Seminary head falls for the false piety of ‘Never Trump’ rhetoric

Nothing sparks controversy and division faster than religion and politics, and rightfully so because error in either has profound consequences.

This presidential election is an existential choice between freedom and a generation of ingrained and institutionalized corruption. There will be no redo in four years if we choose wrongly.

Consequently, the opinions of those who influence the ignorant masses matter, which brings me to the significance of recent statements made by Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

On CNN and in an article in the Herald-Leader, Mohler warned the faith community to keep their distance from Donald Trump. In other venues, they have said they would not vote for him.

I served on the Foundation Board of Southern Seminary for years; as a former student, I have donated thousands as well as have given annual grants to professors. I, and others on the board, could not disagree more with Mohler’s position. Moreover, many professors disagree as well, but can’t speak out.

Mohler’s and Moore’s “Never Trump” position is borne of false piety and self-righteousness. In this election, the premise is not based upon the greater righteousness or sinlessness of one candidate over another. The correct premise is comparing the policies of each candidate and how they will impact the nation.

Trump was not my choice, but he is now. I make no excuses for the man, and if he were as bad as Hillary Clinton his policy positions would still win the day for me. At least we know Trump’s sins. We don’t know the sins of the “Never Trump” crowd, do we?

We are all sinners. As Charles Spurgeon, one of the most famous preachers of the last 150 years, said, “There is nothing more deadly than self-righteousness.”

Moore, who was always fond of reminding me that he was a Democrat, is a Never Trumper. In a panel discussion, he justified his position by stating, “You can lose an election and live to fight another day.”

No you can’t. Clinton will pack the Supreme Court with leftists who will come after our liberties with a vengeance.

At a recent God and Politics forum at the seminary with columnist Cal Thomas, Mohler said he could not vote for Trump. Thomas called him out and said that was a wasted vote that would place Clinton into the White House. As Thomas stated, in 2012, millions of conservatives did not vote. They, in effect, re-elected President Barack Obama.

I’m sickened and disgusted at the self-righteousness of those conservatives and Christians who believe they are accomplishing something by not voting because some candidate doesn’t measure up to their sin-meters or character standards.

They deal and negotiate and choose between sinful people every day of their lives, yet become super holy and falsely pious when it comes to voting in this election. This is about policy, not personality.

Where have Mohler and Moore been over the last 30 years of Hillary Clinton’s life of political scandal? The recent release of leaked emails shows the Clinton campaign’s disdain for religion, particularly Catholics and evangelicals. At a recent fund-raiser with Barbara Streisand, she called millions of Trump supporters irredeemable and deplorable.

The Never Trump crowd barely ever mentions Clinton in their reasoning. She and her husband have constructed perhaps one of the greatest criminal enterprises this country has ever known, yet all the self-righteous focus is on Trump.

There is no tomorrow after a Hillary Clinton presidency. There will be no electoral means for a Republican or conservative acceptable to the “Never Trumpers” to regain the White House.

We are staring down the barrel of a permanently entrenched one-party government and ruling class. The penalty for self-righteousness in this election will be the loss of our freedoms.

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 7:38 PM with the headline "Seminary head falls for the false piety of ‘Never Trump’ rhetoric."