Dear fellow Christian who supports Donald Trump

Dear fellow Christian who supports Donald Trump,

You are destroying our witness for Christ.

And here's why: Jesus told us to preach the gospel. Gospel means "good news". The true gospel is good news to all people. But your Trumped up gospel is bad news. It's bad news for women. It's bad news for black people, Hispanic people, Mexican people, refugees, people with disabilities, LGBT people, and the list just goes on.

I think what you are forgetting is that Jesus cares about people. He spent his time on earth healing, restoring, blessing and serving people regardless of where they came from or what gender they were. He was (and is) a progressive thinker who spoke to women when it was taboo, ate with "sinners" when it was forbidden and healed people when it was against the law.  Jesus was all about people. 
All people.

What has happened? Did you loose sight of people when you feared so much that gay people might be able to get married? Or when transgender people might get to use the bathroom of their choice? Did you forget about people when you feared that Roe V. Wade might not be overturned after all? What else do you fear? The loss of your security? The loss of your rights? Can you look past your fear into the eyes of people? The people that Jesus loves?

Let me tell you what I fear. I fear that you care more about the unborn than the person in front of you who may never know Christ because of you. I fear you care more about marriage "sanctity" than about the person in a loving, committed relationship who wants to make their commitment legal. Because of your fight against them, they may never soften to hear how Jesus loves them and wants to take away their shame. I fear your words and your actions are so opposed to the redeeming words of Christ that the thousands of people who need to hear them never will.

Because of your fear they will never know Christ's love.

My fellow Christian, I have to apologize to my atheist friends because of you.  I have to explain to them that Jesus isn't like this...this Trump-ness.

So I'm wondering, do you want to be a witness for Christ on earth so the people in the world will know him? I do! So, let's simply do what Jesus taught us to do. Start loving our neighbor. Gay or straight. Legal American or illegal immigrant. Addict or sober. Christian or Muslim or any faith. Let's start standing up for the rights of people whose identity is mocked and whose rights are abused. Let's show all marginalized people love over shame.

Do you care about the unborn? Good! Me too! Advocate for teen mom counseling. Fight to make adoption the norm. Teach healthy sexual activity to young people. 

Jesus did not come in political power like the Jews of the day expected the Messiah to come. He came humbly and showed us how to love people in the midst of whatever was happening politically. He showed us how to love people radically. He showed us so that we would go and do likewise. How are we doing?

This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17

The apology Donald Trump should have made... But didn't.

American People,
There is so much that I need to say right now to make amends and to reconcile.  My comments and attitudes toward women which were showcased by the tape released on 10/7 are inexcusable. 

To the women of America, I say this: I am sorry. In fact, "sorry" isn't enough. I have thought of you and treated you as objects but worse than that I have considered you my playthings. I have believed you existed only to serve me. I have used you repeatedly to stroke my ego and to feed my self absorption. I have repeatedly attempted to dominate you sexually as a way to elevate myself over you. I have consistently demeaned you as a way to exercise and demonstrate my false superiority. I have robbed you of your dignity and attempted to sabotage your self worth as individuals and as an entire gender.  My attitudes, behaviors, thoughts and words towards females have been infused with sexism and mysoginy. Because of my hurtful, demeaning, degrading and immoral, words, I AM SORRY. You should never be subject to this type of treatment. You deserve better in a president.

To men I say this: I am sorry. I have devalued your wives, your mothers, your daughters, your granddaughters, your aunts, your sisters, your nieces, your friends.  Because of me, women will trust you less.  I have modeled a man that you are ashamed to show your sons and from whom you need to protect your daughters. I have given you a despicable role model to follow. I am sorry. You deserve better in a president.

I know that an apology must be more than words.  It must be followed up with actual change in behavior. I hope that over time you will see how I have changed from the person you heard speaking on those tapes into a person deserving of your trust and the office of the White House. Time will tell. I hope that I will have that time. Please forgive me.

Omitted from this apology is:

The suggestion that your expectation of me is unrealistic, "I'm not a perfect person".
Allowance of my behavior because the incident was "more than a decade old".

Lots of stuff saying how great I am after all: "I've spent time with grieving mothers who've lost their children...etc, etc,"

A self inflated claim that "I will never, ever let you down".
Lessening the gravity of my crime by stating that it is "nothing more than a distraction".

Taking the heat off of me by claiming that other people's offenses are worse than mine: "Bill Clinton has actually abused women, and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims."

Here is Trump's actual apology transcript

Trump words VS. Jesus words

I created a little comparison chart today to see if I could spot any similarities in the words and/or thinking of Donald Trump and Jesus Christ on some issues that matter a lot to me.

What do you think?

Trump words VS. Jesus words

Trump on Immigration: "I will build a great wall -- and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me --and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."	Jesus on Immigration: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ... 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' “
Trump re women: "You know, it doesn't really matter what they write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass." Also: “Nobody cares about the talent [in beauty pageants]. There’s only one talent you care about, and that’s the look talent. You don’t give a shit if a girl can play a violin like the greatest violinist in the world. You want to know what does she look like.” Also: “She’s really cute, I have to tell you, she’s really bouncy, really cute, She’s about 5-foot-1. Do you like girls that are 5-foot-1? They come up to you know where.” Also: “I’d like to take some money out of her fatass pockets.”	Jesus re women: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Also: “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ...She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.  Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Also: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground….“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.
Trump re taxes: When accused of not paying taxes ever, he replied, “that makes me smart.”	Jesus re taxes: “Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
Trump re humility: "I think apologizing's a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I'm ever wrong." Also: “Every successful person has a very large ego.” Every successful person? Mother Teresa? Jesus Christ? “Far greater egos than you will ever understand.” Also: “I think Viagra is wonderful if you need it, if you have medical issues, if you’ve had surgery. I’ve just never needed it. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind if there were an anti-Viagra, something with the opposite effect. I’m not bragging. I’m just lucky. I don’t need it. I’ve always said, “If you need Viagra, you’re probably with the wrong girl.”	Jesus re humility: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Also: Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Also: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Trump re wealth: “Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich.” Also: "I have a lot of money -- much more money than all of them put together, and all of their phony contributions put together -- but you have to understand, I want to be me,"	Jesus re wealth: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Also: Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."