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Ivan G Thompson
a book bubble about
The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short
Religion & Spirituality
Author Insight
The Great Evangelical Compromise
I would describe myself as an evangelical Christian who supports strong family values. I voted for Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, and McCain. The Great Evangelical Compromise is how I have come to describe the evangelical Christian community’s deal with candidate Trump. You give us conservative justices and overturn Roe vs. Wade, and we will overlook your moral failures, business dealings, racist overtures, and even your threat to destabilize and overturn nearly 250 years of American democracy. Some would call the Great Evangelical Compromise Christian slang for a deal with the devil. Could the same compromise for the presidency have just been made to fill the Speaker of the House vacancy? The New York Times describes new Speaker Mike Johnson in two divergent ways: “He is an evangelical Christian. He and his wife, Kelly, who have four children, host a podcast about religion and politics called ‘Truth Be Told,’” “Johnson closely aligned himself with Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results based on false claims of election fraud. Johnson played a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief seeking to overturn the results.” Even more alarming, this whole effort was set in motion by Matt Gaetz, who in 2018 “was condemned for inviting a Holocaust denier to Trump’s State of the Union address and for his association with Joel Greenberg who in 2021, “pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official.” (nbcnews.com)
Book Excerpt
The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short
This is an excerpt from the chapter entitled "A Ringing Endorsement By the Church":
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.
Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president. We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.” (Galli, 2019)
Christianity Today Magazine
This excerpt from an editorial article written by the editor of Christianity Today, perfectly captures what I was hoping some national Christian leader, some Republican politician would ultimately say.
In essence, it says that while we appreciate the fact that conservative judges have been appointed, we also must insist on a certain moral and ethical standard for the person sitting in the office of the President of the United States. The article also said that the president has a “grossly immoral character” and should be removed out of “loyalty to the creator of the Ten Commandments.” (Galli, 2019)
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