Opinion | My fellow Christians: What about Trump’s behavior follows the example of Jesus?

I am the son of missionaries, raised in the evangelical church, and I understand that many evangelicals believe Donald Trump will establish policies in keeping with their Christian values. But what will be expected in exchange? This is a bullying man who will continue to demand loyalty to his own agendas, not just the agendas of the church.

If you give close attention to the former president, you will see that his values are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus. I could point to his enormous pride or greed or lust. But I am most alarmed by the tyrannical intimidation so fundamental to his leadership.

In a 2018 interview with Fox News, Trump spoke enthusiastically about his friendship with Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator who maintains power through repeated acts of violence, such as ordering the execution of his own deputy premier for education. Here’s what Trump had to say: “Hey, he’s the head of a country, and I mean, he’s the strong head, don’t let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”

Note especially the “sit up” comment. Ironically, Kim Jong Un executed the head of education in North Korea simply because he had shown “disrespectful posture” at a meeting. Note also that Trump uses the possessive pronoun “my” for American people, which is a sign of how he sees all voters — owned by him and in submission. Any wavering, and they will be punished.

Jesus resisted bullying pharisees who wanted to pass a death sentence on an adulterous woman: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone,” he said in John 8:7. But look at what Trump has said, by comparison, at a recent rally: “Is there anybody here that’s going to vote for lying Kamala? Please raise your hand. Please raise your hand. Actually, I should say, don’t raise your hand. It would be very dangerous. We don’t want to see anybody get hurt. Please don’t raise your hand.” Implicit in his mocking attitude toward voters who don’t endorse him is the threat of being physically assaulted — stoned, in essence.

And look at how Trump’s spite feeds the bullying instinct in crowds, encouraging hateful outbursts. The Washington Post reported this from a rally just a few days ago:

He referred to Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom as Gavin “New-scum.” He jabbed at former GOP primary rival Chris Christie’s weight. And he called Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat in California, unattractive and repeated his frequent criticisms of the size of Schiff’s neck.

“Pencil neck!” A woman in the crowd yelled as others cackled.

“Tampon Tim!” a man shouted as Trump spoke, referring to the nickname MAGA supporters have given to Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.

“She’s a ho!” others yelled as Trump moved on to Harris, using a vulgar slang term for a sexually promiscuous woman.

My question for Christians who plan to vote for Trump is simple: Does that voting bloc sound like it will maintain the respectful, love-your-enemies attitude demonstrated by Jesus? And what kind of America can you expect from a leader who boasts about potential violence the way he did while campaigning at a Christian college in southeast Iowa: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”

This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 5:08 AM.