Notwithstanding his many personal failings, including what the religiously judgmental declare to be his “sins”, in recent posts I have argued the case that, given the dire circumstances the present lawless, anti-American, illegitimate Biden regime has brought upon the nation, and considering all the good Donald Trump did for the people in his first term as president - all a matter of record - supporting DJT is the only rational course for the informed and patriotic citizen.
In response to one of those recent posts, a reader responded as follows:
“How do we justify supporting Trump who has cheated on every spouse, lied to the nation, lied to his followers, broken his word in business, and all around been the opposite of what the Scriptures say is a good leader? You speak of godlessness. Why would our youth know God when we follow the godless? Would that not be what we teach them? What must Trump do before there can be any question his validity? Is that possible? How many just men must say this man is not fit before we reconsider our support?”
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I wish more people would respond and engage. Very few do.
My positive argument in favor of Donald Trump does not focus on his personal character or morality - let him who is without sin cast the first stone - but, in stark contrast to the disaster Biden and his cronies have brought upon us, on President Trump’s demonstrated overwhelmingly positive and indisputable contributions to our country during his first term in office - and now, since he is running for president again in 2024, the likelihood, based on his past record, that he will make similar positive and critically important contributions should he be re-elected.
Rather than rehash them here, my arguments in support of Donald Trump are set forth in detail in several recent Substack postings. I recommend you read them again. Here they are in chronological order:
1. Donald Trump - The Test of America's Intellectual, Moral and Spiritual Substance (substack.com) 31 October 2022
2. No-Brainer - by Ronald T. Jones - TorqTalk (substack.com)
3. Separating the Sheep from the Goats in America - Part 2 - 3 Nov 2022
4. Time to Dump Trump? - 14 Nov ember 2022
You can find all these postings HERE.
What all this boils down to is a choice between doing what Christian doctrine forbids - focusing judgmentally on and condemning another person because he is imperfect and has sins and foibles (again, let him or her who has none cast the first stone) or, leaving such judgments to God, focusing on what clearly is in the best interests of our country at a time when evil men are actively conspiring to destroy it and enjoying a great deal of success in their effort.
Politically supporting the patriot Donald Trump - and whatever else may be said about him, he is a patriot - does not mean that we are "following the godless" IN HIS GODLESSNESS - if indeed Donald Trump is truly Godless. Personally, whatever the limits of his understanding and behavior - clearly he is no saint - I do not believe the man is truly Godless. His patriotism and love of country is inconsistent with an absolute rejection of God. Godlessness is as Godlessness does.
How many among us who do have some sort of belief in God know we have sinned according to God’s measure and continue to struggle with sin in our lives? Would that not include just about everybody? Was not that the common condition Jesus was referring to when he said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”? Is not this the universal condition that, as scripture says, requires us all to refrain from judging others lest we ourselves, who hope to be forgiven, be judged as severely as we have judged? Is it not our hope to escape judgment through mercy? If we show no mercy, what hope have we to receive it ourselves?
Should a person be measured and valued by his shortcomings and sins alone? Human beings are invariably a mix of vice and virtue, neither all of one thing nor the other. Are you and I “godless” because we are imperfect and still struggle with sin? What imperfect man, having a knowledge of his own sins and shortcomings, would nevertheless not hope that he would get some credit for the good he actually does and hopes to do? How does God himself measure such things?
“And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.” - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Doctrine & Covenants 58:28
And let me say that whether or not our children “know God” has nothing to do with whether or not we politically support Donald Trump. Obviously, that knowledge in our children will depend far more on how we live as parents and what we do and teach at home than on how DJT lives his personal life.
Suppose a child of mine were to ask, "How can you vote for a man who's been immoral, married three times and is accused of being a liar and dishonest in business?" First noting that many earlier presidents have been similarly flawed, my answer would be, "Because, as president, he has done the right thing for our country and our people when no one else would. As citizens of this great free nation, it is our duty to understand and vote for what is best for our country. We do not propose to take God’s place in passing judgment on the sins of others. We don't condone President Trump’s past personal lifestyle, but we do support what he has done for our country - that being a matter of record. Let God sort out Donald Trump for his personal sins - just as he will sort out all the rest of us for ours. As long as he does what is right for America, he will have my support."
Finally, I am reminded yet again of the bit of history from the Book of Mormon concerning a man named Morianton. He fought a long civil war, finally won it, and declared himself king. The record then says he immediately began to "ease the burdens of the people, by which he did gain favor in the eyes of the people" - so much so that, though he was personally an unrighteous man, the people greatly approved of his rule and freely chose to anoint him their king. Under his reign, the people became exceedingly prosperous:
"And it came to pass that Morianton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored unto them."
There is no indication in the record that Morianton, notwithstanding his personal unrighteousness, was any sort of tyrant, taught the people wickedness or did anything to make their lives miserable.
Nevertheless, though he was a successful ruler popular with the people because of what he did for them through a long and successful reign, the record says this of Morianton:
"And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord."
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Book of Mormon, Ether 10:9-12
Should the people of that day have opposed a good ruler - one who did right by them and made them very prosperous - because he was personally unrighteous? Had they done so would they not have been shooting themselves in the foot?
"Judgement is mine, sayeth the Lord. I will repay."
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Right vs. wrong, truth vs. lies, reality vs. fantasy, light vs. darkness, justice vs. injustice, liberty vs. tyranny, God vs. the Godless…
Take your pick. You will, one way or another…
If you can be fooled, you will be.
These are the times that try men’s souls…
Torquemada