Christians that support President Donald Trump remind me of the Pharisees–so caught up in the rules and regulations of what they think Christianity is and consumed by their hate for anyone that doesn’t conform to those standards. They missed the entire actual message of the New Testament.
Christ tells us to lead with love first and always, that love is the only thing more powerful than hate. Hate similar to that peddled by the Trump administration and its supporters.
The US government as run by Trump claims to be bringing Christianity back. The administration went as far as handing out Bibles on the campaign trail back in 2024. He has unwavering support from fundamentalist Christians and groups such as The Heritage Foundation and Turning Point USA.
This should lead one to believe that the Trump administration is one of Biblical integrity with Christ-like values. An administration that follows the teachings of Jesus in the New Covenant to the best of their ability; constantly musing on the age-old adage, “What Would Jesus Do?”A good question–what WOULD Jesus do today or if he were in Trump’s shoes?
I was raised in the Catholic and Presbyterian churches and received years of Christian education. I attended Presbyterian church, Sunday school and youth group every week, along with 12 years of Catholic school where the Bible were an integral part of my curriculum. I grew up every day constantly aware of the truth that Jesus loves us all, no matter who we are, where we come from or what we look like.
The foundational truth of the Christianity as I know it is that of the New Covenant, made on the night he was betrayed when the supper ended. “This is the cup of my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” is how Jesus described his sacrifice when his disciples drank from his cup at the last supper.
The words that are read from the Bible during this same ceremony are not just the story of the last supper and first communion, they are the foundation of the entire Christian faith: Jesus died on the cross so that any and all people who simply believe in him can have eternal life in heaven.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were sent into cities across the country to kidnap people from their schools, workplaces, churches, cars, court hearings and homes. Trump and his staff justified this as removing criminals and murderers. In reality, they are abducting innocent, hardworking people and families, many of whom are here legally through asylum, fleeing from a dangerous situation in their home country.
Children as young as five years old, such as Liam Ramos who was taken by ICE on his way home from preschool, has now been returned home from a Texas detention facility along with his father but only after public outrage and press coverage.
Now, what does the Bible have to say about immigrants? In both the Old and New Testament, there are several verses that have something to say on the matter, particularly in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Acts of the Apostles. “And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” reads Deuteronomy 10:19 in the New International Version. Based on this, I am not so sure that Jesus would advocate for mass deportation.
On Jan. 7, Renée Nicole Good was shot three times in the face by ICE agent Jonathan Ross while she attempted to make a three point turn away from him. Her wife sat in the passenger seat after they had just dropped their six-year-old son off at school with a glove box full of stuffed animals.
“A committed conservative Christian” is how Ross’ father, Ed Ross described his son to the Daily Mail. So committed that he forgot to read past the fifth commandment.
“You shall not murder”, reads the sixth of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:13, New International Version. Hard to get more blatant than that.
Jesus Christ spent his entire life in the Gospels reaching out to the outcasts of Jewish and Roman society, the lepers and the Samaritans, not just the Jewish people who were following the law closely.
There are countless stories of Jesus standing up for those who sinned or were deemed unworthy by the church for one reason or the other such as disease or nationality. Christ was vocally and openly for everyone and full of forgiveness. In all four Gospels, he repeatedly stood up for those whom people of his own faith hated.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to,” Matthew 23:13, New International Version.
