There’s nothing Christian about Never Trumpers’ smear tactics against faithful believers. //
This year’s award for best use of shame-and-smear tactics, however, goes to French. Since the election, he has taken off the gloves. The Trump presidency is the result not of many constituencies that used to vote Democrat stitched together. No, this presidency and what French terms “chaos and cruelty” are the gifts of the white evangelical church, whom he calls to “repentance.”
What makes French’s arguments inflammatory is that he willfully ignores the failings of Democrats. French chastises the current administration for pardoning “their own thugs” but will not mention Biden pardoning his influence-peddling son or many others, apparently by autopen. America has failed to live up to its ideals, but when searching for an example, French retreats to Jim Crow and slavery. What about the left’s recent and glaring failures to live up to ideals, like selling the body parts of babies or saddling children’s futures with unnecessary school closings? The last four years hold a plethora of possibilities for failed American ideals.
When asked if he could find anything notable in Trump’s policies, French reluctantly cited a more controlled border. Nothing else good to see here. He lays the failures of this administration squarely at the feet of conservative Christians. But he takes no responsibility for the sins of the radical Democrat leaders he supported. French wraps his finger-pointing in compassion and Jesus language.
As a marriage therapist and a Christian, this sort of shaming, where one party must always be “the bad one,” is a bright red flag. This is the kiss of death in relationships, and it’s a deep disservice to the church.
It is also especially odd coming from Christians. Our theology insists all human nature is flawed and thus no one has a corner on goodness or truth. We see through a glass darkly until Jesus returns. It might be a good idea to cut each other some slack, clean up our own backyard, and work harder to “preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Since we are sitting in the same pews, and all that.
