Why do so many evangelical Christians support former President Donald Trump despite his decades of documented ungodly behavior?

An in-depth report from The Economist shows that it has a simple explanation: They believe that God personally appointed him to rule the United States.

In fact, the report cites a survey conducted by Denison University political scientist Paul Djupe that around 30 percent of Americans believe Trump “was anointed by God to become president.”

  • Klicnik@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    40
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    10 months ago

    Do they then also think that Biden was appointed by God? Or do they think that Biden and his supporters were more powerful than God?

    • kersploosh@sh.itjust.worksM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      The piece from The Economist that is referenced by the article gets into it:

      In a Pew poll in 2021, more than a third of white evangelicals said the government should stop enforcing the separation of church and state.

      To that end, apostles engage in political activism. They shun the Democratic party (membership is a form of “demonic worship”, Mr Hood has written) and cultivate ties with Republicans. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Boebert and Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, are affiliated with the movement. Mr Trump is central to its plans.

      During the presidential campaign of 2016, Mr Wallnau observed that Mr Trump had already climbed the mountains of media and business and said God had foretold that he would also conquer the government peak. The rest of the apostolic movement quickly endorsed Mr Trump. Several of its leaders advised him during his presidency and formed a “spiritual strike force” called POTUS Shield to protect him from Satan. Many prophesied that he would win re-election in 2020, and their followers believed them. In a survey conducted by Mr Djupe shortly before the election, three in ten Americans believed Mr Trump “was anointed by God to become president”.

      Edit:
      Link to the Economist article: https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2023/12/20/many-trump-supporters-believe-god-has-chosen-him-to-rule
      It’s paywalled.

      • cmbabul@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        10 months ago

        No matter the outcome of the election, shit is gonna get messy as fuck when it’s done

        • bbuez@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          10 months ago

          Michigander here, following our court’s most recent ruling on permitting him on the ballot, I’m honestly relieved there won’t be protests at the polls in regard to that, but its been fun thinking of a bingo card for 2024

  • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    10 months ago

    When I think of the guy that God appointed to be the most powerful man in the world, I think of the guy that spent his Christmas telling people that don’t like him to go to hell.

    Actually, that’s pretty on-brand for Him

  • Wodge@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    10 months ago

    In British slang, those t-shirts say “In God We Fart”.

    Just letting you know.

    • vexikron@lemmy.zipOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      10 months ago

      Outstanding.

      On the topic of British slang, do ya’ll still say spark up a fag to mean light a cigarette?

      I have a pet theory that the reason Ozzy pissed on the Alamo is that he finishes a show in Texas, is high on all the drugs, steps back stage, wanders off a bit and asks some local yokel Texans of the time if he can ‘bum a fag’, which they would interpret as the dark lord himself asking them to provide him with someone to sodomize.

      The Texan yokels them beat the crap out of him and he goes and pisses on the Alamo.

      Just my own little head canon haha.

  • rivermonster@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    10 months ago

    Dealing with the Taliban was just a warmup for the Christian Taliban. This time we can’t let ‘em win!