A few thoughts about Trump’s speech and what I saw the last night of the convention:
Donald Trump thanked evangelicals for their support but otherwise studiously ignored them (us).* Unless I dozed off (not impossible, given the length of his remarks), he said nothing about religious liberty or the dignity of human life. But he did go out of his way to praise the “LGBTQ community,” managing to backhandedly insult Republicans for cheering his stated desire to protect them from ISIS, as if he didn’t expect this.
His speech seemed effective–if overly loud–given what it was. Whether it draws in more people to the GOP will depend on if voters share his diagnoses of the problems in America.
I found the overall tone of the convention lacking the optimism and morality of years past. It’s hard to have hope and to stand for righteousness, I guess, where Christ is not welcome.
Ivanka Trump, the latest in a long line of impressive Trump progeny on display in Cleveland, stated that she’s really not a Republican, although she came just short of saying she votes her conscience. Her advocacy of “equal pay” (so-called) seemed more in line with the Democratic platform, however.
Peter Thiel, the PayPal exec, gave an effective and mercifully brief takedown of Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. He is right that, thanks to their stewardship, America is no longer a high-tech nation, and that this must change.
However, his open statement that he is “proud to be gay,” followed by the crowd’s cheers, made clear that this isn’t your father’s (or mother’s) GOP. I’m all for treating homosexuals (if this word is still allowed) with dignity and respect as fellow image-bearers, but it does sadden me to see Republicans normalize their ungodly, self-destructive behavior.
It looks as if a lot of Christian values have been given the bum’s rush by Trump’s new Republican Party. It is time for serious Christians to rethink their political strategies and commitments.
* Unless you count his bizarre promise to undo a 1965 law that forbids preachers from endorsing from the pulpit.
Image credit: Donkey Hotey.
