Twelve Moral Reasons why True Christians should say NO to Trump
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By Tim Zeak (This article was originally published at OpEdNews Op Eds 8/5/2024
Many who receive most of their news from filtered sources are sincere and good people but have limited their exposure to facts and information that often can be very beneficial to them and their families. Here are a few important issues that everyone should at least consider.
Each, can be easily fact-checked (just ask Siri, Google, or your favorite A.I. if in doubt.)
1. Dishonest to the extreme: There were 30,573 documented false and misleading claims that Mr. Trump represented to the public during his four years as president. That is over 20 a day! These can all be found at no one can possibly trust Trump. Can promises made by anyone who lied to you over 20 times a day be believed about anything?
Just a few of them follow are:
* It will shock many Republicans to know that no undocumented person is entitled to nor can receive social security benefits. In fact, undocumented workers contribute approximately 12 billion dollars in social security payroll deductions every year. (PolitiFact). These contributions are mandatory, despite the workers being ineligible to receive any benefits.
* Trump was not a great job creator. By the end of his presidency, the total number of jobs in the U.S. was lower than at the start. When Trump took office in January 2017, the U.S. had approximately 145.6 million jobs. However, by January 2021, there were only 142.5 million jobs, resulting in a net loss of around 3 million jobs over his term.
* Despite Trump’s assertion, wind turbines do not cause cancer, nor is the suggestion of injecting disinfectant into the body a smart idea to treat covid.
* Trump lies again when he took credit for the Veterans Choice Program. It was signed into law in 2014 by President Obama.
* China does not pay his tariff tax. It is a direct expense, which almost all is passed on to the consumer.
* His border wall was not even close to being completed, nor did Mexico pay a dime.
* He is not a good businessman. He has been convicted of 34 felonies for fraud and creating false business records and faces other criminal trials. He has been found liable for sexual assault, slander, and his 25 million dollar settlement regarding “Trump University” was just a mere walk in the park for him. Even his charitable foundation was ordered to be shut down due to numerous legal violations. He has had six bankruptcies, four of which were casinos, and involved in over 4,000 lawsuits.
* The 2020 election was not stolen: While millions remain in denial that the 2020 election was not rigged, the fact is overwhelming to anyone who wishes to be honest and objective. Even after dozens of lawsuits filed on his behalf were denied, many by the judges he had appointed, Mr. Trump, continued with his criminal plot to remain in the White House. Many former Republican leaders have publicly denounced Trump for instituting this fraud on the American people.
2. Exposed: Of the 44 cabinet members he appointed during his four years in office, as of May 2024, only five have endorsed his current run for president (that is 11% of them.) 100% of Obama’s cabinet members endorsed his run for a second term, as have President Biden’s. The vast majority of those closest to Mr. Trump who refuse to endorse or support him now, speak volumes and should not be merely dismissed as being unimportant. Think about this direct quote from conservative Dick Cheney: “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.”
3. Not a Christian: He never claimed to be a Christian until he was running for President and even then stated that he never had a reason to ask God for forgiveness, for anything. Galatians 5:22–23 states that “you will know them by their fruit.” The writer then lists nine attributes or characteristics that are supposed to exist in the life of a true believer. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Does even one of them come close to describing him?
You may also wish to compare his conduct with what is known as the “seven deadly sins” which are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. He also strikes out on the “seven virtues” test which are chastity, temperance (self-control), love, justice, kindness, patience, and humility.
4. Racist: He stated many times that immigrants of color were poisoning the blood of the country. This is pure racism to its core. Trump even refused to disavow the KKK without any pushback from his MAGA supporters. The culture of Jim Crow is alive and fighting like they did 150 years ago. He first manufactured racial controversy against Barack Obama, then Nikki Haley, and now Kamala Harris.
5. Un-American: Before Trump, Republicans were always anti-communists. Recently this year (2024) he declared that if our NATO allies did not “pay” what he alone considered adequate, that he would not only tell Russia that they could do anything they wanted to do to those countries, but that he would also encourage them to do so. While this is shocking, it can be no real surprise considering how he attacked Muslim Gold Star parents and ridiculed John McCain for being captured in Vietnam, although he himself obtained a military deferment by having his doctor claim that he had a bone spur on his foot. He later said that Putin was a genius for invading Ukraine and that soldiers who died in battle were “suckers and losers.” Has he not ever watched a WW 1 or WW 2 documentary? Until the advent of Trump into politics, most Christians were always against communism and fascism. Now it seems to be part of their “God ordained” platform. General John Kelly has told about Trump actually praising Hitler.
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6. Not for law and order: Trump demanded and obtained massive tax cuts for the very rich, while doing a reverse Robin Hood by cutting important and necessary safety nets for the less fortunate. While his tax cuts are projected to add 3.5 trillion dollars to the national deficit, he along with almost every Republican member of congress fights very hard to prevent the IRS from even auditing the tax crimes of the very rich. Before Trump, no president has ever thrashed the FBI, CIA, or Homeland Security. He has even vowed to pardon the January 6th rioters who assaulted police officers.
If you love your children and grandchildren, think long and hard about your vote. Think about how much they have to lose.
7. No concern for children already born: Would you ever want them to be denied health care? Or be denied for a pre-existing issue? The Republicans fought very hard to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, which would have taken away health care from over 20 million individuals. It also would have removed the legal guarantee for over 100 million people to be covered for pre-existing medical issues. What morality could possibly motivate anyone to prevent millions of the poorest of the poor to obtain health care when it would cost them hardly a dime and many times, not even that?
All Republicans in Congress voted against the Expanded Child Tax Credit that reduced child poverty by 46%, while the vast majority have also opposed legislation for paid family leave, universal pre-K education, and even free school breakfasts and lunches given that many children go to school hungry which prevents concentration and learning. They also opposed affordable housing, SNAP benefits, Pell grants (provides college for the poor), after school programs, affordable childcare, higher minimum wages, and yes, they even fight against clean air and water regulations.
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8. Crazy about guns: It is amazing that Trump and his Republicans fight all efforts to enact any kind of common sense gun control, despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans are for reasonable laws to stop some of the wholesale killings. They raise their voices loud when an immigrant commits a crime, but nothing when thousands of innocent Americans are killed every year by other red-blooded Americans. It has almost nothing to do with rights, and almost everything to do with the NRA’s money.
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9. He hates unions that protect workers: The majority of children and grandchildren will for part of their working lives work for a company run by “management.” Is it not a good thing if they have certain protections that are guaranteed? Unions obtains higher wages, benefits that include a shorter work week, funded retirement, family leave rights, predictable hours, a safer work place, and among other things, job security. Yet, Trump and the Republicans in Congress through lies have convinced millions of their followers, many who need protection the most, that unions are bad, corrupt, and that their followers are better off just trusting management to do the right things.
10. Misogynistic: His attacks on women and on their rights are atrocious. A jury found that he committed sexual assault, which the Judge said constituted rape. His boasting about other sexual assaults and extramarital affairs is something he was proud of. Even 37% of Republicans concede that he is not a good role-model for their children, yet most will continue to support him. History will not be kind to Trump. Your children and grandchildren will never understand why you voted to jeopardize their future. No informed person can deny that Trump is a liar, was unfaithful to his wives, lacks honesty and integrity, has no humility or compassion, and certainly is racist and divisive.
11. No respect for or understanding of Science: Regarding Covid, there certainly can be an honest debate about how long schools should have been closed, and details of other restrictions, but it is indisputable that hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved if only Trump had given support to the recommendations made by experts in that field. His red states suffered significantly more deaths and hardships, but when someone who is so fearful that a temporary shutdown can hurt his re-election chances by a fall in the stock market, nothing else, not even the death of their faithful followers matters. When in uncharted territory, generally, caution is the wisest.
In the United States almost 1,250,000 died, and experts have projected that 40% of them were preventable. Preventable deaths totaled well over a hundred 911’s. The Biden administration mandated that the vaccine (and necessary treatment) would be free to ensure that it was available for everyone.
12. It is fair to be against abortions: But it is not fair to use God or the Bible as the reason for that opinion. See the link below, “Dozens of Bible passages prove that it is not pro-life.”
While this is more complicated than either side often presents, why is it that Democrats in Congress and State offices are the ONLY ones that fight for child day care, child health care, school breakfasts and lunches for children, better schools for children, and regulations to prevent children from getting sick or injured? Yet we see the so called “pro-life” Republicans usually fighting against the very things that protect children. It truly seems that the only children they care about are those who have not yet been born.
Sincere “pro-lifers” can and should join together with the “pro-choice” folks in at least helping to limit abortions by supporting the availability of contraceptives, sex education, and easier adoption options, while supporting the expansion of “safety-nets” for those already born. Please understand that no woman ever enjoyed having an abortion. A study conducted by Washington University School of Medicine found that when women have access to free birth control, abortions rates decrease by 62–78% compared to the national average. Here is a link to that study.
Let us close with another issue that will affect your children and grandchildren for generations. GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT A HOAX! We are facing a truly serious crisis that the vast majority of leading science organizations worldwide, with over 99 percent of climate scientists endorsing the evidence for human-induced climate change. Here are ten alarming and dire consequences that the experts overwhelmingly concur will occur if humans do not take strong measures to reduce the warming.
* Extreme Heatwaves will cause untold deaths and suffering.
* Melting of Glaciers and Ice Sheets: Disrupted ocean currents will affect many areas in many diverse ways. Also, ice reflects sun rays back into the atmosphere. When it melts, the rays penetrates the ground, making it warmer.
* Ocean Acidification: Death to many creatures and plants results.
* Species Extinction
* Intensified Storms: Warmer oceans fuel stronger hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones. These extreme weather events will cause widespread devastation.
* Water Scarcity: Droughts will threaten agriculture, ecosystems, and human livelihoods.
* Food Insecurity: Crop yields will decline due to heat stress, water shortages, and changing growing conditions. Food production will struggle to meet global demand.
* Health Risk: Heat-related illnesses, infectious diseases, and air pollution will increase.
* Climate Refugees: Displaced communities will seek refuge due to rising seas, extreme weather events, and resource scarcity. Migration patterns will shift, straining social systems. Entire inhabited islands will disappear. Social and political instability is a certainty.
* Permafrost Thaw: Permafrost, frozen soil in Arctic regions, contains vast amounts of stored carbon. As it thaws due to warming, it releases greenhouse gases, further accelerating climate change.
Mark Twain once said that “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” Given so much misinformation these days, let us all, fact check everything.
Let me be frank. A vote for Trump and his Republican friends in Congress is a vote to make sure that many of your children and grandchildren and millions of others will be less healthy and will be forced to endure greater hardship, mainly because the super-rich want less taxes and to hell with everyone else.
Conclusion: Trump and his Republicans have engaged in a massive campaign of lies, slanders, and demonization with their knowledge that the more often and louder they declare a lie, the more people will begin to believe it as fact. Sometimes a brief review, even for Democrats, is helpful to keep things in perspective. While the Democrats are not perfect, we must not forget the good things they were able to accomplish, despite the unfair gerrymandering, the 60 vote filibuster, and the incredible opposition from the Republicans every step of the way. Here are a few things to refresh our memories and other links to selected articles. PEACE.
Obama’s Top 50 Accomplishments, Revisited | Washington Monthly
Biden’s accomplishments in just his first two years
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: How Republicans use the Bible to Unscrupulously Exploit their Members
Dozens of Bible passages proving that it is not pro-life
The Lincoln Project Hundreds of one minute videos by former Republican leaders.
White Evangelical Racism, the Politics of Morality in America, a book review.
For more of Trump’s lies, Click Here
