Trump reminds me of Darius in the Bible who was a pagan king, but who was sympathetic to the movement of the Jews going back to the Promised Land.  Sometimes, God surprises us and uses a crooked stick to draw a straight line.  This is one way God answers prayers. 

I will be voting for Donald Trump for President.  I voted for him in the last election (basically because I was voting against Hillary Clinton), and this time as a result of his accomplishments and some other factors, I will vote for him again.

As a local church pastor, I never supported any candidate publicly from the pulpit.  I always realized that any such recommendation could come back to bite me.  However, now I do not pastor a church, and I have the freedom as a retired minister to speak freely.

I realize that there will be many Christians who disagree with my choice, and I understand that all Christians must obey their own conscience.  Some will accuse me of being pragmatic rather than principled.  However, being pragmatic is not always a sin.  Paul desired that all Christians get married.  This was a principle for all men and women in the church.  However, he also put forward a very pragmatic argument in I Corinthians 7:26-28 where he advised those not married to remain in their present state because of the persecution that was shortly to come.  This is an example of a pragmatic argument built on circumstances that overruled the general principle.  So, pragmatism is not always the awful evil it’s been made out to be.

Some will argue that politics and religion don’t mix or that politics is evil.  Religion is the foundation of politics.  They cannot be separated.  For example, there are laws on the books of the civil government that stealing is a crime, which is based on the Law of God in the Bible.  It is not simply a deduction from some ethereal natural law.

Also, politics is not evil.  Sin is evil.  We need more mature Christian men and women serving in civil government.  Presbyterian theology has been hijacked by pietism. and we have retreated into the safety of the four walls of the church facility to hear sermons that never really deal with the critical issues of the day from a biblical perspective.  I’ve always found it a little ironic that after the worship service in most churches that many of the members gather together in small groups to quietly talk about politics. No wonder we have no impact in the public square anymore.

I am voting for Donald Trump not because I believe that he is a Christian. Neither am I voting for him because he spearheaded the move of the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.  Actually, I could care less. I’m not even voting for Donald Trump because he is a paragon of social graces.  Certainly, he is not that.  He is full of testosterone, and actually I find that a little refreshing in a feminized society.

Trump reminds me of Darius in the Bible who was a pagan king, but who was sympathetic to the movement of the Jews going back to the Promised Land.  Sometimes, God surprises us and uses a crooked stick to draw a straight line.  This is one way God answers prayers.  Trump disappoints me in a number of ways including his support of homosexuality.  If that were the only issue, I would certainly vote against him.

When I vote for Donald Trump, I am voting for a worldview that has providentially attached itself to him.  In many respects he has identified himself with numerous Christian principles, whether he understands it or not.

For example, he has stood against abortion, a position quite contrary to the opposition political party and its candidates.  This is a major issue for me, and I hope that he is successful in getting the right person onto the Supreme Court to help reverse that decision.

Even though he has supported gay rights (probably for political reasons), his respect for Christianity still makes him the best bet to oppose the tyranny of the LGBT community.

Recently, Trump issued an executive order forbidding the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the Federal Government training venues.  He may be ahead of the church on this issue.  Critical Race Theory clearly teaches that all white people are guilty of racism because of the color of their skin.  It is actually a type of discrimination.

As a “Law and Order” President, he is clearly opposed to the rioting occurring in our major cities.  He is not opposed to orderly protest, but the destruction of property is theft, and he has taken a biblical position on this issue.

He has moved us out of foreign wars in which we have been entangled for over half a century. There exists an historical and biblical doctrine in the church of a Just War, and Trump’s views largely coincide with these principles.

Trump has supports school-choice.  There is presently a state monopoly on education in this country and it is controlled by anti-Christian radicalism.  Trump’s political opposition has promised to close all charter schools which may very well lead to the closure of all Christian schools.  Homeschools are in danger too.

America is on the edge of becoming an official socialistic nation (we probably are already there to a great degree).  Free-enterprise capitalism restrained by God’s Law has always been associated with Christianity.  The commandment “Thou shalt not steal” is the basis of free capitalism. Trump’s economy has moved us back toward the economic principles held in the past when we were called a Christian nation.

Another important item on the ballot this year is free speech; it has in essence been lost in the workplace.  Just say the wrong words and watch yourself become unemployed.  Also, the Second Amendment (which Trump staunchly supports) is important to Christians who believe that we have a biblical right to protect themselves and their homes from physical harm.  I own a gun for the protection of my family.  I don’t want the civil government taking that right away from me.

I am sure there are other reasons I could list.  However, if Trump loses the election, his opposition may control the future of this country.  I think this will be a disaster for Christianity.  I’m not really worried about myself or my children who are adults with their own children.  I’m worried about my grandchildren.  I believe in the covenant, and thus I am partially responsible today for the lives of my children’s children as they grow into adulthood in this country, even after I am absent from this world.  I don’t want them living under a despotic socialism or worse.  I want them to live in a country where the foundations of a free America under the Triune God are still respected in this country.

Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tennessee.