Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and received his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller. He is the author of Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, and Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith.

Shocking: Religious Right Boldly Condemns President’s Behavior, Join Calls for Impeachment

"Congress should impeach the President because resignation is too good for a president who mocked, demeaned, belittled and lied."

It began with the President’s immorality, and then cumulated with abuse of his position of power, and criminal actions as president.

Finally, leaders from the Religious Right are speaking out; they are boldly condemning the President’s behavior, joining calls for impeachment, and are rebuking Christians who have turned a blind eye and rationalized the President’s behavior simply because he belongs to their own party.

In their own words:

 

 

 

 

Franklin Graham

“Much of America seems to have succumbed to the notion that what a person does in private has little bearing on his public actions or job performance, even if he is the president of the United States… But the God of the Bible says that what one does in private does matter.

The private acts of any person are never done in secret. God sees and judges all sin, and while He seeks to restore the offender with love and grace, He does not necessarily remove all the consequences of our sin. As a boy I remember my mother telling me of the consequences of sin. Like a boat, whose wake can capsize other boats, sin leaves a wake. Just look at how many have already been pulled under by the wake of the president’s sin…

[The president’s immorality] has forced us to examine the morality of public and private behavior with new intellectual and spiritual vigor. There needs to be no clash between personal conduct and public appearance…”

 

 

 

Pat Robertson

In a speech at the Christian Coalition: 

“Our national trust has been deeply wounded. And while resignation might be easier for America, it’s not best for America…

[Resignation] is not all that bad. He gets to collect a pension for the rest of his life, and before he leaves office, he can pardon himself for all the crimes he committed. . . . I disagree with that simplistic point of view. Resignation is too good for a president who has mocked, demeaned, belittled and lied.”

Robertson went on to blast Republicans who were hesitant to impeach the president, saying they were hiding in their “foxholes of political safety.”

And while I’ve never been a fan of Focus on the Family, I think perhaps Dr. James Dobson says it best:

 

 

 

James Dobson

“Our most serious concern, however, is not with those in Washington; it is with the American people. What has alarmed me throughout this episode has been the willingness of my fellow citizens to rationalize the President’s behavior even after they suspected, and later knew, that he was lying. Because the economy is strong…

That disregard for morality is profoundly disturbing to me… But today, the rules by which behavior is governed appear to have been rewritten specifically for the president…

How did our beloved nation find itself in this sorry mess? I believe it began not with the current scandal* but many years earlier. There was plenty of evidence during the Presidential election that he had a moral problem… Why, then, did the American people ignore so many red flags? Because, and I want to give the greatest emphasis to this point, [many in the media] sought to convince the American people that ‘character doesn’t matter.’

The president is not the only politician in either party who lacks character, certainly, but he is the only one in American history, to my knowledge, who has been specifically applauded for his deceit… [when you look at the record the last few years] The American people have been subjected to a barrage of lies and half-truths…

As it turns out, character DOES matter. You can’t run a family, let alone a country, without it. How foolish to believe that a person who lacks honesty and moral integrity is qualified to lead a nation and the world!

Nevertheless, our people continue to say that the President is doing a good job even if they don’t respect him personally. Those two positions are fundamentally incompatible. In the Book of James the question is posed, “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring” (James 3:11 NIV). The answer is no.

 

I just don’t understand it. Why aren’t parents more concerned about what their children are hearing about the President’s behavior? Are moms and dads not embarrassed by what is occurring? At any given time, 40 percent of the nation’s children list the President of the United States as the person they most admire. What are they learning from him? What have we taught our boys about respecting women? What have our little girls learned about men? How can we estimate the impact of this scandal on future generations? How in the world can 7 out of 10 Americans continue to say that nothing matters except a robust economy?

 

 

 

I am left to conclude from these opinions that our greatest problem is not in the Oval Office. It is with the people of this land! We have lost our ability to discern the difference between right and wrong…

We are facing a profound moral crisis — not only because one man has disgraced us — but because our people no longer recognize the nature of evil. And when a nation reaches that state of depravity — judgment is a certainty.”

I never imagined I would find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with religious right leaders like Graham, Robertson, or Dobson– but in this case, I couldn’t agree more. 

The most powerful lesson to be learned from these statements however, can’t be found among the statements themselves. The ultimate lesson is a testimony on the ability for political power and influence to erode Christian convictions– and even more, that once leaders have been seduced by idolatry, they quite easily can lead 80% of folks to follow along with them.

Because the most powerful lesson isn’t in the statements: the dates in which they were made.

The above statements, sadly, are not the Religious Right calling out the behavior of Donald J. Trump and the blindness of Trump Christians– they were statements about President Bill Clinton.

From 1998.

 

In the words of Jesus:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”

 


Originals from 1998: Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, James Dobson
* In some places “Bill Clinton” has been replaced with “the president” and references to the Clinton scandal replaced with generic “current scandal” in order to prove a point. 

 

Benjamin L. Corey

Benjamin L. Corey

BLC is an author, speaker, scholar, and global traveler, who holds graduate degrees in Theology & Intercultural Studies from Gordon-Conwell, and earned his doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller.

He is the author of Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus.

It's not the end of the world, but it's pretty #@&% close. Trump's America & Franklin Graham's Christianity must be resisted.

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  14. Those of us who are more, “Strict Constructionist” than so-called, “Conservative” have never wavered in our position. A President should be impeached based on the commission of an ACTUAL CRIME, and the evidence thereof. Not on our opinions of his morality.

    Now, Pat Robertson’s ministry has meant a great deal to me personally. I have received one verifiable, supernatural word of knowledge through this ministry, and one miraculous, instantaneous, divine healing of an injury through his ministry. But I have always respectfully disagreed with the amount of time he, and other evangelical leaders of the 80’s and 90’s, spent talking about politics.

    Christ’s Kingdom is NOT of this world. Just as it is a violation of Christ’s teachings for the State to care for the poor or minister to the hurting, usurping the Church’s role (whether the Church DOES it’s job or not), it is also a mistake to try to use the power of the State to enforce our morality. I’ve always said this … at least since the 90’s.

    However, in the case of Presidential impeachment, Bill Clinton clearly and obviously committed an act of perjury. That was easily proven. The Senate, however, decided perjury wasn’t worth removing a sitting president. In retrospect, they were probably right. Still, TECHNICALLY, the impeachment was justified and removal from office would have been as well … even if doing so might have been overkill.

    Trump’s personal behavior is atrocious. But a President cannot be impeached for “atrocious” behavior. He can only be impeached for an ACTUAL CRIME. And there must be evidence sufficient to prove, BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT, that he committed such crime.

    Such evidence was never brought forward that he committed such a crime. Asking another country for help investigate a crime that may have involved their citizens is NOT a criminal act, whether the suspect is your political opponent or not. Nor is asking a Secretary of State to find evidence of fraud you honestly believe happened. (Had Trump asked the GA Sec. of State to MANUFACTURE such evidence, it would be a different matter entirely.)

    Before anyone says, “But you KNOW what his intent was!” my answer is, “No I don’t and neither do you. Neither of us is telepathic and we cannot read minds.” Besides, you have to be able to PROVE intent. The fact that you are 100% sure of his intent is IRRELEVANT unless you can PROVE it.

    Proof of an ACTUAL CRIME is THE ONLY THING that matters in impeachment!!! His personal behavior may be a reason not to vote for him, but until he BREAKS A LAW, it is not grounds to impeach him.

    1. Thank you. No President has run the country as well as President Trump and that is what a President is elected to do. Six months of Biden and the country is falling apart again.

  15. I hope that the gop ceases to exist after their gutless actions and inactions under trump. You all make me sick to my stomach- you lying useless hypocrites.

    1. I don’t think it’s intended to wake up Republicans. Mr. Corey is mainly preaching to the choir. I doubt there are a lot of Trump supporters or acolytes of Jerry Fallwell who regularly read this blog.

  16. Makes sense to me. They backed him when they could piggy-back off of his influence to maintain and increase their own influence, but now that he finally slipped up so badly that he consequences actually may happen and public opinion has finally tipped that delicate balance, they want to ditch him asap. His apparent behavior never changed and they know that. Bunch of hypocrites.

  17. The blatant hypocrisy of U.S. White Evangelicals still following Trump’s vile, hate-filled gospel has been laid bare for the world to see. And today, there is only one demographic calling for Civil War if Trump is held accountable for his crimes: U.S. White Evangelicals like Robert Jeffress, Franklin Graham, and their White Evangelical followers. Their frothing-at-the-mouth will certainly do wonders for Domestic White-Nationalist Terrorists, America’s biggest terrorist threat.

  18. Iwhile reading this, I am thinking, what brought about this 180?
    No such luck. These very same “leaders ” have participated in
    destroying and discouraging participation in following Christ with their hypocrisy, twisting of Scripture,
    Worship of a false idol, money and a man, the list goes on. They have caused me to leave my church, my faith is being debated. I am suspicious and question every Christian now because of the insanity these men are engaged in.

  19. Ben,
    I guess you can’t tell the difference between a president who had sex in the Oval Office while he was president, and lied about it, and a president who committed adultery 9 years ago and has stated he no longer indulges in such behavior.

    1. Mass delusion is something the bible mentions. The Left now exhibits that condition. Attacking the President’s character, his family, his cabinet, and his supporters shows the level of this irrational delusion.

      1. You hypocrites make me feel ill. You must be insane to support this vile President while calling yourselves Christians. I can only imagine that you imagine when you think of Jesus but I’ll tell you right now he’s not the Jesus of the Bible. You worship a hideous perversion of a righteous man who lies, cheats, steals and wallows in every hateful and sinful hypocricy under the sun.

        1. Sorry but your diatribe is ludicrous and self-serving. 63 million people voted for him and it will be 70 million in the next election proving to you that you are the one who is way off kilter. Christianity does not require me to vote for
          a candidate who supports infanticide yet you think I should do so. Definition of most current politicians: lairs, thieves, hypocrites and godless morons. Hint: Trump is not a politician.

          1. Zero candidates support infanticide.

            By the by, the president has lied more than any previous president. He is also a known thief and a hypocrite to boot.

            1. All 6 Democratic Presidential Candidates Vote for Infanticide
              Michael Brown|Posted: Feb 26, 2019 1:51 PM
              “On February 25, 44 Democrat senators, including all 6 declared presidential candidates, voted against the Born Alive Protection Act. Put another way, they voted for infanticide.”

                1. Really. Not one of the candidates has commented negatively on Cuomo’s New York new infanticide law. The governor of Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam, of Blackface fame, supported such a bill but it was defeated.
                  To say that no party advocates infanticide is disingenuous.

                  1. Misrepresenting bills is disingenuous. Doesn’t matter if it is done by Dr. Brown or you or me for that matter. Christians need to stick to the truth.

                    1. Supporting infanticide is definitely unchristian Nick…

                      NY Law Is Infanticide
                      Jan 29, 2019

                      ALBANY, NY – The so-called “Reproductive Health Act,” recently signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, authorizes the murder of unborn babies up to the point of birth for any reason and revokes medical care for babies who are born alive after a failed abortion. This new law, which also applies to nonresidents who come to New York for an abortion, denies any legal protection or rights for an unborn child.
                      https://www.lc.org/newsroom/details/012919-ny-law-is-infanticide

                2. Okay … Bob Shiloh showed you they VOTED FOR INFANTICIDE … they cast votes in the legislature in support of infanticide … and you STILL claim they did not advocate it.

                  How does that work? How can you SEE the candidates VOTING FOR INFANTICIDE, and then claim they didn’t advocate it?

                  1. Hi ArchKnight! Mr. Shiloh didn’t show that they voted for infanticide. He couldn’t because they didn’t and no politician that I know of does.

                    Typically abortions go down more under Dems than Reps, both domestically and abroad. Speculation is that access to preventative measures go up and therefore abortions go down. Also, don’t forget that republicans have had control of all three branches of federal government three times in the recent era and didn’t even make an attempt to end abortion. They use abortion to motivate votes without delivering results to folks who really want abortions to end.

                    1. Not allowing care for babies born alive after a failed abortion is infanticide by any reasonable definition. As is allowing abortion up to the moment of birth.

                    2. Your examples def aren’t infanticide and the first example is already illegal.

                      You can be against abortion and for life saving care without needing to lie about people who disagree with you as Mr. Shiloh did. It hurts the Christian witness when Christians lie.

                    3. No, you didn’t. None of the candidates at the debate advocated for it and I think that no serious person does advocate for it.

        1. Wow! What an educational post. Thank you for showing us, point by point, with facts logic and reason, exactly what in Bob Shiloh’s post was incorrect. We’re all smarter now.

      1. Wow! “Useless twit”. What a brilliant display of using facts logic and reason to show that the other side is incorrect. How, oh how, will your opponents ever content with your brilliant wit?

    2. Richard, maybe you and Bob should stick to reading Fox News and Breitbart News and commenting there. The fact that the hypocrisy of these statements from the religious right is lost on you is telling. Also how these comments always get to abortion astounds me. That is not the only relevant issue of our times.

    3. Also, keep in mind that Clinton was not impeached for having sex in the Oval Office. He was impeached for lying about it under oath in a court of law … for PERJURY. Having sex in the Oval Office is not an impeachable offense. Deliberately LYING, about anything at all, in a court of law IS.

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