I would like to preface this post with two very personal points.
I did not vote for Trump. I do, however, thank God for everyone who did.
Trump is not some ultra-genius playing 4-D chess. He was not even the smartest Republican candidate (one of his opponents was literally a brain surgeon). He doesn’t know what it’s like to be a blue-collar middle-class citizen. He is historically more liberal than many if not most of the conservatives who supported him in the election. He can’t claim to speak for them because he is not of them or from them. But for some reason, people thought he was. Why is that?
Trump did not run on a platform of hate. He ran on a platform of bombast, but never hate. He was not a voice for the voiceless, he was just the loudest voice. And the loudest voice had very positive things to say about America. He gave the impression that he loves America.
While there were many Republican candidates who also love America, they did not have what it took to defend America because they were unable to defend themselves from Trump. It is an outright shame that it had to be that way. But why is it that after Trump threw almost each and every Republican opponent through the wringer in his campaign to Republican nomination that they would line up behind him after they met personally? My guess is that behind closed doors, Trump seems to be a friendly and compassionate person.
The reason this is important is there is actual hate in politics. In fact, the current political atmosphere is not only built on hate, it is fueled by hate. It is also fueled by the fear of hate. Trump’s opponents have exactly one thing going for them: there are people out there that straight up hate Trump.
The case for bigotry against hate
Oxford dictionary definition, to hate is to have an intense dislike for or aversion to something. Biblically, someone who is guilty of hate, or sometimes even anger, faces the same spiritual judgement as a murderer (Matt 5:21-22; 1 John 3:15).
Now, hate is a word I see thrown around a lot recently without thought to what it means. I say this because I often see it tossed in with bigot or various types of “-phobes.” My beef with the misappropriation of -phobia dates back years, but let’s focus on one linguistic issue at a time because we’re on a schedule here.
The word “bigot” has been slapped on to people to dehumanize them, regardless of their actual views. Here’s what bigot actually means, according to Oxford:
A person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions.
And intolerant, also Oxford:
Not tolerant of views, beliefs, or behaviour that differ from one’s own.
Keep these in mind. These are key.
Bigotry is currently the cardinal sin touted in identity politics. Though it is often called hate, it is not actually hate. This is dishonest and an insult to your intelligence because it is trying to equate hate with intolerance. Then, once someone is a bigot, it becomes okay to hate them.
Once you hate someone, in your eyes, they are no longer human. This is why the Bible puts the same weight on it as murder: being intolerant of a human is tantamount to killing them. it is removing humanity from the human.
By dehumanizing Americans with scalding “bigot” rhetoric for the past eight years, our last administration built up this straw man enemy within the gates that they promised to protect us from. (This straw man is not one I alluded to weeks ago when I said the enemy was in the gates; that one is personal for every human and will be dealt with another time.)
Let me ask you, though: when was the last time you met a bigot who actually harmed you?
Trump is many things, but he is not a bigot. Additionally, in his time as President, he has not dehumanized the American people. The same cannot be said for much of his opposition in the press and politics.
There are people out there who actually hate America and what it stands for, and it is more important now than ever that America has a leader that loves America.
There are people who actually hate Trump and are willing to believe he is guilty without any evidence. Comey confirmed that there is no evidence that Trump colluded with Russia. He also confirmed that Trump was not under investigation. Trump told Comey he hoped he would be able to let the Flynn thing go, and while Comey SAYS he thought it sounded like a directive, he neither followed it nor reported to anyone that he thought the President’s actions were unscrupulous. There are a lot of things that don’t add up with the Trump-Russia narrative, and Comey’s testimony put it to bed last week. Yet there are still people claiming that Trump colluded with Russia to alter the effects of the election (He didn’t, and Russia was unsuccessful).
Truth after truth, no matter what comes out, it will not be enough evidence to clear Trump’s name because people have chosen to hate him, and therefore will believe anything about him in hopes that it will remove him from office.
I find that intolerable.
It is intolerable because it flies in the face of reason and it is counterproductive to America. Entire press platforms are currently clinging to credibility, praying to almighty Baphomet that people remain seething at Trump because they know if they lose that they lose relevance. A day that Trump doesn’t tweet is a day a journalist doesn’t eat.
At the end of the day, all they have is anger and hatred. It has turned people against the Oval Office and against each other. A house divided cannot stand, and though I am intolerant of the attacks against the President, I love the people who make them. However, because of the ideology these attacks come from, I can say with no clear surety that the people who make them love you, me, or America.
Brothers and sisters, though we are not called to tolerate opposing views, we are called to love those who have them. We must not perpetuate hate, but we must still love those who do. For when hate is still in the heart it is for God to judge.
But we must be wise and love and seek truth, and right now, truth is not the reason people hate Trump.
stevemanly 