Selling out

Submitted by Peter (United States), Jun 4, 2020 at 13:44

The argument here seems to boil down to "Trump's character still troubles and repels me", but "my approval of the policies has outbalanced my distaste for the person". Apparently, as long as he follows the right policies, like supporting Israel, so the thinking goes, we must help him get re-elected.

I firmly say "No". This is basically the same mistake that the Jewish people made in ancient times, trusting Pharaoh to support the interests of the Jewish nation against Assyrian predation. Words and even deeds are not enough - words must match deeds and both must match intent. Trump has repeatedly shown that cares only about himself. He is using my own community, conservative evangelicals, and doubtless the wider pro-Israel community, to further his own selfish ends. As soon as he no longer needs our political support, he will betray us. I say that based on his character and repeated experience of how he acts towards those who he perceives as being in his way. And this is why character still outweighs policies and actions, not the other way around. Trump is unprincipled and it will be to our detriment in the end to help him get re-elected.

There's an ancient parallel for this in Isaiah 30:1-3:

"Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD,
"who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make an alliance,a but not of my Spirit,
that they may add sin to sin;
who set out to go down to Egypt,
without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
herefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation."

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