{"id":2375358,"date":"2024-12-02T08:56:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T13:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trumps-victory-affects-the-civil-war-in-evangelicalism\/"},"modified":"2024-12-02T09:02:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T14:02:06","slug":"how-trumps-victory-affects-the-civil-war-in-evangelicalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trumps-victory-affects-the-civil-war-in-evangelicalism\/","title":{"rendered":"How Trump&#8217;s Victory Affects The Civil War In Evangelicalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-trumps-victory-affects-the-civil-war-in-evangelicalism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2375358&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Over teh past decade, American evangelical Christianity has experienced a critically important political divide. Institutional leaders \u2062have increasingly aligned with progressive ideologies,while many congregation members hold conservative beliefs. This schism has intensified following the election \u200bof\u200d Donald Trump,forcing leaders to balance their public personas\u2063 with their constituents&#8217; views.\u200d <\/p>\n<p>Pastors\u2064 like David Platt\u200d have attempted to\u2062 broaden the definition of pro-life to encompass issues like racial justice and immigration, leading to perceptions that evangelical leaders are \u200cfavoring leftist narratives while still resonating with right-leaning values. Some evangelical \u2062elites, including figures like \u2062Russell Moore and John Piper, have criticized Trump&#8217;s presidency and its implications for Christian values, while advocating for the importance of\u200c moral integrity in political matters.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this internal conflict,many evangelical leaders work to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">subtly shift\u200c public opinion\u200b leftwards<\/a> on various issues,all\u2063 while maintaining some conservative stances to appease their base. the \u200bSouthern Baptist Convention\u200b has\u2063 also seen some leaders moderating \u2062their positions as \u200cthey grapple with changing\u2062 public opinion,with individuals like J.D. Greear and Dean Inserra expressing concerns about aligning with Trump despite recognizing \u200bhope within his administration.<\/p>\n<p>the evangelical community finds itself at a crossroads as it reconciles evolving cultural values with longstanding traditions and beliefs.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Over the past decade, a clear <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Christianity-Social-Justice-Religions-Conflict\/dp\/1956521003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">political divide<\/a> has emerged within American evangelical Christianity. Institutional leaders have increasingly aligned their organizations with the leftist ruling class, while many in the pews maintain more conservative views and resist these shifts. Trump&rsquo;s recent victory has intensified this balancing act for leaders and further deepened the divide within the movement.<\/p>\n<p>Signaling approval for the left&rsquo;s cultural dominance while maintaining Religious Right credentials has never been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Social-Justice-Goes-Church-Evangelicalism\/dp\/1649600801\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">easy<\/a>. In the 2010s, the strategy was to expand the definition of pro-life to include issues such as racial justice and left-leaning immigration policies. To pick one example among many: McLean Bible Church Pastor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.churchreforminitiative.org\/the-real-david-platt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Platt<\/a> wrote positively, in his 2020 book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Before-You-Vote-Questions-Christian\/dp\/1734952237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Before You Vote<\/em><\/a>, about a Christian who cared about the life issue but would not vote for a Republican pro-life candidate<em>. <\/em>This is the same D.C. beltway pastor who shut down his church for Covid-19 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/evangelicals-david-platt-march-in-dc-against-racism-police-brutality-forgive-us.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marched<\/a> and spoke at a <a href=\"https:\/\/erlc.com\/resource\/our-experience-at-the-faith-that-works-march-in-washington-d-c\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Black Lives Matter-style<\/a> protest that same year. Platt, along with many evangelical leaders, gave the impression that Christians were expected to push the needle left on a range of issues while pushing right was, at the very least, optional.<\/p>\n<p>Platt&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2019\/jun\/3\/david-platt-mclean-bible-church-pastor-apologizes-\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signaling<\/a> against Trump &mdash; when he essentially apologized to his congregation for the &ldquo;hurt&rdquo; he may have caused related to issues like &ldquo;racial division and injustice&rdquo; after praying for Trump &mdash; was only possible as long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/david-platt-calls-on-christians-to-understand-reasons-behind-abortion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as theoretical lip service<\/a> was paid to pro-life and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/so-baptist-pastor-david-platt-christians-shouldnt-single-out-gay-lifestyle-when-defending-marriage-risk-being-guilty-of-selective-moral-outrage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pro-family<\/a> issues. This allowed evangelical elites to project an image of transcending the political divide, when they were in fact choosing a side.<\/p>\n<h2>Luke-Warm Christian Intellectuals<\/h2>\n<p>In 2024, white evangelicals once again voted for the president-elect in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-elections\/exit-polls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">large numbers<\/a>. Yet many individuals who see themselves as the evangelical intellectual vanguard are unable to see why evangelicals would vote for Trump and are reviving the narrative that he poses a threat to Christian values.<\/p>\n<p>Russell Moore, the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3yiSPVt4mgA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chalked<\/a> Trump&rsquo;s victory up to an infatuation Americans have with entertainment. Evangelical New York Times columnist David French encouraged Christians to stand courageous in the face of MAGA&rsquo;s cruelty. Like he had in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.desiringgod.org\/articles\/policies-persons-and-paths-to-ruin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2020<\/a>, Pastor John Piper of Desiring God once again insinuated a moral equivalency existed between Trump and his Democrat opponent when he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JohnPiper\/status\/1854177075898269727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a> that the results showed God had &ldquo;delivered us from one evil&rdquo; but &ldquo;now tests us with another.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a recent Gospel Coalition article <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Mike_Pence\/status\/1859748317426504048\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shared<\/a> by former Vice President Mike Pence, McLean Bible Church Associate Pastor Joe Carter makes the case that Trump&rsquo;s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signals &ldquo;that the GOP has fully shifted from the pro-life party to one that&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/experts-say-liberal-justices-are-wrong-about-roes-medical-basis\/\" title=\"Experts Say Liberal Justices Are Wrong About Roe\u2019s Medical Basis\">unapologetically pro-choice<\/a>.&rdquo; Carter went on to chastise the pro-life establishment for its lack of principle and encourage them to &ldquo;reject any temptation to trade moral clarity for political favor.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Yet, two years ago when President Joe Biden issued an executive order to protect abortion through the HHS, Carter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/president-biden-issues-executive-order-attempting-to-protect-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Christians that the order would not &ldquo;have much effect on the [abortion]&rdquo; since the Dobb&rsquo;s decision had kicked the issue back to legislatures. Carter also said that on abortion, &ldquo;aside from nominating Supreme Court justices, most of what [presidents] can do is purely symbolic.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, the pro-life movement has more to fear from a Trump HHS than they did from a Biden HHS. And this despite the fact that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/11\/20\/anti-abortion-rfk-jr-00190552\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RFK Jr.<\/a> is open to appointing an &ldquo;anti-abortion stalwart to a senior position in HHS&rdquo; and restoring &ldquo;anti-abortion policies from the first Trump administration.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This is how many evangelical elites operate &mdash; some have referred to it as &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=auNfzXvgl6M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">punch right, nuance left.<\/a>&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Evangelical Publications Mislead their Flock<\/h2>\n<p>In the world of the evangelical elite, people such as Carter are able to pour cold water on Trump&rsquo;s core demographic from the inside. Organizations such as The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and the Southern Baptist&rsquo;s public policy arm &mdash; the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) &mdash; must retain some pro-life and pro-family positions, but they subversively bend public opinion toward the left in every other available avenue, whether on <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2023\/04\/18\/sbc-official-brent-leatherwood-urges-tennessee-lawmakers-to-pass-red-flag-law-erlc-covenant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">red flag laws<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/erlc.com\/resource\/explainer-bipartisan-border-proposal-surfaces-in-u-s-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">comprehensive immigration reform<\/a>. According to the Gospel Coalition, an evangelical opinion-shaping outlet, the religious right joined the Republican Party because of their &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/reviews\/the-gospel-of-self\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">self-centered framework<\/a>&rdquo; and&nbsp;the Biden administration&rsquo;s transgender normalization push in schools is &ldquo;flawed&rdquo; but Trump&rsquo;s policies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/bidens-regulation-transgender-orthodoxy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">will lead<\/a> to the &ldquo;same place.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Southern Baptist Leaders Moderating<\/h2>\n<p>Yet it is important to note there may be a few leaders adjusting their political approach as they realize Christian public opinion has not supported their positions. This is especially visible in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).<\/p>\n<p>J.D. Greear, who served as the president of the SBC from 2018 to 2021, insinuated <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/search?q=from%3Ajdgreear%20trump&amp;src=typed_query&amp;f=live\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">numerous times<\/a> that Trump was somehow racist and his policies incompatible with Christianity. For him,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/black-lives-matter-southern-baptist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">central elements<\/a>&nbsp;of the black lives matter movement, including taking &ldquo;a deep look at our police systems and structures,&rdquo; was a &ldquo;gospel issue,&rdquo; and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jdgreear.com\/cultural-racial-diversity-sbc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">promoting<\/a>&nbsp;&ldquo;diversity, equity, and inclusion&rdquo; in the church was &ldquo;an essential part of discipleship and the responsibility of every follower of Jesus.&rdquo; Yet, he was able to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jdgreear\/status\/1854149264403742780\">sa<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jdgreear\/status\/1854149264403742780\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">y<\/a> there was &ldquo;much to be hopeful for&rdquo; in the wake of Trump&rsquo;s win.<\/p>\n<p>Pastor Dean Inserra of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida, who some SBC insiders say will likely run for president of the denomination, <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/4354759\/donald-trump-evangelicals-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opposed<\/a> supporting Trump in 2016 on the basis that he had marriage issues and made &ldquo;derogatory statements toward women and toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/asian-american-activists-blast-bidens-pandering-anti-racism-order\/\" title=\"Asian-American Activists Blast Biden\u2019s \u2018Pandering\u2019 Anti-Racism Order\">ethnic minority groups<\/a>.&rdquo; Yet, he surprisingly <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/49kSyZToWOgSCIObNIewEV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expressed<\/a> that Christians in America should line up more with the Republican Party after 2024 election. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One of the most telling post-election Southern Baptist statements came from Nathan Finn, a professor at North Greenville University and ERLC fellow. During Trump&rsquo;s first term, Finn had put his name on left-leaning statements related to <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20171002221620\/https:\/www.unifyingleadership.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180206203922\/https:\/thewitnessbcc.com\/charlottesville-declaration-appeal-church-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Charlottesville rally<\/a>. Yet in the aftermath of Trump&rsquo;s 2024 victory, he maintained a positivity about Trump&rsquo;s more racially diverse coalition. Finn <a href=\"https:\/\/cfc.sebts.edu\/faith-and-politics\/election-2024-the-tectonic-plates-have-shifted-with-nathan-finn-and-dan-darling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> that &ldquo;demographics [were] not destiny,&rdquo; socioeconomic factors determined outcomes more, and churches needed to be welcoming to members of different economic and, by implication, political groups. The interesting part of this strategy is that the goal of making congregations politically diverse, and thus appealing to Democrats, is still present. What&rsquo;s missing is the <a href=\"https:\/\/erlc.com\/resource\/how-racially-diverse-is-the-sbc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diversity language<\/a> that used to accompany such calls. It is possible that Southern Baptists may be backing off some of their more overt <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NeilShenvi\/status\/1138841042818686976\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">racialized language<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>A Lasting Solution<\/h2>\n<p>Evangelical leaders, denominations, and organizations will have to navigate the next four years with the understanding that their base of support is a central part of Trump&rsquo;s coalition. My advice to rank-and-file evangelicals is to consider who attempted to steer their futures toward disaster and respond accordingly. Some leaders will remain steadfast in their leftward direction, others will moderate just enough to placate their base, while some may genuinely return to their Religious Right roots.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it takes time to discern whether good changes are sincere. Pew sitters should think twice before allowing leaders who compromised on government Covid-related overreach, Critical Race Theory, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/if-mumbo-jumbo-were-a-person-it-would-be-alexander-soros\/\" title=\"Mumbo Jumbo = Alexander Soros\">left-leaning movements<\/a> to continue leading their organizations. Jesus himself said, &ldquo;He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Christians should also consider raising new leaders from uncompromised up-and-coming organizations such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforbaptistleadership.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Center for Baptist Leadership<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/truthscript.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Truthscript<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/americanreformer.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Reformer<\/a>. Fresh faces who are loyal both to God and their congregations will close the growing political divide within evangelicalism faster than any attempt to reform the current leadership class. This will also strengthen communities in red areas dominated by Christian conservatives, since a healthy church has historically held the state accountable. More than just the future of evangelical Christianity hangs in the balance.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jon Harris is an author, producer, and cultural commentator. He hosts the &#8220;Conversations That Matter&#8221; podcast.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A political divide has grown in American evangelicalism, with leaders aligning left while many congregants remain conservative. Trump&#8217;s win has worsened this split<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3563,"featured_media":2375359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Highland_Lakes_Baptist_Church_a_Southern_Baptist_Church_Kingsland_TX-e1732905069318.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34944,36608,5894,3634,7621],"class_list":["post-2375358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-civil-war","tag-evangelicalism","tag-politics","tag-trump","tag-victory"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Highland_Lakes_Baptist_Church_a_Southern_Baptist_Church_Kingsland_TX-e1732905069318.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3563"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2375358"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2375362,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375358\/revisions\/2375362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2375359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2375358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2375358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2375358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}