A Little Bit Country…
By: Michaeljon Murphy
Vice Chairman
Constitution Party of Wisconsin
Photograph: Frank C. Müller, Baden-Baden, via Wikimedia Commons
Every year I help staff a creation science ministry booth at the local county fair. Years ago, we started out in a tent along one of the busy walkways, trying to attract passersby to visit our booth. During those tent years, a familiar sight was a booth just opposite us that ran a cooking show and enticed visitors to the show to purchase some expensive cookware. In between cooking shows, the gentleman who ran the booth would play country music and put out a sign with a clock showing the number of minutes until the next show. Over time, the seats in front of his booth would slowly fill up with good old boys and boot-wearing gals who were drawn in by the music, the promise of free samples and an entertaining show. The loop of country songs was slowly burned into my subconscious, and I would sometimes catch myself humming along to a song that didn’t even have a wholesome message. Had to nip that in the bud.
During one of the downtimes of the fair, my booth partner and I struck up a conversation with the proprietor of the cooking show, and he confided in us that he really didn’t even like country music all that much. “I like the people who like country music, though,” he said. “They’re good for business.”
Today’s politicians, especially at the presidential level, have learned to sing a Christian tune in the same way. When Vivek Ramaswamy was making a name for himself in the presidential primary campaign, he extolled the virtues of a society built on faith in “one god.” He practically sounded like a Christian, but when pressed, he would admit that he was a committed Hindu but understood the Christian world from his background at a Catholic school. Conservatives that admired his values remained skeptical that a Hindu would ever be elected in America.
Gimmie That Old Time Religion
Office of the Attorney General of California, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Even the Democrats are aware of this hurdle. When Jimmy Carter proclaimed that he was “born again,” and many voters were impressed, the flat-footed mainstream media scrambled to figure out what this “born again” stuff was all about. Such things matter to voters even if the media is clueless about them. No matter how personally pious a candidate may or may not be in his or her private life, it is advantageous to appear to be a Christian in good standing. It has been reported that Joe Biden has attended church more often than most recent presidents. Even Kamala Harris has touted that you can be a Christian and pro-choice, too. However, at a recent Kamala rally in Wisconsin, when she was speaking of abortion, someone from the crowd shouted out, “Jesus is Lord!” The V.P. retorted, “You guys are at the wrong rally.” Maybe “reproductive freedom” and religion are not as compatible as she has led on.
JJ Messerly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Donald Trump regularly weaves Christian values and lingo into his speeches. Many times, he has accepted the offer of those who want to pray over him. However, I have never heard of his audibly joining in the prayer. During his presidency, he had an advisory circle of Christian leaders, although it is doubtful that Paula White could offer much spiritually sound advice. Many of the MAGA faithful consider Trump a fellow Christian, but Trump has shown that he doesn’t truly understand Christianity at a personal level. In 2015, at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, he told the moderator that he had never asked God for forgiveness. Sadly, he is not alone among the churchgoers of our day who are also hazy on this fundamental tenet of salvation. Trump may well echo the words of the county fair cooking show man and say, “I don’t really get this Christian thing all that much, but I like the people that get it. They’re good for the business of politics.”
A Pastor-in-Chief?
Christians who are more aware of The Donald’s moral shortcomings will inevitably respond with, “We’re not electing a pastor-in-chief,” as if that sanctifies the lesser-of-two-evils strategy. When I hear that on the radio, I have been known to retort, “Well, whose fault is that?” I know the radio commentator can’t hear me, but it makes me feel better. Why do we have to keep nominating people who don’t get it? Where in the long and arduous process of recruiting people to run and narrowing down the field do the good ones get weeded out? Once upon a time, this was essential to Americans. Nine of the thirteen original states required (in their state constitution) an officeholder to be a Bible-believing Christian. All thirteen required a declaration of faith. Today’s candidates are shrewd enough to appear to be Christian, but the voters are not sharp enough to put them through the “smell test” of orthodoxy. Interestingly, the Constitution Party does offer a pastor on the 2024 ticket. Pastor Stephen Broden is our vice-presidential candidate. He has served as Senior Pastor of Fair Park Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas for over 35 years.
Fighting with One Hand Tied
Randall Terry, Constitution Party
Constitution Party USA, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pastor Stephen E. Broden
Constitution Party presidential candidate Randall Terry and Pastor Broden have been speaking out against abortion as vociferously as the Democrats evangelize for it to be restored nationwide without limits. Trump and Vance have taken a “hands off” approach to the topic, hoping the Christians will not abandon them, and that they will not alarm any of the swing voters. Democrat attack ads remind us that Vance was once strongly against abortion, but it seems that his running mate has demanded he fight with one hand tied behind his back. Vance, a masterful apologist on all other topics in his many media appearances, has nothing to say when it comes to matters of life except to ensure vindictive media personalities that Trump will do nothing to enact a nationwide ban on abortion and would, in fact, veto any such measure.
True enough, no candidate is perfect, but those without God’s viewpoint on matters of life are apt to play political games with “the least of these.” Nice talking with you at the fair, but hold on, I hear some country music. This guy over there must be just like one of us.
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