So far, in the presidential debates, candidates have talked/screamed/lied about a lot of issues. A majority of the time has been spent on showing why the other candidate is un-presidential, by way of "locker room talk", "lost" emails, sexist/racist remarks, bad temperament, and the like.
Now, don't get me wrong. These issues need to be discussed. So, let's discuss them, and then we can move on to the election's more pressing issues.
Donald Trump said things in 2005 that are inexcusable, inappropriate, lewd and sexist. There's no getting around it. Sure, I've heard Trump's "locker room talk" before. The only difference here is that it came from immature high school freshman, not a grown, "Presbyterian" man who says things like "no one respects women more than I do". If someone in my high school locker room had said "grab her by the (genital)", most of us would think "alright, too far", some would say "what the-?", and a few would tell the dude to shut up. Grow up, Donald Trump, grow up. Those words should never come from the mouth of any man, and especially not the mouth of a man who claims Christianity ("Two Corinthians", anyone? And remember Trump's explanation of his "favorite verse"?). Now, does saying sexist and inappropriate things 11 years ago make Donald Trump sexist and inappropriate? Not necessarily, but I think it says something about his character and demeanor, and it definitely answers the question about whether he respects women more than anyone else (hint: he doesn't). Besides that, it's quite obvious that the Donald has said tons of things which reveal his Trump-tower-sized ego, his lack of respect for women and minorities, lewd behavior, and an incongruence with his rhetoric today.
I find it ridiculous for conservatives to blame Hillary Clinton for things that her husband did about 20 years ago, especially if those same conservatives defend Trump's comments from 11 years ago because they were, in fact, 11 years ago. However, there are a lot of things Hillary Clinton has done that the American public should see as objectionable. Most recently, we've learned through a series of leaks that Clinton's campaign, and, actually, the Democratic party, targeted Bernie Sanders for his faith at the Democratic National Convention. Other leaked emails between members of the Democratic party and Clinton staffers include derogatory remarks about President Obama, racial targeting, and the like. The hypocrisy is, quite simply, overwhelming. There were also obvious and tragic mistakes surrounding the events of Benghazi, and a serious lack of honesty with regards to her email servers. She isn't exactly the picture of racial equality either.
Trump says things that shouldn't be said, and Clinton hides things that shouldn't be hidden.
Their "Presbyterian" and "Methodist" faiths, respectively, are not evident in their lives. Presbyterianism emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the doctrine of grace, things that would lead a devout Presbyterian to humility before the face of God. Humility and Donald Trump don't belong in the same sentence. A true Methodist's life should involve an obvious connection between their faith and life, desire for the spread of the Gospel, and striving for Christlikeness. When was the last time you heard Hillary Clinton even mention her faith?
It's a tragedy, but we can no longer vote based on character.
The fleet of ships christened "Character", "Morality", and "Integrity" have sailed, and, quite frankly, neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump are on board.
I recently read an article from a blogger, Kelly Quelette, that seems to echo the same sentiments. She used this argument to say that she is voting for Trump because of this next president's pressing issues, which she hopes will be taken from a conservative point of view. I believe, after more than a year of discussion, thought, and observation with my family and friends, that this mindset is the right way to vote during this election. I'm not promoting either side of the aisle here. I'm saying that because we can no longer vote on character, we must think deeply about the serious, and sometimes unspoken, issues that our next president will face, and how their personal policy and party's policy will affect those issues. It may be the only way for Christians to vote for one of the two candidates with a clean conscience. These issues need to be discussed, and I hope to continue this series next week with that exact discussion — the serious issues in this election season.
The good news is that God is in control. The United States of America could fall today, and He would still be in control. Our faith is not in a country, a party, or a candidate, but in the Lord of heaven and earth.
