Looking at the facts, Trump has created a religious, ethical, and moral dilemma that will force Evangelicals to choose between supporting a sinner and their adherence to the Bible. Now, MAGA stands for “Make Adultery Great Again.”
The Trump guilty verdict was founded on New York State violations of multiple crimes. While it is a significant legal case, it also poses a major dilemma for Evangelicals who have to face the disgusting fact that they will support an admitted adulterer to be their role model and leader or else adhere to the strict biblical prohibitions against adultery.
This should be a significant dilemma for Christians who support Trump. Looking at the facts, Trump has created a religious, ethical, and moral dilemma that will force them to choose between a sinner and their adherence to the Bible.
As Trump’s history shows, his recent conviction now threatens to drag anyone who supports him through the mud of disgrace, immorality, legal jeopardy, and ethical violations. The big question is, who wants to suffer that public indignity?
The Law Behind the Trump Guilty Verdict
In the case, Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the intent to commit or conceal another crime, relating to payments made to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about an alleged sexual encounter between them.[a] The Manhattan District Attorney accused Trump of falsifying these business records with the intent to violate federal campaign finance limits, unlawfully influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and commit tax fraud.
The original sin that precipitated the Trump conviction started with an adulterous relationship with the porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump had his liaison with Stormy Daniels while his third wife was pregnant with Trump’s fifth child. The affair was kept secret after news leaked to the press that Stormy Daniels was willing to make the event public. With the 2017 election looming, this triggered a series of events to cover up the story by Trump cronies Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the publisher of The National Enquirer. The plan was to pay Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence, reimburse the payment conduit Cohen via small reimbursements, and hide it from campaign auditors. This resulted in a series of crimes to conceal the payments in violation of New York State election laws.
While that is the state law under which Trump was convicted, the other significant issue that should concern people of faith, especially the Evangelicals who are Trump followers, is their judgment on adulterers and whether they are suitable as leaders and community models.
This is a religious question. Suppose Evangelicals want to overlook, rationalize, or minimize the undisputed fact that Trump committed adultery. In that case, it means they have to do some religious gymnastics to justify the act of adultery by their hero, Trump.
Unfortunately, the Old Testament considers adultery an absolute sin. There are no passages that justify adultery. The reason: The practice is a danger to community standards. It violates the bond between husband and wife, family, and the inter-related community.
Now, MAGA stands for
“Make Adultery Great Again.”
If Evangelicals oppose abortion or homosexuality because it violates Old Testament tenets, they should also observe that adultery is also the oldest and most prohibited sin in the Bible.
Give Me That Old Time Religion
Here are some specific Old Testament Bible citations:
Adultery, as cited in the Old Testament, primarily in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, addresses adultery with strict laws and moral teachings. Here are some references:
- Exodus 20:14: This verse is part of the Ten Commandments and explicitly states, “You shall not commit adultery.”
- Leviticus 20:10: This verse prescribes severe punishment for adultery, stating, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”
- Deuteronomy 5:18: This verse reiterates the Ten Commandments and commands, “You shall not commit adultery.”
- Deuteronomy 22:22: This verse outlines the consequences for both parties involved in adultery, saying, “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
- Proverbs 6:32-33: This passage highlights the consequences and moral implications of adultery, “But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away.”
- Proverbs 7: This entire chapter serves as a warning against the temptations and dangers of adultery, portraying it as a path leading to destruction.
These references collectively emphasize that adultery is considered a grave sin in the Old Testament. It warrants severe consequences. It is discouraged as it undermines the moral and social fabric of the community.
The Big Question for Evangelicals: Embrace An Adulterer or Support the Bible?
So, the big question for Evangelicals is how they reconcile their anti-abortion and anti-gay beliefs yet still embrace their leader, who is an admitted adulterer and would serve as a role model for their community.
Evangelicals are at a significant fork in their religious road. Who, or what, do they follow? An adulterer or the Bible?
If they choose Trump, there is only one answer: Hypocrisy, anyone?
