"Rarely, if ever, in American history has political party allegiance been so closely correlated with religious beliefs. A white evangelical churchgoer in our country is now 82% likely to be a Trump supporter, according to the Pew Research Center, meaning that churches are also increasingly politically homogeneous. There may be understandable reasons why this has become the case Democrats have not exactly welcomed Christians with open arms but it limits the interactions of people in the same faith with different political viewpoints, making it easier to conflate godliness with voting patterns. I'm reminded of some wise words from half a century ago: The danger of mistaking our merely natural, though perhaps legitimate, enthusiasms for holy zeal, is always great, wrote theological legend C.S. Lewis."
"Among many white evangelical Christians, there's a sense of divine providence around the Trump administration. One doesn't have to squint to see why. I'm worried about it and what it might end up costing the church if it's something leaned into, and not against, as Lewis suggested."
"Trump as messiah From the very beginning of Trump's first presidential campaign, supporters talked about taking the country back for God, away from secular progressives. That murmur was amplified following both failed assassination attempts on the president's life. The grazing of a bullet seemingly could only be explained by God's mercy and provision. Then came the funeral of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, which WSJ columnist Peggy Noonan correctly called the largest evangelical event in America since the heyday of evangelist Billy Graham but this time, one featuring top Republican brass. (Graham notably counseled presidents of both political parties.)"
Political party allegiance among white evangelical Christians has become strongly correlated with support for Trump, creating politically homogeneous churches. Eighty-two percent of white evangelical churchgoers now back Trump, which reduces intra-faith interaction across differing viewpoints and increases the tendency to equate godliness with voting choices. Many white evangelicals perceive divine providence around the Trump administration, reinforced by events framed as providential, including assassination attempts and large evangelical-political gatherings. That perception raises concern about the potential cost to the church if partisan enthusiasm is mistaken for holy zeal, echoing C.S. Lewis's caution.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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