Letter submitted to the editor of the Defiance Crescent-News on October 16, 2016
Dear Editor,
Local Evangelicals often use the Crescent-News editorial page to wage war against sins they believe will cause the destruction of America. If these sins — abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, same-sex marriage, driving while Democrat — are allowed to continue, they believe God will judge our country and remove his blessing. These same writers have spent years reminding readers that electing Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and now Hillary Clinton will result in the United States turning into a Communist/socialist/atheist/humanist state. Only God and the Christian Bible will do, they tell us. Ignore their words, pay the price.
During the primaries, these same people wrote letters extolling the virtues of various Republican candidates. When the dust settled, Donald Trump was left standing. Donald Trump is a misogynistic, xenophobic, racist, sexual predator with the acumen of a third grader. He offers no policy positions other than his plan to make America great again. Recently, Trump fat-shamed women, calling them names, and last week, a recording of Trump admitting that he sexually assaulted women surfaced for all to see. “Locker room talk,” they say, “just boys being boys.”
Many Evangelicals have decided that while Donald Trump’s a vile, disgusting human being, he’s exactly the kind of person God uses for his glory. “What a testament to God’s wondrous grace that God can even use someone like Donald Trump,” they say. Some believe that Trump is a “baby” Christian and will grow in the knowledge of the Lord. What, I ask, do these people see that the rest of us cannot? Here’s a man who told the world that he’s never asked God for forgiveness, yet we’re supposed to believe he’s a Christian? Please, stop insulting our intelligence.
If God really can use anyone to accomplish his purpose, cannot the same be said for Hillary Clinton? According to Evangelicals, Clinton’s the Antichrist. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God used Clinton to accomplish his purposes? Dare Evangelicals stand in the way of God’s plan for America?
Trump and his followers want to return America to the 1950s — a time when there was no God but the Christian God, Joseph McCarthy found Commies under every bed, men in white sheets ruled the South, abortion was illegal, blacks knew their place, women stayed at home, and gays stayed in the closet. Those of us who believe in progress must not let this happen.
Bruce Gerencser
Ney, Ohio
For context, here’s the text of a letter that appeared in the Sunday, October 16, 2016 edition of the Crescent-News:
Destiny of nation is at stake
What is happening today is almost a fight of Biblical scale. Yes, the good versus evil mode.
If I remember right, God worked with the least likely and flawed person available. He put that person in charge to fight the fight. Samson comes to mind. Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery. Look at David, the shepherd, so young and naive, having only faith when he took on Goliath. Now look at St. Paul. When he was known as Saul, he killed Christians.
But each played a part in God’s plan.
Then there is learning from your mistakes. If you don’t ever see that you have made a mistake, you keep making them. Hillary Clinton has that flaw, Donald Trump doesn’t. The question is will the American people see this, as I have just explained? Or will we be led to the path of self-destruction by a power-driven Jezebel?
After I wrote about the above Trump challenges, I was sitting at my keyboard thinking, “when in history was someone disgraced, demoted and ridiculed, but events took place that allowed this man to overcome his adversaries. The only name that stood out was Patton.
Then I remembered the movie of his life, done with actor George C. Scott. The scene that comes to mind is the one where he is relieved of his command. Patton says, “The world is at war and I’m not in it. This will not be allowed to happen. I will be allowed to fulfill my destiny. Let God’s will be done!”
The destiny of this unique nation, at home and on the world stage, is at stake. With God’s saving grace, Trump will prevail.
David Dodt
Defiance
“With gods saving grace, Trump will prevail”
Unreal. No words
And Gawd raised his fist and uttered, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you…” and Gawd proceeded to support Trump! Gawd’s holy and inknowable purposes are not seen by human worms!
Religious belief was born out of the harm of ignorance and it continues to harm us in 2016. It does not matter that Trump is a terrible, ugly bully billionare of a man because he is on the Right Side and glorifies ignorance and harm.
Can such a specimen actually be President? Does it matter if he actually wins? That he is at the door and awaiting the keys to the kingdom should be ample evidence of America’s great ‘faith’, America’s great dollar! Like the dollar, Trump bases his leadership on his own standard and just brags (prints more money) as he is shown to be the slug he is…
(I still think that he will win after all and for all the wrong reasons, praise gawd! It is not that I disrespect the many wonderful Americans I am aware of but I am aware of huge numbers of harmed and dumbed down, flag-blind Americans too and they are all behind Donald.) America is gutting itself.
Please please please USA, show me I’m being too dark, too negative, that the hills of BC are full of poor signals from the south! I want so much to be wrong…
Have you had a chance to read Wayne Barrett’s book on trump from the nineties? He did an interview of democracy now a few months ago which is on youtube.
“power driven Jezebel”??!! Holy Shit – at least he didn’t say she smells like sulphur! I’ve recently had to block several facebook friends because of posts like this. What an election – can’t wait until Nov 9th.
The whole election process is an embarrassment to the nation. Popularity contest / slanging match for the super rich. The whole system needs to change.
I am sure there are other more qualified bigots out there to run for president but Trump has the money behind him.
As for Hillary, in a country the size of the US how is it that a husband and wife could both be president? Are they really the best people for the job or is it a case of power being in the hands of the privileged minority.
Already had a father and son. Just a continuation of the Bush-Clinton dynasty!
Ha, true I didn’t think of that. Land of oportunity my are.
John Adams and John Quincy Adams were also father/son presidents, and Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were also related (second cousins I believe.) Had he not been assassinated during his campaign , Robert Kennedy may very well have followed in his brother John’s footsteps and become president. In other words, family dynasties are not a new development in U.S. Politics. We just like to pretend otherwise.
I actually think Michelle Obama would make a good president, if her speech the other day was anything to go by.
Having said which, she’s seen how the whole thing works, the stress it’s had on Barack, and I suspect she’s too fine a lady ever to consider entering this type of brawl.
I agree, I would love to see Hillary nominate Michelle Obama for a cabinet position (Attorney General perhaps? She is a lawyer.) I would also love to see her nominate Barak Obama, lawyer and former Constitutional law professor, to the Supreme Court, just to watch all the right-wingnut heads explode.
Obama in the Supreme Court. I never thought of that! Brilliant!!
My daughter was a student at USC (South Carolina) in 2008 when Michelle Obama gave a speech at the Student Center. Her words “Wish SHE would run for president”! And this, coming from, at the time, my social conservative daughter.
Bruce, what do you have against third graders? So unfair….
“With gods saving grace, Trump will prevail” Good thing there isn’t a god then, or perhaps only an ineffectual one 😉
Perhaps it’s a stupid question but are your letters printed? Or do you not send them but only post them on here? With the way comments are policed on many religious blogs I would imagine they probably won’t print your letters.
On another note, this is why I’m glad the studens and faculty of Liberty University have stood up against Fallwell jr. I remember a few years ago that Gulliani wasn’t pure enough for the Rep. nomination because of the Christian Right: he’d had committed adultary and had been divorced a number of times. I don’t like Evangelicals that much anymore but do like them to be consistent. If they have huge tantrums about any,or most, kinds of sex, they shouldn’t support Trump. It’s really as simple as that. If they want to be holier than thou, they really should not support someone who in any other context would serve as the perfect example of everything they are against! It still amazes me to be honest.
Melody,
This letter was published today. I’ve never had a letter rejected. I suspect they view me as the token liberal. ?
Bruce
I’m glad they’re professional enough to give different viewpoints a space. It is becoming more rare nowadays with the various echo chambers that exist in the media.
Better to be a token liberal than having a persecution complex, right? 🙂