "sword"? Care to "pontificate"?

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 6:35pm

Perhaps my reference to the conflict prefigured in the Gospel has been taken too literally.

The article I responded to in regards to Mr. Rogers notes that he was trying to resist an ethos that held children in thrall to a code that negated their feelings and perceptions of what was going on in the world.

One is, of course, free to see the dynamic as matter of Christian thought or not. It is pretty clear what Mr. Rogers thought of the subject.

by moat on Sun, 12/29/2019 - 5:55pm

a main operative for The Lincoln Project (new Never Trumper GOP organization) gloating about how the CT op-ed played out:

The @CTmagazine editorial clearly came as a surprise and shook up @realDonaldTrump's gang. Their responses have been classic panicky campaign tactics. @ProjectLincoln and many others will deliver plenty more for them to worry about in 2020. https://t.co/Qy0j8tmkO0
— reedgalen (@reedgalen) December 28, 2019

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 7:50pm

Post piles on

https://www.christianpost.com/amp/convict-trump-the-constitution-is-more... at Christian

by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 8:07pm

Surprisingly robust, but then the cynic in me says: they might be looking forward to the idea of a President Pence.

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 9:49pm

Interesting point:

White evangelical Trump supporters are so lucky all the Democratic candidates are pro-choice. Can you imagine how difficult it’d be for them to justify their vote if they couldn’t pretend it was about abortion and not partisan tribalism, xenophobia, and Christian nationalism?
— Samuel Perry (@socofthesacred) December 29, 2019

by artappraiser on Sat, 12/28/2019 - 7:57pm

Emergency op?

Trump flies to Miami tomorrow to deliver remarks to “evangelicals for Trump coalition launch,” before returning to his Mar a Lago resort where he has been vacationing for a couple weeks pic.twitter.com/WPxxyf6XNV
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 3, 2020

by artappraiser on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 11:20pm

Christianity Today, an influential evangelical magazine, says Trump should be ‘removed from office’

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