From: Timothy Ehrlich
Trump is Evil – Twenty Biblically Based Reasons We Say So
We the undersigned are all clergy persons and all American citizens. We are motivated by our theologically based convictions to take the unusual step of moving beyond the normal separation boundary between church and state to comment on the spiritual nature of our President. Our observations of President Trump’s words and actions over the course of his presidency have convinced us that the predominance of the man’s public words and actions are evil, thus we say he himself is evil.
In February 2016, Pope Francis spoke with reporters while returning from Mexico. He said, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the Gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that.” President Trump’s response to Pope Francis was: “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful… No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.” President Trump is wrong here also; it is exactly the duty of religious leaders to call out sinful behavior when confronted with it. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (5:12 NLT) he writes; “it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.” Jesus also taught us to confront unrepentant sin (Matthew 18:15-18). When we say Trump is evil it is in this context. The scriptures admonish us to love our neighbors as ourselves because “love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” Actions or words that intentionally and unjustifiably result in harm or hurt, physically, materially, or emotionally, to others or to the individual carrying out these actions, break God’s law. We define these words and acts as evil. By this scripture-based definition President Trump is evil. Here are twenty reasons we say so.
1. The sixth of the Ten Commandments is: “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). President Trump has already caused the death of many Americans through his policy decisions. According to the AMA, his efforts to end Obama care without replacing it first has already caused the death of 2000 Americans. These are people who died from not being able to afford either medicine or medical treatment, or both; and that does not include those who truly are dying from the stress of worrying about medical bills and not having coverage when they are already sick. According to various sources quoted in Scientific American, his administration’s roll back of environmental policies will result in disastrous negative health effects. The roll back of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards “will result in 11,000 premature deaths every year, according to EPA figures.” It’s estimated it will result in an additional “130,000 asthma attacks and 4,700 heart attacks,” It will also result in additional health costs of up to $90 billion annually. The weakening of the Clean Power Plan and the glider truck rule could result in 1,500 to 3,600 premature deaths a year as a result of air pollution by 2030. “It could also cause as many as 100,000 asthma attacks, according to EPA.” Scientists also warn that the recent relaxing of environmental policies concerning clean water out lowering the safe levels of cancer causing chemicals in public water supplies will kill about another 1000 Americans per year. And the roll back of California’s clean air standards for car exhausts will result in many thousands of additional asthma cases.
2. The next most glaring example of this president’s general immorality is his many lies and distortions of the truth. How does God feel about lying? The book of Proverbs tells us (12:22 NLT): “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth”; and also, “There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (6:16-19). Jesus goes farther saying, “Satan is the father of lies” (John 8:44). This president lies an average of 15-22 times a day, according to various fact checkers. Basically, the president lies all day long. Politifact has rated 71% of the Presidents statements as “Mostly False or worse.” Only 16% of the things he says get a “Mostly True” or better rating. A person who, the majority of what he says is an outright lie or deceptive, is evil in the sight of God. Our president has been exposed lying about small things that are easily checked, like where his father was born, or whether he was with and helped the first responders at ground zero after 9-11, and lies about big and potentially illegal or dangerous things like whether or not he made hush money payments to porn stars to help his election, and whether our enemies in Syria are defeated. According to the Washington Post, since his election he spoke or tweeted 10,000 lies or distortions of the truth by April 2019.
3. Next is his list of ungodly actions is his association with murderers. Proverbs 1:10-15 warns us to stay away from murders, and Psalms 5:6 (NLT) tells us, “The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.” Trump does not just restore diplomatic relations with dictators he calls confirmed multiple murderers his friends. Trump says he fell in love with Kim Jong Un who has ordered many murders including those of his uncle, his half-brother and the people on the staff of recent negotiations with the US that displeased him. Trump has claimed Vladimir Putin is a friend. Putin is known to have ordered the deaths of multiple dissidents, journalists and political opponents, for the crime of wanting to change his government. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is another murderer who the president has been friendly with. The Prince is known to have ordered the death of the journalist Khashoggi who was tortured and strangled and cut into pieces by a Saudi hit squad. Salman is also suspected in the disappearance of many dissidents in Saudi Arabia. President Trump’s response to the murder of the journalist was to ignore it, saying: “We’re not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders.” Those who love what God hates are opposed to God, and thus evil.
4. He has been sued over 1500 times by businesses he refused to pay the contracted amounts, according to USA Today. Trump’s business model, according to the press is apparently to sign a contract with small business owners, receive the property or service for the minimum down payment, refuse to pay the balance and then, when sued, attempt to settle the case by repaying much less than what was owed. Proverbs 11:1 (TMSG) warns us, “God hates cheating in the marketplace.”
5. Insults are a sin in the Bible: Ephesians 4:31 (TEV) says: “Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. The first letter of Peter (2:1) says, “Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.” On May 24, 2019, the New York Times published a list of 598 people, places and things Donald Trump has insulted on Twitter, including of course his famous insults of Rosie O’Donnell, and his comment about “sh--hole” countries. He doesn’t generally refer to his political opponents by their names, but rather by mockery: “Crazy Bernie,” “Sleepy Joe,” “Little Marco,” “Pocahontas,” etc. Jesus said: “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart” (Matthew 12:34-36).
6. In Hebrews (13:5 NLT) we read: “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have…” Our president has famously long subscribed to his philosophy of greed. During his campaign in 2016 president Trump stated: “I like money. I’m very greedy. I’m a greedy person. I shouldn’t tell you that, I’m a greedy -- I’ve always been greedy. I love money, right?” The Bible famously states, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” (1 Timothy 6:10 NRSV).
7. In the Bible the second of the Ten Commandments is, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” And In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we read, “You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world” (Ephesians 5:5). Our presidents love of money and greed, reveal that he is an idolater; money is his idol.
8. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea Matthew 18:5-6 (NRSV). The Trump administration’s failure to humanely deal with migrant families claiming asylum, has involved the separation of thousands of children from parents, and treatment of illegal immigrant families in a way that would be illegal if they were prisoners of war. Mental health professionals tell us the separation of young children from their parents is harmful to them, causing long lasting or permanent psychological and emotion damage, and thus is evil.
9. Jesus was opposed to hypocrisy: “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1). We find hypocrisy in the president saying he is not a racist but repeatedly using language that people of color find to be racist and deeply offensive. We also find not an evolution of thought but hypocrisy and political expediency in his changing view on abortion. He told Tim Russert in a 1999 interview, “I’m very pro-choice,” and his current stance is that women who have abortions should be jailed. In a 2015 interview he said his favorite book is the Bible, but when pressed couldn’t cite a single verse. In 2016 he was asked in a different interview this time he said his favorite verse was “an eye for an eye.” Jesus of course said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;” (Matthew 5:38-39).
10. Our president’s sexual immorality is widely known, from his swinger lifestyle and friendship with the likes of Jeffrey Epstein, to his famous interview on the Access Hollywood bus, to the 19 different women who have accused him of sexual assault, to the now admitted (but first lied about) $130,000 payments to a porn start and $100,000 to a playboy playmate to keep them quiet before the election, to his multiple affairs and broken marriages. The seventh commandment is do not commit adultery, and while we do not advocate the position of Leviticus 20:10, we point out what it says, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death” (Also Deuteronomy 22:22). Paul instructs us: “You are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people” (1 Corinthians 5:11 NLT).
11. Lack of confession is a sin. In James 5:16 we read, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” and in Leviticus 5:5 we read, “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.” In an interview with Frank Luntz Trump was asked if he'd ever asked God for forgiveness. "I am not sure I have, I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."
12. The third commandment is, “No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name” (Exodus 20:7 TMSG) At a recent West Virginia rally Trump used the Lord’s name in vain several times prompting a republican state Senator to object to Trump’s speech saying he was appalled. A performance he repeated again in a recent rally in North Carolina.
13. The apostle John wrote: “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20 KJV). Trump believes hate is good. In 1989 interview with Larry King, about the Central Park Five (who had, as was later discovered, been wrongfully convicted) President Trump said, “Mayor Koch has stated that hate and rancor should be removed from our hearts. I do not think so. Of course I hate these people and let's all hate these people because maybe hate is what we need if we're gonna get something done.” Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43 NRSV).
14. President Trump’s arrogance is easily observed in any campaign speech. Proverbs 16:5 says, “All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the LORD; be assured, they will not go unpunished.”
15. Proverbs 17:15 (NLT) “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD.” We see Trump acquitting the guilty in Charleston - “There are good people on both sides.” We see Trump condemning the innocent - Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib – at a rally, “They hate everything we hold dear.” Later, Trump told reporters outside of the White House. “They can’t call our country and our people ‘garbage.’ They can’t be anti-Semitic. They can’t talk about ‘evil Jews,’ which is what they say. ‘Evil Jews.’ ” Vicious screeds against Israel” “Its horrible what they’ve said about our country, these congresswomen,” None of the congresswomen in question——have ever been reported to say any of those things.
16. Where Trump speaks violence follows. US counties where President Donald Trump held a campaign rally saw a 226% increase in reported hate crimes compared to similar counties that did not hold a rally, political scientists at the University of North Texas said in a Washington Post analysis. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that “a burst of over 1,000 hate crimes and incidents have occurred since Election day.”
17. In the book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. The 37 psychiatrists and mental health experts agreed that Trump suffers from “Malignant Narcissism”, which is defined as including: 1 narcissistic personality disorder, 2. antisocial behavior, 3. paranoid traits, and 4. sadism. As Christians we interpret their diagnosis to mean that he suffers from persistent sinful behavior and attitudes towards others. The experts’ assessment: “Donald Trump is a profound danger to Americans and the rest of the world.” Narcissism is self-idolatry – placing yourself before God, anyone or anything.
18. The fourth commandment is “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” How many times have we seen Trump in church?
19. If 98% of the world’s climate scientists are right, and global warming is of manmade origin and is rapidly destroying our environment, then Trump’s rollback of emission standards for greenhouse gas emissions is entirely sinful. If our nation was to follow an environmentalist agenda, and the world’s climate scientists are wrong, then we will still undeniably have cleaner air, fewer deaths and asthma attacks, and many more jobs in green technology and manufacturing. If president Trump is wrong then most of Florida and New York City are under water in a few decades and millions around the world are displaced. Is a policy not evil if it ignores science and makes an evil result much more likely? We say it is.
20. Apathy in the face of evil is evil. Sending people who have come legally seeking asylum back to countries that are extraordinarily unsafe, where the likelihood that many of the deportees will be victims of violence, is being apathetic to the evil they will face and thus is itself evil.
The scriptures, our training, and the ethical and moral requirements of the role of a clergy person all instruct us that we are obliged to confront evil in whatever form it presents itself. The evil we see in the current President is not the normal, “everyone has a log in their own eye” type of evil, but an unrepentant, pervasive and exceptional evil. President Trump claims to be a Christian therefore we have the moral responsibility to confront the evil we see in him.