Even some of the most prominent leaders among White Evangelicals in the past have stuck with Trump, forging a strong bond and delivering their votes to Trump. Jerry Falwell, Jr., son of Jerry Falwell who founded Liberty University, is one of the most prominent and strongest supporters of Trump.
An opposing group call themselves the Red Letter Christians, based on the practice in some editions of the Bible of printing words actually spoken by Jesus in red ink.
Laurie Goodstein published an article in the New York Times on 5/23/18 titled, "This Is Not God: When Anti-Trump Evangelicals Confront Their Brethren." She tells about a preacher of the Red Letter group, who "preaches the Gospel, lives among the poor and befriends prisoners on death row, modeling his ministry on the life of Jesus."
It seems that this same Rev. Shane Claiborne had made plans to bring a group of his national network of Red Letter Christians to Lynchberg, Virginia for a revival meeting.
The problem arose that Lynchberg is the home of Liberty University. It's current president, the Rev. Jerry Fallwell, Jr. is recognized as having forged the bond between Donald Trump and the mainstream White Evangelicals, about 80% of whom voted for him. Trump gave the commencement address at Liberty U. last year. You might say that Liberty U. and Lynchberg are the capitol of the Evangelicals-for-Trump movement.
Liberty University is a predominant force in White Evangelical Christianity (WEC), which played perhaps the major role that cemented the tie between Trump and the WEC group as a political force. Liberty University and its president Falwell, Jr. both also wield power in Lynchberg. The night before the revival was to begin, Rev. Claiborne received a letter from the Chief of Police at Liberty University warning him that, if he set foot on the campus property, he would be arrested for trespassing and face up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Needless to say, the Trump-Falwell group also holds tremendous power through its dominance of the conservative national television audience through Fox News, Fox and Friends, and Sean Hannity.
The Claibornes and the Red Letter Christians do not align neatly with either political party; but, according to Laurie Goldstein and the Times, "they have fierce moral and theological objections to those evangelicals who have latched onto Mr. Trump and the Republican Party." The idea of a preaching revival in their backyard was to wake them up to what the Red Letter Christians feel is "selling out the faith. . . . A number of bereaved, eminent elders plan a procession to the White House soon to hand over their manifesto, "Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis."
The manifesto sounds even less effective than trying to take on Liberty University and its college town. Goldstein concludes: "The loudest voices and institutional power and money are with Mr. Trump; the dissenters are fired-up, underfunded and scattered; and the vast majority of pastors are silent for fear of dividing their congregations or risking their jobs."
There is another figure in the Red Letter Christian group, however, who seems more practical, its Executive Director Don Golden, who has both executive experience as well as having done refugee and missionary work in 70 countries for another evangelical organization.
He worked out a compromise in Lynchberg -- or, rather, he got his Red Letter group to just postpone any confrontation with the Liberty University/Trump crowd. It just sounds to me like capitulation.
Finding a few supporters of the Red Letter cause among faculty of Liberty University, they met privately and decided not to alienate the more powerful university and its supporters for the time being but to work to strengthen the bonds they do have. "We need to break out of our silos." one supporter said; but the crowds didn't materialize. Rather than a confrontation, they decided to settle for a symbolic gesture.
Reasoning that the police would not dare arrest an elderly man, they chose the 83 year old Rev. Tony Campolo, co-founder of the Red Letter Christians, to enter the campus church and deliver a red box to the bewildered receptionist. Inside, the box, tied with a ribbon, was a stack of prayers, written on index cards, from the participants of the revival.
"Dear Liberty, I am praying for your campus," said one. "The Jesus in the Bible speaks of love and acceptance. I hope you learn to speak of this too."
* * *
If all the Red Letter Christians accomplished was this little gesture of prayer cards and reminding these power-mad politicians of what they very well know -- and have chosen to reject in favor of power and money and control -- then they're forgetting the real power of social activism. Or at least they do not have the courage to become activists.
The Falwell faction seems to have abandoned what I consider the most powerful teachings of Jesus -- the morality of how you treat other people and how you live as part of a community.
I agree that the Falwell-Trump connection is all a little bewildering. For Trump, I think it's purely exploitation for votes. But what's in it for the Falwells? My only explanation is one I've fallen back on before: evidence is mounting by the week that anyone who becomes involved with Donald Trump winds up becoming corrupt, smeared, and incoherent.
The Falwell faction seems to have abandoned what I consider the most powerful teachings of Jesus -- the morality of how you treat other people and how you live as part of a community.
I agree that the Falwell-Trump connection is all a little bewildering. For Trump, I think it's purely exploitation for votes. But what's in it for the Falwells? My only explanation is one I've fallen back on before: evidence is mounting by the week that anyone who becomes involved with Donald Trump winds up becoming corrupt, smeared, and incoherent.
It seems to be happening to White, Evangelical Christians too.
Ralph
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